In Her Eyes
an unputdownable, twisty psychological thriller
by Sarah Alderson
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Pub Date Nov 14 2019 | Archive Date Nov 14 2019
Hodder & Stoughton | Mulholland Books
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Description
You're at home with your family.
You think you're safe.
You're wrong...
From the bestselling author of Friends Like These comes a brand new unputdownable psychological thriller...
Ava's life is the kind other people envy: loving husband; great kids; beautiful house. Until the night a violent home invasion turns the dream into a nightmare, and leaves her beautiful daughter fighting to survive.
And then things get worse. Ava realises that the attack wasn't random. Someone is targeting her family. Why? Who could hate them enough to kill?
Ava must find out what really happened that night, to save those she loves from even greater danger. But when everyone around you has been lying, how do you decide who to trust?
And Ava has secrets of her own...
For fans of The Silent Patient, The Wife Between Us and Perfect Child, In Her Eyes is a dark and twisty thriller; you're about to find out that home is where the hate is.
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9781529345407 |
PRICE | £19.99 (GBP) |
Featured Reviews
In Her Eyes by Sarah Alderson was a thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. It had so many twists and turns it left me dizzy. I was so engrossed in this story that I read the book in one sitting.
Ava's life is turn upside down when intruders enter her house intending to rob her.
This incident leaves her husband badly beaten, Ava in hospital with a head injury and her twelve year old daughter fighting for her life.
Ava will stop at nothing to find out why this has happened to her family.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I will certainly be looking out for more of her work.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great read, Ava and Robert are married with two girls from there marriage, and Gene from Roberts first marriage.
There was a robbery at there house, June the younger daughter was hit by a bullet, Ava and Robert were beaten up, and the intruders got away.
June is on life support, and the family are devastated.
But things do not seem right, and Ava does not remember much but she knows something is wrong.
Robert is arrested he was thought to be involved, the sherif who was a friend of Ava told her he is involved.
Ava was determined not to,give up, and the book got very exciting and hard to put down.
Thanks netgalley for letting me read an early edition of this book, when can I read another book from Sarah Alderson..
OMG....where to start? This book is compulsive, addictive, compelling. You just want to read “one more page” before stopping.
Ava is married to Richard and they have three kids and a comfortable lifestyle. Their youngest, June, has been very ill and their eldest,
Gene, can be a bit of a handful but generally life is good.
Until one night their home is broken into and they are caught up in a violent home invasion situation which terrifies them. The parents and their youngest are all badly injured, June critically so.
Help comes in the form of Nate, the Sheriff. Nate and Ava go way back and went to school together so she instinctively trusts him. And from that point on the book twists, turns, backflips, delivers surprise, shock and surprise again and again.
You may think you have it all figured out. You haven’t. You have no idea the ending will turn out the way it does. And right to the very last page this story will surprise you.
For me, this is the book of the year! It’s incredible
Ava has everything- handsome, rich husband, two beautiful daughters, a home in the best part of town. Until one night when she is assaulted in her home, following a burglary, which also leaves her youngest daughter critically ill. Her ex, Nate, is the investigating officer, convinced that Ava’s husband, Robert is the instigator of the plan. Ava wants to believe in her husband, so sets out to find the truth but can she handle the truth? A fast-paced tale, red herrings galore, credible characters, full of twists and turns to the very last page. Excellent book, I look forward to the next one.
A story of family, love, tragedy and fi ding out people are not always who you think they are.
I loved the mums tenacity and strength of character. And i enjoyed that even at the end there was a question not answered.
This books has increased my paranoia levels to amber levels verging on red.
A call from a good friend in need of a shoulder to cry on puts the brakes on an anniversary dinner. A call from a young daughter puts the end to a sleepover. Headlights part way down the drive - where is her older stepson going? When did her eldest daughter get involved with the sheriff's deputy?
From start to finish this book cries "liar", but who is lying?
One or all.
Mini review:
A quick, clever and ferocious read that keeps you locked in until the very last sentence.
