‘He gave her everything. But can she trust him?’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Quercus Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘What She Left Behind’ by Emily Freud and for an invitation to take part in the publication week blog tour.

This was quite a ride! A cleverly crafted domestic noir that delivered on its promises. I read it in a single day as once started, I couldn’t put it down.

Given its nature I would suggest reading ‘cold’ for maximum impact. So just brief plot details to set the scene.

Following her recovery from a devastating accident Lauren is excited to be leaving London with her new partner, Paul, and his two young children, Jessie and Margo. Their destination is a dream glass house located in a woodland that has been lent to Paul by some friends.

Lauren met widower Paul when she was at her most vulnerable. Becoming part of a ready-made family seems like a second chance, her happily ever after. Yet when she begins to hear rumours about past events at the house and Paul’s behaviour becomes increasingly concerning, she starts to feel that her dream is turning into a nightmare.

In Part Two the focus moves to another woman, Eliza, who has moved into a familiar glass house with Richard, her husband, and their children. In Part Three the narrative alternates between Lauren and Eliza, with the shift indicated at the opening of each chapter. Part Four returns to Lauren’s perspective.

Overall, I enjoyed this very much. I had been impressed with Emily Freud’s debut, ‘My Best Friend’s Secret’. Now with ‘What She Left Behind’, I felt that she demonstrated her understanding of the elements that make for an addictive domestic noir/psychological thriller.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

What She Left Behind is a fast paced, page turner of a story that I could not put down. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for my ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher & Emily for the ARC.

A fast paced thriller, difficult to tear yourself away from. Well written and expertly crafted.

From the very first page it’s obvious that the two main characters have a strained relationship but what quickly becomes clear is that Paul is very good at manipulation and coercion. Red flags are all over and it is tempting to scream “get out of there” but the addition of two small children make the process of leaving a lot more complicated.

This was an utterly gripping thriller, with so many twists and turns. The plot moved at a cracking pace and I found it extremely hard to put down. One of the best books I’ve read this year.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down! It was so intriguing and I loved the characters. However, I’m giving it a 4 instead of a 5 because I felt that the ending was rushed. I would have liked more of an explanation and I don’t think it was clear what exactly happened to George.

Moving house from the rat race of a big city to the countryside for a slower pace of life…it’s everyone’s dream! Isn’t it? Lauren and Paul move to a glass house in he middle of nowhere for a quieter life with his two children. Emily Freud has written a truly great book with lots of twists and turns describing coercive control and abuse. The story is very true to life in my opinion she’s done a great job telling the story.

This is a psychological thriller about the coercive control in relationships. There is an immediate and underlying sense of foreboding and mounting dread from the moment Lauren and Paul arrive at the glass house in the woods. The isolated setting creates an evocative atmosphere of unease and anxiousness. As the story unfolds, tension mounts and it's clear that something malevolent is at play.

The storyline was dark, menacing, suspenseful and chilling with a shocking twist at the end.

I was completely absorbed, and immersed in this book from start to finish. I devoured it at every opportunity and easily finished it in a couple of days.

This was a really enjoyable and addictive psychological thriller that kept me engaged throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley, Quercus Books and Emily Freud for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story of Lauren and Paul who move to a big glass house, isolated in the middle of the countryside. There is a lot of mystery as to what happened to get them there and a backstory to Laurens recovery from a traumatic accident and how the couple met. The relationship seems to have developed very quickly and Lauren also has taken on Paul's two children. It's hard to write too much without giving away any spoilers. I am normally very good at guessing an ending but I had no chance with this one. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a twisty, mystery thriller. An excellent read.

Dark, Domestic Noir..
A fresh start in the countryside turns sinister in this dark, domestic noir with resounding twists. Characters are credible and well crafted, the narrative is pacy and immersive and the plot holds an underlying menace throughout. Suspenseful and well done with unsettling themes and with a surprising denouement that the reader may well not see coming.

It took me a little while to get into this book but then it got really good. Lauren was recovering from a terrible accident. While her body had largely healed she was still suffering from amnesia and mental trauma. Psychotherapist Paul Bloom starts to work intensively with Lauren to heal her fractured mind. They become close and she eventually moves in with him and his two children - Margo (4 years old) and her brother Jesse (5 years old). Paul’s former wife, the sainted Emma, died of cancer a couple of years ago. Lauren feels like has found her perfect family although they are not yet married (well, it’s….complicated).

