There’s a serial killer on the loose, and it’s Detective Dan Riley’s job to find him before it’s too late.

Daisey is a victim of this vicious serial killer, but by some miracle she survives the brutal attack. However she can’t remember a single detail about the incident. She’s distraught and constantly on edge. She’s living in the same house where the attack occurred, a house she used to share with her ex fiancé.

Slowly, the missing pieces of that night slowly start to come back to her...but is it too late?

Y’all...this book was downright creepy. It was a fun, psychological thriller, and I was on the edge of my seat. The story was eerie and suspenseful, I recommend it!

The Woman Inside by Anna-Lou Weatherley
I give this book 4.5 stars

Daisey Garrett wakes up in a hospital bed,she doesn’t remember what happened to her the night she was attacked in her own home.
The missing pieces slowly begin to surface…
The lies she told the police.
The lies Luke told her.
She can’t remember. She mustn’t.......

A chilling dark psychological thriller, fast-paced with a fantastic plot line and characters that made the story an exceptional stand out read for me.The twists and turns come at you fast and furious combined with the deception and shock l was gobsmaked. Once you start reading this you simply won’t be able to put it down......you have been warned
I read this without realising it was part of a series, lve just found myself a new must read author!
With thanks to Netgalley,Anna-Lou Weatherley and Bookouture for my chance to read and review this book

BOOKWORMS REVIEW:

A great thriller from the Detective Dan Reilly series. This is the 4th book in the series but can be read as a stand alone,like I did.

Daisey is walked home from a work night out by a friend,but not interested in anything more she shares a nightcap with him then sends him on his way. Moments later a knock at the door has her thinking hes back. But shes pushed inside and beaten with a hammer.. Shes later found laid out on her bed,with rose petal dusted around her and a rose on her chest. The cops call for the crime unit to assess the scene. But wait,....shes breathing! Daiseys still alive...only just.

Daisey,unlike other victims, has survived her brutal attack but remembers nothing at all.
When she gets home and tries to piece her life back together,she has to get a roommate to help with the rent. In comes Iris..a breath of fresh air and a welcome protector who will keep her safe.

Det Dan and Daisey try and figure out who is responsible for these murders as Daisey starts remembering little details.

I figured out from one small detail in the book, who the killer was,well I had my suspicions,and I was right. How it's done is very good though and I didnt completely guess the whole scenario. You feel for Daisey in the story,how she had already lost her fiance to another woman,and now has survived such an ordeal. Shes a strong character and you cant help but like her. A well thought out story that keeps you hooked.

With thanks to Ana-Lou Weatherley,Netgalley,and Bookouture publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

MY RATING: 📘📘📘📘

The Woman Inside is the fourth book in the DI Dan Riley series. I instantly took to Detective Inspector Riley. I did not feel as if I lost anything coming into the series midway. The book definitely stands alone and is well written so that you have enough context to get the backstory on Dan, our victim Daisey and the killer. The book does goes through flashbacks showing critical scenes in the past that affected our killer better known to the press as "The Rose Petal Ripper". This name is earned by the serial killer's MO of leaving fresh roses on the bodies of the victims.

Daisey Garrett is our killer's third victim but she is the first to survive leaving DI Dan Riley with his only witness. The problem: she suffers from traumatic amnesia and cannot remember most of the events of that night. And what she can remember she does not want to tell out of embarrassment and misplaced loyalty. These lies and half truths color the evidence. Will DI Riley be able to discern the facts in the case before the killer comes back to finish what they started?

One way that I rate my mysteries is to see if I can solve the case before the big reveal. In this case I was partially right though Weatherly did throw in a few curveballs.

One thing that I noticed was that Daisey's memory loss was attributed to trauma to the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is primarily involved with rational thought, decision making and impulse control*. It's the justification for setting the drinking age at 21 because this part of the brain is still developing through your teenage years. Basically, it's that part of the brain that keeps us from doing stupid stuff. Lawyers have used damage to the prefrontal cortex to explain away the depraved behavior of their clients as it plays a critical role in governing personality and emotions.

