After reading The Perfect Child, which I loved, I was really excited to check this one out. I was expecting it to be as good or better and sadly this one was not. Not even close. Hard to finish this one sadly. Will I keep hoping for another hit like The Perfect Child? You bet I will!

I discovered Lucinda’s after reading Only Daughter and she cemented herself as an auto buy author after I read Saving Noah, that story is still in my thoughts years later. I love the way she tackles tough subjects, elicits big emotions and shocking endings. This one starts and finishes with a bang.

We are introduced to the two main characters Amber Greer, whose son is missing and the story is told from her point of view and Jules, whose story is told in case files who has some big secrets. I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the info given at the start but it all started to make sense as the threads played out. It’s definitely another pageturner.

I found that unlike her other books I struggled to connect with either characters and wasn’t as invested. Whilst it was another solid pageturner, this one seemed to be a bit over reliant on the shock value and didn’t quite have the tension or explore the Jules’ grief and her responses to it as well as I would have liked.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and @netgalley for my review copy.

Thoughts: She has done it again, another book by Lucinda Berry I just wasn’t able to put down. I devoured it in less then 24 hrs! Off The Deep is End is the perfect title for this rollercoaster ride of a story! So much is happening that you question your feelings and what we really know.
The characters were all a little unlikeable for me, you could just feel that lots of things weren’t right. That had me sucked into find out their secrets.I love trying to sift through the psychological parts to try to piece it all together.
4.5☠️

Lucinda Berry is the queen of domestic dramas, I'm convinced. This book had its hooks in me from the first page, with everyone seemingly being an unreliable narrator for various, completely understandable reasons. I didn't see where this was going until it went there and the entire time, as a mother, you just keep thinking to yourself, no, please no. Everything about this book is a parent's worst nightmare but where I usually can't read those types of books, Berry makes it easy. Just something about the way she writes I think. As always, highly recommend!

Well, this did not go as I planned , but not in the way I like in a thriller. The characters were not good and made me uncomfortable even. Well the adults at least. I had very little interest in figuring out if Isaac lives or dies. It didn’t seem essential to the plot and especially not the weirdo ending.

*instagram post now linked

# I have read one other Lucinda Berry novel, The Perfect Child, and Off The Deep End was just as messed up and wild as that one. AND IT WAS SO GOOD! I had no idea who to trust until the very very end, which is the BEST kind of thriller in my opinion

# There were a few flaws (some annoying character traits, small things like that) but overall, it was a great read that made it hard to put down!

Gripping from the very first page, Berry has brought us another tragic story that makes the reader not want to walk away. Her stories are always DARK and shocking and this one is not exception containing twist after twist until the very end. Thank you NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer Publishing and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available for purchase on January 24, 2023

When Jules Hart crashes her car into a frozen lake she suffers a terrible tragedy, her son and his friend were both in the car, she saves Issac, and goes back to save her son Gabe but is unable to. With Isaac and Jules suffering survivor guilt they are drawn together, until she suffers a nervous breakdown and is hospitalised. Isacc then goes missing, feared snatched by the Dog snatcher and the race is on to find him.
Told from the pov of Jules and Isacc's mother Amber this novel portrays grief and anger and a whole lot more. I wouldn't necessarily class it as a thriller more like a drama. Amber's character, I found particularly dislikeable, her son is missing but she seemed happy on occasions if she felt she was proved right. This is my first Lucinda Berry read and although I wasn't particularly enamoured by it, I would read another one.

Loved loved this one!! Gripping and exciting and as always a fab read and can't wait to see what this author does next :)

Holy Moly. this book was a wild ride and touched on so many current issues that teens and parents are dealing with.As a mom of teens myself it was especially eye opening and disturbing.

WoW!!! Lucinda Berry is one of my Top Authors. She is phenomenal. This book was no exception. Twist and turns. Unpredictable! I savor every word and was sad when I was done. You will want to quickly flip pages as you learn me.

It was great from the first page to the last. Highly recommend.

Absolutely love Lucinda Berry's books. Off The Deep End was no exception!! I loved how she told Jules story mixed with Issac and his family. It was a tangled web but all came together in the end. You never know what grief is going to make you do but is there something more troubling happening....check out this book for yourself! Thanks Netgalley for this ARC

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc. This review is wholly my own.

Jules wrecks her car into icy waters and her son and teenage friend are also along for the ride. Jules can only save one - the wrong one. And now she cannot cope with the loss of her son and that she could not save him. She literally goes "Off the Deep End." Jules then begins grooming the surviver, Isaac (she has gone mental at this point).

It was not what I expected from this story and was a bit odd. Not my cup of tea. Others may enjoy it. Lucinda Berry is a well-loved and established author so this one may just be a fluke, but I did not love it.

Wow, there was a lot happening in this book. Tragic freak car accident, psychiatric breakdown, possible serial abductor and murderer, and more (no spoilers!) — like a LOT.

Any one of these could have made up an entire plot line but the combination of them all in one story made it feel slightly chaotic. I did like how the story was told between the POVs of the two mothers — Jules, who’s son died in the accident, and Amber who’s son survived and is now missing.

Overall a fast paced and quick read.

I loved this book! I’ve read books from this author before but this one was so good. It kept me guessing the entire time and flowed very nicely.

I just couldn't do it. The two main characters, Amber & Jules, just agitated me. Amber was a trainwreck (understandable at times) but constantly accused Jules of having something to do with the disappearance of Isaac. Okay, we get it. You don't have to keep repeating it. And Jules. Just a flat-out boring character who just pissed me off.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was wrong in so many ways...I am surprised I finished reading it. I won't go into details here. I will simply say that it is full of trigger warnings for people: abduction, child abuse, drownings, suicidal attempts and school shootings, to list just a few.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
I have enjoy previous work by Lucinda and this one did not disappoint either.
Great writing and awesome job keeping the reader continually interested. Another great book.

Firstly, thank you so much to @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Lucinda Berry is one of my favorite authors, and this book definitely didn’t disappoint!! Off The Deep End is a story about a woman named Jules who experiences a horrible tragedy, and a woman named Amber who is going through something horrible as well. Their lives become intertwined unwillingly, and the way that this story played out had me shocked! I wasn’t expecting that ending at all, and I have to say that I really enjoyed this book a lot. 4/5 ⭐️s.

Another great thriller! If you like twisty turn thrillers, this is the book for you. Highly recommend