I got to half way in this book and felt like it should have been the end. It did pick up and all my predictions were wrong

When Alice is found dead in a hotel that isn’t far from her home, Hannah starts to have suspicions about her husband, Max.

Max hasn’t been himself for a while, shouting at their five-year-old daughter and not coming home when he’s expected.

Hannah runs her own bookshop and tries to do some investigating from work. Her best friend, Sarah, is worried about Hannah, but she can’t tell anyone her suspicions.

The story was told from Hannah’s point of view throughout.

The characters were well written, and for me, none of them came across as overly likeable.

There were a lot of clever twists that threw me off track.
As the story progressed, I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat, this is full of suspense.

I’ve not read any of this author’s books before and I did enjoy this tale.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, bookouture & the author for an arc of this book.

Alice has been found murdered in room 12 of a local hotel and that same day Hannah finds a key to the hotel in her husband max’ pocket, with no reason for him to be at the hotel and his recent behaviour of mood swings and hardly being home affecting here and their daughter poppy, Hannah becomes suspicious.

Lots of little twists as Hannah tries to play sleuth and find out what her husband has been upto.

I love Kathryn Croft's new novel, The Girl in Room 12 (but I'm afraid I disagree with using the word 'girl' in the title. This story had so many twists, turns, questions, and suspense that I couldn't put it down! The saga begins with a couple, Hannah and Max, who have a lovely little girl named Poppy. Their world expands to include friends, enemies, and many problems. As each new character entered the fray, I wondered how it would lead back to the first mystery. I appreciated the connections and misconnections explored in each relationship with Hannah and Max. This book is sure to be a hit with mystery readers!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Although she is slightly shaken at it happening so close to home, Hannah Chambers doesn’t give the news about a murdered woman at The River Walk Hotel in Putney, South West London, a second thought.

That is, until she finds a key.

In the pocket of someone close to her.

Now Hannah has to decide what to do with this information; is the girl in room 12 connected to the key holder? How? Why?

Hannah and Max Chambers and their daughter Poppy have the perfect life in Roehampton. Max is a financial analyst for IBM Services, a global technology company and would admittiedly work 24h if he didn’t need sleep. Hannah owns an independent bookshop, Whispering Pages and enjoys time with her best friend, Sarah, partly because Poppy and Sarah’s daughter, Ivy, have become inseparable.

Finding the key changes everything. A little sleuthing uncovers a connection between Alice Hughes, the girl in room 12, and someone close to Hannah. It doesn’t take long for Hannah’s world to be skewed and paranoia set in … before long, Hannah’s life resembles little of the perfection it once did.

What a ride! I absolutely loved not knowing what was going on and not knowing who to believe. Every single character was unreliable.

Uncovering the murderer and the reason is central to the book, but it’s also about:
✔️what happens when we feel we are losing control
✔️the importance of listening to that ‘gut feeling’
✔️making good choices
✔️forgiveness; of ourselves and others
✔️understanding that good people make mistakes
✔️the power of a united front
✔️second chances
✔️placing importance on our personal safety
✔️and what we’ll do for our children

Katherine Croft writes fantastic psychological thrillers and I’m now a huge fan.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Just wow! This book left me hanging on every single word and so many thrills along the way. I loved the character building as it really made you feel like you knew each character. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a compelling and suspenseful thriller that will keep you on your toes till the very end!! This is my first read by Kathryn Croft and it did not disappoint. It is full of mystery, drama, tension, secrets, lies, betrayals and unexpected twists and turns. I was completely hooked from the beginning and could not stop reading. It will have you questioning every characters motive and turning the pages so fast to figure out who it is and why! I loved this book so much!!♥️♥️♥️♥️

Hannah is suspicious of her husband Max because he has been distracted lately, snapping at their daughter Poppy, burying himself in work and arriving home in the early hours of the the morning. She doesn't understand why he has shut her out?! While Hannah is cooking dinner, her attention is caught by a news story on the television. A young woman has been found dead in the River Walk Hotel, just minutes from their home. Seeing Max's expensive suit he wore the day before all crumbled on a chair, she tries to smooth out the creases but when she places her hand in the pocket to remove the loose change she discovers a key card for the River Walk Hotel. Is Max cheating on her? Did he have anything to do with this woman's murder?

