I wanted to love this book. The premise is so intriguing. I really struggled with the writing though. It was downright repetitive. Jessica not talking was described and harped over like fifty different ways. The fact that Mia was missing or dead was shoved down my throat another fifty ways. Ugh. This also contributed to the story being so slow. In parts I was so bored I nearly put it down. The ending could have been a great reveal but by then I just didn't care anymore what had happened to Mia.

Oscar is a thirty-something Psychiatrist who is intrigued by Jess, a patient at the hospital he works at.
No one is sure if Jess kidnapped Mia like she was accused but Oscar suspects Jess isn't guilty and wants to help her.
Enjoyable psychological thriller/ domestic drama.

This was thrilling! I genuinely enjoyed this wild ride and can't wait to read more from this author.

Great read!
I loved the tension between Jess and Holly.
The whole way though I couldn't help wondering what I'd do if I was in Jess's position.
I had a soft spot for Oscar, who seems so broken, but so committed to helping Jess. I knew the whole way through that he had something that was making him want to help her so badly, but didn't expect it to be that he'd been in a similar situation.
Action packed ending with a good twist.
Looking forward to reading more from this author!

the synopsis caught my attention and from the fantasy and police books I’m use to read I was like « a psychopath story ? Of course I’m in » and I couldn’t wait. from the first page I knew it wouldn’t not be for me, i didn’t like the writing style and the story wasn’t well done in my opinion, it was lacking for things, enough to not make me want to read the entirety of it. but try it if you want and make your own opinion!!!

I was sadly disappointed by this book. I was drawn to it based on the title alone, I struggled my way through the first half of the book, and then had to leave it

I loved this book. It was a page turner with a refreshing take on the psychopath storyline.
Jess, is accused of kidnapping another mother's child during a playdate at her house. Her psychiatrist, Oscar, tries to figure out what happened and is forced to confront his own problems.
There were points where I was pretty emotional and felt for Oscar and Jess.
The book went between then and now and I was trying to guess how the kidnapping was going to happen and who was responsible. I loved the twist at the end!

4.5/5 stars
This was a great debut .
Basically, Jess is accused of kidnapping but no one knows if she did it. Enter Oscar-a psychiatrist who wants to find out what really happened .
I really enjoyed the twists, and would recommend for fans of books like Little Fires Everywhere and Luckiest Girl Alive .

Thank you Netgalley and TBR, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for the arc of this book. The description sounded great, but this was not the book for me. I could not get into the writing style at all. None of the characters were likable or very interesting. The story was a great idea but it never really came together.

Thank you The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before it's published.

PLOT: Jess is accused (but found guilty by the public) of kidnapping four-year-old Mia. Everyone wants to know what really happened and if Mia is still alive, but Jess isn't saying anything. Enter Dr. Oscar de la Nuit, a forensic psychiatrist hellbent on discovering the truth.

MY OPINION: I'm sorry to be harsh, but I should receive a Purple Heart for finishing this novel. The writing quality was so poor, I felt like I was reading a third-grade book report. As someone who writes and edits for a living, and has seen some terrible stuff come across my desk, I can confidently say this one stood out as particularly ROUGH. There are so many unnecessary scenes—not even details—just chatter amongst friends (think: "hey" "hey, how are you?" "Good, the sky is bluer today."), yet lack of necessary details and emotive writing around pivotal moments, that make this book a frustrating read.

If you look past the amateur writing, the storyline was unique, and had some twists and turns. Although, at first, I thought this was going to be a Great Value version of "The Silent Patient," but it had enough differences. However, the writing is THAT bad, you really have to make an effort to enjoy the story. M.Q—if you're looking for some fresh eyes to edit this unpublished story, slide in my DMs. It has potential.

PROS AND CONS:

Pros: Unique storyline
Cons: Bad writing... I mean BAD

Not a bad book but just wasn't for me. Good storyline and I'll probably try again later. Thanks NetGalley for this opportunity.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of How to Spot a Psychopath!!

I was really excited to read this book, but in the end it just wasn’t the book for me. I saw the word psychopath, and I guess my expectations were just something a little bit different. I am rating it three stars because I was able to finish the book. It was well written and I enjoyed Oscar, but like I said it wasn’t the book for me.

