Member Reviews
A compelling and quite intense read. The characters were very believable as well as flawed. Some of the themes in this book can be quite uncomfortable for some readers however and may verge on it being depressing.
I absolutely loved the Dinner Guest, so when I saw that this book was available for request, I immediately went for it
However, The Woman on the Pier did not live up to my expectations. This book has a lot of dark elements to its story, and overall, that ruined the book for me.
A poorly plotted, confusing and depressing suspense with unlikeable and unbelievable characters. Not for me, I fear! It was a struggle to get through it and I skimmed here and there... Thankyou to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advance Digital review copy.
I really enjoyed ‘The Dinner Guest’ due to its original format and clever storyline so I had high hopes for ‘The Woman on the Pier’. On the one hand it had that simmering dark undertones that Walters weaves so well but the plot lost me quite early on.
The character of Caroline, a grief stricken woman whose daughter dies in a terrorist attack, is understandably erratic and frantically grasping for the truth about what really happened to her child. I don’t mind unlikeable characters but the entire cast in this book just didn’t fit right with me and the plotline just started reaching out on tangents that I didn’t feel were ever fully resolved.
There are plenty of twists and turns in this thriller but for me that wasn’t enough to really enjoy this book so unfortunately this one was not for me.
A very enjoyable book. Rather gritty at times with violence and bad language.
A story that evolves after the death of a daughter. Caroline's life unravels more and more as she searches for a reason for her daughter to be miles away from where she was supposed to be. Every parent's nightmare of a teenager going somewhere, having told their parents that they were doing something quite different.
This is a very fast paced novel as Caroline moves around destroying everything in her wake. She uncovers a lot of secrets that have remained hidden.
A very well written book that will be hard to put down.
This review will be posted on Waterstones website
I've read many psychological thrillers, but this is definitely one of the darkest and bleakest.
A couple on the brink of imploding following the death of their daughter a Jessica, caught up in a terrorist attack. But she was not meant to be in London that day, so why was she?
When her mum Caroline finds messages on her phone, it becomes clear she was meant to meet someone. But he never showed. And in Caroline's mind, he's to blame for her death. She tracks him down to avenge Jessica's death.
But there's a devastating twist that changes everything for us. We know it before Caroline does.
And with so many other dark secrets, this is a book that has no let up. There is nothing light or funny here, it is all very dark. But gripping too. I did feel perhaps, the ending was slightly abrupt and I feel it could have tied loose ends up a bit more, but was an enjoyable read nevertheless.
Interesting but not really my cup of tea. Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. A mom trying to find peace with how her child died at the hand of terrorists by coming face to race with the terrorists themselves. Honestly super predictable. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I loved the twists and turns in the book and there were lots. There were lots of exciting interlocking stories, but easy enough to not get confused. My only downside was the abrupt end. I didn't expect him to die, I thought the story could have ended differently. You are the published author and not me though 🤣
This is a story of the power of grief and how it can take over your life. Caroline is grieving the loss of her daughter. During a terorrist attack her daughter was killed. Caroline is still puzzled months later about the details leading to her daughter's death. Grief and revenge with a dash of instability dominate this compelling story of a women dealing with loss. Thank you NetGally and One More Chapter for my copy.
When Caroline’s daughter, Jessica, is killed in a terrorist attack, Caroline needs to know why her daughter was there and not where she was supposed to be. Caroline is going to find out who was responsible and why. This book is very dark and has some trigger issues but overall for me it fell a bit flat. I’m a massive fan of The author and this won’t stop me reading his next one. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
The Woman on the Pier tells the story of Caroline and Alex, an unhappily married couple who recently lost their daughter Jessica in a London bombing. It was a case of "wrong place, wrong time" and Caroline is desperate to figure out why her daughter was at the place of impact, as there was no reason for her to be in this part of town and she was supposedly somewhere else, far away. Three months after the death their lives have unraveled and Caroline is not holding it together at all, to say the least.
There are flashback scenes where we slowly learn why Jessica was at the bombing site and who she was meeting. Caroline finds out and is on a quest to make this person pay for her daughter's death. Her husband despairs at her behavior, as he only blames the terrorists for his daughter's death.
