Ben & Deborah Higgins and their kids Molly and Jack leave the city life to move to a village in Ireland. The idea is to lead a farm life and have more family time. It's also to get away from the hidden threats that Deborah's job as a crime reporter carried.

But things dont go as planned. They have to face a lot of hostility from many a village folk and all efforts of the Higgins seems like a waste. The previous owner of their house seems reluctant to let go completely and seems to be around more than needed.

The author has successfully created a creepy atmosphere though I found the pace was a bit slow at times.

Thank you Netgalley and Inkubator books for the ARC

Moving from Dublin to a small rural village, Ben, his wife and two teenage children seek a new start. Their presence is not welcomed and strange things begin to occur to them. As pressure builds, the danger to the family increases, with the who and the why a mystery. Kevin Lynch has captured the Irish small-town life in fine detail and turns up the tension nicely. An enjoyable read of a psychological thriller that rates a three-star rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kevin Lynch and Inkubator for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

Kevin Lynch’s ‘Somebody Out There’ held my attention from the very start. It’s equally creepy, suspenseful and gruesome (TW: animal lovers might find elements hard to read!)

Ben and Deborah Higgins and their two children are looking for a fresh start by moving from Dublin to the rural idyll of the west of Ireland. Deborah, a former crime reporter, is fearful of the retribution of the criminal gangs she investigated. Buying a house and starting a new business seems to be the right choice for the family, but things are not going to be easy for them. Their home isn’t safe, the community is not as welcoming as they had hoped, they don’t know who to trust and have to figure out who is targeting them in a sustained campaign of stalking, harassment and threats. Who is after them and why? Is it the criminal gangs seeking their revenge or is the threat from somewhere much closer to home?

The Higgins try to fit in and become a part of the small close-knit community that they have moved into, but the cold reception that they receive from the local people adds to the anxious feeling that runs throughout this book (I had a knot in my stomach throughout the second half of this book!) I think anyone who has moved to a small community will know the feeling of trying to infiltrate the long-standing relationships between neighbours and friends.

I enjoyed the development of the characters in this novel, particularly the brooding figure of Jeremiah. There are a lot of stereotypes in this book- the “culchies” (country people) versus the city folk which at times was pushed a little too much by the author. There are many twists and turns throughout this book and Lynch successfully creates the sense of panic and fear resulting in the hairs standing up on the back of your neck in a number of pivotal moments in this book. A cleverly written and gripping thriller! Definitely a page-turner.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for an honest review. I loved the book, Somebody Out There. I was at the end for the gotcha moment. I was just almost figuring out who, but then not. Not many mysteries will keep me reading. Great job.

Somebody Out There was a very slow story for me. I was not too happy with the husband. I felt he did everything wrong and was so naive. None of the characters were likable. I also solved the mystery straight away. I do appreciate the visual descriptions of the countryside, food, and people.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Somebody Out There by Kevin Lynch.

I found this so hard to read!-yet totally impossible to put down. When Deborah and Ben decide to escape city life where crime reporter,Deborah has attracted the attention of serious criminals, they hope to start a lovely relaxed life in the Irish countryside. They buy a home with land to grow their own vegetables and space to keep chickens ,a place where their children can be free and safe. They open a health food shop which proves very popular but the locals appear unfriendly and unwelcoming. Almost immediately, their dreams of a happy New life are shattered by one awful thing after another. . The pressure is relentless and so skilfully written that the reader lives every terrifying moment along with the family. Have they jumped out of the frying pan into the fire? Someone wants them gone, one way or another!

2.5 stars ⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up.
Trigger warning (TW): animal cruelty.

Ben and his wife Deborah, a former crime reporter, relocate their family from Dublin to the Irish countryside for a fresh start. Members of the town are less-than-thrilled at the family’s arrival, and Ben and Deborah’s hopes of peace, quiet, and freedom are quickly dashed as strange things begin happening.

Right from the start the family experiences odd things around the house and has several run-ins with the rude people in town. There are bumps in the night, unwanted visits and messages, and TW, the family dog is killed in a very cruel way. The police are no help. Ben and Deb are left to figure it out themselves..

The ending is both predicable and surprising at the same time– the puppet was obvious but the puppeteer pulling the strings was kind of random and the reasons didn’t quite fit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This story is about a family who moves into a small country town and immediately begins feeling like they are being watched. The events start mild and a little creepy until they escalate and become dangerous. The big question is, who would be doing this to them? All is revealed, there are no unanswered questions when you get to the end of the book.

