"The Son: A Psychological Thriller with a Shocking Twist" by Elena Wilkes delivers a gripping narrative that explores the complexities of family dynamics and psychological suspense. The book stands out for its intriguing plot and the promise of a shocking twist, offering readers a suspenseful journey into the depths of the human psyche.

One commendable aspect of the novel is Elena Wilkes' ability to create an atmosphere of suspense and tension. The psychological thriller genre is enriched by the author's skillful storytelling, maintaining a sense of intrigue that keeps readers eagerly turning the pages. The promise of a shocking twist adds an additional layer of anticipation to the narrative.

Wilkes's writing style is evocative, creating a vivid portrayal of the characters and their emotions. The exploration of family relationships and the psychological aspects of the plot adds depth to the story, making it more than just a typical thriller. The book's pacing contributes to a sense of urgency, keeping readers engaged as they navigate through the twists and turns of the narrative.

However, some readers may find the shocking twist to be a subjective element, and individual reactions may vary. The success of such revelations often hinges on personal preferences, and while some readers may find it satisfying, others might have different expectations or interpretations.

In conclusion, "The Son" stands as a compelling psychological thriller with the promise of a shocking twist. Elena Wilkes's adept storytelling and exploration of complex human relationships make the book an engaging read for fans of the genre. While the impact of the twist may vary among readers, the overall suspenseful atmosphere and psychological depth contribute to the novel's appeal as a thrilling and intriguing narrative.

I was hooked on this one! It's well written with so many twists and turns that you never know if you're coming or going until the big reveal.

I really enjoyed this book. Twists and turns that made me keep reading and not put it down. Had me holding my breath in some parts too. I think this would make a brilliant TV series.

It was really hard for me to get into this book. The cover definitely caught my attention and I paused and put this off for a while but it was just not for me.

Beth got on my nerves too much but I did enjoy the writing style. I will check out other books by the author as I have heard good things.

Thanks to Nethalley and the publisher for the digital arc!

This is one was odd for me. I think I just didn’t love Beth so it was hard for me to buy into her plight but damn was there a TWISSSSST in this bad boy. Not going to spoil it so suggest you give it a whirl!

This was my first read/listen by Elena Wilkes. The Son seemed to have so much potential & I was very excited to read it. Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. I was bored most of the book. The main character just got on my nerves & her choices when put in situations were just absurd & annoying. I finished it but it was a struggle. I may try this author again in the future.

*Thank you to NetGalley & Storm Publishing for the advanced copy of The Son

A slow burning mystery/crime novel that possess enough twists to keep you reading. I had to give myself the first 100 pages to immerse myself in the plot and become invested in the characters.
Thank you to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the free copy.

Thank you NetGalley for this advance reader copy for my free and honest review. Quite the thriller, although there was a lot in this novel that was unbelievable, I.e. the main character quite naive, then suddenly portrayed as a genius investigator. Even so, it kept me hooked to find out how it ended. Not sure if I recommend but I also don’t discourage.

The book The Son is a psychological thriller The story is engaging with some shocking twists. It's a slow burning read but enjoyable. Recommended.

Hmmm the main character, Beth, is a bit annoying, and I did try to like her but in the end I just couldn't. Maybe others will like her? The story premise was great, but I found it confusing and my mind started to wander in places.

Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley and the author for an advanced copy

3/5

This book by Elena has a beautiful cover. The whole book sounded very intriguing and I was excited to go on the journey of the son. But this book fell short for me and I was so lost right from the beginning. I think it may have been all the different characters. I'm happy to hear that others are enjoying it. My review will only be posted here on netgalley. I want to thank the author, publisher and netgalley for allowing me this advanced copy.

This was very well written and easy to follow. Fast paced. And constantly keeping me on the edge of my seat

The Son by Elena Wilkes was a gripping psychological thriller, that was brilliant from start to finish especially as it had a shocking twist well several of them and I did not see that coming!! WoW!!! This was a book that kept me on my toes and very hard to put my kindle down once I started to read this book.
I have enjoyed all of Elena's books but this one was just brilliant.

