Elliott Whiston is a likeable, kind man who lives a quiet life between managing a charity shop and caring for his much loved cat Bill. One evening, a trip to the corner shop for emergency cat food, brings Elliott and Rebecca together as she asks for his help. As he is a real gent, he plays his part of Good Samaritan to perfection to help a damsel in distress. These two are so completely different, light years apart and yet fate brings them together. She asks him to lie for her if the need arises and he agrees. Little does he know what he’s let himself in for, even in his wildest dreams he never imagines this.

The novel has a very strong start which gives you some idea of what you are in for. Elliot is such a contrast to the other characters who appear with the exception of Heidi Liu, who proves to be a real friend. Some of the dialogue between these two especially at the start provides some welcome light relief from the chaos, violence and danger that is unleashed. This is a really good thriller, the pace is fast, the circumstances chop, and change, the tension is frequently at a high level so it keeps you reading on, glued to what develops. Short, sharp sentences highlight the dangers and none of the chapters are over long and so it flows well, keeping you invested in the plot.

Overall, you root for Elliot throughout as your jaw drops at what the poor guy endures. If only he’d known…

With thanks to NetGalley, and especially to Serpents Tail/Viper/Profile Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

What can I say? This was sheer perfection and what other thrillers aspire to be! It had me guessing from start to finish and I don't regret losing sleep to keep on reading!

The plot seems really basic but the more you read, the more nothing is as it seems. The premise and the characters are all just so realistic that it puts the reader right in the middle of these events and you can picture it all so vividly.

The writing flows so naturally and impossible not to get lost in the story. The characters are so very human and relatable. Noone is making stupid decisions purely so that drama happens, noone is off on some ridiculous crusade, these are very normal people living very normal lives until.......

A must read