Lisa Jewell's books continue to fascinate me. I was prepared for a psychological thriller that would keep me guessing until the very last page. Lisa Jewell did not disappoint. We meet Saffyre Maddox and she was being treated by Roan Fours, a child psychologist. Once Roan ends their sessions, Saffyre has trouble coping with the transition out of therapy.

She decides to begin following Roan Fours and learns some interesting things about him and his family. Then there is Owen Pick, an awkward man who is a 30 something virgin who is accused of some despicable crimes. All of these people are interwoven and I had theories about the connections and I wasn't even close. This book was hard to put down and is a must-read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Jewell has done it again! Another great book with complex story lines, well developed characters, and the need to read just one more chapter. Girls are being attacked and then one goes missing. Who did it? The police think they know who it was and the evidence against him piles up. Time is running out to find the missing girl and stress levels all around increase. The narrative switches through a variety of characters. This helps add depth to both the characters and the story. And of course kept me on my toes as I wondered if any of them could be trusted. On several occasions I thought I knew tho had done it. I was wrong! This all resulted in a great read and an exciting ending.

In the past I have really liked Lisa Jewell books and had high hopes, but I found myself wanting more. I never got sucked into this story. There was no big suspense or hook for me. I felt like the ending was a bit too expected and also left a question. (There's one plot that isn't ever fully explained, you just have to assume. I also don't feel like this particular character got the right justice.) I actually really liked Saffyre and Owen and would have liked more from them!!


THANK YOU to NetGalley, Lisa Jewell, and Atria Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!


(Posted on goodreads and will post on IG on pub day)

Lisa Jewell is an auto-buy author for me and I was thrilled for the opportunity to read Invisible Girl early. The story is focused on Saffyre, a teenager who has disappeared, and the family of Roan, the therapist she was seeing for three years. Roan is arrogant and unlikeable, although his wife Cate is warm, loving and a concerned spouse and parent. A third major character is Owen Pick, who lives across the street from the therapist and his family. What transpires between the main characters is another masterful web spun by Jewell, a true genius of domestic suspense.

This was my first Lisa Jewell book and I can tell you it will NOT be my last. The book had me hooked from the very first page. From the start she sets a pace that keeps the reader just on the edge of their seat without making the novel feel too cliché.
The characters were very well developed and I loved the way I was able to peel back layer after layer of information about them throughout the novel. This book is a perfect October read and I am so thankful I was able to receive an ARC for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of Lisa Jewell's latest thriller - I'm a huge fan and this is another 5 star read for me.

The story is told from 3 different points of view - Cate Fours is a mom of teenagers Georgia and Josh, and wife to Roan, a psychologist. Owen lives across the street from the Fours in a home owned by his aunt. Owen is a teacher and has just been suspended due to reports of sexual misconduct towards female students. Owen is in his 30s and still a virgin - he gets pulled into an online forum for others in his situation - incels - involuntary celibates. Saffyre had a tough childhood with a trauma that she still can't speak about. But she was cutting herself and her guardian sent her to Roan Fours. When Roan dismisses her saying that she is healthy now, even though she has never spoken to him of her trauma, she feels unseen and starts following Roan. Then Saffyre goes missing - Owen is the last to have seen her.

As in all of Lisa Jewell's books, you have the mystery portion but she is a master at the character development. You feel for these people - especially ones that are "invisible" to the rest of the world or judged as being unworthy. Plus, as a society, we are so quick to judge others who appear different from us. As the saying goes - everyone has a story. Some hide those stories but they are still there, influencing behavior. I couldn't put this book down until all these stories intersected!

Yogi Berra famously said, “It ain't over 'till it's over." In some novels, that’s simply not true. You can solve the mystery before you’re halfway through the book. Not so in Invisible Girl, where the twists and turns will have you guessing till the very end.

Seventeen year old Saffyre Maddox has been through a lot in her short life and she hasn’t always made the best decisions when it comes to dealing with her pain. Cutting definitely wasn’t a good choice and she has spent the past three years meeting with child psychologist Roan Fours in hopes of finding better ways to cope with her challenges. Saffyre shares a lot of emotional woes with Roan but she keeps the biggest thing a secret, slowly working towards giving voice to the awful experience she has never told anyone about. Before she can fully work up the courage to articulate what occurred, Roan tells Saffyre he thinks their work is done and they have nothing further to discuss. He ends their sessions, giving her a clean bill of health.  Feeling abandoned and slightly betrayed, Saffyre begins to stalk Roan, learning where he lives, studying his family life, and watching what he does and who he sees in his off hours. Before long, Saffyre knows the Fours family and their neighbors better than they know themselves - and some of what she’s discovered frightens her.