Big Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my ARC. I loved it.

I really tried to get into this, but had a rough time. The storyline was interesting, and it definitely had me wanting to keep reading to find out what would happen next. I felt for Beth, the main character, in the feeling of helplessness in motherhood, but was constantly agitated by the way she recklessly trusted those around her even though there was blatant reason not to. The book is a slow burn, but I kind of felt confused because so much - but so little - was happening the entire time.

Thank you to Storm Publishing, Elena Wilkes, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an The Son.

I am seeing mixed reviews on Goodreads and I fall in the category of 2 stars. I had really enjoyed Baby Teeth, The Perfect Son, and Saving Noah, so I thought The Son sounded right up my alley. I was disappointed though as the main character, Beth, seemed like an idiot. Maybe that was intended, but based on her description she was not qualified to be doing her own investigation. I also found that the drugs seemed to get more of a response from Beth (not my son), then the other crimes that were revealed. Overall, I found the story confusing, falling short of the genre, Thriller, and a disappointment. This is just my humble opinion though as I saw other reviewers that really enjoyed it.

Quite a dark and intriguing read. I enjoyed the authors writing style, and felt that the twists and turns in this where incredible. The pace varied massively- it went from quite slow paced, and ended up being very fast paced. However was a very interesting read!

I very much enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and the story kept me engaged throughout. I would recommend this book to others. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

The Son by Elena Wilkes

Expecting a twisted, dark, and grim tale…I found just that. I believe this is a book that will appeal to many readers though it did not really connect with me. I found Beth hard to like, difficult to understand, very gullible, and her decision-making skills questionable. The people in her life, not just the men, were less than the best. The only ones I truly cared about were the poor trafficked young people and what they endured. I came away scratching my head and wondering what really happened and what would happen to the various remaining characters at the end of the story. Manipulative, mad, murderous, malicious, and mega-happy to read the last page and move on. I am on the fence about reading another book by Ms Wilkes but might give her next one a try as I did find the first two better than this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

2-3 Stars

Let me start by saying that I was hesitant to read this book. I had read the reviews and wasn't really impressed. I was actually quite surprised by how much I enjoyed the book despite the not so great reviews I had read going into it.

In "The Son" we meet Beth, her husband who is also a cop, Drew, her son Joe, and her best friend and confidant Robyn. Beth is envious of Drew and Joe's relationship and how close they have become recently. She longs for the closeness they once shared when it was just the two of them. She notices that Joe is acting strange as is Drew, so she confides in Robyn. Beth remembers that she tried to save Joe's father Simon from his awful fate with suicide and wonders if Joe is headed down the same path. Robyn convinces her it's all in her mind and to just let things be. Her solution is to throw herself into work at the prison with the Samaritans. She ends up doing some not very smart things like getting a sex offender whom is in solitary moved to the general population along with one of her Samaritans getting out on parole. Once Jamie, her Samaritan who has made parole, Beth's son goes missing and he eagerly jumps to help her find him.

The premise of this book was great, however I think that Wilkes painted Beth too gullible and easy to trust. Every person she meets in the book she quickly trusts and then bad things begin happening. This is where the book lost points for me. It just wasn't believable, Any normal person would have second guessed some of the decisions Beth made instead of jumping head first like she did.

All in all I would rate this book at 3.5 ⭐. Lastly, I want to say thank you to Net Galley, the publisher, and the author for giving me an E-ARC copy of this book in exchange for my review.

So you know when a book hits like a nightmare, but in a good way? That's what The Son does. It had some unbelievable moments but fearing your own son being evil incarnate? That's going to hit.

It truly had me whiplashing with some of the twists, and unfortunately, that doesn’t happen too often, so kudos for that!

Was the mom (Beth) a bit much at times? Sure, but that's what keeps the story going, so I’m not mad at it.

This was a unique read that plagued me until I finished it! 3.7 (rounded)