Why do I say all of this? Because this type of injury is more in tune with the killer than the victim. We also don't see too many unexplained behaviors with Daisey after the attack. Her personality seems to stay pretty much the same. Understandably, she has a greater sense of fear but at her core she is a good person. To her detriment, she still wants to believe in the goodness of the next person.

Despite my little quibble, (I'm a Biology teacher. No one else is going to care.) I enjoyed the book and read it over 2 days. For the most part the medical aspects made the mystery more interesting. Great police procedural! And DI Riley is as good as they come.

*The prefrontal cortex controls what is known as semantic memory; things like colors, shapes and other basic facts not tied to personal events or emotions. The limbic system of the brain connects emotions to memory. It's not so much a physical part of the brain as it is a functional part. If one had to pinpoint Daisey's memory loss from that night most likely the amygdala would have been damaged as it controls memories based in fear.

Thank you to NetGalley and Anna-Lou Weatherley for an advanced copy in return for my honest opinion. The Woman Inside is available on January 13, 2021 – you do NOT want to miss out on this read.

This story line follows a woman who survives a brutal attempted murder, by a notorious serial killer. So far, Daisey is the only victim that has survived but unfortunately she has amnesia and cannot recall enough about the killer for the cops to find the culprit. After the attack, Daisey refuses to move from her beloved flat and instead finds a roommate to help ease her worries. While she is healing from the trauma, her memory starts to come back in bits and pieces, but still never revealing enough information to learn who the culprit is. What Daisey does know is that the killer is familiar to her, but she can’t figure out why – which also means that she can’t trust those around her for fear that the person who hurt her is someone who claims to be a friend.

Let me just say, this is my 4th or 5th book of 2021 and this is my first five star read (which I don’t go giving out all willy-nilly. From the beginning of the book I was hooked and the more I learned the more I did not want to put this one down. The author did an excellent job of placing suspicion everywhere throughout the book and I did not trust any character except for Daisey and Dan Riley. Absolutely, do NOT pass up this book.

Anna-Lou Weatherley writes a cracking novel brimming with tension in the fourth instalment of her Detective Dan Riley series, set in London. I started this series at book three and I hoped that this book, The Woman Inside would prove to be just as good and I was not disappointed!

This one worked well as an individual read and the reader gets to see more of Dan Riley's personal life. Narrated in part by Dan and with contributions from Daisey Garrett, a victim, I was taken back in time to 1987, when occurrences from then are drip-fed.

As Dan works with Daisey who can't remember the details of her attack due to suffering from amnesia, aspects of it slowly start to resurface and she can't shake the feeling that she might have known her attacker. With Dan desperately hunting for the killer it is not Daisey that provides the momentum for the story as she has no memory, but Dan and his efforts. The killer skulks within the pages, all the while the apprehension and ominous tones intensifying. With its excellent plot and rapid pacing, this is a high-octane, addictive read and I relished every moment. Dan Riley is a very well-drawn and likeable detective and relationships and drama are perfectly interlaced with the storyline. With a smashing ending, I really enjoyed reading The Woman Inside.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Oh my word this book is an absolute must reads for fans of psychological thrillers, actually scratch that remark it’s a must read for everyone, This book was not just good it was blooming fantastic, This book grabbed me in a tight grip from the very first page and that grip didn’t ease until I had finished this book.
This book is actually book 4 in Detective Dan Riley series but it can easily be read as a stand-alone. I’ve not read any of the series but I am going to download them now. 5 🌟

Our memories are a integral part of our DNA, they are a important part of our identities and help create who we are.So just imagine if you knew that something terrible had happened to you but you couldn't remember any of the details. Now imagine that the incident had happened in the one place where you are supposed to feel safe and secure....your own home. Your attacker has never been caught and you can't escape the feeling that you are being watched. Is it just your paranoid brain playing tricks on you or is your attacker patiently biding their time,waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike again?

