I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book alternates between the POV of a daughter whose mother was murdered when the pair was at the park many years ago when she was little; along with the mother before all this had happened. Now the daughter is grown up, and because of her past, very guarded. One day, she's approached by the main suspect of the murder case who was never acquitted, claiming his innocence. He said he couldn't have done what he's accused of, because her mom and him were lovers. What is the truth? Who is the real culprit?

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the copy of #TheSuspect by #KathrynCroft
Lori was killed pushing her toddler daughter Jess around the park. 20 years later Jess is approached in the street and this sets in motion a chain of events no one could foresee.
A very engaging book that will keep you reading.

Get ready for a crazy type of ride , where thought out the story you keep wanting to know if all of the secrets have been revealed, as well as if the characters you you trust so far can actually be trusted, it's basically a he said she said type book , but it works in some mysterious way. ITS Well written, and even though at times it felt a bit slow to me , that also helped with story line .

This book has taken me on a crazy ride. I would like to say that this was a whirlwind of a book. I read it super fast and it had my attention from the start. I haven't read many books that have a dual perspective, but it was interesting to see how both timelines came together. At the beginning of the book, we learn that Lori has been murdered when Jess was just a child. One day, when Jess is in her late 20s, she gets an unexpected "visit" from a person who knew her mother and this person wants to tell her their side of the story. And, then we go from there. This book did keep my interest most of the book and I really appreciated that we got to know the characters and their pasts. I loved the relationship between Jess and Zara. I loved the fact that they were able to tell each other anything. The thing that I wasn't a big fan of is that I wish that we could have gotten a little bit closer at the end. The ending seemed a little rushed and it seemed like it went really fast. There could have been things in the middle of the book that could have been cut out to give more time for the ending. I honestly really liked this book though. I did stay up pretty late to finish the last 30% of the book because I wanted to know what happened.

I would like to thank netgalley, and Bookoutune and The great author Kathryn croft for an early copy of the book.

This is my first psychological book in a while.Im not so keen on books that go back to the past then the present day.This book did come together nicely. Jess mother was murdered when Jess was a baby,years later a man approaches her she knows who he is the guy that murdered her mother claiming her didnt murder her mother,was he telling the truth? will jess uncover what happened to her mother..with no help from her father not giving her the information she needs...A slow read for me but a good storyline..looking forward to reading more of her books.my rating is 3.5 rounded to four...

Not quite as predictable as I expected, but not far short. It went on too long for me. Well written, but the characters weren't interesting enough.

Glad I finished it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

This is due to come out in Feb 2023 and I just hope that they go through and check for errors before releasing it. It was a good book, just a lot of grammar errors, and the names get switched around which makes it confusing to read. The plot is good though, the general idea of the story. It had me engrossed, and I wanted to know the ending. If you like suspense/mystery this is a book for you. Just be aware of the errors in the book.

thank you netgalley for the ARC!

this is definitely one of my favorite thriller books that ive read recently - OH MY GOD! this book is insane! i cant stop thinking about it at all!
the characters are well developed, the main character is likeable, i love the multiple pov's that lead up to the *event* so you can really understand how it all played out. super suspenseful, i was on the edge of my seat the whole time! amazing book!!
6 stars!

I loved this book! I read it in a couple of days. The story had many twists and turns that kept me guessing and I didn't figure out the ending! Definitely a must read! #TheSuspect #NetGalley

This book starts off slow as it is setting the scene of the characters and location. However once this was done, the story became fast paced and intriguing.

Kathryn Croft can always be relied upon to deliver a gripping and twisty psychological thriller and The Suspect kept me turning the pages well into the night!
Two year old Jess was present when her mother Lori was murdered but has no memory of that day. The prime suspect has always been identified as Nathaniel French but he has never been charge but when he approaches the now adult Jess he has a shocking confession…
The Suspect is a slow burner that kept me guessing which of the characters was lying to Jess and why. Just when I thought I had the answers, another twist came along to keep me on my toes.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Suspect and was thrilled to be able to read an early copy. Kathryn Croft made me work harder than usual for the payoff but that made the resolution even sweeter for me! An engrossing read from start to finish.

♦️Lori had taken her toddler out for a stroll in the park when she was brutally murdered. Twenty-eight years later, Jess still cannot come out of that trauma. Though she has no memory of it, she still feels vulnerable all the time. Then one day, Nathaniel French, who was suspected of murdering her mother but was acquitted due to lack of evidence, approaches her. He says that he had not murdered Lori so many years back, it was someone else. When Jess tries to discuss this issue with her family, she discovers that they are lying. Nathaniel on the other hand demands that he has an idea about who the real killer was and wants to confide in her about it. Just after that, he goes missing and his body is discovered few days later. Whose dark secret was he harbouring which made him lose his life? Is Jess's life in danger too?
💥It is a prime example of how one person's wreckless actions can have devastating consequences on some other person's life.
💥The author has thrown light on the tiresome life of a single mother of a toddler.
💥She has also addressed issues like PTSD and the mental state of a motherless child.
💥She has tried to point out that a little love and compassion can help someone from falling into the clutches of danger.
💥The story is told from the point of view of two characters- Lori and Jess. Through Lori's parts, the readers get to know what had happened in the past before she was murdered, whereas, through Jess's parts we get an idea about the present day scenario.
💥It was a fascinating read which kept me at the edge of my seat. I would highly recommend this book to those who love mystery/thrillers.
  I am highly grateful to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twists, turns and more of the same. Just when you think you have it figured out.....you are suddenly hit with an entirely different possibility.
Twenty years after her mother is murdered in a local park, in broad daylight, while walking her in her stroller, Jess is confronted on the street by the man believed to be, but never proven, nor arrested, as the murderer. He claims innocence and tells Jess that he knows who the killer really was.
The story takes off with a blast and never stops from there.
Every character is suspect and every character seems to gave a secret to hide.
Suspense ratchets up, page by page and the tension builds non stop.
Very good story and excellent plot and character builds.
If you think you have it figured out, hah....good luck with that.

