The Killing Sense by Sam Blake and narrated by Fenella Woolgar was so good I ended up listening to this all day and I love it. It was a brilliant crime thriller that will have you gripped from the beginning till the very end! It is full of twists and turns throughout that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.

Single mum Kate has finally escaped her abusive marriage........She has won a 5 day trip to Paris, to learn about perfume - in a competition she can't remember entering.

It's a dream come true. Or is it?

This is just what she needed and she has not been on holiday for years...........So exciting!

As soon as Kate arrives in Paris. she feels she's being watched, and she is sure someone has been in her apartment. Kate's ex texts her telling her he in in Paris as well. So she wasn't going mad! But, why is he in Paris as well?

Kate then discovers that there's a killer in the city focusing on red headed women like her. And his kill count is rising.

Who should she fear the most?

Her ex husband or the Killer who is killing red headed women?

Now all Kate's senses are on alert. But can her instincts keep her safe?

WoW this audio book was so good.

Fenella Woolgar was excellent as she flipped between accents with such ease especially as she added tension and anxiety throughout and made this audiobook come alive.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bolinda audio for my ARC.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book.
I enjoyed the setting, lovely Paris and the mix of culture was good.
The story was different and I liked the references to perfume!
The narrator was good and perfect for the story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After winning a competition she doesn't remember entering, Kate accepts a trip to Paris. That's right! She went on a trip she won in a competition she doesn't remember entering. This was my only gripe with the book. Otherwise, it is well-written, and the twists are decent.

Detailed review to come...

Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the free audio copy of the book.

This was different for me as it situated in Paris and background was in perfume but still with the elements of a domestic thriller as her ex husband turns up. There were sufficient twists to keep me engaged.

The narration really worked and fitted in with the story.

“The Killing Sense” is a crime thriller set in Paris. Kate escaped an abusive marriage and after winning a five-day trip to learn about perfume, she goes to Paris. But she feels like someone is watching her and then discovers that there is a killer in the city.

On her way to Paris Kate met Daniel in the train and then befriended Agathe in a cafe. The characters’s stories get tangled as the investigation of the killings develops.
The pace of the book is pretty fast and the story kept me interested. There is mystery and tension, while the story unravels through different perspectives, including the killer’s.
The audiobook is narrated by Fenella Woolgar that managed to capture all the accents. Even if the story has multiple POVs, the narrator managed to differentiate the characters well and add tension to the plot.

I received a digital copy of the book from Bolinda Audio and Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Publication date: 9 Jan 2025

A brilliant and thrilling tale, packed with great characters.
They say ‘If it’s too good to be true it usually is’ and this phrase doesn’t even come close to the terrifying reality packed within the pages of this chilling read.
Kept me guessing until the very end and kept me awake when I should have been sleeping.
Highly recommended and beautifully narrated, this is one author to watch.

Kate wins a competition she can't remember entering, even so she goes to Paris after checking the train and hotel was booked.. Part of a woman is found in Paris and Kate feels she's being watched, is it her abusive ex husband? A superb thriller that will keep you listening till the early hours. Fenella Woolgar is an excellent narrator and her accents seems spot on. Thanks to Bolinda audio and Netgalley for this review audiobook

This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future

#Netgalley

The Killing Sense is the brand new psychological thriller from bestselling author Sam Blake. I loved starting out the new year in 2023 taking my wintery walks and listening to her last book, Three Little Birds, and I’ve felt the exact same this year.
The Killing Sense is another gripping read, and apart from my nerves being shot, I’ve really enjoyed it 😅 It also works really well on audio, the narrator is great.

Single mum Kate lives a quiet life after escaping an abusive marriage. When she wins an all-expenses paid trip to Paris to take part in a perfumery course however, she jumps at the chance.

The only problem is she can’t actually remember entering the competition, and when she arrives in the City of Lights she can’t shake the feeling she’s being watched.

Did her ex-husband follow her over? Or is it someone even more sinister?
While there, Kate befriends a young waitress; Agathe, who is herself on edge after her housemate has disappeared.
Soon it becomes clear that a serial killer is targeting red-headed women in Paris, and Titian-haired Kate may be at risk of more than a terrifying run-in with her ex.

This is such a well-plotted thriller, it’s super creepy and the tension ratchets up well. By the end I was glued to the audiobook, I stayed up late to finish it, and if you know how much I value my sleep then you’ll understand the significance of that 😅

I was genuinely fearful for Kate, and all the red flags (no pun intended!) she naturally kept dismissing along the way. I also loved the descriptions of Paris, one of my favourite cities, and I felt completely immersed in Kate’s surroundings with her.

I enjoyed the Three Little Birds Easter egg too 🙌☺️

If you love a good thriller, especially one you can snuggle up with over Winter, this is the book for you!

Available to buy on the 9th of January. With many thanks @netgalley and @bolindaaudio @gillhessltd @corvusbooks for my early copy, all opinions are my own, as always. #TheKillingSense

This is the first book I have come across from Sam Blake, and it was the audio version I have the pleasure of reviewing.

