Don’t Look Back is a psychological/domestic thriller by bestselling author, Jo Spain. I’ve read this author once before. This one was an intriguing complex mystery which leaves you constantly guessing and wondering how its all going to pan out. The author develops a layered, suspenseful and fun-to-read mystery which hooks you from the very start. Told across multiple POV, the characters are deep, easy to like and care about what happens to them. On their honeymoon, Luke’s new wife Rose drops a bombshell that there is a dead body back in their apartment, one that she killed in self-defense. Now in a tricky situation as it appears that they have fled the scene, Luke, Rose and Luke’s friend Mickey must work together to find a solution that will keep them out of jail. As things go on it appears there might be more to this situation than anyone thought. An excellent thriller which you won’t want to put down.

Thanks so much to Quercus and Netgalley for my e-arc in return for an honest review.

I buddy read this with my good pal Janet, we both had similar thoughts on it.

So the second half was much better than the first half, we were 52% in saying it was a bit slow then bam, it hit us with a lot lol. The characters were quite easily likeable, and easy to follow who was who. I liked the 2 main characters Luke and Rose, but I think I likes the side character of Mickey the best. She works with vulnerable women trying to escape violent partners, she seems very head strong and persistent.

I’d read another of Jo Spains books, this was good.

4.5/5 rounded up

Luke and Rose are away on their honeymoon and just before they are due to fly back, Rose tells Luke she will not be returning. Why you ask? Because she killed a man and his dead body is waiting for them in their apartment.

Thank you Net Galley and Quercus books for an advance ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was another excellent book from Jo Spain! There are twists upon twists upon twists. I kept thinking I had worked out all the twists, but when the reveals come, I was nowhere close! I loved all the characters and their complex relationships with each other. It’s a perfect beach read as I guarantee you will fly through it!

What an incredible twisty thriller!
Jo Spain really knows how to write them. This was absolutely gripping
I had my suspicions about a certain character in the book and turns out, I was suspecting completely the wrong character but for a very similar motive.
I loved the way the book was told from different timelines and different countries, really feeling the novel being pieces together
The chapters ending in cliffhangers so you just has to read on, all led to me racing through this book
The pace matched my reading speed and was eagerly turning the pages to find out just what has happened to Kevin
A great book, full of suspense and a great twist
The author does not disappoint

Interesting characters, twisty plot, you will struggle to put it down. Highly recommend this one!
Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this ARC.

Luke Miller's life is turned upside down when on the last day of an impromptu belated honeymoon his new wife, Rose, tells him she can't go back home because there's a dead body in their apartment. The body is that of a violent man who abused Rose in the past. She fled but he tracked her down, and now he's in a heap on the bedroom floor. Luke can only think of one person who might possibly help them.

That would be Mickey Sheils, whose life's work is finding safe spaces for women fleeing their abusive partners. Despite the way Mickey and Luke parted all those years ago, Mickey can't resist a woman in need and promises to help so Rose can stop running.

But of course things aren't as easy as that. There are skeletons in closets and close guarded secrets that are left to be discovered as the story goes on. Personally, I found that the gist of the tale was somewhat predictable and easy to figure out. However, the bigger picture, motives if you will, eluded me. I didn't trust these characters. Something felt off about them from the very beginning, even if I couldn't quite put my finger on why. Mickey is the exception to the rule. With her, I merely failed to understand why she would drop everything to help Luke.

There's quite a bit of traveling around in 'Don't Look Back'. From the Caribbean to England to Ireland and back again. It's all wonderfully descriptive but that didn't take away my view that it often felt as if very little was actually happening. And since I quite quickly realised some things weren't as they seemed, there really wasn't enough tension in this story for me, no matter how hard the author tried to create some. What Jo Spain does do awfully well is setting a scene. You can actually see things playing out right in front of your eyes, like you're watching it on television.

'Don't Look Back' started with a bang but then unfortunately for me seemed to fizzle right out again. This might be due to the fact that I worked things out too fast, I don't know. Maybe it's just that same old "reading too many psychological thrillers" thing again. Very few things seem to surprise me anymore. For the most part though, I kept thinking I would gladly have read an entire book about Mickey and her job, but I really didn't care about Luke and Rose, and whatever things they were hiding from one another.

I'm calling this a blip, as I normally really enjoy Jo Spain's books. Her writing is always fabulous and addictive, as it is in 'Don't Look Back'. The difficult topic that is tackled here is handled remarkably well. The space is spot on and for a book that is 400 pages long, it actually reads quite quickly. Somehow, this one just didn't quite work for me but I will eagerly await Jo Spain's next offering.

This is another book I was lucky to receive early access to from Netgalley.

I was excited for this book as I really enjoyed another from Jo Spain (The Perfect Lie).

