Woah! I had to take a minute to catch my breath at the end of this tension-packed read!

Psychologist Emma is asked to work with a client in a secure facility who has refused to speak to anyone but her. The client, Laura, is a psychologist herself and was found covered in blood with no memory of what happened. As Emma attempts to guide Laura to recover her lost memory, she begins to see similarities between her own personal life and Laura's, and some concerning events at the facility start to make Emma feel trapped.

Sinister and chilling, this book is superbly written with a well thought out plot that after planting a haunting sense of dread, gradually starts to drip feed hints at the truth, peeling back the layers slowly with lots of twists along the way.

Brilliant!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Naomi Williams and Headine for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is what I might term an airport novel. You could pick it up if you have some hours to kill and find it engrossing enough. I don't think it's the most brilliant thriller out there but not the worst either, somewhere in the middle. The mental health unit setting gives it a chilling and tense atmosphere straight away and there are enough twists to keep your brain guessing. It's not particularly long and for me that's about right. It's the kind of book that others might have tried to stretch out but I think it's about the right length. If your 'to read' list is growing a bit thin then this will keep you occupied well enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for this ARC.

Laura Winters wakes up in her home, covered in blood that isn't her own, with no recollection of what happened or whose blood it is. So she is taken to a secure mental health unit called Heaton Place where psychologist Emma Best and her supervisor Melanie Coldwell get six days to unlock her memory.

This tense and fast-paced psychological thriller is told in the first person POV of Emma, but can we trust her narration? What is real memory and what is delusion? Emma specialises in treating abused women because she lost her sister Sarah to suicide due to domestic violence, and during examination of Laura's relationship to boyfriend Daniel, Emma's own relationship with husband Connor comes under the microscope. There seem to be disturbing similarities but who is manipulating who, and also, why is he not answering his phone?

For a long time I was sure I knew what was happening until I wasn't anymore, then I thought I was on solid ground again until another twist pulled the rug out from under me. It takes a lot of skill to dumbfound a reader so thoroughly and I couldn't put this down. This book cost me several hours of sleep! Even now while writing this review I have to remind myself what really happened because the twists are so outlandish. I'm not going to spoiler but there is an entire paragraph with what really happened on my Notes app so I don't still get confused in my own mind.

So if you want a brilliantly written psychological thriller with an intriguing premise that destabilises you until you don't remember which way is up and that takes places in a creepy mental health unit with questionable staff, this is for you. Thoroughly recommended.

The woman in ward 9

I loved this fast paced thriller. Read it in a day!
All throughout the book i thought i had it figured out until the last chapter from Laura!
It gives shutter island vibes but with a twist.

Would love to read more from this author.

Thanks as always to netgalley, the author and the publisher

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley and Headline and the author Naomi Williams for an early copy of her book to read.

My first read from this author. A slow start and soon got interesting. Laura was covered in blood she had no idea what happened to her she finds help with a psychologist Emma will she discover the answers...plenty twists and turns keeps you guessing...my rating is 3.5 rounded to 4 as would liked it to be a faster pace...

Will be reviewed on goodreads and Amazon.

Thank you Netgalley and Headline for this ARC!

I am not sure why I like thrillers/ stories taking place in psychiatric facilities. Like, I surely would not want to be locked up in one of those places myself for whatever reason!

Anyway, we are following Laura - who is found covered in blood with no memory whatsoever of what has happened to her - and psychologist Emma, trusted to be able to find out what has happened to Laura. And that is when things do bascially take an unexpected turn...

I have to admit, I have no idea if this was the first book of Naomi Williams, but I basically inhaled it. And now I am tired because I got no sleep.... so many wild twists and turns that do keep you hooked all the time, making it impossible to put the book down. Definitely recommended!

The Woman in Ward 9 by Naomi Williams is a page turner that opens with a bang when the reader meets Laura, a woman who is found in the kitchen of her home covered in blood that is not her own. Unable to remember what happened or even whose blood it is she is admitted to a psychiatric facility and Emma, a psychologist is brought in to try to help her uncover her memories by gaining her trust. As the story unfolds and the rapport between the two women builds a disturbing story starts to emerge and leaves Emma questioning her abilities as a therapist and some of her life choices. Is Laura a victim, a witness or even a killer ? Emma will have to go to extraordinary lengths to discover the truth.
Now this is absolutely a fast paced read but it does require the reader to suspend their disbelief at certain points and if you are willing to go with that you are in for an entertaining time, however if you need your thrillers to feel realistic this may not be the book for you. I decided to let my issues with the portrayal of the secure facility and the "therapy" techniques go and settle in and enjoy the ride. The book moves a long at a cracking pace with lots of short chapters that kept me saying just one more, and before I knew it I was almost finished. The author did a good job of building tension and I enjoyed the creeping sense of dread as the story unfolded.
3.5 stars rounded up
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Patient X is locked away at Heaton Place, victim or murderer nobody knows and Patient X has no recollection.

