Member Reviews
I really enjoyed this thriller. Twisty, with a beautiful idyllic setting. This story had everything I look for in a thriller: dislikable characters, beautiful writing, twists, red herrings, and creepy vibes.
There was one section of the book, during Serena’s first chapter, where she calls herself by name and I really feel like the writer meant to say “Helen” here and not “Serena”. It confused me a bit. Might be something to look into before publication.
Otherwise, great read!!
After a series of miscarriages, Helen and her husband Daniel are thrilled to be finally be carrying to term. When Helen is forced to attend childbirth classes without Daniel because he has to work, she meets a young, tactless and bold Rachel, who immediately befriends Helen and absorbs herself into her life and for some reason, Helen seems to allow the dysfunctional friendship to keep progressing, which puts strain on all her other relationships.
The chapters are told from the various characters POV, with the common thread of trying to figure out who Rachel is and where she came from and what she wants from them, and in particular, Helen.
While there were some parts that kind of dragged along, there was enough story to keep me coming back for more, except Helen seemed to be pregnant for a year or more lol, the plot is solid and the characters, while sometimes unlikable, were compelling. If you’re a fan of Lisa Jewel or Ruth Ware, where the neighborhood is a beautiful setting and the characters stand out, you will enjoy this. I’ll be looking forward to the authors books in the future.
Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my review.
Publication Date: January 25, 2022
Holy cow. This was quite the twisty thriller with a couple of red herrings. Ms. Faulkner has a great debut novel on her hands; her writing is taut. You know that something has happened in the past but you aren’t sure how it all fits together until it all does.
The last paragraph of the novel was perfect.
This was really just so-so for me. While there were plenty of twists and turns that kept my interest throughout most of it, there were also a lot of flaws. Number one being Helen - she was just all sorts of annoying to me, and I could never reach a point where I felt any amount of sympathy for her. Given the storyline, that was kind of a must have. Same for her husband Daniel. They were just superficial and flat. Rachel's appearance and insertion into their lives was incredibly obvious, and the level they allowed her to take their family over was, again, annoying. I'm giving a bit of a bump in rating for the surprises at the end, and how the storyline turned, but overall, this really didn't do much for me and I wasn't horribly impressed.
First of all, thank you for an ARC of this book.
Wow! What a debut novel. I had heard about this book from a few other reviewers, and I was excited to get an advanced copy. It's being compared to The Girl On The Train; however, Greenwich Park felt faster paced and more twisty to me.
This novel follows a group of friends but is told from the perspectives of three women: Helen, Serena, and Katie. Helen and Serena (sisters in law) are pregnant and due around the same time. When a woman, Rachel, starts showing up in their lives, they all become involved in a twisted police investigation.
The writing is excellent and I wanted to know what happened so badly. This book slightly reminded me of the flow of Peter Swanson's novel The Kind Worth Killing, and I definitely will be recommending it.
Helen has nearly made it to the end of her pregnancy after four miscarriages, which still makes her anxious. She is excited to be pregnant at the same time as her sister-in-law Serena and wants them to take prenatal classes together. Instead of Serena, Helen meets a quirky woman named Rachel who weasels her way into Helen's life in a creepy way. Told from the point of view of several characters over a period of time, I found the plot fairly transparent and the ending unsatisfying.
I loved this book. This is my favorite genre and I was entirely swept up in the story and the characters. For any reader who enjoys psychological thrillers from Lisa Jewell or Shari LaPena, this is a MUST READ. Twists, turns, complex characters and very layered relationships that are further complicated by long histories for siblings and college friends shaded in jealousy, GREENWICH PARK delivers!
This is a debut psychological thriller that features the disruption of the idyllic life of a close group of friends/family. The book focuses on these three couples/friends and introduces a mysterious young woman who upends their lives. This book is was easy to read, and by far the most likable character is Helen, who is a journalist, much like the author, Katherine Faulkner.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a gripping read from the first page to the last! I was completely hooked with this thriller! I enjoyed everything about the storyline and loved the characters. The novel is about Helen a pregnant woman trying to navigate her life after countless miscarriages and her parents death. Her and her husband Daniel are awaiting this new baby and while Helen attends child birth classes to prepare, she meets Rachel. A loud and obnoxious woman who quickly befriends her and turns her world upside down when she involves her in her web of deception and has her questioning her own family members.