The set up of this book reeled me in and I thought it would be a 5 star up until the last quarter.
I still enjoyed this book but felt it lost me a bit with the ending.
Multiple twists / developments, some hit harder than others but overall it was enjoyable to escape into.

Another thing to note and perhaps this was due to it being an ARC I had access to but there were seemingly no chapter divisions. Different parts to the book and obvious changes in location and POV which could be noticed by the titles within, but no separation in the book itself to see how many chapters / time remaining in the "chapters".

I still overall liked it enough to think I will reach for Jo Spain books in the future.

If there is a cracking premise then you can guarantee that Jo spain has thought of it and how to make it even crazier than you might think. She's the queen of crazy andhigh energy thrillers and this is no different.

I wonder why ive never read a Jo Spain book before? This novel has everything i love in a book, a mysterious storyline, relatable characters, twists and turns which send you into a spin. And to top it off it's mostly set on a carribean island.
After a whirlwind romance Rose surprises new husband Luke with a carribean holiday, if he wonders why she's slightly tense on their last day he assumes she doesn't want to go home, and that's certainly the case but not for the reason he suspects. Oh no, Rose informs him she's not returning as there's a dead body in their apartment and that she killed him. But she didn't reckon on Lukes love for her and this is when the story becomes more complex and unputdownable

4.5 stars rounded up.

For one week, everything in Luke Miller's life is perfect. Surprised with a belated honeymoon by his wife, Rose, he's had seven days with her in a Caribbean paradise. It's more than he ever thought he'd deserve. But as they pack their bags, Rose breaks down, confessing that on the day they left London, a violent man for her past tracked her down and broke into their home. He wasn't expecting her to fight back. And in her terror, rose killed him. Now there's a dead body in Luke's apartment and only one person he can think to turn to.

What a cleverly crafted plot this book has. This is one dark and twisted read. Just when you think you have it all worked out, off in a different direction we go. This story goes between the Caribbean, Donegal and London, and told over different timelines. Its action packed and easy to follow. With strong, well-rounded characters, Mickey was definitely my favourite. This is an addictive book to read. You'll hear yourself saying just one more chapter, but one more is never enough.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #QuercusBooks and the author #JoSpain for my ARC of #Don'tLookBack in exchnage for an honest review.

Hi and welcome to my review of Don't Look Back!

A new Jo Spain novel is always a massive treat and once again, I couldn’t wait to get my mitts on it! My expectations were probably rather unrealistic, but Don't Look Back nevertheless delivered everything I hoped it would.

The story is told from the perspectives of Luke, his wife Rose, and his estranged friend Mickey. They all seem like lovely people on the surface, but are they? Is Luke really the compassionate, madly in love husband? Is Rose really the still terrified abuse victim, who couldn’t help but fall for Luke? Is Mickey really as honest and straightforward as she seems? I couldn’t help but wonder who was hiding what beneath that lovely veneer, and whether one or more could be an unreliable narrator. After all, if you’re familiar with this author’s work, you’ll know that you should be wary of everyone and everything, as things are rarely what they seem. (And if you’re not familiar with this author’s work, you really should fix that ASAP.)

I figured out a few things before they were revealed, reading Jo Spain books you learn a trick or two, but she did have me stymied for longer than I care to admit. It was such fun seeing it all come together, because like every other Jo Spain novel I’ve read, Don’t Look Back is very cleverly plotted. She plays with perspective like no other. There were even some small details that at the time stood out because they seemed a little off or somehow important to the plot, I could tell they meant something, but I remained in the dark as to how and why.

Don't Look Back is a fantastic, twisty ride that took me from London to the Caribbean to Ireland, and back again. I had a brilliant time with it and if thrillers are your bag, you need to put this one at the top of your to-buy list!

Don't Look Back is out in hardcover, digital formats and audio on 11 May.

Massive thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This is such a good read!

It’s a layered tale about love, betrayal, lies and family and it’s so well written it pulls you in and doesn’t let go.

A newly married couple go on an idyllic delayed honeymoon and on their last day the wife reveals she can’t return home as there’s a dead man in their apartment and she killed him! From there we are taken on a rollercoaster ride that doesn’t let up. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read in one sitting.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus books for the opportunity to preview and congratulations to the author on another success.

Another brilliant book from Jo. A great plot which moves between Donegal, London and the Caribbean. The reader is hooked from the start withe the main story with Rose and Luke. There are some other very intriguing characters too Mickey and Elliott.

Why haven’t I smashed through the entire Jo Spain catalogue yet? This book was so good and her others are just wasting away on my Kindle. Don’t Look Back had everything I look for: an original plot, great characters, and twists I never saw coming. Even though I’ve been exhausted lately, I had to take every opportunity to pick up this book and I finished it in no time at all.

