if you want a thriller that is creepy, tense and full of twists and turns, this is the one for you. The suspense literally had me missing a heartbeat because I just couldn't work out where this story was leading me. It made me doubt myself and had me had me hook, line and sinker till the very end. The ending really made this book and my eyes were on stalks reading the last couple of pages. Wow.

Wendy Clarke's latest release, The Bride, is a twisty, fast-paced psychological mystery. When Alice receives a text from her former Joanna, her former best friend, telling Alice she is getting married and wants her to meet her fiance', Alice spontaneously decides to visit her in London. Frustrated with her failed engagement and career disappointments Alice hopes reuniting with her best friend will help get her life back on track. What Alice doesn't expect when she arrives is to that Mark, Joanna's fiance', doesn't know about her visit and that Joanna is missing.

The premise of the story is captivating and the first half of the book was off to a slower start in terms of the plot yet there is an underlying sense of unease that makes this a faster read. The second half of the book really picks up as it reaches the startling conclusion. There are twists and turns along the way, a hallmark of Clarke's novels. What detracts from a great premise is some unlikeable characters in Alice and Mark. Alice comes across as very weak and too trusting. Some plot holes also took away from what could be a great story-for example Alice's charger is broken, Mark promises to bring a new one and doesn't for days so she has not been able to contact anyone. What makes that even a little more strange is that other than the initial text to come and visit and meet Joanna's fiance' Alice does not hear from Joanna after she arrives, her charger doesn't work and Mark invites her to stay in their flat even with Joanna missing. Instead of calling someone for help or Joanna's parents Alice stays in the flat with a stranger and without a working phone. The potential is there to be a great read with additional plot and character development.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and writer for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Alice and Joanna were best friends for years. They were inseparable: doing everything together and even dressing alike, until one day something happened that changed everything. They haven’t spoken for 10 years until Alice gets a message out of the blue from Joanna saying she’s getting married and she wants to see Alice. So Alice travels to London hoping that this trip will get their friendship back on track. But when she arrives she is greeted by Mark, Joanna’s fiance. Though he’s charming and kind Alice can’t help but feel there’s something a little off. And then he tells her Joanna is missing.

The Bride is a story filled with secrets, lies, betrayal and revenge. A mysterious, dark, sinister and suspicious read. It starts at a steady pace but the tension soon ramps up and I was on the edge of my seat as it reached its crescendo.

When we meet Alice her life is falling apart so the text from Joanna is just what she needs. When she learns Joanna is missing she is steadfast in her determination to do everything she can to help find her. But there are two mysteries in this story and while Alice is helping Mark solve the mystery of Joanna’s disappearance, flashbacks telling the story of their friendship offer small clues to the mystery of what terrible thing happened to tear them apart. And while Mark seems genuinely concerned for his fiancee, I had a strange feeling about him from the start. Was this because he was behind it all or a case of the author cleverly throwing me off the scent of the truth? I couldn’t decide. Thrown into the mix were other suspicious and unreliable characters who made it even harder to predict what had happened and where the story would go next.

Atmospheric, unpredictable, claustrophobic and filled with twists and turns, I flew through this entertaining thriller in under a day. A great read for anyone who likes their thrillers gore-free.

I know I always say sometimes we as readers have to allow a pinch of salt when reading a story but with this one I needed a bucket full, I just couldnt get past the premise which is that Alice receives a txt out of the blue from her ex BFF Joanna to go and meet her hubby to be that weekend and stay with them, off Alice goes ( without any further contact with Joanna ) and when she arrives Mark, the hubby to be, is unaware of her visit and Joanna is ‘away on a course’ and also is not replying to any of Alice’s texts or calls ( after the initial come and stay text ) so what would any of us do?, of course we would leave asap and tell someone, but no, Alice ‘decides’ to stay, with this stranger in his apartment with no further contact from Joanna,it just wouldn’t happen
And then Alice’s mobile goes flat and guess what?, her charger doesnt work and so she cant contact anyone even if she wanted to, Mark then goes ‘away’ for a few days but leaves ‘no contact number’ for himself ( on the off chance Alice actually leaves the apartment and can buy a new charger ) BUT Alice doesnt, she just stays in the apartment!
The plot gets better when we find out the history of Joanna and Alice and where Mark fits into it all but by that time I was just keen for it to end
However got to say the descriptions of Alice’s claustrophobia and panic on a plane and in a locked garage are spot on and wonderfully written and also the descriptions of the old docks where Mark has his apartment are vivid and atmospheric and chilling
All in all though not for me tbh but look forward to the authors next book
2 Stars
4/10

I look at this book as in three sections, each with its distinct trajectory but all connected. One cannot happen without the others. By the time you get to the last third, get ready to hold on, because it really gets twisty. It went in directions I totally didn’t expect. The author does a fantastic job of building both atmosphere and character development. I was intrigued and read it in one sitting. Highly recommend. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of this book.