The author has you questioning everyone in the novel and their motives. I found Rachel’s character to be the most interesting as she was unhinged but deep down I assumed there was a deeper reason for her behavior but I couldn’t for the life of me figure her out ! I loved the twists and turns, and I appreciated the closure at the end and how the author left no loose ends. All my questions were answered in the last couple of chapters when the story really unravels and everything starts to make sense! I found Helens character unbelievably naive and for lack of a better word stupid. She continues to ignore her inner feelings and makes a series of bad decisions yet you have to admire the way the author makes you resent her as you read. When emotions towards characters are being evoked so deeply it’s a sign of descriptive and remarkable writing! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for its official release!
I was given the opportunity to read this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was an amazing story. I was captivated from the start and could not put it down. I listened to an ALC of the first 87% and when my phone died I had to continue the digital copy immediately bc I HAD TO KNOW what was going on. That's a good book!
Greenwich Park follows Helen and Rachel who meet randomly at a prenatal class. Helen was feeling a little awkward at the first class since she was supposed to go with her husband and sister-in-law, but both canceled last minute. And then Rachel walks in who is a wild character. Rachel instantly befriends Helen whether Helen likes it or not.
The book had a lot of separate pieces in it and I had to keep reading to see how they all fit together! And I REALLY needed to see why Rachel was so crazy!
I read this book so fast- I just couldn’t put it down. I really can’t believe this is Faulkner’s debut novel! I will definitely read more books that she writes!
*Publication day is January 25, 2022*
Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for an advanced copy of Greenwich Park in exchange for my honest review
Helen lives a seemingly lovely life with a great husband, best friend who married her brother, and a baby on the way. However, when Helen meets a strange young woman at her birthing classes, her lovely life starts to come apart at the seams.
I was taken with this book from the start! It's exciting and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I read a lot of thrillers, and I've come to find them predictable. When I find one like Greenwich Park that keeps me guessing, it's a great day. I thought I had the plot figured out a few times but the curveballs kept coming. The alternating points of view and time really enhance the mystery and keep you guessing. Just when you think Helen is going to figure something out, you've jumped to the mysterious pregnant woman, Rachel, or Helen's best friends, Serena or Katie. It really kept me on my toes and I loved it!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller, especially a domestic thriller with lots of twists and turns and the tried and true unreliable narrator. I give it 4.5 stars, not 5 only because the ending is left just a tad open and I like everything wrapped up with a neat little bow. You still know all of the major details and unravel the entire mystery by the end, but I wanted to see exactly what happened with the guilty party.
This was a fast and fun read, with a sense that something bad is getting ready to happen almost the whole way through. It centers on Helen, who is heavily pregnant with her first child after having a series of miscarriages. She meets Rachel at a pre-natal class and gets sucked into Rachel's vortex without ever really making the decision to be friends with her. The book gives great insight into those dynamics, as well as Helen's relationships with her husband, brothers, and her brothers' wives and girlfriends.
There are a lot of characters but it's not hard to keep everyone straight, and it was fascinating to read about their shared history that ends up pulling the whole story together by the end. I did find myself frustrated with Helen, who should probably have learned to stand up for herself at this stage in her life, but I also felt sorry for her as secrets came to light.
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the gifted ebook of Greenwich Park! All opinions in this review are my own.
When Helen's husband and sister-in-law ditch her for the first prenatal class, Helen isn't sure what to do. Luckily, she finds a new friend in Rachel. However, Rachel isn't quite the mum-to-be friend Helen was looking for. Rachel smokes, drinks, and shows little excitement in becoming a mother. Helen keeps bumping into Rachel everywhere she goes too and the more she gets to know Rachel, the more concerned Helen gets. Rachel is hiding something and Helen needs to figure out how she is involved.
The sign of a good thriller is when you can't put it down. I looked forward to reading Greenwich Park and trying to figure out more about Rachel. While the ending wasn't as satisfying as I would have liked, I still think this is an exciting page-turning thriller to get you out of a reading slump and I look forward to reading this author's future books!
what a fun, dark & twisty debut domestic suspense! the story follows 2 pregnant women who meet randomly at a prenatal class- but one of them is not who she seems.
this one had a bit of a slow start but once it got towards the middle i understood all the weirdness going on and it kept me hooked! Greenwich Park also sounds like such a cool place. definitely a solid thriller i’d recommend for the year of 2022!
TW: pregnancy/infant loss, rape.
This is a great thriller. Helen, after years of trying, is expecting her first child. She lives in the beautiful home she grew up in, having inherited it from her parents when they passed away. Her devoted husband, her college boyfriend, is a partner with her brother in a successful architecture firm founded by her father. Although Helen seems to have everything she always wanted, she can't help but feel lonely. So when Helen meets Rachel in a local prenatal class, and then repeatedly runs into her around town, Helen finds the two spending more and more time together. At first, Rachel seems a bit unconventional but, over time, she becomes increasingly erratic, just as she is burrowing deeper into Helen's life. As Helen's unease grows, she can't help but wonder whether Rachel is more than just a little offbeat and whether she has a history with Helen's family -- but Helen is not sure what, if anything, she can do about it.
This debut novel will keep you on the edge of your seat, as the mystery unspools. The author excels at creating a sense of unease that makes the reader both concerned for Helen and eager to see where Rachel's story will lead. Recommended!
Katherine Faulkner is such an amazing storyteller. I started reading this on a delayed train ride home on my phone and than found myself stealing moments to read any chance I could get. At first I thought the story would be about a Helen and a strange women she befriends but along the way it transformed into an amazing story and I could not put it down. Katherine makes you see the characters through each other’s eyes. If you are into suspense then I highly suggest this book. It was one surprise after another with a astonishing ending. I look forward to see what Katherine has in her future.
Greenwich Park is a genuine suspense novel, with the story written from the POV of 3 female characters. For anyone who is a fan of the genre, reading about Helen's intro to Rachel at the pre-natal class is the classic sign for 'stop, this person is crazy', but what would a good suspense novel be without some dark rabbit holes?! The lives of these women are all tangled up - Serena is married to Helen's older brother, Kate is tied to the younger one. Serena is also pregnant, quietly glowing while Helen tragically recalls every miscarriage she has had. Rachel is the newcomer & interloper who Helen is drawn to. Helen is also living in her childhood home, a place which her father designed, but now her husband is remodeling. It sounds like a lot for an author to pull together, but Ms. Faulkner does a wonderful job. This is a great debut novel, and I am looking forward to reading more from her!
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review of the book.
This was a winner! Really really enjoyed it. Excellent pacing and plot development. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Greenwich Park as it passed through the seasons. You could really feel the heat of the pavement and there grass and smell the flowers that were described. I liked having the shifting points of view. Some extremely unlikeable characters.
The book is about a quartet of young people who went to Cambridge together. We get alternating perspectives from Helen, Serena and Katie who was not part of the original group, but has become an honorary member due to her relationship with Helen's brother. Helen and Serena are both pregnant and are supposed to start prenatal classes together. Helen ends of getting ditched by Serena and meets up with an unconventional single pregnant girl named Rachel. who is attending the prenatal classes by herself. Rachel is very odd and infiltrates Helen's life at first insidiously and then more overtly as time goes on. I found Helen's character development to be a bit lacking. She was very very frustrating and was somewhat of a doormat, but her actions added to the story as a whole. I kind of figured out some of the twists but not all of them- this was extremely well done especially for a debut novel. I cannot wait to read more from this author as thrillers like this are my absolute favorite. 4.5 starts. My only criticism would be that I would have liked more background about Helen. Really really loved Katie's character.
Wow. This book was a lot. I liked the concept a lot. I liked the characters but I found it all a little confusing when they'd go back and forth between the various women. They weren't quite distinct enough for me to keep them straight at first. I felt like it sort of fizzled at the end and I didn't get a great sense of who her husband really was.