While the premise of the book is very engaging, it is the reason I decided to pick this book, after all, this is the classic example of a good story that was poorly written. The only reason I was able to continue the book was that I wanted to see how it ended. The ending was okay but overall the book was meh. The author took time to describe the surroundings in detail but that level of detail was missing in the descriptions of the scenes or the characters. Even the dialogue felt dry and unrealistic. Even with the jobs, the characters had it felt like the author googled professions and just copied and pasted it into the book. For example, Deborah was a crime reporter, Ben worked in finance and they opened a health food shop. This book was too long for so many details to be omitted.

Overall it felt like the book was just choppy summaries of what happened. I felt no attachment to the story or the characters because they didn’t feel like real people. It was a good story that just fell flat.

I would rate this story 2 and a half stars. There was so much more the author could have done to enhance the story.

3.5 stars
Good characters, I really liked Ben and Deborah. Enjoyed the book and storyline and would read more by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Ben and Deborah have decided to move their family from the city to the country after things with Deborah’s job as a crime reporter get dangerous. Little did they know that they would be facing a different type of danger where they have moved. It’s a small town and not everyone is happy to have them there. When their dog (trigger warning) is brutally murdered, they must figure out who is threatening their family.
Somebody out there by Kevin Lynch is an atmospheric, creepy read. Deborah, as a crime reporter, could have been a very interesting character but I feel she wasn’t fleshed out enough. The ending was a nice surprise, one that I didn’t see coming. I’m glad I read Somebody Out There but I won’t necessarily be recommending it.

There were plenty of twists and turns to this book but I’m not sure it fits in the thriller type category, I just can’t say it was really all that gripping for me.

It is a pretty quick read, but I found myself losing interest at times. This does have moments of suspense, but it’s more of a twisty mystery than a fast paced thriller.


The ending wrapped up quickly and I wish there was a bit more to it. Overall, nice, quick, easy read and you may want to give this a try if you’re a mystery fan!

Deborah leaves her job as a crime reporter. She sells the family home and moves to the country with her husband Ben and their two children.
They have bought a house with land to raise chickens and crops, and a small store to sell organic supplies.
Things don’t go to plan as the residents of the town are not welcoming and strange tings start to happen as soon as they move in. As the incidents escalate the family begin to fear for their safety.
This thriller is full of suspense and some really creepy moments.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book to read and give an honest review. Here are my thoughts:

• This book, without giving any spoilers away, is about a family, the Higgins, who go after a fresh start in a new area, after some bother in their previous area. They have packed up from their city life and are starting fresh in the rural countryside. They find a house in a quiet little town and purchase a shop, here they plan to sell produce which they grow on their land and healthy foods that they purchase from local businesses. They buy hens and make a plan of how this new, idyllic life is going to be..... or so they think.

Soon, odd things start to happen, The locals are a tight-knit community, that don’t seem overly welcoming to their new inhabitants, and awful things begin to happen to this poor family. •

I liked the family, and as I read through the words on the pages, I was able to picture them clearly in my head, along with the other characters in the book. I enjoyed the story, with its shocking twists and turns throughout, and the sinister, creepy events that the poor Higgins family have to deal with. I could really feel the emotions of those characters in the family. The ending surprised me. I didn’t expect it; it kind of come out of no where, but it worked in its own way. I feel like it was wrapped up quite quick at the end and would have liked it to have been played out a bit longer.

As I mentioned before, I did enjoy the book, I thought it was okay, but I wouldn’t say it had me gripped on this occasion and It hasn’t left me eager to look into the authors other books, which is why I have rated it as I have. If you enjoy a thriller that has some psychological twists and turns and at times can be suspenseful, and a quick, and easy read, then I recommend giving this book a try. :)

Ben and Deborah start a new life in the beautiful countryside of Ireland. Soon after their arrival crazy bad things start happening to them. Someone wants to hurt them! Deborah used to be a crime writer and she will stop at nothing to protect her family. As she starts to unravel who is behind this its the most shocking discovery ever!

Fast paced thriller with amazing characters. I really enjoyed reading this book by Lynch. Amazing writing, with twist and turns you never see coming!

Brilliant pacy thriller, loved the characters and plot, this book really drew me in to the families plight and I was willing them on right to the end.

What a FANTASTIC psychological thriller!

It was a rollercoaster ride from the moment Ben and Deborah moved in until the perpetrator was apprehended. I had an inkling about who might have been involved but was blown away when the mastermind behind the plan was revealed. My heart was pounding and I was hyper-aware of outdoor noises as I flipped one page after the next in order to find out who wanted this family out of their neighbourhood and why they wanted them gone.

I’d eagerly read another book by this author because; I was thrilled with a great story, I was invested in the family and understood their misery, I saw that they were adapting to change and willing to do whatever it took, I was excited about the high pacing and strong narrative, I loved that the author showed, not told, the action and I came away with empathy for their neighbour and those like him.

I was gifted this advance copy by Kevin Lynch, Inkubator Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Publish date: April 11, 2021