One day, after they have been together for 7 months, Paul announces a wonderful opportunity. Some friends of his who own a beautiful, large house on acres in the country have taken a posting overseas and have offered him to stay in the house for 12 months rent free. At first it all seems wonderful indeed but Lauren soon feels isolated and claustrophobic. There’s really nowhere to go within walking distance and Paul is always wondering where she is when she’s not at home. It’s not hard to work out this is a classic case of gaslighting. You get this right at the start. But while Margo seems unaffected, Jesse’s behaviour becomes quite concerning but Paul insists there is nothing time won’t resolve.

I can’t say much more without spoilers but clearly things are not as they seem! In fact they are much, much worse. Although Paul doesn’t beat Lauren, the psychological damage he inflicts is extensive until, she doesn’t know if she can trust herself anymore. And what did actually happen to his first wife? Lauren was such a gutsy character, determined to get to the truth. Jesse stole my heart though as he was clearly conflicted about, well, pretty much everything. Paul was the classic narcissistic controlling manipulative so-and-so gosh he reminds me of somebody! Let’s not go there now though.

This story was quite disturbing in that I think this level of coercive control is not unusual and it’s a salutary reminder of how insidious this can be. Watch your backs ladies and, I suppose, some men too! Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Review
I loved Emily's first book, My Best Friend's Secret so I had high hopes for this one and it absolutely didn't disappoint.

The book is split into 4 different parts, each one packing a punch. The characters are really well developed. It is so descriptive, I felt like I was in the book, in the glass house.

This book will have you on the edge of your seat, it is fast paced and I was desperate to find out what was going on.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have no words, this book was amazing from beginning to end. As a romance reader this is far from my normal genre but I LOVED it. The twists, the suspense, I felt like I was the one investigating this strange family. 5 out of 5, I want more!

The characters were well developed and I was completely at a loss as to who to believe. Every character had their own set of secrets which made the lies and the truth become very blurred at times. This made it every bit the twisted psychological thriller which I adored. I had no idea where the plot was going, who the reliable characters were or how it was going to end but oh my just like this authors previous books what an ending!

Phew! This is not my usual type of book to read but I may need to change that based on this.
This is a true page turner which I read in 2 days and I thoroughly enjoyed it; a great summer read.

A good psychological thriller,kept me tense throughout and wanting to know what happneed,well written characters and a good twist,enjoyable

Lauren and Paul are moving to the country, for a fresh start with his two children. The death of his wife has had a lasting impact but finally, they feel like things are moving forward. But as the story goes along, we start to see some red flags. Odd things begin to happen and while one of the children adores her, the other seems so troubled.

I was drawn into this one immediately with the eerie setting and while I had no idea where it was heading, I loved the intrigue created by the author. I did suspect what was happening towards the end but it was still an enjoyable domestic suspense.

Wow wow wow! Just incredible. I always try to figure out what is happening in books before the big plot twists, but with this I could not for the life of me have predicted what would happen in this! What a great read

wow the twists and turns!! what a book you think you know what’s happening then Bam! another twist you never saw coming!!
no spoilers but it’s a suspense filled story. never read a book by this author before but i’m going searching for others books now!

This blew me away! I'm obsessed with thrillers and domestic noir so it's often that I read new books that I feel I've read before because they're all so similar but this one was on a whole new level. Ots so captivating and really gets under your skin. That final twist at the end..... wow!!! And as any equestrian will tell you, that ending was written perfectly and so relatable that I may have cried.... maybe.... a little bit lol. A trully masterful piece of work, I couldnt recommend it enough

'What she left behind' is a great novel, full of those twists and turn we lovers of psychological fiction cant get enough of!

The story starts with Lauren, a woman who has suffered a traumatic brain injury, fallen for her therapist, and subsequently moved to start a new life in the country with him, and his 2 children, having lost his wife to disease a year or 2 previously. Lauren has a sense of disquiet in her new life, and resents the rural location, missing her friends, to whom she seems to be estranged. Alongside this narrative is an alternate timeline relating to a couple who inhabited the house previously. Links between the 2 timelines were apparent throughout, but the author certainly held something back until the end, and it is absolutely worth reading on to find out what!

A great read on account of a fantastic original story and some superb writing, this is a book I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to readers of this genre.

My thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy..