I found this book too hard to get in to. So many female characters to remember who was who - maybe that was just a me thing. It wasnt badly written but all the POVs annoyed me too much to really get into it and so I didn't finish - sorry!

I LOVED this book. It really kept you second guessing who or what was going on. Just when I thought I had it figured out it threw me for a loop!!
Two sisters set out on a path in very different contexts to find out what happened to their mom, and in turn giving their lives more clear answers. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes twisty thriller/mystery style books!
Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

An enjoyable psychological thriller. The story flows very well and kept me turning the pages. I liked how the structure of the story made me reconsider my liking of specific characters, and as the story progressed I found myself getting guessing which one of them can be trusted. The plotting kept me on my toes.

Carys serves as an anchor for the story, and I loved the multiple layers the author reveals about this character. Despite being surrounded by annoying and selfish characters who make her life difficult, Carys consistently shows sympathy and understanding for those around her.

The ending is somewhat predictable but nevertheless satisfying.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookoture for the advanced copy of this book.

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a review. I enjoyed this book. At first i thought it started off slow but it did start picking up. Carys is a good stepmother, trying to help Lucy who has mental Health issues. When Lucy gets hypnotized and accusses her dad of murder. Sara's been suspicious of her stepmother since it seemed she swooped in suddenly after Alice had passed away. I wasn't sure who had done it till the end. Overall good story.

First thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Unfortunately this book just wasn't to my liking and there's nothing that really stands out, other than several little things that put together make me not want to finish it.
There is so much faffle and unnecessary details on every page, there's nothing much actually happening and when there is a bit of drama it's overshadowed by all the random details about scenery and buildings and side notes.
The characters are all pretty bland and unlikeable, Cary's is nice enough, but the rest are so uninteresting and yes they are portrayed as a normal dysfunctional family, but their all so annoying that I don't care about any of them.

I read half way and that was a struggle, hoping that it picks up the pace a bit more and perhaps it would do eventually, but sadly I can't keep reading any longer to get to that point.

It took me a while to connect with this book as the author crammed a lot of characters in at the start and it wasn’t until half way through that the story picked up for me and then I couldn’t leave it down, there were hints all the way through but I wasn’t sure what way the author was going to finish which is another reason why I would read more of her books.

The Daughters

Julia Crouch

The Daughters is a psychological thriller, that keeps you guessing until the very end. I felt this book started off slow with a great deal of information to unpack in the first few chapters. Especially when it comes to who is who. With that being said, once you get into the book it’s a page turner. It can be very dark and tense at times. I did enjoy the twists and turns, and not being able to have to it quite figured out. This is my first book by Julia Crouch, I would be interested in checking out her other books in the future.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I've enjoyed all Julia Crouch's books and this one is brilliant. Intriguing and twisty, it kept me guessing throughout, I changed my mind a couple of times about who the 'baddie' was, which I love, and I found all the characters well-drawn and believable. The depictions of loss and grief are skillfully handled, and parts of the story made me think about our perceptions of the past and the memories that shape us. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read review this book.

There was too much going on in this book for me. Every character was aimed at me in chapter one, rather than a feeding in of characters. I found myself re-reading bits to make sure I was on the right track with it. I was grabbed by the premise of it but I think the problem for me was I compared it to other authors in the same genre that I like. What I expected and what I got were different.

A well written, intricately woven story about families and what makes us tick. I thrill ride of a read that you need to concentrate on, as there are multiple strands. That said, it is still a great novel.

Thus is a really well written physiological thriller. The characters in the book will having you guessing all the way through with who you should believe. There are lots of twist and turns in the book and is very enjoyable.

The Daughters is a pacey and engrossing read. The plot covers a lot and there are lots of peripheral stories that add to the confusion, misdirection and mystery. The characters are drawn beautifully with realistic complexities and nuance to make the family dynamic very realistic. Suspenseful and gripping, I struggled to put it down. Excellent novel, highly recommend.

This book was amazing! I enjoyed every single chapter, and it kept me hooked the entire time, which I loved!