This is the reality that our heroine Daisey finds herself having to live with in this gripping thriller that has a plot which is essentially about identity and control. I thought that the author's portrayals of Daisey's fear,mistrust and confusion as she battled with her fears and anxieties were very realistic. Her conflicting emotions when she started experiencing flashbacks of her attack. Disney's situation wasn't made any easier by her cruel and manipulative ex fiance. At least she could trust her new flatmate Iris....right? It was obvious from the moment that she was introduced into the story that there was something not quite right about her character. She had constant mood swings, was sly and manipulative and if I'm honest a bit on the creepy side. Could Daisey really trust her or was she just a pawn in Iris's twisted game?

The investigation into the attack on Daisey and the killer's previous two victims was led by Detective Dan Riley,who as well as trying to unravel the complexities of the case,was also dealing with having a new boss and some issues in his private life. These issues were not mentioned very often,just enough times to add dimension to his character without drawing too much attention away from the main story. I really liked Detective Riley and I enjoyed the banter and camaraderie between him and his work partner DS Lucy Davis.

Occasionally the story slipped back in time and we followed the story of the birth and childhood of Rosie and her twin brother. These chapters really pulled at my heart strings at times and were also quite chilling in places. But how did the twins story fit into the events that were unfolding in the future.

This is a extremely well written,uniquely plotted, enthralling thriller that had me hooked in from the first page. The very sensitive issues that were covered throughout the story were written with care, understanding and sensitivity. The characters were vivid and diverse, the story was nicely paced and a sense of danger and foreboding permeated the pages. Although this is the forth book in the Detective Dan Riley series, it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. A very enjoyable read and very highly recommended.

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I LOVE Detective Dan. While this is the 4th book in this series they can all be read as standalones.

Detective Dan has come a long way since book one. He's learnt to live with his grief. It doesn't overwhelm him like it used to. He is however still as caring and genuine. He's the sort of police officer you hope to get if you are ever in trouble. If he makes a promise he will do everything he can to not break that promise.

Anna-Lou always has very interesting cases. It's not cut and dry, this is the killer and this is the victim. This case is no different. Anna-Lou likes to really get your empathy and psychological side working.

From quite early on it was clear who the killer was but the psychology behind it and the back story were very intriguing. Anna-Lou had me hooked from the very beginning and I hope there is more of Detective Dan to come.

The Woman Inside by Anna-Lou Weatherley was another excellent read. This is the fourth book in the Detective Dan Riley series and I've just loved all these books especially as they are so addictive! it is a fast paced psychological thriller that will not disappoint It's full of twists and turns throughout, some of them you may not see coming!

I highly recommend this Detective Dan Riley series, but one thing I will say "Don't start reading this latest book By Anna-Lou as it will keep you up all night" especially to see if they catch The Rose Petal Ripper, in time before they kill again!

Big thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.

Daisy is attacked at home by the killer dubbed 'The rose petal ripper'. Home from hospital she is dealing with memory loss and nursing a broken heart.
Detective Dan Riley works to solve the case with little evidence and Daisy's limited memory.
I liked the fast paced nature of the book and changing perspectives helped to build tension.
I also liked that instead of a twist there was a complex backstory to unravel and explain events, it made the book very interesting and harrowing at the same time.
Daisey was likeable and realistic, it was easy to get on board with her.
I did feel like reading this as a standalone left me feeling like I didn't have the full picture of the detective, and a little detached so considering this I have given four stars.
Thankyou to Netgalley, Bookouture and Anna Lou Weatherly for the pre release and fabulous read.

Grippin read. I have read a good many psychological thrillers over the last few years but this one is in a class of its own. It brings up an aspect of the human psyche I was not familiar with. The characters of Daisey and and Dan grew stronger as the story progressed. So many twists and turns. I will definitely recommend it.

The Woman Inside focuses on the attempted murder of Daisey Garrett by a serial killer. Even though she survived the attack, she can't remember the details. As a matter of fact, all she remembers is the fact that her ex, Luke, cheated on her and left her for the other woman. They also had a last fling which he insists the police can't know about. Daisey wants to find out what happened that night and can't shake the feeling that her life is still in danger.

This book sounded very interesting and even though it was part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. I heard nothing but praise for the previous books in this series so I decided to give this one a try. However, I hope the other three were not as obvious as this one. I knew who the killer was the moment the character was introduced. As a matter of fact, it was so obvious the only reason I continued reading was that I was convinced I was wrong and someone else would be revealed to be the killer.

