Compelling…
Nothing is quite as it seems in this twisting and suspenseful tale of secrets, lies and murder. Chloe Cooper seems to spend her life endlessly juggling all manner of things - although Chloe is also a watcher .. of people.. and there are plenty to watch in the Pacific Northwest neighbourhood. But, when she witnesses a murder - things soon begin to change. Fast paced, tension fuelled and with a plot populated with a credible cast of characters this is a compelling, dark and edgy read.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little backlogged with my ARCs but working diligently to get caught up. WOW! This book really took me for a ride and made my head spin! The characters were all very complex and interesting and I never knew what direction it was headed! Every time I thought had worked pieces of it out, a new thing would pop up and I’d be back at square one. I would definitely recommend if you love psychological thrillers and mysteries! One of my favorite reads for the year!

3.5 Stars

With multiple point-of-views and multiple timelines, The Swimmer pulls out twists and turns to shock you and keep you turning the pages. There were times I felt it a little over the top, but that just ended up making me enjoy it more.

Chloe is a 40-year old woman who’s spent the last few years caring for her ailing mom and peeping into other people’s lives but never being a part of them.

Jemma and Adam are an affluent married couple who look like they have it all from the outside, but inside their lives are broken and deteriorating and Chloe has a view to see it all. Both Jemma and Adam have secrets and they’ll both do what they can to keep them.

In an odd way, they sort of reminded me of The Perfect Marriage (a semi-controversial book to like for its unhinged moments). But the married couples had similarities and if you like watching conniving people manipulate their way through life with a side of murder, then these books are for you.

3.5 stars
this one was a slow burn for me but once I got invested I couldn’t put it down! one of the ending twists really got me, I enjoyed following Chloe and kinda wish we got more from her instead of Jemma. I don’t really have much to say about this because i don’t think it’s particularly memorable tbh but it was a solid murder thriller.

The Swimmer by Loreth Anne White is a suspenseful thriller that takes readers into the eerie world of Chloe Cooper, a socially isolated bartender whose world is limited to caring for her terminally ill mother, walking her dog, and observing her neighbors.

Things get interesting when a glamorous couple - a surgeon and a social media influencer - move into the building across from Chloe's apartment. With an unfiltered view into their private life, Chloe quickly becomes obsessed! But, she soon begins to suspect something sinister is happening in the couple’s relationship, and events spiral out of her control, ultimately leading her to witness a chilling early morning incident.

The story is split between Chloe’s perspective and a true-crime podcast that digs into the case. The dual timelines and shocking twists build an atmosphere of paranoia and suspense, making for a truly addictive read! Loreth Anne White never disappoints!

This was a surprising thriller. I’m not familiar with the author but this kept my interest. I’ll definitely be looking into her backlist.

I had been listening to this one and the audio just was not doing it for me. I finally switched to the book d ripped through it. I was so pleased with the ending. This was so complicated, twisted and man most of the players were so ego driven.

This author is truly a master at writing intricate plots that leave you completely gobsmacked at times. She’s a must read!

This was my first Loreth Anne White book. I'd heard good things about her and a few of her earlier titles have been on my TBR list for a while. For some reason, this title stuck out when it came up. Maybe because it was a newer title, maybe because it was a standalone, but either way -- I prioritized this. And boy, am I glad I did. This was a ride. At first, it started as just another domestic thriller. Not too bad, but pretty formulaic. There wasn't really anything that stuck out. Everything felt like a variation of something I've read before. But then it shot off like a rocket. I'm so glad I stuck through the first 1/3 of the book because the last 2/3s of it was a doozy. I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this. And now I'm regretting not getting into LAW sooner. I'm going to prioritize some of her earlier titles now. Count me in as a fan!

ARC Review:
The House Across The Lake meets The Maid's Diary. This one was very entertaining, but not quite as twisty as some of her other books. I love getting multiple timelines together in mysteries to let things slowly unfold, and this one was the perfect example of that. You could tell straight away that the people in this story were much more than they presented to everyone else, and I have to admit, the podcast did have me thinking completely different towards the mc until the end!

🔥👀 Book Review 🔥👀

Ok…. I think this is my top thriller of the year!!!

How could I expect anything less than a 5 star from Loreth White! Her thrillers just keep getting better and better!!!

DON’T miss out on this one bookies!! I’ve read almost all her books and this one is definitely up there in my favorites.

Writing is spectacular and characterization is on point as always! Loreth takes her readers on a ride looking into the depth of evil and what makes us tick.

Her twists and weaving a dark web is flawless. My jaw was on the floor with one of her twists….which is not a surprise.

I was so lucky to get a copy from @lorethannewhite and an arc via NetGalley.

Don’t miss this one thriller lovers!!! She is easily one of my FAVORITE thriller authors!!!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

Phew, what a bunch of unhinged characters. The Swimmer is a fast paced psychological thriller that starts off with a bang. Adam and Jemma are a married couple who want two different things. Adam wants out of the marriage, he’s in love with another woman. Jemma on the other hand, is willing to do whatever it takes to hold onto the man she loves. Simply put, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Throw in the weird neighbour Chloe, who seems overly obsessed with this couple. Now you have yourself a wild ride.
I’m becoming a big fan of Loreth Anne Whites’ books. She does a great job of drawing you in and wondering the whole time, how is this going to end? Although this one had some predictably to it, there was definitely one twist I didn’t see coming. This plot kept me entertained, and I look forward to her next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC.

