I read Lauren North’s debut novel, The Perfect Son, when it came out and I absolutely loved it. I thought she was an exciting author with so much promise and I have been looking forward to this book for quite some time.

Plus it features a stalker and nothing raises the hair on the back of my neck quite like a stalker story. I immediately fast tracked this book as a perfect introduction to my creepier fall reading.

I had such high hopes for this one. The author, the story and don’t even get me started on that gorgeous cover! But I have to admit, I don’t know that I loved it in the way that I was hoping for.

Summary
Jenna is a wife, a mother, a doctor. She’s also the victim of a stalker.

Every time she leaves her house, she sees him. Disturbing gifts are left at her door. Cruel emails are sent to her colleagues. She has no idea who this man is but she feels powerless against him.

Until the day he is brought into her hospital after a serious accident, and Jenna is given the chance to find out once and for all why this man is tormenting her. Now, the power is all hers.

But how many lines is she willing to cross to take back control of her life? (summary from Goodreads)

Review
I think what bothered me most about this book was that I just didn’t like Jenna. I didn’t connect with her and I just found her to be generally unlikable. There were things about her that I should have identified with, for example she’s a mom and so am I so right away I should have felt some connection to her but I just didn’t. I didn’t care for her and at times I found her decisions a little far fetched. But I was willing to give this book a little grace because I loved The Perfect Son so much. I kept hoping that I would like Jenna more as the book went one but it never happened.

The other issue that I struggled with was this one didn’t have very many twists or shockers. In fact a large chunk of the book there wasn’t really anything happening and I began to lose interest. The book started off strong with a lot of promise but as things went on, it just seemed to lose steam for some reason. I kept waiting for more to happen and then it didn’t—all of a sudden the ending was upon me and it felt thrown together and I finished the book unsure of what to feel.

I felt committed to reading the entire book though, mostly because I was waiting for the ‘twist’ or the ‘action’ to come but it just never did in the way that I was hoping. I did enjoy North’s prose though and I found that to be just about the only saving grace, that and the beginning. While I might not have loved this one in the way that I was hoping, I know that a lot of other readers found it excellent, in my opinion, if you are wanting to try out Lauren North’s books, I would say go with The Good Son instead.

So the big question, would I read more of North’s books? Absolutely! She showed so much promise with her debut novel and in my opinion it would be tough to follow that book with something better. Plus some times authors just miss the mark, or sometimes the book isn’t suited to the reader’s mood or taste. That’s the beauty of reading.

At the end of the day I went with 2 stars. It wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t finish it. In fact there were good things about this book, but I just felt a little let down considering I was looking forward to it for so long.

Book Info and Rating
Paperback, 368 pages
Published September 1st 2020 by Berkley
ISBN 1984803867 (ISBN13: 9781984803863)
Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 2 stars
Genre: thriller, domestic suspense, suspense, mystery

ONE STEP BEHIND
Lauren North
Berkley Books
ISBN 9781984803863
Trade Paperback
Psychological Suspense

Author Lauren North garnered some well-deserved professional praise with THE PERFECT SON, her debut novel. The protagonist of ONE STEP BEHIND, North’s newly published sophomore tale, is quite different from the tragic figure who readers followed through her first book, but no less recognizable in this perfectly paced, multiple-layered story that begs to be read in one sitting.