The plot moved quickly enough. However, because I already knew who it was, I couldn't really get into the story. The motive for the murders, when revealed, was also a bit unbelievable.

The character development was well done. I rather liked the detective investigating the murders and was quite interested in his own personal story. I may actually try other books in the series just to follow up on what was happening in his life.

This book should be read by adults and older teens because of disturbing material. There was some mention of sex as well as violence.

So this is actually the fourth in the Detective Dan Riley series, a fact I wasn't aware of until after I'd finished reading. I've not read any of the other books in the series but it didn't spoil anything for me, in fact I'm even thinking of going back and putting other books on my tbr pile now I've finished this one.

The Woman Inside is a great blend of psychological thriller and police procedural that created a very intriguing read.

The story switches between Daisey and Dan Riley. Daisey survives an attack after a night out, an attack she shouldn't have survived but has no memory of it. Dan is tasked to investigate the crime, but with no leads he and his team are having a hard time cracking it.

Dan is a fairly likeable character, trusting his gut instincts and not always following protocol. I had mixed feelings over Daisey. On one hand, I found her likeable but there were occasions where I got a bit annoyed with her, specifically when it came to her cheating ex Luke, and I just wanted her to stand up for herself.

The grand reveal of the killer and motive fell into the 'bit out there' category for me, but it didn't spoil my overall enjoyment of the book.

The Woman Inside is a solid mystery with well-drawn characters and a good deal of suspense.

Detective Dan Riley #4

Daisey Garrett wakes up in a hospital bed. She can't remember what happened to her or that she was attacked in her own home. Daisey should have died that night. But her new friend and roommate will help Daisey get back on her feet.

I did work out theplot twist early on but that never spoils my enjoyment of a good book. Daisey had been attacked in her apartment after a works night out. She had recently split from her fiance Luke. She has no memory of the night she was attacked. She takes in a roommate to help her theough as she struggles to remember. DI Dan Riley is working on her case desperate to solve it before another woman is attacked and killed. The story has a duel timeline. The mother of twind, a girl and boy, thinks her son is evil. This is anther fantastic read that ws hard to put down. A cleverly crafted plot with some complex characters. I love Dan Rileyso i hope there's more to come from him in future.

i would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #AnnaLouWeatherley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Review:

Loved, loved, loved this book!!!!! This is not my first rodeo with this author and it certainly won’t be my last. I’ve read several books by her and loved them all. This book is part of a series but it can be read as a stand alone. I’ve actually read this series out of order and had no problem with it.

This book was about a woman that survived a brutal attack. It really took such a bad toll on her. She could only remember bits and pieces so the attacker was still at large and never caught. She was even drinking all the time to forget the pain. She did feel like she was being stalked afterwards. Was her attacker coming back to finish the job? Will her memory ever get better to catch her attacker? Will she ever feel at peace? You learn this and so much more by the end of the book.

I want to start off by saying how much I love this author. She really knows how to entertain her readers. I could immerse myself in her books all day long. Let’s begin with her characters. They were fantastically written. I really felt the pain of each character and felt like I was right there living in their world. I felt so emotionally connected to each one. The plot of the story got me too. Once I read the blurb I said to myself I must read this read. The plot really had a good story line to it. It was so fast paced andI couldn’t put it down for the life of me. Now on to that ending. I didn’t see that one coming. It was so dark and twisted and I really felt bad for the attacker even though I knew I shouldn’t have. I loved every minute of that ending. It was like a roller coaster ride I never wanted to get off of. I will definitely be reading more of this authors book in the future.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Woman Inside is the fourth instalment in the Detective Dan Riley series, set in and around London. It's a warm July evening and 33-year-old Daisey Garrett is, as an employee of the firm, attending Warwick's department store summer party, ready to get inebriated after her fiancé Luke Bradley ran off with another woman - Charlotte, although they are still having sex. She overhears her colleagues talking about a past employee, Fern Lever who had been found in her bed with her throat slashed with the killer still at large. She heads outside for a cigarette to calm her anxious mind and is provided with a light by a seemingly Good Samaritan but she feels there's something strange and really quite scary about him. He'd even known her name. Drunk enough she decides to head home early; it's not even 11:30 pm but she grabs her coat from the cloakroom, however, her womanising colleague Tommy White insists on chaperoning her back to her Hounslow apartment in a cab to ensure she's safe, especially with a demented killer on the loose, although she believes he thinks he's going to get lucky. She successfully gets Tommy to leave but when the doorbell rings she thinks he's back. Persistent. However, it isn't him. The man at the door is the same guy from earlier and addresses her as Rosie. She sees he's holding a hammer but before she can react everything goes black.

