This is clearly a marmite book: you will either love it or you won't get it at all. It's probably not what many people would expect from a psychological thriller, yet it undeniably is one – the entire book is a deep-dive into narrator Grace's psyche during a very stressful time in her life. As such, the book succeeds or fails on the strength of her narrative voice.

For me it was very much a success, because I recognised so much of what is in Grace (albeit thankfully more extreme than I have ever experienced): the utter exhaustion and fear of motherhood, the drive to protect your children at all costs, the havoc a lack of sleep wreaks on your brain, the guilt over needing just a minute alone. I found myself liking and empathising with Grace even when it seemed clear that she had done something terrible. Her decisions throughout the book are highly questionable and yet I could see where they came from.

Do note that although there are two crimes to be solved in this book, their solution is almost incidental. Go into it expecting a typical crime story and you may be disappointed. Go into it expecting an intense look inside a mother's brain and you will be pleasantly surprised.

A solid 4.5 from me, but rounding up to 5.

Not what I was expecting! Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it does make reviewing and rating quite tricky.

The synopsis of this book is totally accurate to the tale. But what I was expecting was a much more gritty, powerhouse of a crime fiction novel. What I actually got was a hilariously funny read, full or sharp anecdotes and horrifyingly true accounts of what it’s like to be a busy mum, with no sleep, demanding kids and the worry of having a child predator living on your doorstep. The last point I have no experience of!

I really enjoyed the writing style and the quirkiness of how it flips between the spoken and unspoken thoughts. It’s frank, open and honest and I found it to be really engaging.

The writing style, for me, I think, is what saves the book. Because the actual storyline regarding the missing child takes a huge back step to everything else. For a crime fiction novel it doesn’t really have that time sensitive pressure or drive to find out why, where and who. I can’t say that this book has any big plot twists or reveals, the ending I thought was a bit flat.

But strangely, after all that, I still think it’s a really good read. Perhaps it should be more cross-genre than marketed as crime fiction/mystery as it has a touch of Bridget Jones to it which I think those who aren’t police procedural fans will totally love!

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I expected something completely different from this book after reading the synopsis, which isn't necessarily bad, but which made me have different expectations than I usually would have had. I expected this book to be about Ava's kidnapping and the solving of that crime, but the plot was mostly just Grace dealing with her own problems, only partly relating to Ava, and only the last 15% of the book were tied back to the kidnapping.
Still, I really liked the plot itself, I enjoyed the writing style a lot and it was easy to get a feel of Grace's emotions and her growing paranoia really translated well onto the paper.
I did find some parts especially during the middle sort of repetitive, and it interrupted the pacing which until then had been pretty good. Grace's relationship with James seemed pretty out of nowhere and it didn't seem to quite fit into the rest of the story.
The ending was just what was to be expected. There were almost no surprises or plot twists, which didn't really help with creating suspense. I feel like the plot had a lot of potential, it just wasn't always realized and therefore especially the ending fell sort of flat.

Not sure what was happening. This book didn't hold my attention. Was more about the mom and her kids than the missing girl. The book sounded like it would be good but just fell flat. I did not finish.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an early release of this book.

This was an addictive psychological thriller that I could not put down. I really enjoyed the story, and I found it to be unpredictable.

The only thing I didn't really enjoy was the way that the younger daughter spoke; she seemed very advanced for a child of her age and some of what she said didn't really seem believable.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

This is a story that will have you questioning your own sanity never mind that of Grace’s the main protagonist in this. You can truly feel Grace’s certainty and uncertainty and questioning of what has happened and whether she had any involvement in some events or not, it very much plays with your mind. It’s written in quite a fresh voice but one that undoubtedly feels very real and it also gets you thinking about mental health, the stigma and needing others to think, know you can cope.

#SheLiesClose #NetGalley
Thanks NetGalley, Titan Books and Sharon Doering for an early copy to review.
First of all, I loved the writing style. I don't know how a dark themed book could be embedded with so much fun lines.
5 years old Ava go missing for months presumed dead already since it's too long. Newly divorced Grace finds herself living next door to the man who is suspected to kidnap or murder Ava. A single parent to two kids, one of them a 3 years old girl, paranoia haunts her every waking moment.
You won't be able to put it down till the end.

Grace, a newly divorced mother of two young kids, just moved into a not so perfect house. However, it's a house that she can afford. Unbeknown to her at the time of purchase, that next-door neighbor, Leland, was a suspect in the disappearance of a child, Ava Boone. Soon, Grace can't help but think that Ava is in Leland's house.

Grace, paranoia regarding everything is exhausting. It's not the fact that she's paranoid that her kids will be kidnapped, which is understandable. It's the long description of everything that is going on in Grace's head that makes reading the story tiresome and boring. The story never really moved along until 85% through the book. The solving of Ava's case was the only interesting part of the whole story. Perhaps if it was written in a more of a detective way, a crime-solving book that it might be more interesting. The introduction was about Ava, everything was about Ava and yet somehow the story is all in Grace's voice and her delusions. There was a long chapter regarding Grace's need to watch Ava's video. That was completely unnecessary to the story and it did not add any substance to it. This book could have been so much better.