This is a fast paced thriller. Alice’s life’s falling apart and her best friend from college messages her to meet her fiancée. Alice needs her friend she’s lost her job her fiancé. When she shows up to Joanna’s only Mark is there. Where is Joanna. Did mark do something to her? Definitely a thrilling read. I’ve already added Wendy Clarke books to my TBR. List

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC; I will say this type of genre tends to be in the top tier of my favourite type of novel so o was excited to get this. The first half of the novel was slow, but it kept my attention and left me wanting more. . The second half picked up and I was left trying to put together the pieces of the relationship between Alice and her former best friend Joanna. While it was entertaining to keep me wanting to finish this story; I felt like it did lack a bit of backstory. More information about Joanna and her past, her relationships. A more back and for between these two main characters would have been appreciated. Overall I would still say it’s a good, quick read with mystery that will keep you entertained.

Just when I thought I knew everything about the dark human psyche in fiction, out popped a book which showed me how little I knew. Author Wendy Clarke would definitely have written this in the pitch black atmosphere between midnight and two, when thoughts turned twisty; and smiles, taunting and evil.

Alice came to meet Joanna only on a single message from her to get to know the man she was marrying. Knocking on the door, a strange man opened the door, Mark the fiancé, and Joanna was missing. Alice stayed over to get to the truth.

Having read many of this author’s books, I knew things would be not so apparent. I kept trying to peep in and get to know the sordid secrets. In the first half, both Alice and Mark were quite innocuous. That made me more curious. 3 characters in the book, one was missing, the other two had to know something… Gimme a clue, guys. I almost screamed.

The author then turned benevolent toward me and slowly lifted one veil after the other… Here I thought that was the groom’s job… Oh my, it reminded of the horror story, he lifted the veil and found a zombie… 😂 😂 Not that this was horror. But horrifying truths came out… I didn’t know whom to believe.

The ending was a complete circle and I was left with… Gimme more… Or maybe not… You couldn’t trust those characters… More suspense and thrill right from the beginning would have added to the fun…

Overall, it entertained and kept me glued to my kindle most afternoon.

‘The Bride’ is a suspense novel with a decent story.

Alice is just coming out of a relationship she had invested a lot in. Joanna was her best friend in college and though they have not met since many years, she still feels a strong connection. As she gets back in touch with Joanna, she learns that she is now engaged, and Joanna invites her to visit her and meet her fiancé.

Alice goes visiting on a Saturday and finds strangely that only her fiancé Mark is there. Mark tells her that Joanna is out for a course but says it is strange Alice should turn up during this weekend. Alice reluctantly decides to stay over for a night as she is very tired with the travel. Mark later reveals that Joanna has been missing since over 3 days.

As the story moves on, the narration (deliberately) leaves you with a sense of something being amiss with one or more of the characters – Mark, Joanna, the few neighbours, Mark’s stepson, and the caretaker. The story keeps the suspense till the end.

I liked the fact that this is a good story which is simple & clean with a minimal set of characters. The suspense holds till the end, but the problem is that the story moves slowly in parts and too much is left to the end. There are some twists, and good ones at the end. This was a story with a lot of potential but falls short. It is still well worth a read.

My rating: 3.25 / 5.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC copy of THE BRIDE by Wendy Clarke. This book was such a fun read! It had me guessing through the entire book which is a rare thing to happen for me.

Alice's life is in the dumps. She's just returned home from a failed reconciliation trip to find her fiance is leaving her for another woman. When an unexpected text comes from an estranged friend, Alice is intrigued. After some contemplation, she decides going to visit her friend Joanna just might be the best possible distraction. But, when she arrives at Joanna's place, she isn't there. The only one home is Joanna's fiance Mark, who had no idea she was coming.

