THAT ENDING WAS EVERYTHING!!! The whole way through the book, it just felt kind of, eh, to me. I kept thinking this could have been better in one way or another, but then what you find out at the very end definitely made me give it another star.

The characters were slightly forgettable but overall this was a fast-paced, easy read. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author.

Lauren and her Mom moved to a remote Scottish island to start a new life. Things were going well until Lauren was taken and her Mom told to kill a patient if she wanted her back alive. Who is doing this and why?

Well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Good characters in this well paced, atmospheric novel. Lots of tension and twists as time runs out. Will there be or can there be a happy ending?

In the Family Doctor we have Kelly who is a doctor on a small Scottish Island and one day she gets a call from a stranger who informs her that he has kidnapped her daughter Lauren and she has 72 hours to kill one of her patients or he will end Lauren’s life. Will Kelly be able to do it?

The premise of the book started off so strong and I was completely locked in with Kellys life and backstory, but along the way it started to drag out and I found myself aimlessly reading. It is definitely a slow burn but for the kind of plot this is, had It been speedier and action based it would have held more attention more strongly.

The perpetrator was a pleasant surprise and the additional twist at the end I admit I did see coming but I don’t want to ruin it with how.
The book was atmospheric and had some good likeable and unlikeable characters. I just wished the pacing had me been faster.

Will continue to scope out more of this authors work.

The story plunges into the life of a mother whose world turns upside down when her daughter goes missing. She then receives a chilling directive from an anonymous watcher: to save her daughter, she must kill one of her patients.

This book was a solid read that moved quickly. At times, I found myself deeply engrossed in the story, while at other moments, the narrative seemed to speed along effortlessly. "Family Doctor" is a good choice for those seeking a straightforward and engaging thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read “Family Doctor”. I took a break from reading thrillers/mystery books a year ago and after reading this book it made me crave more! I liked how the book switched from present day to the past so I had a better understanding of what happened leading up to her daughter’s kidnapping. This book had me guessing until the very end on who the bad guy was and that ending threw me for a shock! I also loved the pace of this book and how it didn’t take long for it to get into the thriller parts. The narrator did a really good job on this book and I would definitely read from the same author again and listen to the same narrator again!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC copy of Family Doctor! I listened to the audiobook and it did not disappoint! The first half was a bit slow and mysterious, felt like a lot of build up with more repetition than I cared to be reminded of over and over. The second half, I couldn't put down - wanting to find out what happened next. I'll admit, the story was a bit over the top, but an absolute thriller nonetheless. What sealed the 4 stars for me, was the final jaw dropping line that made me physically gasp out loud. Well done! Solid 4 stars!

Rounding up to 3 ⭐


Just an OK from me I think.
Nothing majorly wrong with it, but not really anything I can rave about either.
Predictable at times, but did throw in at least one surprise.
I was indifferent to the main family, and that makes a difference to how much you care if they make it out alive.
I'd pick up the author again, but I'm not hunting down everything they've ever written.

The Family Doctor by JM Dalgliesh

I received the audiobook for this from NetGalley in return for my honest review.

First off, this book hooked me from the start. It’s pretty fast paced all throughout and the narrator was great, especially with all the different characters voices. It really felt like there were multiple persons acting out each part.

So, Kelly is the main character, and she’s a doctor and mom to Lauren. One day Kelly receives a video call claiming that her daughter has been kidnapped and the only way to get her back is to kill one of her patients, and she only has 3 days!

The story goes back and forth between 2 years in the past and present and you learn about Kelly’s troubles past and answers to why Lauren was kidnapped.

The story is super gripping and will leave you on the edge of your seat. There are multiple twists that I never saw coming!

I highly recommend this one!

I couldn’t stop listening to this book! I finished it in two days because I had to know what happened. At first, I was like meh this is going to be boring I’ve already figured out the twist, but then nope I was all wrong! I never saw the twists coming! There were a couple times I caught on to certain things happening, but for the most part I was left guessing as to what was going to happen!

What a ride! I’m new to J.M. Dalgliesh and this was an intense introduction. I was immediately drawn in by the isolated setting of a small Scottish island and the underlying question of how the main character, Kelly, and her daughter ended up there.

The author quickly throws a firework into the mix with the kidnapping of Kelly’s daughter and a threat to kill her if Kelly - a doctor - doesn’t kill one of her patients. From then on I was analysing each character, wondering if they were the one who had it in for Kelly, and more importantly why they had it in for her. Kelly herself is not entirely likeable and the cat and mouse game often swings around, making her the hunter.

I was pleased to be doubly surprised at the end of the book. The narration by Eilidh Beaton was excellent.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to access this ARC.

JM Dalgliesh’s Family Doctor is a slow-burn thriller that builds up to some truly shocking twists. The story alternates between two timelines, giving readers a glimpse into the past and how it ties into the present-day mystery.

While the beginning felt slow and took some effort to get into, the second half made up for it with its suspense and surprises. The dual timelines added a unique layer to the story, and I especially enjoyed how everything came together in the end. The audiobook narrator was fantastic and really brought the characters to life.

I’d give this one 3.5 out of 5 stars—not quite a 4 because of the slow start, but still an enjoyable read for fans of thrillers with a touch of psychological depth.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This one took a while for me to really get into and I actually had to re start it a couple times. The beginning was kind of eh and a little predictable. The two timelines were interesting but also confusing because the past timeline really flip flopped a lot. Overall I ended up enjoying it and the ending was a surprise but not too unexpected as I thought there was more to the story.
Narration was good and I liked the island setting.