How did her mother really die? Who knows the truth? Her father? Time to go home now that her marriage was over…be with family…this book was sent to me by. Netgalley electronically for review…family and friends…careers and home life…themes running throughout this novel. The story is slow at times but does come to a conclusion that is satisfactory… mostly…mystery and intrigue…

“The Daughters” is by Julia Crouch. I really liked the Publisher’s Summary of this book - the idea sounded so interesting and I was wondering into which direction the author would take. There was a LOT going on in this book - miscommunication, secrets, and misdirection. Additionally there were a lot of side stories that felt at times like the story was being bogged down opposed to smoothly moving it along toward the conclusion. In the end, some of the side stories connected together cohesively, but I wish that they’d been smoother through the book opposed to feeling like potential “red herring” bits. As other have noted by other reviewers, pay attention to the first chapter - where a lot of names are seemingly thrown to the reader (I don’t often reread chapters, but I found myself getting confused in the third chapter, so I started over and people’s relationship became clearer). I found myself frustrated with a few of the characters, but I think part of that was due to all the side stories and red herrings. This book is a bit dark at times, covering topics such as suicide, cutting, alcohol abuse and a few others I won’t add for possible spoilers.

A sad, seriously haunting tale of a family devastated by the loss of its mother. However was her death really suicide or murder? Julia Crouch, Queen of psychological suspense has done it again, no characters are who they first seem, all have hidden depths and there are plenty of surprises.
A very enjoyable read.

Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley.

My husband says his first wife’s dead. His daughters say he killed her…

Ever since Carys married Bill, she has tried to look after his daughters. Particularly sweet, troubled Lucy, who was only six when her mother died. Over the years, Carys has done everything she can think of to help Lucy. Now, she has found a therapist who specialises in cases like hers. His methods are unusual, but Carys is desperate. Sitting in the sunlit waiting room, staring at the framed diplomas on the wall, Carys allows herself to hope. Then Lucy comes running out of the room, wailing, her eyes wild.

Lucy says she saw her father kill someone. Carys is certain that the memory isn’t real. Bill wouldn’t hurt anyone. But then a body is found buried in overgrown woods near their home. And Lucy says if they keep looking they’ll find her mother next…

There have been quite the number of 'what did I just read' books for me this year and I am really starting to wonder why. I am really not sure what to make of this book. The beginning started off really weird for me and I did not really connect or get into the characters' mindsets. I guess the author did a good job of creating a ‘normal’ style family dynamic with everyone having their own little quirks and problems to deal with. My favorite character, if I had to pick one, was Carys. She really tried to keep the family together despite everything going on.

This author never disappoints and this was an excellent read, read it in one sitting, it has everything you could ask for in a book..

This page turner tells the story of two daughters who are still recovering from the trauma of their mother’s suicide years before. As the family start unraveling the events leading up to the suicide, it becomes clear that all is not as it seemed, and the daughters start to blame their father for their mother’s death.

While parts of the novel were very disturbing, the fast-pace kept me gripped. As I read this, I genuinely had no idea who the protagonist was- there were so many twists and turns that kept up the suspense. Would recommend for fans of psychological and domestic thrillers.

Trigger warning: The story touched on some very dark themes, including sexual assault, violence towards children, racism and murder.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing the eARC.

An intriguing premise and an impressive previous book by the author were the two deciding factors that prompted me to request this book. I was, however, much disappointed that the plot did not live up to the compelling blurb.

For a book that progressed at such a slow pace, the plot is cramped with too much information in the name of suspense - Carys's past, Lucy's mental health issues, Sara's history with Tom, Bill's issues - whatever they maybe, Ajay Gupta and his evil smirks, the skeletons, the matter with the Bullocks. It almost felt like the author couldn't decide on any one topic and so made a mish-mash of many plots.

While the author has given importance to diversity here, it doesn't do anything much for the plot. All the characters were unlikeable - I mostly skimmed past Sara's portions as it was way too bitter and toxic; Carys was unbelievably sweet so much so that I hated her just on principle; Bill  mostly seemed like a yo-yo to me - Carys keeps insisting he is a gentle, loving man, but he keeps yelling throughout the book.

All in all, there was no part of the story that I actually enjoyed. I love a book with multiple plot twists, but only when it is done right; this, however, turned out to be going around in circles and infuriated rather than excited me, so much so that I had to quit by 85% of the book.

Overall, not for me. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.