Detective Riley is called to the scene of the crime and knows instantly that it's The Rose Petal Ripper's handiwork - a killer who chooses victims named after flowers it plants. This is his third attack with the same MO in the past two months after Jasmin Godden and Fern Lever were brutally slain. Daisey has been stripped naked on her bed and her throat has been slashed, posed in the same way as the others, arms folded across her chest as though at peace, and he's left his calling card - a single, fresh pink rose. But this time Daisey is alive and found right in the nick of time after work colleague Rosalind O'Donnell reported what she'd found after she couldn't get an answer at the door. Unfortunately, Daisey can't remember anything about what had happened to her. Can the team identify and apprehend the killer before he strikes again? This is a riveting read right from the very beginning and tells the story from the perspective of both Daisey and Dan so we get a well-rounded understanding of what's happening. Weatherley makes excellent use of twists, turns and misdirection throughout bringing some surprises to the narrative and the whole thing moves at a pretty brisk pace. It's a refreshingly original thriller with plenty of intrigue and a killer hellbent on gaining revenge. An entertaining and absorbing, clever and engrossing story, which is an easy and entertaining read. Highly recommended.

Another great book from this author . Although I guessed whodunnit it was still a great read and I didn’t see that ending coming . I loved the leading lady , understood totally the mistakes we all make and glad to see she had the ending she deserved. I hope to hear more from Dan the detective and his family in future books . Great warm friendly family man . Can’t wait for the next book now

This was a good solid read. Fairly quick paced although I did get a little frustrated near the half way point. It was rather predictable in places but there was a good twist I didn't foresee.
I didn't like Daisey's decision making too well though, she annoyed me a lot!
Overall, a good read but probably rather forgettable after a while.

2.5

While this is the fourth installment of the DI Dan Riley series, this can definitely stand on its own – this book focuses a lot more on the victims of the crimes than the investigation itself.

Daisey Garrett is left for dead after a brutal attack by the Rose Petal Ripper – so dubbed because the killer leaves a single rose on their victims. While she is the lone victim who survives this serial killer, she is left with amnesia, which the investigators hope is just temporary. Following the attack, she is not only worried about paying her mortgage after her fiancé leaves her for another woman, but she’s also afraid to be home alone, so she brings in a roommate from work, Iris. But when Daisey’s memory slowly starts to come back, is she still in danger?

I liked the writing in this book. It definitely pulls the reader through. And I really enjoyed the alternating chapters about Rosie and her twin brother. Learning more about the pair of them was as much of a draw for me to keep reading as Daisey’s chapters. There was so much wrong with their story – from their mother who never got over not having twin girls to all the accidents that kept happening whenever they were alone – the reader definitely developed sympathy for Rosie’s brother.

But, while the idea of this story was intriguing and definitely sucked me in, the message I took away from this book left me disappointed. I don’t want to offer any spoilers, so I’m going to keep this vague, but I couldn’t tell if we were supposed to figure out Iris’s secret so early. I figured out what seemed like it was supposed to be a big twist almost right away. Again, I couldn’t tell if that was purposeful or not, but since this is a suspense/thriller, I’m assuming it was supposed to be a shocking surprise.

And, this book suffers from when it’s being published. As someone reading this in the United States at the beginning of 2021, where everything seems to be imploding with bigotry and hatred, some of the subject matter in this book seems like it might fuel the fire with some of the negative stereotypes included. Maybe I’m reading too much into this what’s-supposed-to-just-be-for-fun thriller, but it became my whole takeaway from the book.

Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.