My second book by Lorna Dounaeva and another really enjoyable read.

Prudence is at her retirement party after her long career in nursing and is looking forward to life slowing down and only having to look after her son Nathan, who is at university and her Old English Sheepdog, Bob. However, much to Prudence’s dismay, Nathan and his new girlfriend Zoe, who have only been together a few months, announce at the party that they are expecting a baby. This news is as surprising to them as it is to Prudence, but Nathan and Zoe decide they are going to keep the baby and so Prudence asks Zoe to move in with her and Nathan as then they can parent the new baby together and also with Prudence now being retired, she would be able to help out babysitting as well. Both Nathan and Zoe like the arrangement as does Alana, Zoe’s mother who doesn’t live very close. It doesn’t take long for Prudence to start getting excited about becoming a grandmother however Zoe’s behaviour worries her, she seems to be a different person when around Nathan and other people compared to being sullen and snarky when it is just Prudence and her. Everyone else sees Zoe’s good side and Prudence can’t understand why Zoe seems to dislike her so much. Then little incidents begin to occur, at the start more annoyances and irritants than dangerous such as misplacing a swimming towel but then they ramp up to becoming dangerous and Prudence starts to worry for her safety and for those around her. However, neither Nathan or any of her friends take her seriously as Zoe acts so normal around them all. Will Prudence ever be able to bond with Zoe or even just find out her motives, before it is too late, and is Alana all that she seems or are there also secrets hidden under her perfect estate agent veneer?!

It didn’t take me long for me to start really enjoying this book, as it went on it got more complex and disturbing but was a thoroughly good read. I definitely did not see the incident/ twist that happened around halfway through the book, so that really shocked me, but I won’t say much more as this is a spoiler free review! I found myself really disliking a couple of the characters at the beginning, but it soon became clear that I had taken the bait that Lorna Dounaeva had so neatly laid out for me (and I loved it). My only criticism was that I found the story ended quite suddenly but ultimately this didn’t ruin my enjoyment of reading this book. I apologise if bits of this review are quite mysterious, but it is difficult to describe things fully for the fear of giving away spoilers which I never do in my reviews.

A hugely deserved 4 star rating and I would recommend this book for any psychological thriller fans. I can’t wait to read what Lorna Dounaeva writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lorna Dounaeva and Inkubator Books for my advanced reading copy. Out now.

The plot of this book seemed more sinister than the actual book was. I really wanted to like this book but found it to be far-fetched and a bit unrealistic.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy

This is a disturbing book. But it was so predictable. It has a tense atmosphere and is filled with suspense.
I didn’t like the ending.

Prudence is not best pleased when her son Nathan’s new girlfriend Zoe announces she’s pregnant especially when they are both still teenagers and haven’t finished their studies. She tries her best to be welcoming when Zoe moves in but it wasn’t long after that strange, unsettling things began happening. The first chapters dragged and the characters were annoying. For me it didn’t really get going until almost 70%. The ending was one of the most abrupt I’ve read in a while and just stopped at 95%. Plus it’s not quite as simple to get a passport as was made out in the book these days! Sadly it wasn’t a thriller but a kitchen sink drama with old fashioned ways as in the way women were portrayed as if it were the 1950’s.

A gripping read with lots of clever twists. I thought I had it sussed but was wrong-footed often. I'll definitely look out for more from the author.

This was such a good book! I loved all the twists! I thought I had it figured out and I definitely didn't!! I would definitely recommend this book!

I stayed up all night reading this and then I could not get it out of my mind. The explosive secrets and lies that totally blew up.

This heart-pounding thriller is a gripping exploration of deceit and danger, culminating in a shocking climax you won't see coming. A must-read for any thriller Lover!!

When Prudence finds out her son Nathan"s girlfriend Zoe is pregnant she welcomes her into their home.

Prudence soon sees a red flag when strange things start occurring after Zoe moves in. Is Zoe who she appears to be? Prudence tries to warn her son but he refuses to listen. Can Prudence figure out what is happening?

This was a great book that kept me guessing until the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

A good book
A new author to me
And it didn’t disappoint
Can’t wait for her next book
Thanks NetGalley

From the first page to the last there is a sinister feeling to Zoe. She just feels off. I expected the story to go differently than it did. I just felt the characters acted strange. I would call it creepy, I guess. It isn't often I think the story is predictable when it is actually the opposite. I read with a dread to turning the page for fear of what would happen next. That makes it a good story doesn't it!!

I was completely gripped by this story and was impressed with the writing quality. I was entertained throughout the story and would not hesitate to recommend this book.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of The Family Trap by Lorna Dounaeva from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. This is the first book I've read by this author and I'm going to tell you she will not be on my list of must reads after finishing this book. LOVED her writing style! This book has all you need for a fantastic psychological thriller and will grab you from the first page and keep you hooked until the last. WOW! Do yourself a big favor and read this the first chance you get.

Wow what a book thank you ever so much for the opportunity to review. I could not put it down. Would definitely recommend to others!
From the very first page of this book, I was stunned, mesmerised. Written with a ferocious passion that'll knock the wind out of you!

What a great read - as soon as I started this I could not stop reading until the end and this is a must read that you will need to add to your reading list and start as soon as you can

I liked this a lot!! I love being kept guessing, especially when I don’t see the ending coming. Very suspenseful and disturbing, kept me hanging on!

Well written, addictive and unpredictable. This is a book I have really enjoyed and devoured. i definitely want to read more from this author. Full Review to follow.

Whoa! Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, and so many crazy twists and turns! talk about crazy in-laws! The storyline was very interesting and a bit crazy at times but had me glued to my Kindle! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thanks net galley for this really good book.It took time to get to the exciting parts of this book but then could not put it down.
Prudence had retired as a nurse and lived at hime with Nathan her son and her dog.
Nathan has a girl friend called Zoe and they seemed very happy together though prudence was not too sure about her, then she was told that Zoe was pregnant and they both wanted the baby.
Prudence was not happy about it, but allowed Zoe to come and live in her house with Nathan.
From then on things started to go wrong, and prudence blamed everything on Zoe.
Was Zoe evil or did she just not like Prudence.