Jenna Lawson is one of the primary narrators of ONE STEP BEHIND. She is a doctor with an A and E practice (what we refer to in the colonies as an “emergency room physician) who is married to Stuart, who runs a successful construction business. They have two children, those being Christie, a somewhat precocious youngster approaching the cusp of adolescence, and the somewhat younger Archie, who often seems lost in the shuffle. Jenna is having trouble balancing her vocational and parental duties, and it is not because Stuart fails to keep his share of the home fires burning. Stuart’s 50-50 share is in fact a bit larger than Jenna’s. A good deal of the problem is due to a stalker which she has acquired. The guy isn’t content to watch her from afar. He leaves creepy presents for her at her doorstep and sends her emails which indicate that he has some knowledge of her personal. The police investigate but seem to function like Achilles when confronted by Zeno’s turtle. So it is that during a particularly harried day at the hospital when a patient is brought in who has come up short in an encounter with a bus. Jenna is horrified to discover that the patient is her stalker. The other narrator is a woman named Sophie who is a personal trainer and who is in an extremely controlling relationship, personally and professionally, with a fellow named Nick. Sophie, it develops, is the older sister of Matthew, Jenna’s stalker. Much of Sophie’s narrative is given over to her childhood and her relationship with Matthew. There is a bit of a tease here --- a tragedy which took place in their youth and which is breadcrumbed throughout the narrative almost to the conclusion --- which contributes to the general tone of unease that permeates ONE STEP BEHIND from beginning to end. There are a few mysteries that whirl around the plot of ONE STEP BEHIND, a couple of which are obvious and one or two of which are not. Relationships and alliances change unexpectedly but realistically so that what appears to be obvious in one chapter becomes somewhat uncertain in the next, and vice versa. It’s a pattern that continues up to the last sentence of ONE STEP BEHIND, and beyond.

Jenna is a raisin of anxiety throughout ONE STEP BEHIND. While the spark of it is the fear of her stalker, the kindling is her unrealistic expectations which she has for herself, where she wants to excel as a parent and a doctor with both sides of the equation suffering. The vignettes where she experiences the silent --- and not-so-silent --- disapproval of some of the other mothers are handled in a subtle but effective manner, as are her occasional missteps at the hospital, not to mention a couple of unexpected betrayals which she encounters. There is quite a bit to ONE STEP BEHIND --- more than you might expect in a thriller of this sort --- and as a result, it’s just the book you need to transition from this strange summer to the upcoming uncertain autumn. Recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2020, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

I really enjoyed "The Perfect Son" but this book wasn't for me. I found it slow at times but my biggest gripe is the big reveal and the ending. Without spoiling the book, it just didn't make any sense. I wasn't a fan of the messages about working women and adoption.

3 1/2 ⭐️‘S
Jenna has a stalker, a stalker that has terrified her and has changed the way she lives her life for the past year. She lives in fear for herself and her family. She knows who her stalker is, she’s seen him taking pictures of her, but prosecuting a stalker is a difficult task. As a Physician imagine her surprise when he’s brought into the A & E one afternoon fighting for his life after being hit by a bus. Should she save him? A multi layered story that’s not quite as cut and dried as it seems.

The premise of this one sucked me right in. I hate stalkers but the aspect of the story where his victim ends up being the one with the power was just so fascinating. It definitely delivered on the creepy stalker vibes and made me want to figure it all out. I didn't however like the main character much and since we spent so much of the book inside her head that wasn't quite as nice as I would have liked. I also didn't love the ending, Overall I give it a 3.5 rounded up.

This is North's second release and after reading The Perfect Son last year, I reread my review for that one and I pretty much feel the same about One Step Behind. I was instantly pulled in as I absolutely love stalker/obsessive stories. While this felt slow at times, it was also fast paced - I know... sounds contradictory but it truly felt that way to me and that's the only way I can put it.

We get two POVs. Jenna is a mother and doctor who has been stalked and tormenting by somebody for about a year. This obviously causes a lot of paranoia and when her stalker shows up in her emergency room - she pauses.... let him die or be the doctor she knows she is... but she needs to know why he has been doing this. Sophie's POV we get to see through various pin points in her life. Her family life isn't particularly great and now she has to deal with an adoptive brother... who just happens to be in the hospital after a terrible accident. So... now what?

Honestly, I was pretty glued to these pages and I couldn't swipe fast enough because SO MANY RED HERRINGS. I was completely unaware of where the twist was going to come in - if it ever was. And as always with these kinds of reads, I can't say too much as to not give anything away. What I will say is that the ending did surprise me and for that, I'm a happy camper. However, it also didn't *quite* make sense to me in the overall. I think maybe an opportunity was missed in seamlessly putting together a few storylines and I was left hanging a bit.

