When eight-year-old Kathy Stone turns up on the side of the road a year after her abduction, the world awaits her harrowing story. But Kathy doesn't say a word. Traumatised by her ordeal, she doesn't speak at all, not even to her own parents. Child therapist Robin Hart is the only one that has success connecting with the girl. Robin has been using play therapy to help Kathy process her memories. But as their work continues, Kathy's playtime takes a grim turn: a doll looks to stab another doll, a tiny figurine is chained to a plastic toy couch. All of these horrifying moments, enacted within a Victorian doll house. Every session, another doll does.

The pace is perfectly set. Each chapter seems to end in the middle of a dramatic scene, so I just had to keep reading to find out more. The story is told from multiple points of view, we even get the voice of the perpetrator. I really liked Robin, we learn of her sister, Melody, and the dysfunctional relationship with her mother. Kathy's mother Claire - her story is told in the present day and flashbacks to when Kathy was abducted. It did take me a little while to get into this book, but once I was in, I was hooked.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Thomas&Mercer and the author #MikeOmer for my ARC of #PleaseTellMe in exchange for an honest review.

8 year old Kathy is abducted, but manages to escape a year later. She does not speak and is terrified all the time. A child therapist Robin agrees to help Kathy learn how to handle and how to live with her traumatic memories. During the sessions Kathy seems to playact recent murders.

I really liked this book. The story is told from several points of view, but Robin is clearly the main character. She's recently divorced and also grieving after the death of her father. In addition to that her mother is unstable and demanding and makes her life really difficult. Robin still manages to be a sympathetic and likable charater.

It takes a while for the author to set the stage for the story. I was anxious to get it going. Fortunately the build up was really worth it. The chapters are short and end in cliffhangers. There was a sense of urgency that kept me reading and turning pages. I thought I had the killer figured out, but I was totally wrong, which is nice. I usually don't care for romance in thrillers, but here it was quite cute and subtle and I actually liked Nathaniel too. There are many references to Covid-19, which is something I would not care to read about. I eventually got over it, though.

This is the first book I read by this author, but definitely not the last.

Happy Pub Day ! 🥳
#NetGalley ArC

#PleaseTellMe had a lot to unpack & I guarantee you didn't guess who did what because there was no way ! Which was kinda cool but also super random.. but I guess these cases are right?!
This book was very repetitive at times & the length of the book overall imo was too long
Menny the dog was a fave of course 😂
Robin's mom completely made me cringe & want to slap her. I hate her 🙊
Overall good & bad parts but I felt it did drag in parts.

This is my seventh book my Mike Omer - another cracking thriller! He’s firmly on my ‘must read’ author list.

“I don't want any evidence from the scene ruled inadmissible because you were outsmarted by a bird."

Eight year old Kathy returns after being missing for over a year. Her trauma is so great that Kathy has stopped speaking. To anyone.

With the help of child therapist, Robin, Kathy starts to work through her experience with play acting. All is fine(ish) until Kathy starts to play act real murders with the toys in therapy.

How could she possibly know? What does she know about future murders? Can Robin get to the truth without putting herself in danger?

Sounds good, right?! I couldn’t put it down.

It kept me riveted from the beginning and every time I thought I had it figured out, I was totally wrong. Lots of red herrings that I completely fell for!

Wonderfully written characters; one woman in particular was just awful. But I felt I knew her. Omer uses splashes of humour to break the tension. As well as focusing on the abduction and murders, the story explored the impact trauma can have on a relationship and how people can be forever changed.

It’s a really gripping page turner that I’d recommend to anyone!

What did Kathy really see during the year she was being held? That's the question for Robin, the psychologist who is working with the girl to draw 0ut her memories and deal with her trauma. This wavers between being fast paced and too wordy and it's fairly trope-y. I found the conflict between Kathy's parents interesting. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Meh from me but I'll bet others will enjoy it.

I first found Mike Omer on Kindle Unlimited. From the first book I read, I have elevated him to the top of my must-read authors. This book was exceptional. Not only does it explore the relationship of a child therapist and a traumatized child, it also incorporates events outside the tragedy that enhanced that event. The worldwide Covid pandemic and its effect on the community, especially the children stood out to me as an important aspect of the story. Too many people have already forgotten how the pandemic isolated children and their parents from their daily interactions. Relationships are also an important part of the story; those between Kathy and her mother Claire, Robin and her mother and sister and of course, Claire and Peter, Kathy’s parents. I was impressed with how well these relationships were developed and enhanced the story. As for the investigation and the outcome, there were several times during reading this book that I thought I had it all figured out. I admit freely that I was dead wrong. It was beyond my imagination and that is a very good thing. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves suspense, twists, and drama. Thank you Mike Omer for another great read.