Superb writing that brings to life a high security facility under lock and key, its staff and management with eyes everywhere. Drafted in for a short term assignment psychiatrist Emma soon realises that her status entitles her to little in the way of flexibility or direction as she assesses her patient.

Totally hooked from page one, I raced through this one. Its clever, its chilling and its a great read.

My thanks to Headline publishers and NetGalley for the advance read, all opinions expressed are my own.

This book had me hooked from the very first page.

The story follows a woman who is found covered in blood, yet she has no memory of what happened. The premise alone intrigued me, but what followed was a psychological rollercoaster.

Midway through, things got a little confusing, but in hindsight, it all made sense. I had a hunch about the first plot twist, but the second one caught me completely off guard! It explained so much and made me appreciate the story even more.

The ending? Unfair—but in the best possible way. It left me wanting more, desperately hoping for a sequel where everything unravels further and every character gets what they deserve.

As someone fascinated by psychology, I loved how the book explored the human brain, trauma, and memory. It was right up my alley, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers that truly make you think.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A clever novel that doesn’t rely on poor mental health stigma.

Unbelievably good read, quick but well written characters, and a plot that doesn’t stay still, it is all engrossing and will likely be read in one sitting.

I really was surprised at this novel, everything I was expecting was elevated in every way and on ending it, all I wanted to do is find another book by this author.

Definitely read this one.

Emmas new patient is Laura. Laura was found covered in blood with no memory as to what happened.

Emmas job as a pyschiatrist is tough and now she has Laura, she has to unlock Lauras mind and help with the recollections and to remember.

What a read.. This is a book that I found exciting, enthralling and definitely intriguing.

It has twists, it has drama dna most of all it has a brilliantly plot and the stpry unfolded beautifully..

Definitely one on af my favs this year..

This book was so enthralling I read it in one sitting. It's a fabulous read, set in a psychiatric hospital, the tension is as stifling as the interview room temperature. It's multi layered and just as you think you've peeled one layer back another twist appears to blindside you all over again. As someone who reads a lot of psychological thrillers this one certainly didn't disappoint. Will definitely look out for more books by this author. It would make a cracking drama for TV

Thank you to the author and publishers for allowing me access to an ARC via NetGalley!

*Spoiler free review*

As someone who reads a lot of fantasy books, I fancied reading a thriller in between, and the description of this book dragged me in! This book follows the journey of Emma, a psychologist who specialises in domestic violence, as she is treating a patient who has lost all memories about her husbands murder. So, some of my favourite things about the book:
1. I love a thriller that’s based around psychology/mental health/mental health hospitals etc. This book definitely falls into that sub-genre nicely
2. There were plot twists GALORE. You think you have it figured out? NOPE. Oh you think you know now? WRONG AGAIN. I love a book that keeps me on my toes
3. The writing style and pace of the book make this an easy read
4. The way that domestic violence/coercion/love bombing/emotional manipulation is described seems really accurate and it is done in a sensitive way

Onto things that maybe I’d improve/change
1. The main character can seem whiny at times which makes it hard to relate to her. There’s a lot of thoughts that are repeated
2. The chapters appear quite oddly placed - there are a lot of very short chapters which can interrupt the flow of the book which I found distracting (which is probably a *me* problem not the authors problem
3. The ending felt a bit rushed and there were a few very short explanations that didn’t really make sense

Overall I really enjoyed this book, it was a book that kept me thinking and I’m sure I’m gonna remember the story for quite a while since it’s a trope I’ve never read before

Review: 4/5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

This book was completely unexpected. The twists and turns have you headed in one direction. Before you realize what happened, it all turns around and shocks you!

This book puts the thrill in thriller. DROP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND ADD THIS ONE TO YOUR TBR!... PERFECTION!... I felt like I was on a rollercoaster with this one and was on the edge of my seat the entire time!

I finished this book in just a little over 24 hours… I am still in shock how this ended, I didn’t see that coming at all.


⭐️⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars!

Finished reading "The Woman in Ward 9" by Naomi Williams, and I could hardly breathe through the last few chapters! It is a captivating read that I wholeheartedly recommend. From the very first page, the dark and twisted tale is a rollercoaster ride that keeps you guessing right until the last word. Every twist and turn had me hooked, and I couldn't put it down! Williams masterfully crafts an atmosphere of suspense that pulls you in deeply. If you're a fan of gripping thrillers that leave you on the edge of your seat, this book is a must-read! Trust me, you won't regret diving into this chilling story.

This is a rollercoaster ride of a twisty thriller that had me completely immersed. I was up till 1am reading. Wow. I devoured the whole book in a day.

I loved the writing style which captured a creeping sense of dread. The characters are layered and have nuance and the theme of coercive controlling relationships and partner/spousal abuse worked well. This was all sensitively handled and felt realistic and authentic.

There's enough flashes of humour to lift the book and the author's observations skills are astute. Highly recommend this five star read. I'm excited to see what this author does next.