This was a twisty read- as others have said, it's a storyline you read a lot in this genre, but this book put a new twist on it. It centers primarily on Amber, who couldn't wait to have a baby but is trying to hide the fact that she has postnatal depression and isn't as happy as she expected to be. Amber's husband, George, convinces her to spend a night away so they can rekindle their relationship and Amber can get her groove back, leaving Amber's sister Ruby to babysit. Turns out that someone has been watching them and waiting for an opportunity to take the baby (Mabel) away, believing that Amber is a terrible mother and the baby should be with them.

The book alternates between the points of view of Amber, Ruby, and the unnamed villain. I always enjoy the changes in POV, as it makes for a quick read. The book slowed a little bit in the middle where they were making the plea for Mabel's return and talking about how they can't live without her. The pace picks up again, though, once Amber's secrets are revealed and we also get more insight as to what is happening to Mabel post-kidnap. The unveiling of the villain is well done- I read late into the night because I couldn't wait to see who it was.

Overall, this is a new twist on an old storyline, and absolutely worth the read. Jess Ryder does it again! Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was just one night away. I had no idea how devastating it would be…

My sister said I deserved a break. She offered to babysit so that my husband and I could have one night away, remember who we used to be before the sleepless nights.

But the next morning my phone rings. My sister is hysterical. Mabel’s cot is empty. My little girl is gone.

I race home with a horrible sick feeling flooding my stomach. The little sleepsuits still hang on the radiator but there is no gurgling or cooing on the baby monitor – just silence.

Now the police are questioning everyone. My sister, my husband, the girls from my baby group.

I want my little girl back more than anything and I will do whatever it takes. But I have a secret… Could the darkness in my past have put my baby at risk?

A truly gripping psychological thriller of manipulation and betrayal from bestselling author Jess Ryder. The Night Away will have you hooked until the final devastating revelation. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train or The Woman in the Window.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Night Away' by Jess Ryder.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 2nd November 2020

This is the second book that I have read by this author. I have also read 'The girl you gave away' which I loved and would highly recommend!!

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching and intriguing cover and intriguing synopsis. blown away by it. I have also read another book by Jess Ryder which I loved so hoping this will be just as good. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 44 chapters. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in London, UK 🇬🇧 . I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture the scenes.

This book is written in a mix of first and third person perspective and the main protagonists are a mystery character (to start, we'll call the mystery not to give away and first person perspective) Amber (Third person perspective) and Ruby (Third person perspective). I enjoy books written in both first and third person with several protagonists as it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. You alse get to bond more in first person perspective with the character. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

This book is fantastically written, another amazing success from Jess Ryder. It starts off with from 'A few weeks ago' and moves onto 'X days without/with Mabel'. It all flows really well and the descriptions really put you in the picture. The only niggle I have really is with the synopsis stating 'It was just one night away' when really it had been the second and would have been more but that's me being pedantic. I thought the cover worked perfectly with the timeline considering all the action that happened surrounding that door.

The storyline itself swept me straight up and didn't put me down until the last page. A true page turner. It is filled with twists, turns, nail biting suspense, lies, loss and drama. I was completely surprised at the first twist but couldn't say I was shocked as to who the person was... Its quite hard to describe what I mean without giving top much away but it's at about 69% the revelation I'm talking about for those who have read it. I was then kept on my toes with the rest of the shocks to come, nome of which I seen coming!! Anothrt major success for Jess Ryder. I am looking forward to reading more of her books and would love to see this one turned into a movie.

I was completely invested in the characters who all seemed to have something to hide which you find out piece by piece. I must say I wasn't a fan of Amber and her attitude towards Ruby. Argghhhh... Its so hard to say how I feel towards certain characters without giving too much away. I do feel there were only 2 real victims in all of this, I can't say who but it would be interesting to see what others think. I'm still also not sure about a certain character and how much involvement they truly had and how much they could be trusted. I will say I also could not stand Amber and Ruby's mother and find her attitude dispicable as a mum of three myself. Most definitely a mixed bunch but a mixed bunch that worked well in this case, or not so well depending on how your looking.

Overall a gripping page turning psychological thriller that will keep you guessing throughout.

Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Domestic Thriller and Psychological Thriller amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Jess Ryder, C.L Taylor and Shalini Boland.

344 pages.