Chilling and twisted. Wendy Clarke has written an atmospheric and entertaining thriller. Alice has been made redundant from her job and now her live in boyfriend has informed her he has got another woman pregnant. When her old BFF Joanna reaches out after 10 years to tell her that she is engaged it couldn’t come at a better time. Alice is excited that they could possibly finally repair the friendship and she is in need of a change of scenery. When Alice arrives at Joanna‘s upscale apartment there is no Joanna just her fiancé Mark. Mark is charming and welcoming and informs Alice that Joanna is away attending a course, but why would Joanna invite Alice to visit when she wouldn’t be there? A spooky apartment building, a creepy Watchmen, a missing Bestie, a concerned fiancé, an angry stepson, Secrets, lies, twists, and turns.

This story had a definite creepy claustrophobic vibe to it. The setting of this upscale modern apartment building in the middle of this run down dark area with cranes and crumbling buildings was so vividly brought to the pages. I think this definitely brought a little extra something something to the story. The book does start out a bit slow, but it completely worked for me because it was such an atmospheric tale. Alice’s claustrophobic panic attacks were palpable. The second half of the story definitely ramped up in intensity and I was very surprised by the ending. And that epilogue?Wow!

This book in emojis 🚧 🏗 🏭 📹 🗝 🚪 💰 🚨

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Best friends Alice and Joanna had lost tough but they'd got back in contact as Joanna is about to get married. Alice has lost her job, nearly got k locked over by a car and fr fiance is leaving her. So when Joanna tell her shes getting married and asks Alice to come and meet her future husband, Alice jumps at the chance. But when Alice gets there, Joanna is missing. Joanna's fiance, Mark persuades Alice to to stay until Joanna returns. But then Mark tells Alice that Joanna has been missing for a few days.

The second part of this book is much better then the first part. I found myself second guessing everything about the characters. Thrnstoryb8s well written with just enough twists. I couldn't believe that Alice would stay with man she didn't really know, even if it was her friends fiance. At the end, I did feel there were still ,loose ends that hadn't been tied up. Questions needing answers. I did enjoy this story.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Wendy Clarke for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Bride’ by Wendy Clarke in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third psychological thriller/domestic noir by Wendy Clarke published by Bookouture.

Alice hears from her school friend Joanna, who tells her that she is engaged. Yet Alice has an awful feeling that something is wrong, especially when she hears that Joanne only met Mark a month ago.

Joanna asks Alice to visit. As Alice’s boyfriend had only recently unceremoniously broken up with her, she welcomed the opportunity to reconnect with Joanna. So Alice heads to the address that Joanna provided. Yet when she arrives at the apartment, only Mark is there. Alice finds him charming and gorgeous. Then he tells Alice that Joanna is missing....

No more plot details as I always feel it is best to approach these thrillers ‘cold’ for maximum enjoyment.

Although most of the chapters, including a dramatic Prologue, are narrated by Alice, later on there is the occasional switch to Joanna as narrator. This is noted in the chapter headings though I was caught out at first.

I found this a quick, engaging read that I read in a single sitting. Alice did frustrate me a little as she seemed very passive. Still, Clarke delivered some fun twists before the final page.

Her choice of setting is worth noting. Joanna and Mark live in a luxury apartment in a renovated tobacco warehouse in an old East End docks. Clarke’s fictional Black Water Docks is “a sea of derelict buildings and half-finished apartments–a London that no longer exists.” Most of the novel takes place in the one building providing quite a claustrophobic atmosphere.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I'm still trying to process this one... Alice travels to visit an old friend after some personal struggles at home. But when she gets there, Joanna is missing. This was a weekend she was going to meet Mark. Joanna and Mark are planning to get married. But where's Joanna?

Somethings off. Alice isn't sure what. She decides to stay to help find her friend. But was this the right thing to do? I guess you'll have to read to find out 😉

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC. I enjoyed it.