Cate Fours had been excited to move to “the grand apartment in a grand house in Hampstead.” The rental is temporary, a place to stay while their home in Kilburn is repaired after being damaged by land subsidence, and the whole family had initially looked at the experience as an adventure. And it was convenient, close to her husband’s office and just a short walk away from the childrens’ school. The situation seemed ideal - at least at first. Recently, something about the quiet, elegant streets has felt wrong, the posh silence somehow more frightening than the hustle and bustle of their former neighborhood. When her teenage daughter Georgia becomes scared that someone is stalking her, mother and daughter immediately suspect the man in the flat across the street.

Owen Pick was returning home; following Georgia after they disembarked from the tube had nothing to do with a desire to be near her and everything to do with wanting to get back to his own house. It soon becomes apparent Georgia and her mother Cate believe he’s some sort of deviant, a stressor Owen definitely doesn’t need. He’s already been suspended from his position as a geography teacher after two of his students accused him of sexual misconduct, accusations which he strongly denies. The last thing he wants is the neighbors involving the police When Owen goes online to research how to deal with his employment situation, he finds himself inadvertently drawn to  the incel - involuntary celibate - forums, where he discovers an entire world of men like himself, men who feel increasingly ostracized and abused in the “new feminist reality.”

Initially, the only thing our characters share is geography. Saffyre spends most of her time walking the streets between Roan’s office and his home and takes to sleeping in a building site across from his house. Cate is busy caring for her family, completely unaware of the teenager who is spying on them and privy to all their secrets. Secrets she herself is blissfully unaware of. Owen has no idea the pivotal role Saffyre will inadvertently play in his life and moves about his day oblivious to her.

But a series of sexual assaults start to occur in the area. Bizarre events which culminate with the disappearance of Saffyre, and Owen and Cate finding themselves shockingly ensnared in the police investigation which ensues.

To say this story is a slow burn is to almost exaggerate its glacial pace. The first chapters contain almost zero suspense and are instead devoted to building readers’ knowledge of who each of our three leads is. Cate is slightly paranoid; concern for Georgia’s safety, her son Josh’s quiet fragility and the fact that her husband might be having an affair are slowly eroding her sense of normalcy and calm. Cate’s desperate for everything to be all right but is increasingly certain that something odd is happening in her home and she’s terribly worried it has something to do with the assaults and Saffyre’s disappearance.  Owen is angry; he feels like life has treated him unfairly and  has always believed that his problems with women lie with them - their over-sensitivity, their unwillingness to overlook his awkwardness, their judgmentalism - and the incel culture gives him a place to release his anger and pain for all the ways the world has  hurt him. But as Owen gains more intimate knowledge of the community, he slowly realizes how dangerous the people he has become involved with are. Saffyre is damaged; she seems to have no idea how peculiar her obsession with Roan is and also to have no understanding that stalking and spying on people are wrong.  As the author slowly reveals the terrible experience from her past, we realize what is driving her and just how that entwines with her current reality.

Because the mystery doesn’t really coalesce until the halfway point, Invisible Girl essentially reads as two different stories. The first half is a general fiction novel describing the ups and downs of three denizens of Hampstead and how they are at crucial turning points in their lives. There is an underlying tension due to Saffyre’s spying and the author does a lovely job of turning an ordinary neighborhood into a chilling, atmospheric, eerie locale where ordinary people can face extraordinary dangers. But for the most part this section just involves a lot of mundane activity. The second half of the story is the thriller - Saffyre’s disappearance serves as a catalyst for Owen and Cate to realize that something was wrong in their lives long before a young girl went missing and the police came knocking at their doors. This part of the novel is intense and engrossing as we try to differentiate between the victims and villains and realize that everyone is possibly a little of each. The author does a great job of keeping us guessing regarding what actually occurred until the very end and also expertly brings her story to a surprising conclusion.

Most books have flaws, though, and this one  has a couple which kept it from DIK status. I have already mentioned the rather slow start and would add that this tale has some rather unbelievable elements, especially in the last few pages. You won’t notice them while you’re racing to reach the conclusion, but once the story is finished you’ll start questioning certain factors in the resolution.

Like many suspense novels, this book deals with some disturbing subjects. The use of date rape drugs is mentioned, as well as sexual assaults on young girls, some in their teens and some even younger. A bit of physical violence takes place and non-consensual rape fantasies are mentioned. None of it is overtly graphic and none of it is glamorized or condoned in any way.

I thoroughly enjoyed the lovely prose, fascinating characters and convoluted situations in Invisible Girl.  It’s too slow paced to be truly classified as a thriller but if you are looking for a character driven mystery with some surprising twists and turns, this may be the perfect book for you.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
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Lisa Jewell has become one of my favorite mystery writers. She does not write perfect stories, but she consistently writes thought provoking novels that are attention grabbers.