Carefully written to produce the ultimate who did it crime, but with blatant obvious pointers showing who it is from start to finish. Pointers you will not find until that very last sentence of that very last chapter though.
A shocker from start to finish.
A powerful pull on family life, love and motherhood.
A plot that does not stop giving!
A book that is for sure a contender for book of the year 2019! And one you certainly won’t forget in a hurry.
5/5
I highly enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down and some of the plot twists had me genuinely gasping. I will recommend this book to my friends and family.
Full review to come closer to release date. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4-5 stars! I absolutely love this author and the way she writes psychological thrillers. While I didn’t quite love this one as much as the last, I still was hooked from the first page and hardly able to set it down. She is very good at building that intense rush us thriller junkies seek! Thrilling, chilling, shocking, tense, and absolutely unputdownable! Can’t wait for the next Alderson book!
Will be highly recommending to the members of Chapter Chatter Pub!
In Her Eyes
I raced through this at break neck speed loving every single minute. From beginning to end it had me hooked so much so my eyeballs were stinging because I couldn’t tear myself away from the pages. Thrilling, fast paced read. Highly recommended. 5 big juicy stars from me.
Alderson’s first novel for a mature audience is a definite page turner with many surprises in store. It tells the story of a woman trapped in a nightmare after a break-in leaving the youngest daughter in a coma as her life rapidly unravels.
Alderson’s new novel is a crowd pleaser which moves at a rapid pace and doesn’t really slow down until the end. Keeping the reader engrossed and entertained as the plot unwinds is one of the things that really work with this book. There are times that we think we have this figured out but Alderson keeps it slowly reined in and gives quite a few surprises along with some bread crumps to help put together the mystery.
Written in the first person perspective, we are lead into the life of Ava. Alderson’s does something interesting that sometimes can feel false with telling a story using this device, and we get hollow characters that are not fully fleshed out. This is due to seeing things through one person’s eyes but Alderson doesn’t fall into this trap and is able to give fully realised characters from the no name nurse upto the major characters. This is an incredible feat within itself.
The plot is very fast moving and it very rarely gives you room to breathe. Many a sleepless night was spent with this book due to I went through sleep deprivation because I was so involved with the novel. Starting out like a suburban soap opera in the first chapter, Alderson switches gears and we are now in crime and mystery territory which is done exceptionally well. The book removes layers and layers of what we think is the true story at its cores and reveals something that was not totally expected. We start out with the perfect family and life and as each layers is removed, we have secrets and lies and at its core, a family in turmoil in more ways than one.
The finale is exciting and Alderson doesn’t tie things up with a nice little bow. We are left with secrets that maybe should remain in the dark and one of the characters life is still left in the balance. I admire this because like life it is messy and we are not always left with a happy ending but an ending nevertheless. This is a brave move on the rights of the author.
Overall, this is highly recommended and thoroughly enjoyed reading this exciting page turner. With its realistic characters, impossible situation that they find themselves in and the clever way that Alderson keeps a tight rein on the plot is definitely a crowd pleaser. She skilfully handles the mystery and action and ensures that it never once runs away from her. If this is what her adult fiction is going to be like, I am definitely going to sign up to see what she comes out with next. This is highly recommended and enjoyed every minute and sleepless night of this novel.
If you've been reading these reviews for a while you'll already know that I'm a huge Sarah Alderson fan. I've been reading her books since her publisher handed me an ARC of her debut YA book Hunting Lila at a Twilight convention! When I got sent In Her Eyes as a pre-release review copy I just couldn't restrain myself and had to read it as soon as possible.
Now a lot has changed over the years with Sarah having lived on three different continents and is currently working as a Hollywood scriptwriter. So it's no surprise that new thriller In Her Eyes is set in California.