This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Author Bio:

Jess Ryder is the author of five psychological thrillers - 'The Ex Wife', 'Lie to Me', 'The Good Sister', 'The Dream House', The Girl You Gave Away' and her latest, published November 2 2020 - 'The Night Away'. All titles are published by Bookouture. She also writes as Jan Page. With many years' experience as a scriptwriter, she loves watching television crime drama. Jess is a passionate reader and particularly enjoys thrillers.

Jess lives with her partner in London, UK and has four grown-up children.
https://www.facebook.com/JessRyderAuthor/
https://twitter.com/jessryderauthor

Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3jkCQ4d
Apple: https://apple.co/33UMk1X
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3kFdpfD
Google: https://bit.ly/31NMaXq

Another great read from this author. Tense, surprising and pacey. Couldnt put it down! I've read all the books by this author, and this is one of her best. Thank you Netgalley!

I did enjoy reading this book. I was pulled in from the start. This is the first book I have read by this author and looking forward to reading more.
I cannot imagine what it must be like to have a child stolen from your home!. Crazy story but kept me hooked!

Dark, twisted and disturbing, Jess Ryder’s The Night Away is a deftly crafted and brilliantly plotted psychological thriller that is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Amber and George are completely besotted with their baby daughter, Mabel. Like most parents, they wouldn’t dream of letting their precious infant out of their sight for one second. Since Mabel’s birth, the new parents haven’t had a night off so when Amber’s sister Ruby offers to give them a break, Amber and George decide to enjoy this much needed night away knowing that their baby will be well looked after. However, Amber and George’s peace of mind is quickly shattered into a million tiny pieces when they receive a frantic phone call from Ruby: she has just checked Mabel’s cot and she isn’t there! What could have possible happened to their baby? Who took Mabel from her cradle? Is it somebody they know? A perfect stranger? Will they ever find their baby? Or is she lost to them for good?

The police begin their investigations and start questioning everyone. Amber is besides herself with worry – especially as she might not have told the police the entire story. She is not like most mothers and she is willing to do whatever it takes not just to get her baby back, but also to ensure that the police do not recover the deleted texts from her phone. Amber has plenty of secrets and skeletons in her closet which she is determined to never let anyone uncover. But could her dark and murky past have put her beloved daughter in jeopardy? Who was watching Amber and her family from the shadows? Is Mabel going to be paying the price for her mother’s dark past?

Amber will do whatever it takes to get her daughter back and is prepared to do anything to have Mabel back where she belongs…

Full of tension, menace and foreboding, Jess Ryder’s The Night Away brings every parent’s worst nightmare to stark and terrifying life. A fantastic thriller where nothing is what it initially seems, Jess Ryder’s The Night Away is a tale of old sins, dangerous deceptions and twisted secrets where the stakes are high, the suspense breath-taking and the pace relentless.

A fantastic thriller guaranteed to keep readers engaged and enthralled until the very last devastating twist, Jess Ryder’s The Night Away is a scary chiller readers will devour in one sitting.

Really enjoyed this book and it had me hooked from beginning to end. Not read anything by this author before but I am keen to read more of her work.
I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to have a child stolen from their own home. Worse still to wonder if my sister is possibly involved in the abduction.
To then have the police investigation hindered somewhat by numerous secrets and lies involving the key suspects. All of this contributes towards a nightmare situation.
Brilliant conclusion to the story and one I certainly didn’t see coming.

A domestic thriller full of suspicion, secrets, lies, drama and tension.
Lots of twist and turns that kept me guessing and engaged till the end.

Sounded like a great storyline but with there being so many similar ones it didn’t offer anything different. The description gives you a sense of what to expect but I’m not sure it delivered. It was very slow paced for the first half of the book and then it ramped up for the second. The main character Amber wasn’t a very likeable character and even though she was going through the motions of her child being abducted I couldn’t take to her. I did love reading the abductors point of view and it really added a creepy more sinister aspect to the book. It didn’t take a genius to work it all out so would have loved a bit more twists. Conclusion was rushed and almost like it happened in the background and your given the gist of it afterwards. It was a little predictable which is a pity as it could of gone a lot of ways. Easy read considering the topic.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC and review...

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review. This is another new author to me courtesy of Bookouture .

A fantastic gripping and thrilling read. This is every parents nightmare! You can feel the tension and sheer panic in the words. Captures every emotion and jaw dropping twist and turn.

A explosive and chilling book that is completely unpredictable.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

Published 2nd November

Thanks to Bookature and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of The Night Away.

This was a fast paced and easy read which I read from cover to cover in 24 hours. The Night Away got my attention from the very start - a stranger watching Amber in the park from a distance; following her every move and watching her struggle with her child.