This story told in multiple points of views surrounds the disappearance of Saffyre Maddox. She is a bright girl, who has suffered terrible losses, but still has the love of her one major remaining family member, her uncle Aaron.

You will meet Cate who is the wife of Roan, Saffyre’s psychologist. Owen Pick, who is one of the strangest characters you will meet, who has one of the more pivotal roles in this book.

Lisa Jewell, wrote a very faced paced thriller. Very short chapters make this story move quickly. You will think with a certainty that you know how this story is going to go, at least I thought I did. However, Jewell writes a very clever twist, which makes this book so much better.

Jewell, is becoming masterful in this genre, and I feel she is a bit underrated. She has quickly become one of my go to authors. If you have not read her before, take a chance, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Even though this is my least favorite of the three I've read from this author, I still really enjoyed it. It was fast paced with short chapters and alternating points of view. There are just enough twists and secrets to keep you entertained and guessing throughout the whole book.

Slow burn. Originally I was not a fan of this book (in fact I almost put it down) but the climax and the conclusion made it all worthwhile. The story is dark, but stay with it if you can stand it. Thanks, Netgalley, for this arc.

Creepy and Captivating!

The Fours Family lives across the street from the creepiest guy imaginable. A socially awkward guy who skulks around the neighborhood, Owen Pick was put on leave from his job due to allegations of behaving inappropriately towards teenage girls.

Roan Fours is a Child Psychologist, his wife Cate is a Physiologist. They have two teenage kids and are a seemingly happy family.

Years prior, Roan treated ten-year old Saffyre Maddox who had been traumatized by a horrific event she never disclosed. Saffyre is now a young woman who is full of secrets.

After a number of sexual assaults are reported in the neighborhood, the Fours Family naturally suspects Owen Pick.

When Saffyre goes missing on Valentines’ night, a suspect is arrested.

Guilt or innocence: the answer is not always clear cut. In addition, things are not always as they seem and trust is hard to come by.

So many questions arose while reading this book and of course, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

“Invisible Girl” is a twisty, turny domestic suspense that will delight Lisa Jewell fans from start to finish. Though I guessed the ending, I still really enjoyed this entertaining thriller!

Another buddy read with Kaceey.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Lisa Jewell for the arc.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 9.28.20.

Probably my favorite book by this author and I liked most of her previous work so this is saying a lot. Fantastic all around. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Lisa Jewell's novels are always a great choice! This one has so many unique, quirky characters that really had me invested in the story!

The Fours family- Roan (a child psychologist), Cate, and their two teenage children,-has recently moved to a new suburban neighbourhood while their house is under repair. Across the street is 30-something Owen Pick, a socially awkward college instructor who has just been accused of sexually harassing students at a Christmas party. Sapphire Maddox is a teenage girl who is a former patient of Roan. She has become obsessed with him and his family. When she goes missing on Valentine's day, and Owen was the last to see her, the entire community is seemingly involved and secrets and connections come out as the police work to find her!

I loved this book! I was completely absorbed and could not put it down! It is a very intricate story about a community and how our behaviours can have implications on so many others. Lisa Jewell obviously took a lot of careful attention to detail to make each of the plot lines fit together so well. The characters are each very interesting, many are flawed and untrustworthy, but there are also good hearted, honest characters to root for! It is very twisty and surprising, with a strong ending!

Though dark and disturbing at times, this story also has elements of a family drama. It touches on grief, growing up and moving on. With Owen's conviction, and a string of unsolved attacks in the area, there are frequent incidents of sexual harassment. I found that the story doesn't go into any graphic detail, but the language may be triggering for some. The toxic masculinity is prominent in this story! However, there is also a strong undercurrent of feminism, and there is one particular scene near the end about what that means that I just loved!

Overall, I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell's writing and highly recommend Invisible Girl! I love her British style, clever twists, and irony that even had me laughing out loud at one point!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite auto-buy authors is back with a fantastic page-turner. Readers take note that this story is trigger heavy for sexual assault.

Jewell expertly weaves a disturbing tale involving a cast of complex characters. I was anxious to see how it all came together. Disturbing yet emotionally captivating, I just had to know how this would all come together.

5 stars

The Invisible Girl was a suspenseful and thrilling novel by Lisa Jewell. I loved this fast-paced read told from several different points of view. As a reader, you were never really sure WHAT was going on. I loved it and I"m here for those types of thrillers. One where you just aren't sure which way the story will go. A quick right turn here then a sharp left turn there. I loved it. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I even was hoping for one last chapter to wrap up Roan's character but it was a nice great ending that I was happy with.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for my advanced copy. It was one of my anticipated reads of the year and it lived up to the hype! I would recommend it to anyone that loves a great twisty thriller.