Ava and Robert lead a comfortable life. Robert's success in developing apps has seen them upgrade to a very nice house outside of town. They have two daughters, Hannah is at college and June is a cancer surviving teenager. Gene is Robert's son from his first marriage and he just smokes dope and lives in the flat over the garage. Leeching off his father and unable to make any life for himself. There are tensions between him and Hannah.
A violent break in at the house changes everything. Robert is badly beaten, Ava is terrorised and assaulted with the barrel of a gun but daughter June is shot. She's in a coma and the prognosis is not good. As Nate the local sheriff begins his investigations it appears that everyone has been lying and that nothing is as it appears. Robert is arrested for insurance fraud and Ava realises that her entire world is a sham.
To say that this is a book of twists and turns is an understatement. With every chapter I suspected somebody different and was completely blown away by the ending. Alderson always writes such strong female characters that are vibrant and vivid. I trailed along behind Ava in her search for the truth, for justice. Certainly one of the best thrillers of 2019.
Supplied by Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review.
I’d like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘In Her Eyes’ by Sarah Alderson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Two masked men break into Ava’s house violently attacking her, her husband Robert and twelve-year-old daughter June, leaving June in hospital critically ill and in a coma. Sheriff Nate Carmichael, Ava’s ex-boyfriend from college, arrests Robert for fraud and conspiracy to commit a crime saying that he has financial problems and intended to claim back on his insurance. Ava trusts Nate to tell the truth, but there again she trusted Robert, so who can she trust?
‘In Her Eyes’ is a cleverly-written and very exciting psychological thriller that’s had me enthralled from the start. It has a complex yet believable plot, lots of action, and an abundance of twists and turns, the final double-twist being a bolt from the blue and totally unexpected leaving me open-mouthed in surprise. This is a book that’s easy to read and impossible to put down and it deserves to be a best-seller!
WOW, this was a goodie. This was my first read from Sarah Anderson and I would read whatever she has up next.
In Her Eyes was a twisty page turner that was hard to put down.
Read it.
If you want to be kept hanging by a thread on the edge of your seat... this is the book for you.
A psychological roller coaster ride with twists and turns around every corner you'll be left feeling dizzy.
Based upon a well off but quite dysfunctional family who suffer any families worse nightmare of s robbery gone wrong. Who is involved? Who instigated it? Why did it happen? How will a torn family knit itself back together?
This novel leaves you with tattered emotions, gasping in shock and completely engrossed from the beginning. A fantastically well paced plot which sets the mood perfectly for this novel full of trepidation and mystique.
Sarah Alderson has an amazing gift of unique writing. The characters are so vivid, every emotion can be seen in your mind. The locations, characters and scenes are so clear you have no trouble placing yourself slap bang in the middle of it all.
This is one of the first books in a long time that actually had me guessing until the very end. I adore a book that actually leaves me questioning myself with the whole 'who done it'.
Fabulously thought out in every way! LOVED IT!
Huge thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
In Her Eyes by Sarah Alderson
Thanks @netgalley @sarahaldersonauthor and @hodderbooks for my ARC
Publication date 14th November
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Wow! What a book! Pulled me right in from the beginning and did not let go. When Ava and her family are victims of a home invasion, the family are left scared and terrified and one member fighting for their life. There were so many twists and turns in this book I was left speechless at times. A fantastic psychological thriller. Five stars xx
EXCELLENT READ - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
In Her Eyes by Sarah Alderson is a real page turner and I read it in a little over a day. There were many twists and turns. It starts with a break in, where Ava, her husband and her daughter June were viciously attached with Ava and June being admitted to hospital. Ava is determined to find out what happened to her family. Her husband is arrested. Nate, the local sheriff and an ex boyfriend of Ava’s from their schooldays investigates the crime. Just when you think you know what is going on you realise you do not. Full of surprises. I highly recommend this book.
Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this.
Good reads https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/57367301-pauline-dutton?shelf=read
This thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. It had so many twists and turns. I was so engrossed in this book that I read it in one day.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be looking for more
Yessss!!! This book kept me up all night because I just couldn't put it down!! I love that you felt right there with Ava and saw it all from her perspective. I loves the twists and turns that the book took all the way to the very end. You really didn't know who to trust or whom to believe. I enjoyed it so much! Thank you!