Best-selling author Loreth Anne White gives us a suspenseful page-turning read with "The Swimmer".
Set in the Pacific Northwest near Vancouver, B.C. this twisted tale of betrayal and revenge involves a love triangle, three murders and a reclusive woman obsessed with observing others.
A perfect ending too!
Highly Recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book was juicy and hard to put down. Knowing less is better going into this one and things really move along. The MC really grew on me and her old dog was touching. The way it was told with some interviews sprinkled in was entertaining and I didn't guess what all the goings on were. It was a satisfying ending as well. Five stars

I'm having a hard time rating and reviewing this one. Some parts were great with twists that came out of nowhere. Other parts were repetitive, boring and felt disjointed. The characters were unlikable and didn't act quite their ages. I don't know, I guess this one just didn't grab like I had hoped. Still a big fan of Loretta Anne White and will continue to read her works.

In summary, while the ending didn’t fully resonate with me, the thrilling ride leading up to it was very well done.

Chloe Cooper is a bit odd. She is socially awkward and has a hard time with people. She takes care of her ailing mother. She bartends, dog walks and has a strange fixation on her neighbors that don’t have curtains in the large house down the road. Chloe is addicted to looking in their windows mainly because she fears that Gemma might be in danger. Chloe is learning the neighbors secrets and finding out that Gemma’s cheating surgeon husband will go to great lengths to keep his.

I thought this book was interesting. It kept me hooked to the pages. I liked reading the perspective of the loner stalker. As the story progressed these characters are not what you think. The story takes a turn that I did not see coming which kept it interesting.

While I did like this book I do have some mixed feelings about it. I felt like I needed more character development in the beginning of the book. It felt weird that the author tried to explain Chloe’s awkwardness towards the end as the story was in the climax. I felt this revelation stalled the book a little.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.

Chloe is a little bit odd. When she isn’t taking care of her mother, she is bartending, walking dogs and spying on the neighbours. One day, someone is murdered while swimming and Chloe is convinced it is her neighbour, the fabulous social media influencer, Jemma. Chloe believes it is Jemma’s husband who is guilty, but there is much more to this story than meets the eye.

I’ve been going through a bit of a thriller kick lately, and this one was excellent. I typically like to think I’m good at predicting what the twist will be but the last few thrillers I have read, I have been unable to do so. I come up with theories, but my brain can’t figure it out quite as well as these authors can write!

The characters were all very different, and I like that the author chose Jemma to be a woman who was a bit older rather than your typical 20-year-old influencer. It gave Jemma a lot of depth and sympathy. Chloe is very strange and yearns for Jemma’s approval, so the two have quite a nice contrast.

If you want a quick thriller with lots of twists right from the start, I recommend reading this one. It’s a great fall read!

Here are my big three reasons I struggled with this book:

Forced Dialogue/Exposition: I’ve had this issue with Jodi Picoult’s writing and a few others, where they learn all this detail about a topic - in this case generational trauma - and they awkwardly force lengthy exposition about it into the mouths of characters that have no reason to possess that kind of knowledge. Here we had a dance teacher, a barber, and a detective, for example, who could wax poetic with PhD level insights into the psychological motivations and actions of someone with trauma. The insights were solid, but who it came from and the melodramatic, unnatural ways they worded it had my eyes rolling.

Word Choice: Can we not use “whore” and “slut” to label a female character - ESPECIALLY by another female character? The actions may fit, but there’s no need to perpetuate derogatory terms for anyone. There were also too many cringey lines like "I was hit by a sense of Evil with a capital E”, the cliché classics “If she couldn’t have him, no one would”, “No! Stop! You don’t have to do this!”, or “Run! Run for your life!”, which all felt ripped from a bad TV movie script. My personal favorite though was: “Adam feels arousal in his groin”. That one actually gave me a good laugh. Nothing more romantic than the word “groin”, much less an aroused one, and no one in the history of EVER would say that.

Believability: I know, I know. It’s a thriller … I’m supposed to just shut up and roll with it, and normally I can, but this plot defied even my best attempts. Honestly, it takes me longer to write out my grocery list than it did for these murders to be plotted and carried out. Also, Chloe’s daddy reveal and the ending? I can’t say anything without spoiling it, but it’s just all kinds of preposterous.

My friends all loved it, so I know it's a "me" thing. This one just didn't work for my particular tastes, but I would definitely try another book by Loreth Anne White.

Wow, I can usually figure out where the story will go. Not so with this book. Just when you think you have it figured it out there are zigs and zags. What you think is true changes in a dime. There are so many twists and turns it makes for an exciting read. This a very entertaining mystery. I was so invested with each chapter and how the characters take on the situations. No spoilers but I appreciate a great who done it. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Loved it!! What did I just read!?! There's so many twists and turns, I could have never guessed the ending. I wasn't sure who actually would survive. I was hooked from the start because I had to know what happened to everyone. I really don't think Chloe would have ever been able to guess the truth about herself or her mom. It's hard to believe all the secrets Raven kept from her daughter. Jemma and Adam truly deserve each other. Both of them would risk everything to get what they wanted. Neither of them were wonderful people. Jemma was definitely the crazier of the two. I wonder if the rumors about her children are true. Anything is possible with Jemma. The house they moved into sounded horrendous. Put some shades on your windows, then no one can stare in and see your every move. I would have rather lived in Gloria's beautiful house. I'm pretty sure it shows who he loved more. Chloe was a strange one. She was extremely socially awkward and didn't always make the best decisions. She actually makes horrible decisions and trusts the wrong people. She was a creepy stalker. She was always watching the neighbors through the binoculars, drawing Jemma and being on the beach to watch her swim. Poor Brodie, he was a dog only a mother could love, with his bug eyes, overbite, rotting teeth and peculiar bald spots.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a great mystery/thriller and kept me guessing until the very end. Loved the characters (even though most of them are horrible people), story and writing style. I was hooked from the first page and couldn't put the book down. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Montlake through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.