I would not classify this as a thriller, as the book blurb seems to, but more of a very dark domestic drama. There are a couple of big twists at the end, and as many other reviewer's have stated, there is nothing to admire in Caroline's character. However, because she is such an unpredictable character, I found the story line extremely creative and all over the place, impossible to predict.
Dark stories are not my favorite as I generally want a character to root for. In this case, I was interested to see what Caroline was going to do next and I did enjoy following her story.
Thank you to author BP Walter, publisher One More Chapter, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I would give 3.5 stars.
I tried so many times to get in to this book, but it wasn’t the thriller I wanted. After reading “The Dinner Guest” I had high hopes for this one, it sadly it didn’t live up to my expectations.
This was disappointing in all ways possible!
Caroline Byrne is devastated when her daughter Jessica is murdered during an Isis attack. Caroline doesn't understand why her daughter was in Stratford when she was supposed to be at Somerset.
Why did her daughter lie?
Then Caroline opens her daughter's phone and she starts reading a thread her daughter had with another teenager. Caroline couldn't believe what she read and she knew she has to do something about it.
But is she ready to go too far?
To mention a few issues I had with this book:
-It was extremely hard to relate to Caroline who was all over the place. I couldn't respect her. She was spineless and felt entitled because she had money. I hated what she did at the end.
-I didn't really like any of the characters: The husband, the mother, etc.
-The whole TV issue was completely unnecessary. It brought nothing to the plot.
-Lastly, the name of the book has nothing to do with the book.
Cliffhanger: No
2/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by One More Chapter via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was not at all what I expected it to be! Such a twist at the end that I did not see coming. It actually made me emotional but I'm not going to put any spoilers!
I absolutely loved The Dinner Guest by B P Walter and The Woman on the Pier definitely did not disappoint. Just when you think you have worked out the true story you hit the twists and turns of the second half of the book.
The story portrays the lengths a mother will go to to avenge her daughters death. I didn't particularly like Caroline or her husband as characters and I felt like that held me back from thoroughly enjoying the book.
That aside, I would definitely recommend this gripping read to any thriller fans out there!
Thank you to NetGalley, BP Walter and HarperCollins Uk for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought I had this one figured out by the middle and I was concerned that there wasn't going to be much to the last half - but I was sorely mistaken. The twists in the last half of this are shocking and amazing. I loved the last half and all the trouble that the main character gets herself in with all her assumptions.
I knew this was going to be fantastic just based off of the description and title. I know you're not supposed to think that way with a book but dang, it was amazing. Absolutely enthralled me and grabbed you by real quick! Great read.
Having previously enjoyed BP Walter's The Dinner Guest, I was really looking forward to reading The Woman on the Pier. Unfortunately, I didn't warm to any of the characters and found the plot a little confusing, very dark and exceedingly depressing, and ultimately I had to put the book down and walk away. I could see it may appeal more to others as a portrait of extreme grief. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
When her daughter is killed in a terrorist attack, Caroline is left with unanswered questions - chiefly, what was Jess doing in Stratford when she was supposed to be going to Somerset? As she starts to uncover more about her daughter’s life, Caroline finds herself struggling to know what to do.
The Woman on the Pier is a fascinating storyline, but somehow it loses its way somewhere along the line. Whilst I can understand some of what Caroline goes through, the ending just seemed far too unrealistic and left too much unexplained.
Sadly, didn’t live up to the early promise.
I've just spent about four days with Caroline and Michael.
Caroline is married to Alec, they are wealthy high-fliers. Three months previously their teenage daughter died in a terrorist attack in Stratford, East London.
Michael is a teenage boy living in Southend. He lives in abject poverty in a neglectful household. His dad is absent, and his mum emotionally unavailable.
Caroline has become obsessed with blaming someone for her daughter's death., and has become fixated on Michael.
Abuse, neglect, infidelity, trauma...
An excellent page turner of a tale., with well developed characters. A great book full of twists and turns