Amber and George have a 7 month old daughter Mabel and since her daughter was born she has been struggling. She's exhausted, she feels like she's failing at everything and that the PND she suspects she is experiencing is punishment for wanting this baby too much. Her family keep telling her she needs a break but she isn't keen.

When George arranges a night away to try and rekindle their relationship; Amber isn't sure it's a good idea. She DOES need the break, but is she a bad mother for leaving her baby with her sister to baby sit? Her sister Ruby can be a bit ditzy at times and has been a tad unreliable in the past,

Despite her reservations, she decides to go with George and Ruby baby sits. Ruby gets a small appreciation for just how hard it can be looking after a baby - she could have sworn she put the baby monitor on when she fell asleep, but in the morning its turned off! No harm done though, Mabel is fine, and Amber gets the break she deserves.

When George has to work away the next weekend, Amber doesn't think she will cope alone with Mabel, so asks Ruby to babysit again - after all, she's proven that she can cope alone with a baby. But when Ruby wakes up late, Mabel is gone from her cot. Did Amber come home early and take her, or has she been abducted?!

What follows is a fast paced tale where everyone is a suspect. George is convinced Ruby had an accident and is trying to cover it up. Ruby's partner comes under suspicion, Ambers PND raises questions and was everyone really telling the truth about that night and who they were with!? What other secrets and lies lie hidden under the surface? Most importantly, who has Mabel, and why?!

Jess Ryder keeps your attention by changing the narrative and perspective between Amber, Ruby and the abductor, drip feeding more and more facts that make you question and suspect almost everyone. The tension builds really well and as more betrayal lies and untruths are revealed it really makes you hunt for the clues that may reveal what really happened to Mabel that night.

I have given this four stars and not five because I almost hoped for one last curve ball twist at the end that didn't come, and I can't say I warmed to any of the characters particularly (with the exception of Ruby)

Overall a really great read that I would happily recommend to others.

This book did exactly what I wanted it to, it left me questioning what I thought I knew. Kept me guessing until the very end.

Amber and George live in a nice flat. They have a baby girl named Mabel. Amber is having a difficult time coping with caring for Mabel and appears to be depressed as well. George is doing all he can to help her. He suggests an overnight for them in a lovely hotel and suggests she ask her younger sister, Ruby, to babysit. At first, Amber is appalled as she and her mother have always considered Ruby to be a bit of an airhead. But Amber relents and calls Ruby who is delighted to care for Mabel whom she loves very much. It goes well and Ruby realizes too that caring for a baby is a lot of work.

They next week George says he needs to be away for the weekend and Amber is furious as she says she cannot cope with Mabel on her own. After George leaves, Amber calls Ruby to again babysit for the weekend as she is going to a yoga retreat. She thinks that this may help her to relax and help her to better cope. Again, Ruby is happy to do so. When Ruby wakes up the next morning, she is shocked to find Amber gone from her cot!

Thus begins the investigation of what happened that night. No one is without suspicion, and Amber and George are convinced that Ruby must have been the one to do away with Mabel which she vehemently denies.

But wait! Someone has been watching Amber out with Mabel and wants the baby for herself. Could this be the person who took her? How and why?

I really liked Ruby. She may not be the neatest person, but her heart is pure and her love for Mabel is real. Amber, on the other hand, is a toxic person who doesn’t deserve what she has. The story is very compelling because we don’t know who took Mabel and why which is quite complicated. Very done, Jess Ryder.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Oh my goodness, how have I never read anything by this author before? I’ve definitely found a new favourite.

This book is phenomenal! I’m so glad that I read it at the weekend, as I would have hated to tear myself away from it to go to work.

Amber is struggling with the exhaustion that goes with being a new mum, as well as a bit of post natal depression, and a break is just what she needs. Her sister is happy to mind Mabel, so it all seems fine. Until Mabel is taken..

I really liked Amber as a character, and wondered what secrets she could be keeping. The characters in this book are all so real, and I had no idea who might be involved in Mabel’s disappearance.

The tension builds so well in this book, and as the pace ramps up near the end, I was totally immersed in it. I really flew through this book. It’s so twisty and dramatic. I’m not surprised to read that the author is also a screenwriter, this would make an amazing TV drama.

I loved the ending, all the loose ends tied up perfectly.

One of my top thrillers of the year so far, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Night Away by Jess Ryder is an outstanding thriller that had me anticipating every page.

