Thanks to Netaglley and Storm Publishing for my arc ebook in return for an honest review.

So I went into this one expecting great things, and unfortunately it did not deliver. I gave it 2.5 stars in the end. I found the book concentrated too much on the past of the main character, Ellie, and not enough of the book was actually about what you’d think from the blurb.

It was a fairly quick read, but wasn’t for me.

I liked this book and found it surprising, but it wasn’t what I thought it would be. Most of the story is about the backstory, which helps explain things, but I thought the book would focus more on the kidnapping. It was only a small part of the story. Even though it wasn’t what I expected, it kept me interested and wanting to read more. I thought I knew what was going on, but the twist surprised me.

This book definitely had me in the beginning.
I felt like not much happened in the beginning, and it was so predictable as to what was going to happen.
I was definitely wrong, lol
I definitely liked how this book was set up!
I figured out who was behind everything, but I enjoyed the build-up

The Girl in the Basement is a tense and emotional thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story cleverly intertwines Ellie’s painful past with the present danger facing her daughter, Jess. The sense of suspense builds as Ellie confronts long-buried secrets, while the haunting question of whether history is repeating itself looms large. The characters are well-developed, and the twists keep the narrative gripping throughout. Although the pacing occasionally slows, the intense atmosphere and shocking revelations make it an engaging read for fans of dark, psychological suspense.

20 years ago, Ellie was kidnapped from a party but later escaped.

The story starts in the past with Ellie as a child. the second half takes place 20 years later with Ellie now being a mom to a daughter of her own. The twists didn't come til about 75% in. Once that happened....everything unfolded quickly. I definitely preferred the second half of the book. all in all it was an ok thriller.

3.75 🌟

This book did have me curious as to what was going on and what would happen next. It starts off with Ellie being trapped in a basement and not knowing what is going on, and then goes back in the past a few months leading up to the basement. Ellie who is in high school, falls for the new boy who is not only an amazing football player, but also someone whose last girlfriend was murdered, and even though he had an alabi everyone still thought he did it, but Ellie couldn't believe it. She met his father who was really off, and gave her the creeps, she had people telling her to stay away from Josh. I did like the twists, and didn't see them coming. I am not the biggest fan of third person writing, so that kind of through me off some. This book is perfect for people newer to thriller books or even a younger audience as well, for like high-school age and up. Thank you netgalley for the ARC and I do recommend this one.

The title is very misleading. Very little of this story is spent with our FMC actually in the basement. The first half of the story Ellie is a teenager and basically what leads to her abduction. The second half is Ellie really reconciling with what happened to her 20 years, but when history repeats itself with her very own daughter, she starts to doubt everything she thought was true.

This was.. fine. The ending felt really rushed though.

Such a good thriller! When I read the description I knew it was my kind of book but it definitely exceeded my thoughts! I did have my suspicions on a certain character throughout and I feel like everyone will have the same thoughts on that person as it's quite obvious. I actually thought I had the whole story figured out. Boy was I wrong! The twists that came from it. Wow! I really really wasn't expecting what happened and even though I had an suspicion someone else would make a return into the storyline, I wasn't sure how.

I was so invested in the characters. Ellie was an amazing character and I absolutely loved her. Especially watching her go from a teenager who had awful trauma to a strong woman who's an amazing mum. I had up and down feelings with other characters let's just say, and quite a few raised eyebrows haha.

Overall brilliant thriller and I'd definitely recommend and would absolutely read another book by Eoin again 👏

What a plot twist! This was enjoyable to read and kept me going to see who did it. Although I thought this book was a little longwinded and maybe discussed football too much for my liking, the characters and premise were so well described that I got hooked from the start. It seems a little YA in the beginning, but not too much so where I didn't want to skip or not finish.