This book had me hooked from the first two pages til the end of the book ! I loved Oscars character and how he longed to help Jess so badly whether she killed mia or not. He claimed be wanted to find Mia but I got the feeling he felt that Jess had been railroaded just like he had when his son died. I was stuck going back and forth between Jess and Holly ( mias mom) trying to figure out who is really responsible for mias disappearance and I was so surprised at the end of the book. Two shocking details come out that I would have never guessed. This is definately a five star read and I will be recommending this in all the groups I'm I'm..

Mia is missing, and the prime suspect, Jess is refusing to speak, what is she hiding?
Who is she protecting?

This book fantastically explores the tumultuous navigation of being an intelligent person in a dangerous situation. Each character is well aware of the interlocking consequences of their actions, and cleverly navigate these complex situations. Each characters was refreshingly intelligent, and even the actions I was annoyed at them taking in the moment was later revealed to be even more complex and measured than previously expected!

As well as this, the development of the inner world of protagonist Oscar de la Nuit was one of the main aspects of this book that had me gripped. Oscar struggles to remain completely impartial whilst taking on the role of Jess’s psychiatrist, positing the question, what is OSCAR hiding?
This book is fantastically woven with layers of ever developing interpersonal relationships which create fantastic tension and cause us to constantly question just where each character stands in this crime, and if we are as good a judge if character as we thought!

I can usually predict the ending of books, however there were so many cleverly placed and enticing red herrings that I could not decide what I believed!
Kudos to the author for such well crafted and fully realised characters and I look forward to reading the next book in this series!

I started out really enjoying this book, but after about 1/3 it lost me and it kind of felt like it was dragging on. I hate to admit it but I was unable to finish this book. I think that there will be an audience for this book though!

The title made me want to read this book. The whole premise of this book sounded interesting. In the beginning, the author introduces us to all the main characters and we go back and forth, from past to present.
I think I expected more from this book, based on the title. What I got was snippets of a story, that didn't always make any sense.
A psychiatrist with his own issues, decides that he can get to the bottom of what has happened to Mia, a missing four year old, by taking on Jessica as a patient. Jessica was looking after Mia, when she went missing. Holly, Mia's mother is manipulative and a pathological liar.
Parts of this book were believable and some were not. It was a quick read, with a partially satisfying ending.
I give this book a 3 out of 5.

this was genuinely one of the slowest thrillers i’ve ever read
at about 40-50% through i really stopped caring about mia disappearing, which was literally the central tension point of the book
the characters fall flat for me, even our mc oscar
this book could’ve done with a bit more editing - absolutely no sense of suspense or buildup, pacing issues, grammar issues, repetitiveness, etc.
there was a chapter where we get clay’s pov and it just retells an event we’ve already gotten a recap of with nothing new and then his pov was never heard from again, which is just one example of an unnecessary chapter (and i don’t think the incident itself was ever cleared up??)
it just felt like a less shiny version of the push, another domestic thriller that i really loved
also the romance,, i do not support it - so weird and forced and absolutely no chemistry

How to Spot a Psychopath is the first book in MQ Webb’s Oscar De La Nuit Series. It follows a young journalist and mother, Jessica, who is being held as a suspect in the disappearance of four-year-old Mia. Jessica’s daughter, Zoe, and Mia attend school together. Mia’s mom, Holly, ingratiates herself to Meg, Jessica’s friend, and Niki, Jessica’s sister. However, Jessica isn’t so sure about Holly.

Jessica, now being detained by the police, refuses to talk. Seeing her on the news, and recognizing a kinship, forensic psychiatrist Oscar brings Jessica to Whitner Psychiatric Hospital where he is the Director. Through confronting his own demons, Oscar is able to connect to Jessica – but will he be able to find out what she knows in time? Better yet, does she actually know where Mia is? Some immediately accuse Jessica of being a “baby killer” and assume she is guilty. Oscar isn’t sure she’s guilty, but he isn’t sure she’s innocent either. And why would someone who is innocent not defend themselves?

