The story line was unique, unlike anything I have read before, part of the plot bothered me which prevented a higher rating.

4 stars

I really enjoyed the storyline and was kept engaged, especially during the first part of the book. The chapters were a good length. It was a quick, easy read. I look forward to seeing what other books the author has to offer.

Holy Buckets, I could not put this down. I loved the plot, the characters and how fast paced this book was. It also leaves you thinking about the impact of influencers and social media, and what is moral, ethic and legal. Grab this book now and get ready for a thriller ride!

Kate's quiet evening at home is shattered when a car crashes into a neighbour's fence. The police and emergency services are quickly on the scene. Kate saw the crash. The neighbours saw it too. So why is everyone saying it never happened.? And how is it possible that the neighbour's fence doesn't even have a scratch on it? Is Kate going crazy, or is everybody lying? Strange things start happening in Kate's life. A man follows her home after work. An intruder tries to break into her house in the middle of the night. Kate is convinced that the events are connected to the crash. Someone wants to silence her. But why? Who was in that car on Saturday night? And what is the deadly secret everyone is trying to hide?

Kate witnessed a car crash outside her house late one night. The emergency services all attended, Her neighbour's fence was destroyed by the crash. The neighbours all witnessed it, But the next morning, everything was back to normal. Her neighbour's fence didn't even have a scratch on it. Kate's husband and her neighbours all deny there was a crash.

This story is creepy, horrifying, shocking, chilling, unexpected twists start happening, and it's very well written. It's also complex, twisted, and thought-provoking. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Published 6th October 2024

I would like to thank #NetGalley #InkubatorBooks and the author for my ARC of #FoolMeOnce in exchange for an honest review.

★★★★.5

This book is a wild ride full of twists and turns you definitely won’t see coming. I’m speechless—in the best way possible!

Thank you, NetGalley, Mark Gillespie, and Inkubator Books, for providing an early copy of ‘Fool Me Once’ in exchange for an unbiased review.

Kate wakes up on her couch to strange noises outside. When she checks, she witnesses a car accident right in front of her house. There’s significant damage to a neighbor’s property, and the noise draws people from all along the street. Soon, emergency services arrive. After checking in with their neighbors, Sarah and Jack, Kate and her boyfriend Tommy head to bed. But when Kate wakes the next morning, she’s shocked to find no trace of the accident from the night before. Confused, she decides to check in with her neighbors again. When she asks Sarah if everything’s okay and mentions how surprised she is that the damage was cleaned up so quickly, Sarah looks completely confused. When Kate brings up the accident, Sarah insists there wasn’t one.

And that’s just the beginning of the weirdness. When Kate tells Tommy about her conversation with Sarah, he looks confused too—he swears there was no accident. He even takes the opportunity to make a snide comment about Kate’s drinking habits. Kate, feeling extra groggy and hungover, admits she probably needs to slow down. But wait, there’s more! After work, a strange man seems to be following her. Later that night, someone tries to break into her house. Kate becomes convinced that the accident really did happen—and that someone’s trying to intimidate her and everyone else from admitting it...

The story unfolds in five parts, each from a different POV. It’s tough to review without giving away too much, so instead, here are my thoughts as I read through each section:

Part I: I was hooked. I had no idea what was happening, but I was loving every second. Kate’s doubts about her sanity? I was right there with her, spiraling too.

Part II: Things finally started making a little more sense. I still had a million questions though!

Part III: I finally began to appreciate the masterful plotting! I was so immersed, the world around me ceased to exist. The reveal? Stunning. I was floored.

Parts IV and V: Oh. Boy.

There’s so much to unpack! This book is a sharp commentary on society’s obsession with attention and fame—no matter the cost. I highly recommend checking it out. Trust me, you won’t see the twists coming!

If anyone wants to chat about this, hit me up! I'm still working my way through it...

This was an amazing read, completely unputdownable. It enters into the main plot from the start and it kept me engaged. The ending, however felt a little bit stretched considering the pace for the rest of the book was fast. However, apart from that it was a very intriguing read.

What did I just read! OMG, amazing! I settled into Fool me Once presuming it would end in a usual thrillery way but what I got was something else completely. I really enjoyed the boundary pushing in this tense taut read. Don't think I've read a book quite this fast before because I really wanted to know what the heck was going on for Kate. Definitely a plot you won't have read before.

This one is hard for me - I'm still digesting it and not sure if I love it or hate it! But I'm still thinking about it so I'm going to assume it's love! This story was very suspenseful and takes a crazy turn all of a sudden. All the questions you've been asking all change to completely different ones! I wasn't sure where this was going at all!!! And that rarely happens so I'll take it as a good find! It's more of a suspense than what I would label a thriller. Can't say much more without spoiling it! Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I couldn't fully get into the book sadly. It wasnt eye catching. Some parts were just confusing and other parts I'm not real sure. I think it just wasn't a hit to me and that's ok. The author did his thing and he should be proud of the book regardless.