I finished Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell the other night and it was great. As always with Lisa Jewell there are a bunch of characters whose stories entwine to create the full picture of the story. I loved the character work in this one, I felt extremely bad and embarrassed for Owen and I felt highly invested in his outcome. I also really liked Cate and also felt bad for her and I was curious to see where her storyline would lead. The story wasn't as fast of a read as her books usually are for me and there wasn't an explosive huge ending or big reveal to it but the ending was somewhat of a happy ending which is a nice change of pace. This book was more focused on the characters themselves and about how powerful perception can be. I enjoyed the slow building of the story and characters and I would recommend this one!

I never in a million years thought that I’d see such a well-done psychological thriller on a topic like incels and toxic masculinity, mostly because I see them as scary enough without fictionalizing the experience... but here I am, giving it four stars because I genuinely enjoyed the whole thing.

Invisible Girl is about Saffyre, a seventeen-year-old girl who’s been seeing a therapist because she self harms, due to an incident when she was ten that she just doesn’t like to talk about. It’s also about Cate, who’s the wife of Saffyre’s psychologist and the mother of a teenage daughter and son. It’s also about Owen, their neighbor, the 33 year old virgin who lives with his aunt and who’s kind of creepy.

The first little bit of this book was a bit of a slow start as we learn who the characters are and how they work with one another, and the rotating three points of view was a bit hard to follow at the start just because of this. But after getting used to everyone’s voice and figuring out how they all connected, it was easy to fall into the story and after I hit about 40% it was hard to put this down at all.

I always find Lisa Jewell to be a very unique author in that every single book is like an adventure all on its own. WIth most authors, you can find a ‘tone’ or a specific way of writing early on and you can know whether or not you’re going to like the majority of the author’s books after just reading a few. Lisa Jewell is not like that—at least not for me. There are books by her that I’ve dnf’d and others that I’ve found compelling and difficult to put down, like this one. I absolutely love the sense of not knowing what to expect any time I pick up one of her books and I always look forward to a new release from her on the shelves.

TWs: sexual assault, self-harm, toxic masculinity (is this a content warning? I think what I am trying to say is the misogyny is a pervasive part of the storyline but it serves a good purpose and has a good message if you read it and think about it), adultery.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for a review.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite go-to authors. Her suspense and mystery is always just so so good, it’ll hook you right away. I’ve loved every book by Lisa, and Invisible Girl became another new favorite!

I have to admit I stayed up way too late to finish this one, but it was so worth it.

The novel is written/told in three different points of views, which in itself is one of my favorite qualities in a novel. You get a good feel for the characters in first person, and even more than a dual point of view really gives you more than you could’ve expected. There’s definitely a creepy tone to the story, as you’re taken along each character’s narrative. I love creepy scenarios, and awkward characters. I think that’s why I am so drawn to Lisa’s books.

There’s so much information that gets thrown at the read from all directions. There’s a case that needs to be solved, a person goes missing, and I kept feeling in my gut that I knew who/what happened. Sometimes however, it doesn’t turn out to be what you thought the obvious answer would be.

I had no idea I would be in for a big surprise.. Soooo Good!

Well, it took me about three weeks to read this but ONLY because I’ve been super busy with things-n-stuff in life. Jewell once again writes a compulsively readable novel with strong characterization. As creepy as Owen is, who couldn’t sympathize with his pathetic self just a bit? I’d love to hear about Jewell‘s research process as the story includes some pretty deep diving into some serious psychological issues. And the character names, like Saffyre Maddox.... most kick ass name I’ve read in a long time! If you’re a fan of Jewell’s books, definitely pick this one up in a few days! Out October 13th!

After suffering a trauma in her youth, Saffrye has become an invisible girl. One who can lurk in the shadows, one who is uncomfortable in most of her surroundings. After 3 years of seeing Dr. Roan Fours, she is considered done with therapy, but she’s far from healed.

Owen is a naive, bumbling oaf. At 33 he still lives with his Aunt in a crumbling flat. When he’s out on leave from his teaching job for inappropriate behavior, he stumbles down the wrong path and ends up in water way over his head.

Roan and Cate Fours and their children, Georgia and Josh, are living in a temporary flat in Hampstead, across the street from Owen, who they consider to be quite creepy.

When a series of sexual attacks happen in the neighborhood, they are all left uneasy and when Saffyre disappears on the night of Valentine’s, things really start to fall apart.

What’s the connection and where is Saffyre?

Once again, Jewell writes a compelling narrative that has the reader rapidly turning the pages to find the answer to those questions. With it’s well appointed twists and turns, this is a very good read.