In my opinion, some of the twists at the end were a bit too convenient. For example, some items just happen to be found, umm no🤣!! However, I still very much enjoyed the story and was thoroughly engrossed to the very end! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As much as I love psychological thrillers, this one didn’t hit the mark. I struggled to get into it and connect with any of the characters. I found the plot a bit flat overall.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Bookouture and Kathryn Croft for the opportunity to read an advance copy of THE GIRL IN ROOM 12, to be published 26 January 2024. Wow! 5/5 Stars for this very suspenseful psychologically thriller which was constantly moving forward with twists and turns. The characters were believable and enjoyable. There was action throughout the novel with something intense occurring every few pages. The finale was totally unexpected. Readers who enjoy Freida McFadden will likely appreciate this novel. Great Read. #NetGalley #Bookouture #KathrynCroft #TheGirlinRoom12

This book is filled with lies, secrets, and close relationships being tested. I enjoyed the chase and mystery aspect of this book and it kept me intrigued until the very end. The first half of the book was a little slow and somewhat hard to get into. But around the halfway mark I was sucked in. The suspense picked up with some twists that were unexpected. I liked the ending and how everything came together. The characters were okay…maybe a little flat making it hard to connect with them. Reflecting back on the book as a whole, I would have loved to see more police or detective work- which I think was the main component that was missing for me. Or even a duel POV would have made this book more dynamic.

Overall a good read! Keep this book on your radar! Jan. 26 is when this book comes out!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sending this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review!

There's this genre of thrillers that I (secretly) call "British domestic thrillers". They all have the same sort of formula. Married couple, terrible husband, clueless wife, adorable child - usually named Poppy or Ollie.. The husband has an affair, the mistress dies, book plot, wife figures it out, book ends.

That's this book.

Hannah is the wife in this one. Poppy IS the daughter's name. Alice is the dead woman.

Done.

Eh...on the plot and story.

“The Girl in Room 12” is a thrilling story that keeps readers wondering until the end. The writer makes the reader nervous by showing how the main character, Max’s wife, gets increasingly worried and suspicious about her husband. The way of writing is simple and fast to read, making it a quick and fun time.

The story is about Alice, a young lady who died in strange circumstances. It connects to the hero’s life when she finds a key card for the River Walk Hotel on her husband’s clothes. This finding makes people wonder about Max’s part in Alice’s death and his actions in general, so readers want to find out the truth.

The story is good at creating mystery and keeping up speed, but it could do better to make the characters enjoyable. The main character feels alone and unsure and needs more depth. We do not feel emotionally close to her. Also, other characters like the daughter and Alice could be better developed. This means readers want to know more about why they do things and what kind of people they are.

Even with some flaws, “The Girl in Room 12” gives a good turn that will shock many people who read it. The writer carefully hides clues all through the story. Then, a big surprise happens at the end that connects everything. But the end feels too quick, leaving some questions and story parts unsolved.

“The Girl in Room 12” is an excellent book to entertain suspense fans. Although it might not have complex characters or conclusions, it has enough surprises to keep readers interested until it’s over.

Thank you to Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an early copy of The Girl in Room 12. This was not a good one, written ridiculous, the plot was ok but the characters were unstable in so many ways. I knew from the third part of the novel that two characters were very much a part of the killing but the story was just not believable. The ending was more ridiculous. I am so sorry but this one didn’t do it for me.

“And anyone that hurts Hannah needs to be punished.”

Hannah grows suspicious of her husband’s, Max, behavior. He has been coming home late from work, his temper has gotten shorter, he seems to take out his frustration out on Poppy, their five year old daughter, and Hannah. Then on day Alice Hughes dies in room 12 at the River Walk Hotel, and Hannah finds a key card to the hotel in Max’s pocket. Has her husband murdered Alice Hughes? What is her connection to Max. Hannah unravels the truth, and it may not be one she is ready for.

this book had me at the edge of my seat! once I started it i could not put it down. so many twists and turns in this story, every time i thought i had it figured it out i was wrong. you really start to feel for Hannah and all that’s she is going through, at time you want to yell at her to stop doing what she’s doing and to strip being so trustworthy, but she is a character you like, flaws and all. so much happens in the last 80 pages, it was one thing after the other.

i genuinely enjoyed this book and I’m very glad i was able to read it before its officially out! The Girl In Room 12 will be published on January 26 2024, make sure to add it to your TBR!