This was a bit different than what I was expecting but it was really gripping and I found it hard to put down. I’ve not come across this author’s books before so will be catching up with them.

Well this was a strange book, very different from what I was expecting. It started really well with the first part of the story. Part 2 was a bit less interesting and i was speed reading to see what that had got to do with the first half of the book . I did find it a bit far fetched but full marks for bringing out a book that is so far from the usual story . Would I recommend this book , no not really but it may appeal more to other people that it did to me .

Read ARC on netgalley.

Tdlr:
Pros: excellent story, plot and writing. Fleshed out characters.

Cons: first part is a slog to go through. Slight repetition.

long:

There is a grammar mistake in the prologue.
Starting part is a bit hard to read because you curse at the protagonist who makes stupid decisions from the moment we are introduced but later it pays off. Even kate and tommy's relationship seema off and that turns out to be masterful writing!

The book is excellent. The multiple parts nicely tie together to form the overall story.

A character works in a project which he is slightly put off by and makes up his mind thunking of his kid. Who else won't change their world view because they think of their kids!

Makes a good point that protests online offline don't matter as long as general public is happy. Boycotts don't work.

It also speaks on the influencer culture that we suffer through currently.

The title and prologue don't do justice to this amazing story!

Is Kate losing her mind? She witnesses a car crash and the next day there is no sign it ever happened and no one is admitting to witnessing it. A lot of unexpected events occur that turn into an unraveling. You never know what someone is capable of. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this before published on Oct 6, 2024.

Kate witnesses an accident that takes place right in front of her house.
The neighbours rush out of their houses to try and assist, and the scene is teeming with police and ambulance workers.
The next morning, there is no sign at all that there was an accident, and the neighbours deny that anything took place.
Kate is convinced that there is a cover up.

Wow, this is some book! The plot got me thinking that revenge is sweet, but not on this scale!
The consequences of revenge are deadly.
I was glued to this book, I had to see exactly what was the point of the revenge taken against "Kate".
What a fabulous tale of obsession, secrets, and revenge!

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Kate feels like she is going crazy. All her neighbours came out of their homes on the night that the crash happened. Her neighbours fence was definitely damaged. Emergency services were called to the scene of the accident. She saw all of this with her own eyes. So, the next day, why did none of her neighbours remember anything about the crash, and why was there no damage to the fence. Was Kate just remembering a nightmare she had, how could it have been real if she was the only person to recall it.
Strange events seem to be happening to Kate, an intruder enters her home in the middle of the night, a stranger follows her around, people appear to be keeping secrets from her, and she cannot work out why.
The plot of this book kept me engrossed with its many twists and turns, and I felt almost as if I was living Kates life with her through the confusion and uncertainty she felt. I really enjoyed it right to the last page, and the ending was one that I would never have guessed. Highly recommended.

Wow! This one was different and I really enjoyed it. A dystopian psychological thriller that is hard to put down. Told from many perspectives this story is multi layered and has a really compelling storyline. One of this year's five star reads for sure.

Kate has witnesds a car accident, she saw it. The neighbours saw it and even the Emergency crew arrived to help..so why is kate the only one who says she saw it?

Weirdly no one wants to get involved so Kate starts her own investigation even though she feels like she is going mad.

I loved Kate, Jimmy, Hailey, and Helen. This is also their story so what they have to offer is important to the plot. It brings the story together in the most intriguing way and I was interested in how the tale would end.

This book is well developed and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the eARC.
Unfortunately, I could not get into this book. It started with Kate, who wakes up hungover and scared by the noise of a car wreck. All the neighbors are out watching, but nobody admits to there being any accident, even her husband. She fears she's going mad.
I tried to struggle on with the story, but had a hard time following it and finally gave up. Sorry!

Oh my GOSH! I read this book in less than 5 hours!
Fascinating and scary would maybe be the two words I’d stamp on it. Fascinating because it’s about all the kids today who crave the attention and perks of being an “influencer.”
I’ve never gotten caught up with any of these people, and I’m so happy to say that I just don’t care about what they talk about. Thank goodness for being of a certain age.
I mentioned that “Fool Me Once” is scary, but I’m not going to say why! To find out, go get yourself the book, and see how long it takes you to finish it.
You’re welcome.

A great read even though at the start I found it a bit slow but in the end it picked up. The plot had many twists and turns that keeps you guessing till the very end.