Member Reviews
I think this novel was at times a bit too slow, but overall the story was very compelling and it painted a very vivid portrait of how nasty internet trolls can be. The fad of podcasts is all the rage and this story played on a well-used trope nowadays: the true-crime podcast that exposes new evidence to either help release a wrongfully convicted felon or expose the real killer. This novel set out to do just that and it was surprisingly effective.
The main character was broken, unreliable, and at times, volatile and you did start to doubt her innocence at times during the story. The problem with this MC is that for every instance she was hot-tempered, she was equally spineless and there were so many times I was yelling at her in my head to grow a backbone!
The story was a very twisty one, chock full of different characters that kept you guessing up until the very end. There were also many, many times where the author did a phenomenal job portraying the emotional abuse that people suffer at the hands of internet trolls and many times made you wonder and think about the emotional strain that people go through that are the subject of these true-crime podcasts/documentaries.
The novel itself was very compelling and good, but as a side note, the audiobook almost ruined it for me (but that's a different review altogether).
TW for suicidal thoughts, attempts, and domestic and emotional abuse throughout.
An extremely slow and convoluted true crime podcast "thriller". Nothing much happened for the first 2/3rd of the book. It took forever for anything to really happen. An unreliable main character who is on a constant downward spiral. A bunch of 'did she or didn't she' kill her husband scenarios. I only stuck it out because I wanted to know if she did it or not. Not one I would recommend if you are looking for a good thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC.
Thank you to St. Martin’s and Netgalley for an ARC of this book a thousand years ago.
Hannah has no recollection of her husband’s murder - she knows he is dead of course, but cannot seem to recall a single memory surrounding that awful night. After a person unknown to her is convicted Hannah takes their daughter and leaves London for the English countryside and a quieter safer life.
Ten years later, a true crime podcast that explores previously closed cases to examine if the wrong decision was made sets its sights on Hannah’s husband. They believe the man currently serving time was wrongfully committed and uses Hannah’s backstory to push their belief that she should be looked at more closely. As Hannah grows more suspicious of everyone around her, choosing only to trust an old friend who has resurfaced, she works to maintain her innocence and also grapple with what actually did happen that night and the nights leading up to it.
What a complex story Kaite Lowe weaves for us through this one. This book gives us a little bit of everything I like in a story - unreliable narration, an anti-hero MC, and a shady past full of secrets and things better left forgotten that all combine for a pretty explosive finale.
I do recommend making this book your sole focus, as there are time jumps, subplots, side characters, and psychological mind games that can make it difficult to keep up with if you’re preoccupied with something else.
I did enjoy this story, however for the reason listed above it did get knocked down a peg or two in my opinion. There was enough weaving and plot points to easily create two books and two stories with. However, I do think it was extremely ambitious and entertaining and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys domestic thrillers with unreliable narration.
Where does double jeopardy not apply? In the world of social media and podcasts, anyone can be put on trial at any time. Years after her husbands murder and the conviction of his killer, a true crime podcast decides to challenge the investigation and prosecution. What will they find and will it matter?
I wanted to love this story, but I had a hard time with it. The cops seem to be extremely inept. There just seemed to be way too much going on for one book. I finished the story because I wanted to know what happened that night, and it was a decent thriller. There was just so many different stories in one that I kept getting confused.
I absolutely devoured this gem of a book. I couldn't stop reading long enough to do ANYTHING. I even told my husband not to bother me, because I had to finish the book so that I could know ALL THE THINGS!!
I sat on this one for far too long and when I read it, I just didn't feel the excitement that I initially had. I feel like I'm looking for something to really wow me in this genre and I didn't feel like Possession had anything that stood out to me, unfortunately.
With so many psychological thrillers out there, they really need to stand out to be seen above the competition. Unfortunately, this one does not. It's an okay read, but that's about as far as I'd go. I think what ultimately hurt this one is that there is just too much going on. All the back and forth as well as so many different threads was just too much. It just ended up being a distraction. Overall, the story isn't a bad one, but it's not a particularly good one either, which lands me smack in the middle.
This took me a while to get into and it ended up falling a little flat for me, I was intrigued by the plot and the addition of the podcast but I ended up being a bit disappointed overall
I was very intrigued about the podcast element of this book but unfortunately even that fell flat for me. All the characters were extremely unlikeable, and while I do enjoy unlikeable characters, these were just annoying and insufferable. I didn't enjoy the back and forth timelines as it made the story even more confusing. The first person narrative and unreliable narrator made this really tough to finish as Hannah is a psychiatrist but reads as a presumptuous, self-obsessed character who doesn't even seek help for her PTSD and other mental health issues, despite being a psychiatrist. I did not guess how this book ended but it was a let-down and did not seem realistic in the slightest. Was let down by this book and did not like it in the least.
Looking for an entertaining read featuring mind games, confusing physiological twists, an unreliable heroine, loads of action, and riveting podcast episodes? Look no further! POSSESSION is for you!
It took me awhile to get to this. Now it no longer interests me. Unfortunately I couldn't bring myself to read this one.
Overall: I mostly enjoyed my reading and interestingly Hannah’s character was easy to resonate with. Yes, she was flawed, unreliable, mostly a liar but as you read her past, know more about her motives and actions, you start to understand her.
This is a title I've been sitting on for awhile but when it came time to read it, I am no longer interested in it. I'm sad when this happens, but I can't bring myself to read something that I'm no longer interested in, unfortunately.
I love thrillers with a podcast element so that’s what initially drew me to this one but ultimately I was left confused. Too much going on here for me to really settle in.
I started reading this book and found that it was not for me. It didn't seem fair for me to review a book that I didn't finish.
An okay thriller. There were a few exciting moments but the overall story was a bit over the top for me.
Did not finish and therefore. I will not be reviewing on any platforms due to not finishing this book.
I will rate 1 star for the purpose of this feedback, but will not be rating this book on any social media platforms or our blog.
This started out fabulously but didn't hold my interest.
I want to thank you for the opportunity to review.
Oh this book was so good!!! Can I give 6 stars? A woman's husband was murdered but there's doubt that the correct man is in jail for the crime so a popular podcast delves into the story causing Hannah's life to unravel. This is a book where you're never really sure what is real but by the end everything comes together and makes sense. When I got to around the 80% point I could not put this book down, I almost missed my train stop because I was so engrossed in the story. I did want to add that this book touches on domestic abuse and mental health as though topics may be triggers for some.
I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a twisty thriller.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
The grip this story had on me was fantastic!!
How do you get away with murder? How do you pack up and move like nothing ever happen?
The twist and turns had me getting whiplash (lol). Super great read could not put down and had me reading past my bedtime.