Excellent read from one of my favorite writers. Full of suspense, it keeps you questioning. I was hooked from the beginning. The characters are intriguing. I loved the relationship between Robin and Nathaniel. The pacing is fast and I couldn't put it down. It was worth the lack of sleep! The ending was perfect.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Thomas&Mercer for the ARC #PleaseTellMe by #MikeOmer. I thoroughly enjoyed this book with the missing daughter, the therapist and the murders. I could not believe the surprising plot twist and ending.

Mike Omer does it again. Great book. Great Suspense. Keeps you on your toes from page 1 until the end. I have loved every one of his books.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Couldn't get into the book.. DNF.

No one expected eight year old Kathy Stone to be found but a year after she was abducted, she appears. Scarred from her experience, Kathy refuses to speak and is easily scared. When Robin begins therapy sessions with her, Kathy plays with toys, reenacting situations which Robin puts together as the way several recent murders have occurred. Could Kathy have witnessed these murders? Is her abductor the murderer too?

I really enjoyed this book. It took a while to get going, however once the scene was set, I was so engrossed. I thought I knew who the murderer was too, I was dead certain I had it but I was so wrong which I was thrilled about. The best thrillers are the one where you don't see what's coming! This is my first book by this author and I now look forward to reading more.

Please Tell Me by Mike Omer is chock full of tension and suspense, all one wishes for in a thriller. It is propulsive and grippy and held my attention every moment. Not only is the location abuzz with unsolved crimes but several domestic issues have dug their claws into residents. Most characters also have a past and wonder whether they can move onto a better future, The atmosphere has just the right amount of creepiness without verging into horror, particularly perfect for autumn.

Eight-year-old Kathy disappeared from home, her parents' worst nightmare. After returning home fifteen months later she is unable to verbalize what she witnessed at the hands of her captor. In an effort to help her process her ordeal, she sees Robin, a child psychologist. Robin gives Kathy plenty of space and time and encourages her to enact through toy figures. Robin and her parents are unprepared for the level of violence she shows and know there is something very disturbing going on. A detective enters the scene and with Robin's help investigates.

If you seek something a little different, this may be the thriller for you. Be sure to read the author's notes.

My sincere thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this riveting novel.

A Child Knows What No Child Should Ever Know

Nine-year-old Kathy Stone is limping alone on a road. She is shoeless, soaking wet, and scared. All the houses seem scary. Her foot is bleeding from a thorn she stepped on. She is afraid bad men could track her blood trail. A man in a car stops. After giving her his coat to warm her up. He calls the police. He tells them that he has found a girl walking alone in the middle of road. He describes her as very young, six or seven. Kathy wants to tell him that she is nine, but she couldn’t. From this start, Kathy’s difficult recovery starts.

The main storyline consists of four threads. First is narrated by protagonist, Robin Hart. She is the therapist for Kathy, who discovers terrible events experienced by Kathy. The second is narrated by Claire, Kathy’s mother. Much of this thread is presented as flashbacks to the time of the abduction. The third starts with the investigation into Kathy’s abduction. The fourth and most chilling of all is narrated by the perpetrator. If this last thread is not enough, Kathy’s therapy is under much criticism. Robin and Claire want Kathy to come to terms with the events she suffered. Kathy’s father, law enforcement, and most town’s people want Kathy to cooperate with law enforcement to catch the perpetrator. Soon, Robin realizes that Kathy’s experiences accurately portray recent deaths that had not been connected by law enforcement. This and the perpetrator’s thread push the suspense through the roof. There are twists and turns, several of which are quite significant. The author weaves these threads so well, that I did not have any problems following this storyline. My interest was held in a vice grip until the end.

The character of Robin Hart is well developed. Much of her background is provided in a B-storyline that tells the story of Robin’s sister, Melody, and her dysfunctional relationship with their mother. More is provided in the Claire Stone thread both in the present and in flashbacks. Lastly, Robin analyzes the sessions with Kathy, so her thoughts reveal more about her. These aspects of the novel improved my reading enjoyment of this novel.

For the aspects of a novel that can make some readers stop reading, there are no intimate scenes. There is a low level of vulgar, rude, and impious language. Describing the level of violence is more difficult. I general use to two categories to describe type of violence. First is as it happens that is more edgy, and after the fact that is less edgy. Here, there is a cruel serial killer. All the violence is edgy. The young Kathy recreates these murders using a dollhouse and toy figures. Therefore, let the reader be forewarned. Personally, for me the violence did not reach a level that it soured my reading enjoyment.

Overall, I did not have any significant concerns about reading this novel. I did like why the perpetrator’s modus operandi drastically changed from victim to victim. There were no loose ends at the end of the novel. I was happy with the end. It was as if the clouds were clearing, and the sun was rising after a stormy night.