I do love North's writing style and certainly will continue to read her and I'm very curious what her next release will be like. Keep on eye on North - I have a feeling it's only going to get better from here.

Jenna Lawson is a busy emergency medicine doctor, wife, and mother of two. Jenna has it all, but her life is beginning to unravel because of a stalker who has been harassing and threatening her for the last year. Then things start to escalate and Jenna starts to fear for the safety of her children. The police are no help since they can’t prove who is behind the threats, but Jenna is convinced she knows who is stalking her. Unexpected circumstances give Jenna the opportunity to take matters into her own hands, but will she be able to finally resolve the matter or will her actions make things even worse..

One Step Behind is a standalone mystery/suspense novel told from two points of view. One point of view is Sophie’s, both in the present dealing with a controlling boyfriend, and in the past with a difficult childhood and an adopted younger brother having troubles adjusting to his new home. The other point of view is Jenna’s, who narrates the story as if she is talking to her stalker, which is an unusual technique that helps show how much the stalking is taking over Jenna’s whole life. At first it’s hard to see how Sophie and Jenna’s chapters connect, but it is eventually revealed as the story unfolds.

My favorite part of the book is the way the tension builds throughout the story. More and more of Jenna’s life starts to suffer due to the stress of constantly being on guard and because of her determination to stop the stalker. I have mixed feelings about her husband Stuart, who sometimes seems so supportive but other times is judgmental. In fact, there are a few other supporting characters in the book that are hard to like. It makes for some frustrating reading at times, but opens up the suspect pool as to who is stalking Jenna and why. I was engaged in the story and hoped that Jenna could figure things out before her or someone close to her got hurt. She is flawed, but is still someone I was rooting for.

There is a lot of drama and creepiness towards the end of the book. There are a few different plot twists, some of which I predicted and a couple that completely took me by surprise. The ending is unsettling and although it resolves most unanswered questions, it’s more ambiguous than I prefer. However, when I consider the book as a whole, it entertained me, kept me in suspense, and provided a few surprises at the end. I wasn’t familiar with this author before, but I will keep an eye out for future books by Lauren North.

~ Christine

Thrillers are my favorite kind of book so I jumped at the chance to read this one.

Jenna has a stalker and he just won't leave her alone. He is everywhere she is, leaves disturbing 'gifts' for her, sends disturbing emails and seems to know where she is at all times. She feels her whole family is threatened but when she asks the police for help there is nothing they can do and she feels lost and doesn't know what to do.

Then the stalker ends up in the ER and her ethics are tested. What does she do? And will the threats stop? This book held my interest and kept me guessing. I would love to read more by her.

A stalker is my worst nightmare. Especially at the level that Jenna’s stalker went. Oh my gosh! They stalked her at home, at her job, everywhere she went. I was scared for her, enthralled at who the stalker was, and worried that she would not be able to keep herself together long enough to catch the stalker.



This is the second Lauren North book that I have read, and she is amazing. She has the skills to write a book that could cause nightmares but keeps the reader intrigued enough to not want to put the book down. I had so many guesses at who the stalker was, and I thought for sure that I had figured it out a few times. When it was revealed who-dun-it, all the clues came together perfectly, and I could not believe that I did not realize the truth before I read it.

What the heck! This book was a journey — a good one too... I was super interested to see how all the characters were tied together because I knew they had to be but I honestly guessed wrong.

The ending of this book really took me by surprise. I could never quite guess how it’d end. There were no lose ends which I really liked so I felt like all the characters got closure.

This book was very enjoyable, kept me engaged, and kept me wanting to read more! I highly recommend if you like psychological thrillers!

One Step Behind by Lauren North is a recommended stalker story of psychological suspense.

Jenna Lawson is a doctor, wife, and mother. For over a year she has been the ongoing victim of stalker who keeps leaving her frightening gifts. She can feel herself being watched and has sighted her stalker several times. Jenna is at a breaking point. She is barely sleeping and is on edge and wary all the time. She immediately reports all the incidences to the police, but they haven't been able to find the culprit. When a man is brought into the emergency room where Jenna works, she immediately recognizes him as her stalker. He is put into a medically induced coma and Jenna can't help herself, she looks at his phone. On it she finds images of her and her kids as well as another mother who she knows.