Lots of twists and turns. Really enjoyed this book and would recommend it. Makes you think twice.
Don’t read it on a stormy dark night alone in the house

The Girl in the Basement by Eoin Dempsey is a gripping and emotional read that masterfully combines suspense with deep character exploration. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the story centers on courage, survival, and the unexpected bonds formed in the darkest of times.

Dempsey’s writing is vivid and immersive, pulling you into the harrowing reality of the characters’ lives. The tension is palpable throughout, and the moral complexities faced by the protagonist add an extra layer of depth to the narrative. The pacing is tight, and the stakes remain high, keeping you invested from start to finish.

While some secondary characters could have been developed more fully, the emotional resonance of the story and its powerful themes make it a standout. The Girl in the Basement is a compelling and thought-provoking novel, perfect for readers who enjoy historical fiction with heart and edge. A strong 4 stars!

Seventeen year old Ellie meets the new boy at school, Josh at a party. Rumour surround Josh as his previous girlfriend was murdered. Ellie is kidnapped and kept in a basement. She is found and the kidnapper is convicted.
Twenty years later, Ellie has a daughter, Jessica and Josh is back in town. History seems to be repeating itself, when Jessica goes missing.
I felt misled by this book, the majority of the book starts with Ellie meeting Josh, an unnecessarily long build to the kidnapping. The blurb didn’t live up to the content and found it tough wanting to finish the book. Quite a slow burner.

The Girl in the Basement by Eoin Dempsey is a gripping and emotional novel that explores the strength of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable hardship. The story follows a young woman named Ellie, who is trapped in a basement for years by a man who controls her every move. As Ellie’s world shrinks to the four walls of her prison, she holds on to the hope that one day she will escape.

The author does a powerful job of showing Ellie’s inner strength, as well as the complex dynamics between her and her captor. The book is tense and heartbreaking, but it also shines a light on the resilience of those who endure abuse and the small acts of courage that keep them going.

While this book gets tough to read at times, it’s also a story of survival and the will to reclaim one's life. It will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading, reminding you of the power of hope and the importance of never giving up.

My eye fell on this book on Netgalley because of the title and the description: "Twenty years ago she was taken. Now her daughter is next."
It sounded interesting and it gave the impression that it would be an exciting book. So I requested an ARC for a review.
When I started reading the book I was a bit disappointed at the beginning because it seemed more like a young adult story than a thriller. But something, maybe the promise of the prologue, kept me reading on and I'm very happy that I did because about a quarter into the book it started getting really interesting. and the tension started to rise.

Ellie Welsh is a senior in high school, who starts her final year and falls in love with the very talented football Quarterback who joins her school after his previous girlfriend has been murdered. At first Ellie has her suspicions about Josh but slowly she starts to trust him, if not his father who is a total creep. Then Josh' mother drowns in a car crash and the football team loose the championship. While everyone, including Josh, is drowning their sorrow in booze Ellie disappears and is hold captive in a basement. She barely escapes.

Then the story skips 20 years forward. Josh and Ellie meet again and start dating. While they are on a date Ellies 17 year old daughter disappears and the nightmare starts again. Is Ellies past haunting her or is it Josh's history that interferes with their lives?

This i a real whodunit and the story kept me on alert. Only drawback, apart from the young adult coming off age vibe in the beginning, for me were the overly long football descriptions. I could have done with less of those.
So 3,5 stars, rounded up because the book got better towards the end.

I went back and forth on how to rate this book. I enjoyed it. I was surprised by it. But it was not what I was expecting. The majority of the book was the backstory which you do sort of need to understand but after reading the synopsis I thought it would be more about the actual kidnapping. I felt that was only about 25% of the story. Even though it was not what I was expecting it still caught my interest and kept me wanting to read more and find out what was going on and had me thinking one way for most of the book and then start to second guess what I thought was going on. I had a hint of it but when the twist finally hit it was not at all what I was expecting and I liked that.