What I loved about this book was that it was so effortless to read. Looking back, I can see where the author inserted little hints of what was to come. She also did a great job of ensuring the plot didn’t become too complex and unrealistic to the reader. Yet, I didn’t figure anything out. I love when the wool is pulled over my eyes.

However, this book isn’t just about shock factor. There is a lot of emotion, also. Rose’s fear is so evident and will send chills down your spine. At the same time, the love between Rose and Luke added a softer layer to the story. I also loved Mickey’s passion for her work and desire to help people. The presence of these emotions added another layer to this book.

Besides the emotion of the characters, I felt a lot of tension reading Don’t Look Back. I had no idea where each chapter was going to take me or what the outcome for each character would be. This, of course, kept me turning the pages.

Another 5-star offering from Jo Spain.

Jo Spain knocks it out of the park with this thriller telling the story of a couple on the brink when the woman has killed someone that she feared for her life from. Suspenseful and exhilarating all the way!

Jo Spain’s latest standalone thriller plods along for most of the first half making you wonder why it’s getting all these rave reviews. Then comes the twist and ahaaa, now you can see why!! The thing I like about Jo Spain is that her plots are always very clever, well thought out and fairly plausible. Yes you have to suspend your belief to a degree for those type of books but she goes never goes so wild that you have to end up putting your brain into early retirement when things get truly preposterous. I have found all her books great reads with just enough to challenge the discerning reader while still being page-turnery enough to keep you reading long after the lights should have been out. The only downside for me was my dislike of the 2 main characters and the repetitive nature of the storytelling for the first half so by the time the end came, as thrilling as it was, I had really stopped caring what happened. But that’s just me being picky!

Holy moly what a ride! I love it. This book have a high tempo and a good drive. The mystery is engaging, the characters keeps you curious and I love, love, love bad ass Mickey. My only fret is that she should have had more room in the book. How about a book only about her and her super power women saving business.

I truly enjoy this one and I can honestly recommend it to anyone who wants red eyes after a night of binge reading.

Luke and Rose Miller have a whirlwind romance and decide to get married, but they never planned a honeymoon. So, Wife Rose decides to surprise Luke with a holiday to the Caribbean Island of Saint Therese. They enjoy their holiday on the beautiful island with it white sandy beaches and the last day Rose has a confession that she can’t go home to her apartment as she killed someone and left there body in the apartment.
Luke is shocked but he is so much in love with Rose that he will do anything for her. But before they leave their own life behind, he needs something from his safe. So, he asks his old friend Mikey to grab something from the safe. Mikey helps women from abusive relationships escape from their partners and helps them set up new lives. The pair have history but will help him. But when she gets there, she is shocked to find no body. Did Rose really kill Kevin or was he just injured and he is now gone?
Don’t look back by Jo Spain is the first book from the author that I have read, and it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed this well-paced thriller, with lots of twists and turns. I found this to be a unique, cleverly written tale about one couple that each of them have secrets to hide and other seeking revenge on them, which doesn’t come clear to the very end. I was engrossed so much in this book I read this in a day. This is and great read. 5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of Jo Spain's latest stand alone thriller.

The story follows Luke Miller and Rose Gallagher starting with their delayed Caribbean honeymoon from which Rose informs, she cannot go home ... because there's a dead man in their flat - and she killed him.

We then follow this story but with flashbacks to how both Luke and Rose ended up on the run from the Police and a violent psychopath.

So it's fast paced, two timelines, lots of secrets and lies on all sides, which did get a bit annoying at times. I'm of the mind that when someone keeps saying "I'll tell you, but not now" it usually means it won't take much to work out what heinous act they've committed.

The book is fast paced and has an interesting enough storyline for me to read the last half in one sitting. However I knocked the star off because I thought virtually all the characters were truly unlikeable. I didn't feel any sort of empathy with any of the main characters and it put me off the book a little. Otherwise it's great. You may feel different about them. It's certainly well worth the read.

This is the second book of Jo Spain’s I’ve read and what I’ve deduced from those two books is that her writing is just excellent - addictive, powerful and unputdownable.

I very much enjoyed the story of newlyweds Rose and Luke who are preparing to come home from a beautiful honeymoon on the island of Saint Thérèse when Rose drops an explosive bombshell… this story is seriously twisty and I was flying through the chapters because I simply HAD to know what happened next.

Don’t Look Back features some of my favourite aspects of a good book: a dual timeline, multiple POVs and vivid settings. The characters were written very well, shrouded in mystery and secrets and I enjoyed trying to suss them out.

Did the story get a tad far-fetched at times? Yes, but it was still kept just within the realms of possibility and I like a bit of drama to embellish a story if it’s done well which was the case here. Although I guessed a couple of the revelations that were hinted at, I was also successfully kept in the dark about others and was still kept very much interested in the story.

Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.