Inserted into the main story line are chapters about a personal trainer, Sophie, who is worried about her brother, Matthew. The two shared a difficult childhood. These chapters go back in time to when her parents first adopted Matthew and when Sophie was always admonished to take care of her brother. This seems to be the ongoing theme of their adult lives too, but Sophie is tired of taking care of Matthew and living with her overbearing controlling boyfriend.

North does depict the increasingly poor decisions Jenna is making due to the stress and paranoia she is experiencing. You do begin to wonder briefly if she is doing this to herself. But then it becomes more clear that, while the main characters are well-developed, they also all seem to be troubled and, well, become annoying after a while. After several chapters they begin to grate on your nerves. I pressed on because it's a stalker story and I wanted to get to the twist that had to be coming. The twist came, but it wasn't quite as satisfying as I was hoping.

Basically, though, the writing is good. North is a writer to watch in the future. She did a good job increasing the tension and suspense, although the novel did go on a bit too long. In the future more care needs to be taken before adding a few plot points that were improbable and simply couldn't happen.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.
After publication the review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

So as you know from the blurb, Jenna, a doctor has a stalker. Horrified and at her wit's end and then her stalker becomes a patient in the E. R. room. This book was long winded and tedious. And then finally the reveal which for me was a let down. Actually pretty disappointing,. It was well written and I hate to give bad reviews but I am sorry. I received this book from net galley for an honest review. Thank you net galley for this ARC.

Jenna, a doctor, has been stalked for the past year. She finds disturbing things left on her doorstep and is beyond frustrated because the local DS on the case hasn’t come up with any leads despite all the clues. When the suspect ends up in Jenna’s A&E she must treat him which goes against her current instincts. With him recovering in the hospital Jenna can finally catch her breath knowing the threat is gone. Or is it?

Lauren North’s novel kept me guessing who the culprit was as I learned more about Jenna and the people in her life. I enjoyed it and look forward to North’s next book. Recommended to fans of domestic and psychological suspense.

What an incredible book! The story is about Jenna, a woman who has everything she could wish for, a great job at the hospital. Furthermore, she is a successful doctor, a responsible wife and, a loving mother. However, there is only one problem in her life that is, someone has been stalking her. Every time she leaves her house, she notices someone following her and watching her throughout the day. Not only that, but there are days when Jenna discovers gifts on her doorstep. This situation seems to have no end. Until one day, the stalker arrives at the hospital injured after suffering a terrible accident. Jenna is surprised and sees the opportunity to investigate who this person is and what is the reason for stalking her for a long time. It is the first book that I read by this author, and I do not regret it because I loved it. It is a story with a lot of action, intrigue, and suspense. I couldn't put it down because I loved the narration and Jenna's personality. She is my favorite character in this story because of her eagerness to solve this issue so she can live a peaceful life with her family. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to entertain and have a good time. I thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A twisty, gripping, disturbing thriller that will have you looking over your shoulder too see if someone is watching you. I loved the suspense in the novel and wondering just exactly why she had a stalker, what he wanted with her, and why her? Jenna doesn't know him, at least not that she can remember, so why has he been targeting her, leaving her disturbing "gifts" and threatening emails. Not only is she freaking out, her children and husband are also affected as well. Not sure what else to do, she toys with the idea of moving out of their home in an attempt to escape her stalker. Will that be enough for her to flee him once and for all, and for them to restart their lives stress free and safe from their stalker?

I enjoyed the cat and mouse feel of the book, and trying to guess just what the stalker wanted with Jenna. No matter what she did to try to figure out just who he was, she is unable to figure out what he wants with her and her family. Now that he is in hospital after an accident, will the threats and disturbing gifts stop arriving?

An addictive book that you will not be able to stop reading once you've turned the first page. You'll be hooked and want to know what will happen next, and will devour this book until you turn the very last page.

I definitely recommend this book.