I have read for prepublication and two purchased novels by this author. In my opinion, this was his best so far. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. If you like this genre, I highly recommend reading it. I rate it with five stars. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

I received a free prepublication e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based solely on my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

I love a good thriller and this book hit the mark and provided a new angle. When Kathy is found wandering alone months after being abducted, Robin, a child psychologist steps in to help her process her trauma. Kathy won't speak, but communicates via disturbing pictures and playacting violent scenes. During one session, Robin makes a link between the scenes being acted out and real life crime scenes... just what did Kathy see during her abduction?
I really enjoyed this take on a thriller. I'm not too familiar with child psychology but it felt believable to me. The relationships between all the characters were realistic in a messy, everyone has issues way.
If you think thrillers with a good twist and believable characters then I would definitely recommend!

A unique plot and one I was invested in from the beginning. However, between the therapists issues and the actual issues this was too much. I enjoyed the plot and found it to be incredibly interesting. But there was so much going on with everybody in the book that I was experiencing sensory overload. I enjoyed the ending but frankly, was really glad it was done. Just… too much.

Please Tell Me is a different sort of thriller. A young girl is abducted and is missing for a year. Then, she turns up on the side of the road, shoeless and mute. Robin Hart is a child psychologist who is brought in to help 8 year old Kathy process her memories. As the story progresses, Kathy begins to draw disturbing scenes that mirror actual recent murders.
Omer takes his time setting the stage. He draws out not just Robin, but both parents in detail. I appreciated the tension between the parents as they disagreed on how to draw Kathy out. There are multiple sources of their conflict as the story progresses. Not just how to act around Kathy but whether to allow the police to “interview” her. This helped provide more depth than the standard thriller.
Robin is also dealing with a passive aggressive mother who would have tempted a saint to murder. It gave depth to her character that even though she’s a therapist she still struggles with how to deal with this hellacious woman.
Omer obviously did his research on how therapists work (helps that his parents and sister are all psychologists). Those scenes felt totally real. As Omer says in the Acknowledgments, therapists “do not inhabit crime scenes or investigate forensic evidence.” So, I was impressed by his ability to keep the story moving forward at a steady pace. And he totally caught me flat footed with the ending.
My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book.

As soon as I saw a new Mike Omer book, I knew I had to read it. Unfortunately, it was not for me. In the afterword, he says how he wanted to do something different from the procedurals he’d written before. Those were very entertaining and the type of books I like. This one is very different, following Robin, a child therapist, trying to help a girl adjust back to normal life after being abducted for over a year. This novel is one of those where the characters talk, incessantly, about their feelings. There are dialogues about Robin’s relationship with her Mom, sister, ex-husband, patients and even her dog. I couldn’t keep my attention from wandering. There are some detectives investigating a series of gruesome crimes but, by then, I had checked out. I didn’t like any of the characters, so it was hard to root for anyone. The plot didn’t make too much sense and the twists didn’t feel earned. I hope that readers of domestic thrillers and books about towns hiding secrets will really enjoy it. I’m just there for the action and this is so different from Omer’s previous books, that I was not the right audience.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Thomas & Mercer!

A little girl is kidnapped then 15 months later she is found walking on a highway on the other side of the state. Dr. Robin Hart, child psychologist, takes her on as a client as she is badly traumatized and doesn't speak.

This is a unique thriller telling the child abduction trope from a different perspective. The prologue was one of the most chilling and emotional I have ever read. I figured out the twist but that didn't stop my enjoyment. It's a fast read and the pace trots along at a medium pace continuously moving forward. Add family dynamics and a little romance for a fine thriller.

I am a huge fan of Mike Omer’s Abbie Mullen and Zoe Bentley series so I was excited to get stuck into this one. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. I really struggled to connect with the characters and the writing just didn’t flow well. It was wordy and there was so much unnecessary filler. I only persevered because I wanted to know who it was and I’m not sure it was worth it. The author spends the whole book ramming a suspect down our throats and making him seem like the only bad guy only for the reveal to be completely obscure. Robin came across as immature and considering she was a therapist she had a lot of mummy issues. Her therapy sessions where she narrates what the child is doing were cringey to read and didn’t add anything to the story. Nothing really happens apart from some long winded therapy sessions and Robin nearly having a breakdown. The drama at the end was slightly more exciting than the rest of the book. I would recommend checking out Omer's other work instead though.


I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

My thanks to Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer for allowing me to review this EXCELLENT arc.

I LOVED this book! It was a very different change from most thrillers I've read. Reason being, it focuses on art and play therapy of a returned kidnap girl, Kathy Stone and her therapist, Robin Hart. The author breaks down the whys and explains the therapy treatments to the reader. The book was a page turner. Easy read and very good. I have no complaints of this boom.

#NetGalley
#PleaseTellMe