I guess this is the downside of reviewing titles for authors...I feel awful even writing this, but this book just did not work for me. I had hoped by reading the premise that it be an incredible, twisty novel, but instead it was so unrealistic that I just never could get into the book. I read about 70% of the novel, struggling along, but just could not force myself to finish. Each of the characters was such a gross exaggeration of their stereotype and I was just about to bang my head into a wall wondering why in the world Alice was putting herself in such an odd position and wasn't put off by Mark, the son that showed up, Eloise, etc...and then realized that with my to-read stack looming over me, I just didn't have it in my to car and find out :( I am so sorry to be the bad reviewer, but I am sure some people will love this!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wendy Clarke, and Bookouture for this book.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. Alice's weak mind and ridiculous decisions made me dislike her as a character. I just wanted to scream at her the entire time. I almost put it down before I'd even read a third of the book because of this but I decided to keep going. The premise of the book is great and that's what grabbed my attention in the first place. However, the execution fell flat. Some of the things that happened were far-fetched that I was just shaking my head. There are plot holes that didn't get resolved. The ending irritated me and was unbelievable.

I've loved previous books from this author but unfortunately I just didn't enjoy this one.

The prologue was great but sadly it went downhill from there. Around the 50% mark I nearly DNF. Alice just infuriated me with her decisions. I don't really want to say anymore about the plot as others seem to have enjoyed it and I don't want to give any spoilers.

Wow!!! If you are looking for a book with twists this is the book for you. I could not put this book down and I truly mean it. I have read many books that were hard to put down but this one I really could not put down. This is probably the fastest I have ever finished a full length novel. A girl goes missing and I could not put the book down because I had to know what was going on. I honestly guessed wrong on what was going to happen and who done what. I am not sure how I feel about the ending though. It was very suspenseful which I loved but this ending has me wanting more so it bugs me that it ended like it did. But wow it was a great book.

This is a great read that had me hooked from the first few pages.
I started to think I knew what was happening but got it completely wrong! So well done Wendy Clarke for writing such a great story.
Alice goes to visit her friend Joanna who she’s not seen for many years but when she gets there she’s told Joanna is not there.
Initially her fiancé says she’s away on a course but the next day he admits she’s been missing for a few days.
Alice stays to give Mark some moral support while the Police come but soon events take a more sinister turn.
I won’t say anymore as I don’t want to spoil it but tryst me, you need to read this book if you like great psychological thrillers.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I have taken a couple days to figure out how to write this review. I truly wanted to like this book, and The Bride started off pretty good. The main character, Alice, is very flawed (claustrophobia problems, relationship issues, extremely submissive etc) but I wanted to keep reading. Towards the middle of the book, I started to have some pretty big problems with the plot. I had a lot of time invested in Alice as a character and I was trying to understand her view of things. At the beginning and middle, Joanna was still not "in" the book totally, and I was trying to figure out her story as well. Mark (Joanna's fiance) is a very strange character and I didn't like him at all. Alice is pretty much trapped between these two characters throughout the book with a sprinkling of a few other characters. Besides the characters, I felt the plot was also becoming quite unbelievable. The ending, in my opinion, didn't do justice for Alice at all. I was left feeling extremely disappointed and quite confused too.

*Synopsis*
Alice gets off a terrible flight and comes home to her fiance. Alice finds that her fiance has been seeing another woman and is leaving her. Oddly enough, Alice gets a text message from an old friend, Joanna. Joanna is getting married and she wants Alice to meet him. Alice agrees and feels happiness for the first time in a long time. There is something nagging at her though, but she pushes it aside. She agrees to drive all the way to Joanna and spend the weekend with her. Alice envisions a weekend of wine drinking and catching up, but when she arrives she finds Mark has no idea who she is or why she's there. Joanna is also gone, leaving Alice to tell Mark about her and Joanna's plans. Soon, it becomes clear things aren't right and Alice finds out Joanna is missing. Alice and Mark must work quickly to find Joanna before it's too late.

*Spoiler alert*
I REALLY wanted Alice to find her voice throughout the whole book. I was practically shouting at my kindle for her to get out of this situation. I don't understand why she continually was putting herself in danger (especially with as weak minded as her character was). Alice stays with Mark even though Joanna is missing, and we don't know if Mark's story is true or not. That whole part of the plot just seemed so unnecessary after I finished reading the book. I never really knew Mark's true intentions and his character just seemed so off. Joanna's whole ending made me scratch my head. I had to go back and re-read a couple times to make sure I had read correctly. Then came the big "twist" and I wanted to just yell. I was so upset for Alice that I truly couldn't like the ending at all. There were some things that didn't quite add up in the end also. Unfortunately, with the confusing plot, untidy and unlikable ending, I can only give 1 star.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.