The story was deliciously set in Paris, a British woman, Kate, has won a competition that see's her in Paris on an all expenses paid perfumery course. We are told early on that Kate is a red head, and in a crossover storyline we learn of a murder victim found in the sewer ... . also a redhead. We also learn of a missing Parisian woman, the welfare of whom increasingly concerns her flatmate.

Kate meets a stranger on the train and a connection is formed, though Kate is reluctant to pursue it as she is traumatised from an abusive ex. This is a story of cat and mouse, a police drama and a thriller in a delicious location all rolled into one,

I loved the clever crossover of characters, it felt slick and well thought out,

The narrator took on all the accents required to tell the story seemingly effortlessly, and her French accent was (to my untrained ears) tres bien!

All in all I found this to be a quality piece of work,... and an excellent piece of entertainment!

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

Remember in Total Recall, where you can ‘experience’ your fantasy adventure? Your dream place with your dream person? This is like that for single mum Kate Wilde - after winning a competition she doesn’t even remember entering, Kate heads to Paris for a perfume-making class—a dream come true.

But while Kate is soaking up the magic of Paris, a severed head is discovered in the sewers, hinting at a possible serial killer.

This book feels like a love letter to Paris, beautifully capturing the city’s charm and elegance. Kate’s dreamy visit runs parallel to the darker, suspenseful serial killer storyline, and the writing strikes a great balance between the two.

The multiple POVs and storylines are well-handled and easy to follow, though I did trip up on the French names at first. (Pro tip: I listened to the audiobook and slowed right down for those tricky French names!) The narrator nailed the accents, and I especially loved her portrayal of Daniel’s aunt—super cute performance.

The vibe of the chapters shifts depending on whose POV you’re in. Kate’s chapters feel like a cozy self-discovery story, Daniel’s lean into romance, and Agate’s are all about the gritty crime investigation. The mix of genres adds depth to both the characters and the plot.

There’s a classic “whodunnit” element, though I found the reveal a bit underwhelming. Also, heads up—there’s no big twist here, so don’t go in expecting one.

I have to say, I loved the epilogue. It wraps everything up in a way that’s satisfying and leaves you with a sense of hope. Overall, this is an enjoyable thriller with a touch of elegance and a cozy vibe.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review

This is a difficult title to categorise. It’s basically a murder mystery, but it’s also about Kate, the central character, and her journey of self discovery following her escape from an abusive marriage. It’s also a bit of a live letter to Paris and the sense of location is very strong. As Paris is in my top three favourite cities in the world, I particularly enjoyed the descriptive element and could visualise many of the scenes.

Kate wins a trip to Paris and a course at a perfumier. The thing is, she doesn’t remember entering a competition. What’s behind this luxury trip and why? I found the perfume making fascinating and learned a lot about perfume nites and how they develop. It flowed as part of the story. Kate befriends a local girl, Agate, whose flatmate has gone missing and there may be a serial killer on the loose. One who leaves the head of his victim in the Parisian sewers and who has a penchant for redheads. If this all sounds a little confusing, it isn’t. Even though the narrative is from various viewpoints, it’s easy to follow and the story unfolds little by little. I was unsettled a couple of times by a sense of creeping menace, unsure where the threat was coming from. Is Kate being pursued by her ex? Who is the mysterious stranger on the train? How do all these strands pull together? The answer is through skilled and careful plotting which keeps the narrative moving and without any significant high drama, remains a tense and well paced read. I listened to the audio version. Found the narrator a little stilted and breathy at times, but French accent was good, I’d listen to her again. My first outing with this author and I enjoyed it.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

The Killing Sense
Sam Blake

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is not my first read by this author so I knew that I was going to be in for a great time as soon as I spotted this new release!

This was a bit of a different read from Sam - or certainly the books I've read so far - which are usually set in Ireland.
This sees Kate, an Irish single mum, heading to Paris to attend a perfumery course which she won online.
As we read, we learn of Kate's background and her escape from an abusive husband - so when she starts to feel skittish, this puts us on edge straight away.

As Kate was arriving in Paris, the discovery of a severed head is found in a sewer and the investigation follows.

For a while, it appears that the two storylines will run completely separately but as the two become linked through acquaintance the tension really ramps up as we try and piece together what is happening and whether the events are indeed connected.

I loved how complex this case was and that there were a number of viable suspects for all of the different events.
I made quite a few theories and actually happened to get pretty close quite early on through the book - but how wrong I was! As twist upon twist had me rethinking everything again! With the final twists and reveals still shocking me.

It was so easy to relate to Kate - being already a bit apprehensive, given her past, I couldn't help but feel for her as she navigated a strange city and new people.
I was literally on edge each time she went outside.
I loved the friendship that she and (Agate) formed and I just loved everything about Daniel's involvement - great character!

The writing as ever, was fast-paced and exciting.
For a fairly long book, I didn't lose focus once and couldn't stop thinking about it everytime I put it down to work!

A brilliant thriller, packed with intrigue and twists which I just couldn't put down!

Can't wait for my next read by Sam!




💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

This is the first audiobook I have enjoyed, having often found them difficult to engage with.
Though I found the first few chapters tricky to navigate the parallel narratives, once I got into the swing of it I was hooked. I appreciated the narrators accents and voices that differentiated the characters for me.
I was drawn to the plot from the blurb and it didn't disappoint. There was excellent tension and I was really able to get behind the lead characters. The coincidental meetings seemed a little annoying at first.
I wonderful psychological thriller.

When I first read the blurb or book description for the Killing Sense by Sam Blake, I was quite intrigued it sounded like an unusual storyline and it is set in one of my most favorite cities, but I was also a little bit skeptical. You see it's 2024 and aren't we all aware of and wary of, how pervasive technology is in our lives, how GPS can be used for tracking, usage of social media, about scams so I wondered "..how is this going to work..?" Sam Blake is a brilliant author, but can she pull out this storyline? Well, I should have known to trust her, because within a couple of pages I was absolutely absorbed in the storyline; between the quick pacing and the brilliantly depicted characters. I had also fallen back in love with Paris and I've raced through the novel. I just wanted to know what would happen next. Did I manage predict accurately who was the killer? No, but I was starting to move on to the right track.
I enjoyed the characters, and I think the city of Paris also plays a unique and beautiful character on its own,in the storyline and that should not be overlooked.
I've been fortunate enough to both read the digital version and also listen to the e-audiobook as narrated by Fenella Woolgar, and I do love how Fenella's narration afds an extra layer of depth to the storyline. She truly brings Kate's character to life, and I'll be looking forward to checking out other audiobooks that she has narrated.

I finished listening to this over the weekend and I’m somewhat conflicted on my thoughts.
There’s a good story at the heart of this novel but at times I felt like I was wading through the unnecessary to get to it. I think i would have enjoyed this a lot more if it was 100 pages shorter and if I’d read it instead of listening to it. The narration , the British accent for an Irish character and the numerous French characters speaking in accented English grayed on me after a while.
However, in the last quarter the book redeemed itself a little for me and I enjoyed it.

I did notice , perhaps because I listened, the repetition of certain worlds ( huge being one) as the book progressed and felt my mind drifting and watching out for that rather than concentrating on the plot.

Overall yes it’s a good story but too long and unevenly paced for me to fully commit or care for the characters enough.

3 stars

A psychological thriller based on fleeing domestic abuse, which then spirals into various murders and a much deeper plot than first appears.

Kates experience was one of many twists and turns that have you immersed in her own way of doing her own investigations. She definitely had good instincts and intuition, although a times not everything was clear to her, and she did openly trust in others at this time. There was confusion that was done deliberately, of course, by the perpetrator. This covers various aspects but deeply opens up gaslighting with subtleties that so many others fail to see or understand unless you have experienced or researched this area. This leads us into the deception that Kate thought was all behind her so many lies and hidden meanings within things she has to attempt to wrap her h a ad around on what was supposed to be a holiday. Sadly, her ex-husband comes back to torment her when she least expected it.

She tries to see through what is reality what is happening and what could be imagination on overdrive due to her previous life of living with an angry alcoholic abusive husband she goes in to a hypervigelant state she knows she is being watched etc however there are some things in life that may not be explainable but you just know ie if someone has moved an item in your home, for Kate the hairbrush was deeply creepy.

Kate is however very grateful and blessed to have Daniel in her life, who together they get to the bottom of the overall plot and put an end to it all one way or another they will overcome all that comes into their path during their time together!

Wow psychic threads indeed Sam Blake so much of this book I felt like I knew although I didn't to the point I was typing a message while listening and the words I'd just said would then be said within minutes etc the list goes on but indeed this was extremely a connected book in this way I believe for sure! No coincidences in life simply synchronisation and serendipity!

This was well narrated by Fenella Woolgar that once I was in the flow of this book I followed it and was immersed, for me sometimes it's simply mix of accents, names etc can take me a little time to adjust as on this occasion however again this was not down to anything but timing for me!

With thanks to Netgalley & Bolinda Audio for the wonderful opportunity to listen to this ARC in return for an open, honest review. Best wishes for publication in January 2025 🙏🏼❤️ I'm sure this will do well!

The story was quite slow paced, however I enjoyed the narrator which kept me invested. It did pick up in the last 1/4 and I wish the pace had of been faster before this, the characters were well developed and likeable and I enjoyed how all the pieces fitted together by the end

This is a great atmospheric story based in Paris which truly takes you away!!

Loved the narration, the accents totally brought the characters to life.

The story unfolds on a personal journey to France and deals with many aspects of life and past memories of the main character.
Really strong main characters with a mysterious underlying historical context which takes you on rollercoaster journey!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review

I felt this one was soooo long and a bit of a slog if I’m honest. It just didn’t grab me and I was a little bit bored at times. It moved at such a slow pace and only really got going for the last 1/4 of the listen. It felt like it jumped around a lot but maybe that’s due to me not being fully engaged. The characters are well developed and somewhat interesting. I did really like the references to the different places Paris is known for. Yet again I seem to be in the minority with this one but it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for the opportunity to listen and review #TheKillingSense