The Girl in Room 12 is an intense psychological thriller; it had me ripping through the pages and reading while cleaning, cooking, etc. The cast of characters is not huge, but each of them is untrustworthy, making it nearly impossible to predict the big twists. I thank Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Kathryn Croft did not disappoint!

This is a great book! It is well written with developed characters! There are many little twists that seem to go well with the flow of this book! I felt a range of emotions from sadness, anger, disappointment and many more! That is a measure of a good book. And I was so absorbed in the characters that I didn’t want it to end! I have read other books by this author and will continue to seek her out! What a gripping, thoroughly enjoyable read! Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I finished this last night. After finishing, I was a little perturbed that invested the time to read it.

Alice has been found murdered in a hotel walking distance from Hannah and her husband, Max’s home. Max looks guilty as hell after Hannah discovers a room key card in his coat pocket from that exact same hotel. Max has been coming home late and Hannah already feels things just aren’t right between the two. Did Max do it? Why was he even there?

This started out strong. I was looking for answers myself. We were traveling a little bit yesterday and I brought my IPad to get through as much as I could. When we got home, I quickly devoured the rest.

What I liked

- It started off pretty darn suspenseful

- Several characters appeared to be the culprit

- Hannah was great at telling lies and still trying to be a good mother to her daughter, Poppy

What I didn’t like

- It got terribly slow in the middle 30%-60%

- Some of these characters told unforgivable lies (IMO) and Hannah just forgives them like it’s nothing. Wth

- I’ll elaborate on a terrible execution……..

The last 20% or 15% of the book became a clusterfk! We get told, as in someone confesses to the horrible crime and then it’s just like those infomercials ‘But wait! There’s more!’ Just kidding! This person is really the killer. No wait! It’s really this person. What in tarnation? The author changed the reveal on us several times. Oh man, then the silly confession 😳. I absolutely cannot stand confession endings. Then……. Hannah just forgives several people who shouldn’t even be back in her life. What the actual hell. Just NO!

I feel the execution was done poorly. Everything I read became horribly unbelievable. Ruined it for me.
I’m baffled why this has such a high average rating. If you enjoyed this one, I’m happy you did. It was unfortunately too ridiculous for me at the wrap up.

I’d like to thank Bookouture, NetGalley, and Kathryn Croft was an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Publication date January 26, 2024

Hannah's husband Max misses dinner the same night a local girl is discovered murdered in her hotel room. That cannot be a coincidence, can it?

Max has been acting off for months. Surely he couldn't be a murderer.....but all the signs point to yes. Hannah can't let it go. For the sake of their daughter Poppy, she needs answers. She may get more than she bargained for.

This book was filled with suspicious characters and plenty of twists you won't see coming. Kathryn manages to intertwine these characters lives seamlessly. As long as you don't mind screaming "JUST TELL THE POLICE" 16 times throughout your read, you'll enjoy the heck out of this quick page turner.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy!

What a mind-blowing story! Kathryn Croft is such a wonderful writer. She starts off casual, almost as this is a story you’ve read countless times before. However, just like The Lie, the story blossoms after a few chapters, you become engrossed in the plot and you start caring about these characters. She pulls you in slowly, feeding the suspense page by page.
Is Max really involved in Alice’s murder? How far will Hannah go to find out the truth? The plot is so believable Hannah could easily be me or you. Totally recommend it!

This novel is a must read for any reader who loves psychological thrillers and dramas. I've enjoyed many of Kathryn Croft's books but this is my favourite so far. I had a hard job putting it down as I just wanted to see what could possibly happen next. It is a real page turner with no let up in the action and leaves you in knots trying to decide who to trust. I was lucky enough to be gifted this advanced copy from Netgalley and Bookouture, I'm under no obligation to leave my review