Two Little Girls find themselves living with a Grandmother that they never knew they had after their mother is murdered. The Grandmother suspects that the girls father killed her. I think the author did a stellar job of writing from the Grandmother's perspective to the Father's as the chapters progressed. I found myself changing my alliances frequently as more of the story comes to life. The family drama, secrets and lies is just a small part of the plot but the twists OMG I was literally frozen to the spot and utterly speechless! I may have just screamed with the shock but as it's all slowly unraveled it makes perfect sense and I can't believe I didn't see it earlier. The only characters that I liked and felt for was the two little girls. The plot is so well written because of how it slowly unraveled and the changes of perspective.

This thriller was OK, nothing more, nothing less. The characters were the thing that disturbed me the most. I didn't like anyone of them at all. The plot takes a little too long to get going and the book would need an edit where alot of the details are scrapped.

Wowser, what a story, this was an absolute shocker of a read and I mean that in the good way. The story has just blown me away, it was gritty, intense, captivating, full on and a fair bit of sitting in the edge of my seat in anticipation as to what might happen next. Not to mention well written.

The story had me glued to it pages from the get go, eager to know the characters, seeing how they all link together, keeping an eye out for any clues or red herrings as to what might happen or be revealed. Not that I did guess, this story certainly kept me on my toes and guessing right to the very end.

I especially loved that the story was set near where I live, born and bread in Peterborough and so I recognised some of the places, street names etc, it just added a nice extra little touch to the story.

I’ve read about three books by this author Jane now and I have to say, I am impressed, as have enjoyed them all. I am looking forward to reading more of her books and have in fact got another one of hers on my kindle just waiting to be read.

So if you haven’t tried Jane’s books yet, then do give her a try and her books might just surprise you and like me, you’ll be going back for more.

As always with Jane E. James book I was immediately captivated and didn't want to put it down until I knew everything.

Great thriller ride of a book. I loved the original idea of the grandma being the protector. I don't think I've seen that before. And this grandma finds herself in charge of two little girls. She is convinced she needs to protect them from their father. And so the mind games begin.
You never new where you were with this book. The characters were realistically written with all the nuance and complexity that can make a persons story.
It switched between the gran and the fathers point of view and I found myself switching sides far more often than I'd liked! Good and bad, i like to no the boundaries,ha. And this also led me to thinking was I on the right side, because I was secretly wishing for one of the characters to come good. What If I was backing the wrongun?
I didn't see the last twist coming.
Great Great thriller. I'd recommend to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy. This one was slow going for me, a lot of detail but took a very long time to get to the good stuff. Amazing twist at the end though.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. This was a fantastic book, and I was gripped throughout. Yvonne and Vince were written perfectly as realistic, complex, multi-faceted characters - Vince was one of the best characters I've seen in a long time. James created real sympathy for Vince and the girls and the story was packed with twists and intrigue.

My thanks to Joffe Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Grandmother’ written by Jane E James in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

When Scarlet is murdered her ex-husband Vince wants their daughters Daisy nine and Alice seven to live with him, but his new partner Leah refuses to have them in her home. With nowhere else to go they’re handed over to their grandmother Yvonne Castle who intends looking after them as best she can. Although Yvonne gets on well with Alice, she believes Daisy is keeping secrets, but that’s okay as she’s keeping secrets too.

‘The Grandmother’ is a gripping family drama of secrets and lies and is told through the eyes of Daisy and Alice’s grandmother Yvonne and their father Vince Spencer. As soon as I opened my Kindle the story interested me but as I learnt more about the characters the tension increased and I guessed something dramatic was going to happen but had no idea what it was. Suddenly the plot changes direction and the twists and turns reveal not only secrets and lies but also murder. This is a well-written thriller with an intricately conceived plot, brilliant characterisations and a unique and twisty conclusion that I really wasn’t expecting. It’s an excellent novel that I enjoyed more than I’d expected to and can definitely recommend.

Fantastic book, so many twists & turns, it kept me wonder all the way through & wondering how it would end, it didn’t disappoint at all. I don’t do spoilers but I was hoping one character would come good, I also hated a couple of the other characters but you will find out for yourself when you read it.
It’s a great story & will have you wanting to know what has happened from start to finish. Excellent read.

I enjoyed this twisty, suspenseful novel. Great story and characters. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book!

When their Mother is murdered and their Father is arrested on suspicion of killing her, Daisy and Alice go to stay with their Grandmother, who they have never met, after she had a falling out with her daughter many years ago.

This gripping and sinister thriller is narrated by The Grandmother, Yvonne, and The Father, Vince.

Vince is a one time petty criminal who is trying to turn his life around and do the best forms daughters. Yvonne is a sweet old lady who just wants to take care of her granddaughters.