I was interested to check out The Girl in the Basement by Eoin Dempsey due to the interesting blurb and thrilling theme. It’s a quick fast paced read that takes us through the past and present of main character Ellie’s life, and how others have negatively affected it. With topics of domestic abuse, violence, and toxic relationships the book is filled with dark but interesting themes.

Trying to think of the best way to put this… but I honestly didn’t find the blurb for the book to actually be all that accurate to what happens in the book. I landed on giving The Girl in the Basement a 6/10, wasn’t a bad read but definitely not the best either The Girl in the Basement follows Ellie as she takes us through her past, and how it’s affecting her present. Initially turned off by the new star football player at school Josh due to the rumours about him, Josh and Ellie start to get to know each other eventually creating a relationship. It’s an interesting relationship for Ellie to try and work through due to Josh having the death of his ex-girlfriend following him everywhere he goes. Heavily suspected but eventually cleared Josh is well known for potentially murdering his ex-girlfriend Rachel. Ellie thinks that she’s gotten to know the real Josh, however, upon meeting his parents starts to see what Josh may be hiding. When Ellie is kidnapped one night after being at a party with Josh and a group of friends she must figure out how to get out alive, and why she is down there in the first place. Now 20 years later Ellie’s world is turned upside down again when her daughter Jess goes missing. Being the same age Ellie was when she went missing she can’t help but wonder if there is a connection. When Josh shows up back in town looking to help Ellie find her the question becomes is Josh involved in this, or does he really love Ellie and want to protect her?

Now with what I said right there you would assume that the majority of the book covers the past and present kidnappings right? Well kind of wrong. I was a bit shocked that in the 200-and-something page book by page 100 and something we are now just finally getting into Ellie being kidnapped in the past, and still haven’t even touched what happens to Jess yet. That literally does not come until the last 50 pages of the book. I just genuinely forgot at like page 50 that I was supposed to be reading a book about kidnapping and not Josh and Ellies budding relationship. I fully saw the vision for the story and the parts to it are good, but the story itself is just displayed in such a weird way. I just didn’t need 100 pages of background on Josh and Ellie in a 200 page book. Especially when in the grand scheme of it all when it comes to how the book plays out, it’s not that relevant. Some of it is, but we just didn’t need to take that long to get to the point.

I think the book would have been much more enjoyable if the kidnapping scenes once Ellie is taken were periodically dropped in between the 100 earlier pages instead of it all being left to the point of them getting to the party where it happens. It just would help the reader remember what we are actually here for and that’s not a coming-of-age love story. Once we do finally get into what we came for the kidnapping and mystery portions of the book are really enjoyable. I am not totally sure which I preferred more the past or present because both were pretty similar in terms of the intensity it brought to the book. It was a touch lack luster though and that may have just been cause we were speeding through the kidnapping portions so quickly.

Again The Girl in the Basement by Eoin Dempsey is not a bad book, the plot and the twists are quite good. I totally didn’t see the ending and had a different idea on how it was going to play out then it did. I think it was just the structure that was the downfall for this book. If things had been displayed a bit differently it just may have kept my attention a bit longer in the first half. To work through the first half to get to the second is definitely worth it but it’s a bit of trek, especially when you keep wondering “okay when are we getting to the main topic in this book which is the kidnapping?”

This was a DNF. I love thrillers but this one just didn't do it for me. It came across more as YA than anything. The two timelines was a miss as well.

Not for me, sorry.

Really couldn’t get into this, doesn’t give thriller vibes at all, I lost track and DNF’d .. I’ve never DNF’d before.

I hadn’t read a Sarah Goodwin novel before I read this and I wasn’t disappointed. The book starts off slow but quickly amps up the tension with twists and turns, this book is one hell of a rollercoaster ride and you won’t want to stoop reading. I really liked the plot twist and all of the dark secrets within the festival, it definitely keeps you on your toes. Would highly recommend if you enjoy a twisty, engaging read.

Unfortunately I cannot give an honest review as I DNFd this book at 30% I just couldn’t get into it - it might have got better