This was definitely a thrilling read. I was pulled in immediately and had to keep reading until the shocking truth was uncovered. The story itself had dual timelines, the present day one from Jess’s point of view and the past timeline from her mother’s, in the months leading up to her death. I honestly enjoyed how the story was laid out in both timelines, finding both characters tenacious and strong-willed. They each took their lives into their own hands to find the truth they were searching for and were both very likeable.

I couldn’t help feeling sorry for Jess, there were so many people in her life that lied to her for her entire life and it’s easy to see she really had no one to turn too or trust. Even the guy she started seeing in the book turned out to be someone else than he led her to believe. When the truth about who killed Lori is revealed, it sort of blindsided me because I really thought I knew who killed her and why, which was definitely not the case and I love it when I can still be shocked by a thriller!

This was the first book I picked up from Kathryn Croft and I really liked her writing style and ability to pull you in and relate quickly to the characters. I’m excited to pick of more of her work in the future! I rated this one 4/5.

Two-year-old Jess was asleep in her buggy while her mother Lori was pushing her through the park in Clapham Common when she is murdered. Jess grew up with her father and her step mum Carolina. Lori’s death was never solved.
Thirty years later, jess has had a happy childhood but always wondered to know more about her mother, what she was really like and what lead up to her death and when she meets the man that was the initial suspect her her death turns ups claiming his innocent. Jess goes to the ends of the earth to find out about her mother and who killed her.
Thank you Bookoutre for a copy of Kathryn’s Croft latest offering. The is another interesting read from the author and found the story has a lot of depth, with the number of characters and twists in it. But I found the story dragged on a bit. But it has a surprising twist at the end. 3.5 stars from me.

The Suspect was a slow burn for me. There were many twists and turns and I really enjoyed both Jess and Lori's POV. Jess was only 2 years old when her mother, Lori, was brutally murdered in front of her. Nobody was arrested but their was a person of interest. Now 28 years later, the suspect returns into Jess' life to plead his innocence. On the night he is going to reveal who he believes killed her mom, he is murdered. Can Jess figure out who murdered her mom? Is the killer closer than she thinks?

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Imagine a tangled and twisted web of lies but then double it and add some more. This is a story of family tragedy, secrets and lies on an epic scale where any of those things leaking out can cause untold damage and destruction. It centres on Jess, whose mother was brutally murdered when she was a child in front of her in her pushchair. Jess has a seemingly loving and supportive extended family but each of them start to slowly unravel with the biggest shocks bursting out right at the end. I loved the pace and the sinister feelings which built stealthily during the story and the feelings of betrayal felt very real and raw. Excellent storytelling which hopped between past and present too. A brilliant read.

The Suspect by Kathryn Croft was a bit of a slow burner for me and, for the most part, I was left feeling slightly underwhelmed.

Jess was only an infant when she lost her mother to murder. Years later, the man who was accused of the crime has come forward to reassert his innocence. Her family tell her to let things lie, but Jess is determined to get to the bottom of just what happened all of those many years ago.

While this is a solid read, it just didn't hit the mark for me, and I struggled to stay fully engaged. I will, however, look forward to reading whatever comes next from the talented Ms Croft. 3.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

This is the first book I’ve read by Kathryn Croft & it has made a very good impression!

At times some of the chapters were a bit long - I struggle with focus so prefer shorter chapters, however I didn’t mind too much with this book, as it was gripping and easy to read.

Throughout the book, I suspected every character at some point, but I wasn’t 100% sure. I definitely hadn’t guessed the ending & didn’t expect it (in the best way)!

I really enjoyed this book overall & I’m really looking forward to reading more by this author!

The Suspect is a gripping, can't-put-down thriller that follows Jess as she investigates her mother's murder. Over twenty years ago, Lori was murdered in front of her two-year-old child, Jess. While no official arrests were made, Jess, her family, and the rest of the country believed the killer to be Nathaniel. Now, as an adult, Jess has moved on and just wants to put the past behind her; however, that hope is dashed when Nathaniel finds her on the street and argues his innocence. Jess decides to conduct her own investigation into what really happened, which leads to a discovery of past secrets, lies, and betrayals. The story is told through two POVs and two timelines: Lori in the past and Jess in the present. It's a well-written, fast-paced book with each chapter leading smoothly into the next. I'll definitely be recommending The Suspect!