I received a NetGalley ARC of this book from Bookouture in exchange for my honest feedback. I’ve been a long-time fan of Kerry Wilkinson, especially the Jessica Daniels series which is excellent and the Andrew Hunter series (also very good). I’ve only read one of the stand-alone thrillers (The Perfect Daughter) which I thought was OK, but going on past promise I thought I’d try another. It wasn’t great and I don’t think I’ll be keen to read any more of his books, unless there’s a new series with a strong protagonist.

The Boyfriend has a decent plot, there’s a great hook at the beginning when Jodie finds a t-shirt in her Father’s attic. The t-shirt definitely belonged to Jodie’s boyfriend who was wearing it when he went missing without trace whilst she was still a teenager. So why is it here? And what happened to him? This fantastic opening is followed by a lot of tedium. Mostly Jodie driving around town (we’re told all about the layout of the town and what the streets are like, although these details seem to have little bearing on the plot) and reflecting on her dysfunctional relationship with her son (but without any real conviction to change it). Then 63% of the way in, the plot picks up again and it’s pretty solid. There’s a few good twists and turns before we get to the truth.

The characters are well-drawn, all solid and believable, but none particularly likeable (although given the events in the book that’s not surprising). The only bit I thought was very well-written was a subplot involving the interaction between Jodie, some youths and a local man; it felt much more genuine and nuanced. I’ve no idea why the plot pacing is like this, or why the reader would be interested in the hour-by-hour minutiae of Jodie’s day. Judging this alongside Wilkinson’s previous work (particularly the series) makes it a disappointing read.

Jodie is the owner of her father's house after his death. She finds something shocking from her past in a box there. How did it get there? Did she really know her father, the man the whole town loved? that plus a teenage son and bills piling up she has her hands full. But she can't forget that item. How did her father get it from a boyfriend of hers who was supposably killed when she was sixteen? That isn't all. She digs into this, and her own best friend's father maybe involved. What did they do and why? What about the man who went to prison for a body that was never found? The town hates him now that he has been released. The answers will surprise you!!! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book

The Boyfriend is a mystery, where the events of the past continue to be felt in the present. A rather slow start, building to an explosive moment which then ends rather more abruptly than seemed to make sense.
After the death of her father, Jodie is clearing out his house when she comes across a green T-shirt in a box. An innocuous object, only the T-shirt was what her boyfriend was wearing sixteen years ago when he disappeared. Why would it be stored in her father’s attic? Jodie wants answers, but sometimes the answers you get aren’t what you expect.
From the moment Jodie finds the T-shirt strange events start to occur. A break-in, a fire and seemingly unconnected concerns regarding her son and his behaviour. As she digs deeper into the circumstances surrounding her boyfriend’s disappearance all those years ago, she starts to learn that those close to her have been keeping their own secrets.
Things build to a rather unlikely conclusion, but the ambiguity of Jodie’s actions at the end frustrated me.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this prior to publication.

I have been a fan of this author’s books for a while now, and it never ceases to amaze me how he can write books that manage to be so character driven and also so cleverly plotted and suspenseful.

I found myself pulled straight into the story right from the start. Jodie is clearing out her father’s house after his death. Her boyfriend went missing, presumed murdered, 19 years ago, and now the t-shirt he wore that day is in her father’s attic and he’s not there to ask about it.

Jodie is dealing with a lot following her father’s death. She’s divorced and bringing up her teenage son with very little input from his father, and now this brings up everything from the past, leaving her with a lot of unanswered questions.

What follows is a bit of a slow burn, but this suits the plot perfectly, as we find out more and more little secrets and lies from the past. The tension and suspense really builds and I couldn’t figure out what had happened to Ben all those years ago. I was almost afraid of what Jodie was going to find out.

Superbly plotted, there are a lot of twists and turns in this book, and I really didn’t see the ending coming. Atmospheric, tense, completely engrossing and gripping, I could not stop turning the pages in this book and would really recommend it so highly to anyone who enjoys a brilliant thriller.

I received an ARC of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. Unfortunately, this one was not my favorite. I thought it was a bit strange how many times the author mentioned Jodie's name. This, along with other details, were very repetitive. Some of the characters/ side plots seemed to have no point (such as Jodie's ex's new wife's pregnancy). The pace was a bit slow, and I had a hard time getting into it. The ending was not to my liking but I can't really say much about that without spoilers.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Great whodunit from Kerry Wilkinson - my second book by him - entertaining!.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an eARC for my honest review. This is my first read by Kerry Wilkinson and I really struggled to get into this book. The bulk of the book is a buildup and when it unravels it just feels like a letdown. There’s so many twists and turns it leaves you reeling.

Despite not being blown away by this one, I would give other titles a chance.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley.

This is a new author for me but yet another fantastic writer from bookouture.

I raced through this as it had me absolutely hooked!

Twists and turns and more secrets than a eastenders episode. Brilliantly written.

What happens when you discover things aren’t what they seem and the person you looked up to may not be who he says he was.

Tense and chilling this is a great psychological thriller.

Published 13th June

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙆𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙣

I was super drawn in by the front cover of this book (𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 vibes anyone?!) and was excited to read a new author. I always do a bit of research when I haven't read an author's work before and I found a lot of good reviews for most of his books but very mixed ones for this one - intriguing. 
 