For a while, despite the creepy and sinister undertone, I just couldn't see where this was going to go and then, OMG! THE TWISTS! I actually froze when the first big twist hit, totally stunned and was just staring at the page in disbelief! From then, I felt like I was on a rollercoaster as the shocking truth unravelled and took my breath away!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Jane E. James and Joffe for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This book ended up being a bit different from what I thought from reading the synopsis. The POV from two different people can work sometimes but this one felt a bit weak on the side of the father, as if it wasn't really his voice and personality coming through. The grandmother, however, you feel that you can see her personality. As such, by the end of the book I had to question why she wanted the girls so much and why she did some of the things that she did. There were other smarter avenues for her to pursue but then there wouldn't have been a reason for the book. I wasn't very familiar with the situation of council housing and living solely on benefits so the comparisons between the two circumstance were interesting. It was meant for you to think about your position inlife and the choises you make. All along there were little bits of shockers meant to keep you tantalized. by the end, the story picked up and moved faster. I did not like the final scene. I also felt that there were some holes and questions that went unanswered. However, it did make me think.

Thanks net galley for an early. Copy of this book, which I did enjoy.
I met my grand daughters for the first time under terrible circumstances, did not even know I had grand children, their mother my daughter had been murdered.
A social worker.brought the children to me, the social worker must have thought I was a sweet old grandma who would welcome two little girls. I was not that sweet which the children would find out.
I am sure their father killed my daughter, his name is Vince my daughter should never have married him in the first place he drunk smoked and hit her.
Had not seen my daughter for many years, and now had to decide what I was going to do with my two grand daughters

I suppose I'm rating this a bit lower than others. This book was just OK for me. The author has been a hit or miss with me. This was average. Not bad, not great. I found it slow and I guess I wouldn't mind except the ending fell flat with me.

Scarlet is a single mom to 2 girls. Her husband left her for Leah who has since given birth to their new child. Scarlet gets murdered and Leah will not let Vince (Scarlet's ex husband) take in the 2 girls. Therefore, they go to live with their only relative, a grandmother they have never met. This grandmother has lots of secrets. Yvonne, the grandmother, was estranged from her daughter Scarlet. Alice is the younger child. Daisy is the older one. They are trying to adjust to their mom being gone, and Yvonne faces a lot of turmoil in her once very peaceful life. In the meantime, we hear about Vince and Leah and their new baby. Leah is quite the witch. Vince and Leah live in a housing estate and are not employed so for Vince it's impossible for him to take care of his other daughters.

I found the characters all very unlikable, even the children. The writing was good and flowed smoothly. The book alternates from 2 POV's, Vince and the grandmother, Yvonne. There are a lot of twists once you are pretty far into the book.

I enjoyed this book at the beginning although it felt more like fiction rather than an amazing thriller. The last half of the book the story picked up and had a bunch of twists and turns and you finally find out who killed the girls mother at the beginning. I would say it was just ok!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Well well well… my expectations are high when I read one of this authors stories and I must say she exceeded those expectations in this gem of a read.

When two little girls end up living with a grandmother they have never met so many lives changes. Now my review is gonna be vague as I don’t want to spoil the experience for anyone. I will say I was delighted with all the twists and turns and pretty much read this in one sitting.

I’m already looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I thought The Grandmother was ok. I was interested in the characters and the storyline was ok but the ending is what killed it for me. Was just a ok, is that it.....

Woah! This is one crazy ride into psychological fiction! A truly unique book that will stay in my memory, and very much have Jane E. James on my radar for future reads.

This book starts on the aftermath of the death of troubled Scarlett, who has, unfortunately, met an untimely end due to presumed murder. Amongst suspects is her ex husband, Vince, and much of the narration is from his perspective. The other dominant voice in the narration is 'The Grandmother'. Scarlett and Vince have 2 daughters, and as Vince has shacked up (and had a baby) with a new partner, Grandmother, Yvonne, takes the girls in. The story that unfolds reveals not only the murderer, but a host of other craziness to boot (all of which is highly entertaining!!)

Such a good read, well deserving of a 5+* rating!

My thanks to netGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

My overall opinion of The Grandmother by Jane E. James is that the book isn't bad. For most of the book, it felt more like general fiction than a thriller. That said, it heats up towards the end and delivers some twists and turns that thriller lovers need.

The grandmother and the father aren't likable characters, but they aren't really meant to be. Thanks for the advance review copy.

The Grandmother kept me on the edge of my seat. It is told from two points of view, which I enjoyed as I got two sides of the story.
The granddaughters come to stay with their grandmothers as there is so where else for them to go after their mother is murdered.
It is quite an adjustment for both. The suspicion is that the father is the killer.

The father is trying to get things together so that he can regain custody. The grandmother will go to any lengths to prevent that.

The two points of view are smooth and easy to follow. Each side left me completely unsure of where the book was going and whose truth was the real deal. Every time I figured it out a big bump in the road showed I was wrong.


The writing is conversational and flows nicely. I appreciated the way the author kept me guessing and so involved I couldn't put the book down.

Thanks to netgalley for this ARC