Amber is so absorbed with her life and her baby that she’s totally unaware that someone is watching and waiting. Now baby Mabel is missing and the police are stumped. Was it a stranger or someone closer to home? Is it related to the secret Amber is keeping or just happenstance?

Jess Ryder has done a superb job with this mystery/thriller. The characters are believable, if not all likable. The story is told through the alternating viewpoints of Amber, her sister, Ruby, and the abductor but is easy to follow. I was instantly and continually intrigued. Secrets and betrayals abound. The plot smartly twists, then turns and ends dramatically. The Night Away rates 5 out of 5 stars and will appeal to all readers of psychological thrillers.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

A very good thriller which kept me hooked. Imagine you are left to look after your sisters child but during the night someone let’s themselves into the house and takes her. As the finger Of suspicion points to you and your own sister starts to doubt you, it’s a race against time to find the Truth and why does it appear that everyone is lying about their whereabouts?

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book. This book opens up the story of every parents worst nightmare, when your child goes missing. Young couple Amber and George are exhausted from caring for 7 month old Mabel. When they both get an opportunity for a break away they grab the chance and leave Amber's sister Ruby babysitting. Little do they k ow that in the local park someone is watching their every move and that someone wants to destroy their little family. I enjoyed this book, as it kept me guessing. Lots of twists to keep the reader interesting. Not very likeable characters though

Here’s another book that I am left with mixed feelings over.
On the one hand, I liked the plot. I thought the writing was good. There were twists and some unexpected revelations. It definitely kept me guessing right up until the very end.
On the other hand, I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likeable. Therefore, I wasn’t sympathetic to anything that any of them were going through.
Except Mabel. She was an innocent in all of this. God help her that she had a bunch of nuts around her.
In a strange way, I think that not liking Amber (particularly) actually made the story interesting for me. Usually a reader will root for something good to happen to the main character. In my case, I was hoping that she would get what she deserved.
Misplaced frustration and anger on my part, and Amber was an easy target? Maybe. It’s easier to dislike a fictional character. But she was dishonest and seemed to think she was better than other people, even as she thought the same thing about her “friend” group.
It was obvious that she was hiding secrets, but still acted as if she was the victim. I suppose in a way she was, but she also wasn’t forthcoming. I’m repeating myself, but she just annoyed me.
I was a little sympathetic to Ruby. It seemed like she had a little bit of self-fulfilling prophecy about her; she was flighty, so people underestimated her. But then she second-guessed herself because of their beliefs that she started to believe. She was a mess as well, but I understood her better.
The male characters were practically non-entities. It’s hard to say exactly why without giving away plot points. Which makes it difficult, because they honestly didn’t seem like they were there for much other than plot points.
And I wasn’t a fan of how a few characters showed up late in the book in pivotal points where there was barely a mention of them earlier in the story.
I think that is my biggest pet peeve. I would have liked to have seen more character development of a particular couple (not giving anything away, but people who have read the book will know who I mean)
In re-reading this, it seems as if I didn’t like the book, which isn’t true. I did like it. As I mentioned, it did keep me guessing and there were at least two “oh, no way!” moments that I commend the author on – well-plotted. But my dislike of the characters, and rooting against them left me confused.
I’d still recommend the book, if only for the overall arc. The author writes on a tightrope; there were chapters where great pains were taken to give information without spilling secrets. Those are worth reading alone.

If you love a story where you just can’t figure out who the bad guy is, then this is the book. There are so many twists and turns. Every time I thought I’d got it worked out a new clue was added to the mix. So who actually took Mabel??
An absolutely addictive book that will keep you turning the pages to the very end.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free copy for my honest review.*

Amber and George are new parents to Mabel and seem to now have everything they have ever wanted, but Amber is struggling silently with post partum depression. Ruby, Amber's sister, is insisting that she watch Mabel and Amber and George take a night away. But no one realizes that someone has been watching Amber and Mabel. And then Mabel disappears under Ruby's watch.

This book had my attention from the start, which doesn't happen often. The story was intriguing and the misdirection throughout was fantastic! The characters were likeable at times, but I also felt like the pain of the situation was a bit of karma in the end. I did end up feeling quite bad for Ruby for the situation but also for how the family treated her after the abduction.

The pacing of the story and the misdirections and twists kept this novel new and very interesting and I can't wait to read more of Jess Ryder's novels!

This is the first book that I have read by Jess Ryder and I have to say I throughly enjoyed it. It has just the right amount of twists and turns to make sure that you are unable to put it down! You have no choice but to keep reading to see what is going to happen next! I will be looking for more of her books, you do not want to miss this one! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.