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To many people moving house signals a new beginning in their lives, new, surroundings, new neighbourhood and hopefully friendly new neighbours. The last thing that you want to learn not long after you move in is that one of your new neighbours was suspected of being involved in the disappearance of a five year old girl. Especially when you have a young daughter of your own and are very paranoid and overprotective when it comes down to her safety. Throughout this tale of obsession,we follow Grace, a divorced mother of a three year old girl and a eight year old boy as she becomes increasingly more and more obsessed with one of her neighbours and the disappearance of little Ava Boone.Grace was a complex mixed bag of issues,flaws and contradictions, a character who I didn't think was very likeable for various reasons. I could understand her concerns over the safety of her own children but why was she so obsessed with Ava's disappearance? Did Grace really see Ava in the window of her neighbour's house? Was little Ava alive or dead?.As the story unfolded and Grace's obsessions took control of her life causing her to seemingly struggle with her grip on reality, the reader began to question how much of her narration was based on reality and how much was just the result of her mind possibly playing tricks on her.

This debut thriller is a raw, thought provoking study into the complexities and fallibility of the human mind and how swiftly and completely a obsession can take control of your life. It's a tale about the daily struggles of raising young children, the constant battle with your conscience over keeping them safe and letting them have the freedom they need to experience life at its fullest whilst they are still children. Grace was a relatable,flawed character and her children were realistic and believable. I thought this was a enthralling, enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more of this author's books in the future.

I could not get into this book. It was all over the place and made no sense in a lot of areas. I gave up because I was so confused and couldn't get into anything in this book.

It's pretty clear that this author's writing does not appeal to everyone. It's quite disjointed and all over the place, with plenty of rambling and inner dialogues happening at the same time as the character is speaking. I'm not sure if that's because the narrator is on Adderall and slowly becoming unhinged or if the same style would be applied to a different character. I hope it's the latter because it's very hard to follow and makes the story almost a chore to get through. The narrator is Grace, a mother of two young children who has recently moved into a neighborhood and discovered that her next-door neighbor is a suspect in a child's disappearance.

We follow Grace as she grows more paranoid and possibly delusional by the minute, yet somehow she manages to hold down her job as a preschool teacher. She's also allowed certain actions like running a lap around the neighborhood every night while she leaves her children at home in bed. Even after she's hears about her neighbor. At least one friend and, unbelievably, an officer she starts dating just lets that happen. So she's not exactly an easy character to relate to or empathize with. Bad things start happening and neither Grace nor the reader know how much she has to do with them or if they are even real.

The actual plot is good but I just couldn't get past the exhausting narration. A little more breathing room and less emphasis on the single parent who moms-so-hard and this could be a real page-turner.

Do you know who your neighbors are? After a child disappears from a close knit community the main character begins wonder if her neighbor a suspect is really responsible and how safe her children are. Riveting novel

I found this book difficult to stick with at times. I felt there was a lack of suspense, and the plot was weak. It was not as an enjoyable a read as promised however I persevered and was left quite neutral at the end.

#SheLiesClose #NetGalley
An ok read.
SHE IS STILL MISSING
Five-year-old Ava Boone vanished without a trace six months ago. No witnesses, no sightings or arrests. But Grace Wright just moved in next door to the only suspect the case had: quiet, middle-aged Leland Ernest.
Recently divorced, Grace uprooted her two small children to start again and hopes the move will reset her crippling insomnia. With whispered neighborhood gossip and increasingly sleepless nights, Grace develops a fierce obsession with Leland and the safety of her children. Could she really be living next door to a child-kidnapper? A murderer?
With reality and dream blurring more each day, Grace desperately pursues the truth - following Ava's family, demanding answers from the police - and then a body is discovered...
Its narration was good but ending was dragged.
Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for giving me an advance copy.

#SheLiesClose #NetGalley
A good read.
Ava Boone vanished without a trace six months ago. No witnesses, no sightings or arrests. But Grace Wright just moved in next door to the only suspect the case had: quiet, middle-aged Leland Ernest.
Recently divorced, Grace uprooted her two small children to start again and hopes the move will reset her crippling insomnia. With whispered neighborhood gossip and increasingly sleepless nights, Grace develops a fierce obsession with Leland and the safety of her children. Could she really be living next door to a child-kidnapper? A murderer?
It's an intriguing debut with much appreciated characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for giving me an advance copy.

I wanted this to be more about the missing girl but unfortunately it was much too focused on daily mommy life and the joys and trials of raising children.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't even know what to say about this book. I felt there was no suspense, no plot, it was just weird and all over the place to me. I finally just gave us. Not for me.