I could not stop listening to this audiobook once I started it because I just had to know what was going to happen. While I did suspect one person of being behind Lauren's disappearance, I was thrown for a loop and was still surprised by the ending. Plenty of twists and turns without getting too convoluted to follow along. This one is pretty fast paced and will have you flipping the pages or listening until you can't anymore. As a parent, this book may make you ponder what you would do if your child was being held hostage with some outrageous demands. I was on the edge of my seat.

The only thing I wish would have been different was the daughter's POV. I wish we would have gotten more from that angle but I understand the author's decision based on the events in the book.

The audiobook narrator Eilidh Beaton has a wonderful narration tone and pace.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



✨ moms love, whatever it takes, thriller.



✨ oh the pressure of this story is insane.
Listening to this while I do our Christmas dinner is brutal as I can’t stop🤣 fast paced and just adrenaline rush I would say.
A mums love for her daughter, as a doctor she must have to choose between her career or to save her only daughter.
The ending of this is quite sad but atleast great outcome at the end.



✨ Thankyou @bookouture for the opportunity to listen to this arc for a honest review .



✨ shaye.reads

3.5 stars ✨

The Family Doctor by J.M. Dalgliesh is a gripping and thought-provoking psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Set on a remote Scottish island, the story follows a seemingly ordinary family doctor whose life unravels as dark secrets are exposed. Dalgliesh masterfully blends suspense, tension, and complex character dynamics, creating a narrative that’s both chilling and emotionally engaging. The book explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the hidden lives people lead, making it a compelling read for fans of psychological dramas and mystery thrillers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, wasn’t quite a 4 star book for me because I did predict a lot of the twists, but was still a solid read.

Wow.. This was fantastic...

This is the first time I've listened to an audiobook by this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Absolutely beautifully narrated by Eilidh Beaton, the story just flowed from pitch, tone, and delivery. All characters were brought to life in their own unique way amazingly well, by this one narrator really did justice to the storyline.

As the only doctor on the Scottish island of Jura, Kelly has moved here to restart her life with her teenage daughter and of course being a doctor she gets to know many of the people's lives their inner most secrets and some of what goes on behind closed doors that maybe not many others would be privy to but would this make her a target? When her daughter is kidnapped on the way to an interview, Kelly has been given strict instructions on how to proceed if she wants her daughter home safe and well.. Can she save her daughter? Will she stick to the rules? Who could be behind all this? Will she figure it out before it's too late?

Really is intriguing right to the very end, and what a twist.. Absolutely brilliant..!!

5 stars 🌟 all the way

With much gratitude to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ARC in return for an open, honest review. Best of luck with publication in January 2025 🎊 📚 🎧

This is how you write a thriller, edge of the seat stuff!

I DIDN’T FIGURE IT OUT 😵😵😵

Set on the Isle of Jura, Dr. Kelly has 3 days to murder a patient to ensure the safe return of her daughter. Can she do it? Who could possibly have taken her daughter and why?

Buckle up and find out.

J. M. Dalgliesh’s writing pairs perfectly with Eilidh Beaton’s voice for the audio narration. Genuinely excellent.

If this isn’t a January best seller, I’ll eat my hat!!
All the stars 🌟
#Jorecommends

Huge thanks to Bookouture Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

Family Doctor by J M Dalgliesh is a decent read. I like the premise, the mystery, and the various potential suspects. However, I did find Dr. Kelly inconsistent. For someone so smart that has a PhD, why would she not think twice of leaving a voicemail describing the crime she'll commit if the person doesn't get back to her? A voicemail?! There were other inaccuracies like this that left me flummoxed. Also, when we were finally going to see who was guilty, there was an excessive amount of environmental description; easily 15 minutes or so. It was boring and unnecessary, and it didn't add any tension to the event.

Regarding the mystery, I immediately wrote down someone who was guilty and was (eventually) found to be correct. I consider there to be three main twists. The first was fine, I appreciated the second, but I felt indifferent about the final one, which the author seemed to intend as a significant reveal. It seems like a sequel is possible, but I don't think I'll read it if it comes out.

Eilidh Beaton was an okay narrator. There were a few mispronunciations (I did take into account her accent), and I found her tone to be quite basic when I wanted more emotion.

Thank you to Bookouture for providing me with an ALC.

3 stars
Kelly is a doctor on a small Island. Everyone knows everyone and doctors make house calls to their patients. However, everything is not as it seems when Kelly’s teen daughter, Lauren, goes missing. Lauren can return home, but Kelly will have to do the unthinkable to make it happen.

Eh…the premise was promising, but the actual execution was a bit lack luster for me.
No one in the book was likable and Kelly’s behavior was pretty odd under the circumstances. I did a whole lot of “why would she do that? Why would she say that?” while listening to the audiobook.

The book was still very easy to listen to, but the last 10-15% was pretty painful for me.

On a positive note: The narrator was very clear in her speech and fit the role well.

A big thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to preview this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

What the absolute f*ck was going on here? I love dit all so much! I did not expect the bad guy to be who it was! How did he even know who to go after? Brilliant. Brilliant ending. I loved the narration.