Through a transition between “Then” and “Now” time periods, the reader slowly learns of the events leading up to Mia’s disappearance. These scenes also reveal Oscar’s past, the demons that haunt him, and his path to healing as he helps Jessica. Finally, “Later” the reader learns what happened to Mia that fateful day, and why Jessica wouldn’t speak about it.

Characters
I went back and forth on the characters in this book. I think the book does a good job defining the character’s traits and personalities through their actions and thoughts. There are a lot of supporting characters in this book. Being that we are seeing through the eyes of a psychologist, we learn a lot of detail about each character. However, the supporting cast primarily remains one-dimensional.

Oscar De La Nuit is my favorite character, and the protagonist whose mind we enter. We see his observations about people through a psychologist’s eyes and intentional decisions about when to share more. We watch him battle his own demons as he fights to help Jessica, and we see his moral compass pointing towards helping others over himself. Oscar is likeable – smart, caring, and broken but moving forward. This story is as much about Jessica and Mia as it is about Oscar’s path to redemption.

Writing Style
Word pictures and word choice were on point in this novel. I found the structure easy to read, and descriptions such that I could “see” what was going on. The descriptions also served to help the reader see the world through the eyes of the main characters. This was especially true with Oscar, who sees details about people that others miss.

I also really liked the time frames “Then”, “Now”, and “Later” that were used to differentiate where we were at in time. The lack of specific dates and times helped drive home the point of events that created a demarcation line in the characters lives. It also reflected the way people tend to see timeframes as they remember events.

Plot
The plot of this book was good, and I appreciate the originality. However, I think that what could have been a central point of tension (where is the girl and is she okay?) ended up taking a back seat to the clinical psychology. I was left wondering what the main purpose of the story was, as there were multiple possible focus points.

How to Spot a Psychopath also does a good job interrogating the stereotype that women are hysterical, irrationional, and not to be believed. Jessica’s story is the primary point in this – throughout the investigation, her opinions and thoughts are cast aside in favor of a crazy lady, obviously she did it conclusion. The book also touches on the influence of media, and a “good story” when looking at reactions to the situation.

Intrigue
While there are many ways to create tension and intrigue in a thriller, for me How to Spot a Psychopath was missing the anticipation or complexity that my brain needed to stay truly engaged. It was almost clinical instead of a thriller. The psychology was there, but the thrill was lacking.

Logic
The book followed a logical structure and path, and I did not find any pieces of it to be unbelievable. In fact, many of the occurrences seemed like normal, every day things.

Entertainment
I wanted so badly to love this book. The cover art is eye-catching, the title couldn’t be better. MQ Webb is a debut author, and I love psychological thrillers. However, at the end of the book, I walked away with a so-so feeling. I will probably read the next book in the series to see how Oscar De La Nuit develops and get a better feeling for how this series will play out. The ending was more open-ended than I was expecting, and things felt unresolved. I thought that may be because the next book would pick up the story, but the character names in the teaser chapter of the next book are not the same so I am unsure if they will return.

Overall Rating
On the whole, How to Spot a Psychopath was a good read, but it is not one of my favorite psychological thrillers.

I think the best quality of this book is the author’s understanding of people and observations along those lines. The assumptions that are made in this situation along with the role of the media are things that any of us can identify with, and unfortunately, it can have disastrous results. I found myself frustrated with supporting characters who simply jumped to conclusions and did not try and recognize potential complexity.

Oscar de la Nuit is a psychologist and a father of a young boy who passed away due to SIDS under his care. Oscar put in a request to have Jessica Green transferred to his facility so he can help her and hopefully find a missing girl.
Jessica Green is a wife and mother who is responsible for the disappearance of Mia Edwards, a 5-year-old girl of a single mother named Holly, who vanished from a play date at Jessica's house; and the authorities think Jessica killed Mia. But did she???
How to Spot a Psychopath is a gripping thriller about what it's like to process the grief of losing a child, the guilt that comes with not being able to protect children in your care, and the desire to save a child in danger.
M.Q. Webb did a masterful job of giving you just enough details to keep you flipping pages trying to figure out what was happening and who did what to who in this story. You're constantly guessing trying to figure out where Mia is and who is responsible, and I loved it.
The ending felt a little wrapped up quickly, but all in all, I think this was a very well-written mystery and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an entertaining read in the mystery genre.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to the author M.Q. Webb and the publisher -TBR for providing ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley

3.5/5 stars

Before I begin to talk about my views on this book, let me bring this to your notice that I hardly read mystery and thrillers. I don’t have any dislike in particular for books from this genre. However, as I’d decided to come out of my shell and, give chance to other types of books this year. This is done solely to intensify my outlook in terms of reading, not to mention the positive impact it would bring in diversifying my reading approach. That being said, I’m still dropping my foot into the mystery & thriller pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like How to Spot a Psychopath By M.Q. Webb, are my cup of tea.

How to Spot a Psychopath is the first book in Oscar de la Nuit's psychological thriller series, it’s also M.Q. Webb's debut work. The story starts with Jessica Green, a reporter, aka Jess, who has been accused of killing Mia Edwards, a four-year-old girl who went missing from Jess’ house while playing hide and seek with Zoe, Jess’ daughter. Mia and Zoe happen to go to the same kindergarten. After Clay leaves out the statement that Jess tried to kill him by hitting him with a meat tenderizer, everyone is believing that Jess is a psycho who has killed the little child. But they have no proof to support that. Oscar, on the other hand, a forensic psychiatrist at Whitner Psychiatric Hospital has been assigned with Jessica’s case. Can he help in finding out the truth behind this mystery? Read it, to find out yourself.

The character development was beautifully done in the story. The side characters were also great. I, happen to like Oscar’s character the most. He is kind and endearing. In the story, Oscar is seen sympathizing with Jess, he found her situation relatable and is adamant about helping Jess even though she doesn’t want it. I want to say more. Alas, if I do so I’d be giving out spoilers(I’m sure, you don’t want that). People like these are the ones who are selfless and would go to any extent when it comes to helping a person in need of help. So pure at heart! Would you do something for someone who makes no difference to your personal life and, not caring about all the harsh consequences which may befall you on doing so? Would you risk your career to help a person who isn’t even allowing you to do so? As we move along with the story, we get to understand some beautiful aspects of life that the author brings to its readers. I made a note of some of those in my diary. For instance, have a look at this one,

‘The past was a good indicator of the future. People focused on tragedy once it happened, but sometimes the weeks and months before explained why it happened. If you were lucky, that’s where the answers were.’

The story is told in a third-person narrative. And, I like the way the story kept turning in between THEN and NOW timeframes, even though keeping the narratives crystal clear in front. As a reader, I adore the author for doing so because, most authors quite mess up while doing so and, the readers are left confused as to what is happening within the story. That, unfortunately, sometimes leads them to DNFing it.

The characterizations were clear and profound, quite well written. I, as a reader, found the writing style to be simple and easy. The story was not descriptive but, was written in dialogues, which made it an entertaining read. To be honest, I do not like reading stories that are flooded with descriptive writing. No offense but, it kind of makes it a boring read for me. The author was successfully able to deliver an engaging reading experience. For me, there wasn’t a single page where I was in the mood of dozing off, even though I kept reading it while I was on my bed after a tiring day. It was un put downable. It was full of tension. Every turned page brought with it so many questions, compelling me to read on and on. However, the only complaint I’ve with the story is its ending. The ending of the story was a little bit disappointing for me because almost, the entirety of the book was focused on the – Jess killed Mia? Where is Mia? and Who killed Mia? part.

Overall, though, despite a few minor issues I’d a good time reading the story which serves well as far as psychological thrillers are concerned. After reading the prologue to its book two, I’ve no idea where the story will be headed from here. But, I’m excited to find out eventually. I hope I don’t have to wait longer for the next book. It is an incredibly exciting debut for all the mystery & psychological thriller lovers out there. Seeing the way character establishment has been in this book, I forsee the series will only improve from here.

The quote mentioned in this review was taken from an ARC which is subject to change upon publication

Release Date : 20 Apr 2022

Review Posted : 07 Jan 2022