This is my first Lauren North novel and it will not be my last. One Step Behind is a fast-paced thriller. North doesn’t hold back. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end and I was officially creeped out – and that was before things really got upended. Let the stalking begin!

This story is told in alternating points of view – Jenna and Sophie. The details they share weave together to create a thrilling mystery. Jenna and Sophie left me wondering what in the world was going on and at the same time feeling like the tables had turned and I could see a clear path, only to find out my map led me astray. One Step Behind is a crazy ride I highly recommend taking.

Jenna is a strong, independent woman. She is a wife and a mom and a successful doctor, but she cannot keep a stalker at bay. He’s always around, leaving her presents, waiting at her children’s school. She’s sick and tired, terrified and the police are no help. Then the man ends up in her ER. In a coma, the man is now powerless against Jenna. She begins stalking the man who was stalking her, using his phone and the images she find there as a starting point. Now the hunted becomes the hunter, but just how far will Jenna go?

This book was a completely creepy stalker novel and gave me major anxiety in the best way. Thank you so much to Lauren North, Berkley Publishing, and Netgalley for my copy of One Step Behind. I read this book in a few hours and loved every creepy minute of it!

This book was about Jenna, a woman who has a stalker. She has been receiving emails, doll heads, and seeing a creepy figure following and taking pictures of her for months. She works as an ER doctor and one day her stalker is brought in after being hit by a bus. Jenna goes through his phone and starts to realize there is more going on than she originally thought. The book chronicles her paranoia and elements of her life that come together to create the perfect stalker book.

Thoughts: I loved how creepy this book was! It was written in a way to slowly give information to the reader and you learn more and more as the book goes on. The book switches from Jenna’s perspective to Sophie’s which is interesting and makes it a quick read. Lauren North does a good job of describing how Jenna feels and what she does when she is confronted with her stalker. I loved the build up in the story and the ending was a complete surprise! 4.5 stars for me!

Lauren North's writing and I...we just don't jibe well.

I wasn't a fan of The Perfect Son, and for many of the same reasons, I'm not a fan of One Step Behind. Both books served the answers to the "twist" up within in the first few chapters, making for very dull reads.

In this particular book, I was frustrated by fundamentals. I tried looking up whether Britain has the equivalent of HIPAA (patient privacy) laws, but honestly, I'm still in the dark...as various websites offered differing explanations. (Any of my UK friends, please fill a sista in.) Nevertheless, as a U.S. resident, all I could think of as I read this was, "HIPAA! HIPAA! You're seriously violating HIPAA laws! You should know better...you're a DOCTOR! Remember HIPAA?"

Details like that lose me. I felt so outside the story, it was hard for me to get drawn back in. Unfortunately, there were two such instances in this book. Without giving too much away, there is zero chance a school would allow what happened to actually happen. Nope, not a chance. And I'm simply not a fan of authors utilizing these 'not-true-to-life' ploys to advance the plot. I'm sure many readers can overlook it...I cannot.

It was not all bad, however. Stalker stories truly are creepy because it's something which can happen to anyone, at any time. And as a mother with children, it obviously sent a chill down my spine to even think about some mentally-impaired, unknown entity threatening them. North nailed the feelings a mother would experience in this situation.

At the end of the day, I'm going to call this one average and rate it 2.5 stars.

Available in the U.S. on September 1.

**My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley for my review copy.

Someone has been stalking Jenna but who? He doesn't show his face the he leaves mutilated dolls on her doorstep and, horrifyingly, in a kitchen cabinet. She's a physician who works in the A&E (aka the ER), she's got two kids, and a husband, Stuart, who is a builder. Then one day, a man who was hit by a bus is brought in and she recognizes his umbrella and his shoes and realizes that this might be the stalker. Is it Matthew? His sister Sarah tells their story in alternating chapters that move backward in time. Jenna's convinced it's him but is it? Things start up again when he emerges from his coma- and Jenna's going off the end. It's a twisty thriller with some surprises that will line up at the end. No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fast entertaining read that actually kept me guessing.