Lies, deception, life-changing discoveries, and secrets: this was an engaging but slow burn mystery. We follow the sole perspective of Jodie: flawed, relatable, and real, we experience her palpable anxiety and horror at the discovery (and all that follows) of her boyfriend's t-shirt in her Dad's attic.. the boyfriend who disappeared twenty years ago. The characters all felt well-developed, I liked the underlying messages of parenting guilt and the aspects of fire tying into the timelines, and the ending was shocking and emotional. 

There was definitely enough to keep me reading, but not enough to have me glued to the pages, desperate to find out more. The chapters were short (always a plus) and there were some good twists, but this felt repetitive and a little on the long side. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the author's writing style just didn't gel with me. This is however currently free on kindle unlimited if you want to check it out! 

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (3/5)

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 + 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂!

Jodie has just been to her fathers funeral. He was the mayor of the town, well liked by everyone. When Jodie starts clearing out the loft she comes across a box labelled ‘keep’ and has a look inside. Jodie goes numb seeing what’s laying on top - the t-shirt her boyfriend, Ben was wearing when he went missing, presumed dead nearly 20 years ago. How did her father get hold of it? She mentions the t-shirt to a few close contacts, but a break in followed by the fire makes her think someone wants the t-shirt back and perhaps there was a side to her dad she never knew.
A really interesting thriller, with plenty of content to keep you reading, wanting to know what happens next. A few twists thrown in to keep interest peaked. A great read by Kerry Wilkinson.

A little slow to get into, but once the plot slowly began to unravel it provided a lot of twists and turns that led to an unanticipated ending.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishing house for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I usually really enjoy this author’s books; but I found this one had a weak storyline and I did not like the main character. That being said, it was a quick read and while I did not care for it, others might. This author’s books are usually quite good.

It’s all in the details, in this case the way too many details. I understand there needs to be some descriptive passages to set the stage and give characters some depth. This story went beyond that though and became repetitive which slowed the pace down considerably.

I found the premise interesting. The characters were well defined and the dialogue sensible (though way too much inner monologue from Jodie). I wasn’t that surprised at the big reveal yet it wasn’t totally expected. The final plot twist was just awful. It wasn’t necessary but at the same time it seemed a fitting end to this tragic tale.

I did need to see how this played out so it’s more entertaining than perhaps my review would indicate?? I do like this author’s work and will look forward to the next. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bookouture for a copy in exchange for a review.

Thank you @NetGalley and Kerry Wilkinson for an ARC of this book in an exchange for an honest review.

WHAT I LIKED:
This book held a lot of secrets and a lot of drama, which caused you to question every character you met. Each character was defined with their own personality really well also.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
I did not enjoy the way this was written. I found there were a lot of loose ends, such as her Sister in Law starting drama (that type of drama just doesn't go away). I also didn't like how the main character was written as a mom, like she could clearly care less about what her kid does and only wanted to drink wine with her friend.. This kind of irritated me and made me not like the main character as much. The ending, and finding out who her boyfriends killer was (two different scenarios btw, no spoilers), was horrible. The build up to the discovery wasn't big enough and just flatlined when the other scenario then took precedence.

OVERALL / RECOMMENDATION:
This was not a book I particularly enjoyed. I will never tell readers not to read a book, as everyone has different tastes and different opinions. This, however, was not for me. If someone is interested in reading this book, I will suggest it to readers who enjoy a twisted thriller.

I received a advanced copy of the boyfriend. It was a good story but not my favorite. It had a good story line, however it was not gripping like the cover hints it is.. . ..
I give it 3☆

WOW! This is a great suspense-filled read! It is the perfect title if you like twists and turns which force you to read rapidly to see what happens next! This was hard to put down and did not disappoint! I delayed picking it up but finished so fast I regretted not starting sooner. Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you were going through your fathers belongings after he passed and come across something that belonged to your boyfriend who murdered 16 years ago?!?! This was my first read from Kerry and I loved it!

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a very suspenseful read full of twists. I love this author. He always delivers with each of his books and this one is no different. Just wow.

A book with a lot of potential, especially since the build-up was pretty good.

Jodie has just lost her dad, who had been the mayor and well known in town. As she goes through his things, she is shocked to find a T-shirt she believes was worn by her boyfriend Ben when he disappeared. Was a man convicted for Ben’s murder then really guilty? Ben was their neighbour and had also saved her from a fire, after which they start dating. Jodie is also surprised that her dad has left the house completely to her. This causes tension with her brother Mike’s wife Samantha who threatens to sue if Jodie does not give Mike a fair share. The T-shirt preys on Jodie’s mind and she tries to know more about her father, and events from many years back. She also has to deal with the stress of her separation and bringing up her son Owen.

A lot of space in the book goes towards the build-up – the present and events of the past. The writing is decent and I had a lot of hopes on how the plot would develop towards the last 25-30% of the book. However, the plot when it unravels is quite disappointing and you feel the build-up was largely wasted. Overall, yet another average “psychological thriller”.

My rating: 3.25 / 5.

Another winner from Kerry Wilkinson. Lots of twists and turns and uncovered family secrets. A perfect amount of mystery and characters to keep you hooked and wanting more. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.