Amazing! I cannot get over how hooked this had me! I finished within a few hours, leaving everything I had to do just so I could finish this! Had me hooked and reading quicker and quicker! Fast paced and brilliantly written
My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.
Wow! what a read! Un-put-down-able! I thoroughly enjoyed this author's "The Silent Patient" and, if possible, I enjoyed this even more. This is a complex psychological thriller, extremely well-written with great dialogue keeping the story moving forward flawlessly. So - what's it about............
Ava and Robert are wealthy - Robert is an App. Developer and has made millions in sales. Ava is a talented artist but most of her work is displayed at home. They have 2 daughters - Hannah is at college in New York, June is 12 and survived cancer when she was 6. Ava's stepson Gene is 26 and lives over the family garage - he's a mostly unemployed prolific Weed-user sponging off his father. June hates the way his lifestyle is constantly excused and supported by her father.
One night Ava returns home with June who should have been on a sleep-over, the same night Ava should have been sharing an anniversary dinner with Robert but cancelled in favour of attending to her best friend Laurie who is experiencing a domestic crisis. From her bedroom window Ava sees Gene get into a car half-way down their drive and wonders where he's going.
Suddenly the family find themselves in the middle of a home invasion: Robert is badly beaten in his office; June is taken upstairs by one of the masked men - fearful for her daughter Ava follows. A gun goes off.
Ava is in hospital not able to remember much about that night. June is in hospital on a ventilator fighting for her life. Robert is arrested as a suspect and refuses to talk.
Ava's life is disintegrating around her as she accepts the assurances of the Sheriff Nate Carmichael - an old school friend - that he would follow-up on all leads to try and get Robert released.
However, battling to regain memories of that night Ava feels that something is not quite right, especially when someone appears to be intent on killing her daughter in her hospital bed.
Who is targeting her family, and why?
Ava has her own secrets, but so has everyone in her family and gradually they morph into astounding revelations and shocking truths.
What an ending - never saw that coming!!
Brilliant read.
What a wonderful story!!! There have been many great books I have read this year, yet this is definitely at the top. I found this story to be one of the most well thought out depiction of characters with a thought-provoking plot. This is not just your novel about liars. Here we encompass deceit, narcissism, betrayal, and attempted murder.
The protagonist, Ava, develops from a weak, passive. wife to a strong woman who finally comes to grips with her circumstances. She ultimately takes the reins when necessary. Supported by friends Laurie and Dave, (and somewhat by her children) Ava is able to weather the unbelievable road ahead of her. She stands up to her husband when she is at a total impasse.
This story was absolutely brilliant! One of the best thought-out reads of the year. I want to thank Sarah Alderson for her intricate storyline and character development that made this story a joy to read!
7 Stars!
Many Thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for an amazing read!!!!!
Great book will be reading other books by this author.
Will also recommend this book to others.
Great read! 5*****
Sarah Alderson has hit her stride with In Her Eyes. I thoroughly enjoyed Friends Like These so was anxious to read her latest. It did not disappoint. In Her Eyes is a solid, original thrill-ride domestic thriller. It begins with a nice family who seem to have it all. Then they experience the nightmare of a home invasion gone horribly wrong. This one grabs you early on and increases in pace until the very end!
I LOVED this thriller!! Pulls you in from the very beginning and does not let go. So unputdownable that i read it in one sitting. Full of so many twists and turns with an ending that will definitely surprise you. Very enjoyable characters and razor shape writing, this book is a must read!
Thank you netgalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for my honest review.
A really compulsive and exciting read, I didn’t want to put it down. Lots of unexpected twists and turns, although I did guess one of them very early on.
Ava returns home early from a night out with her best friend, having had to collect daughter June from a friends house as she wasn’t feeling well.
They find themselves in the midst of a home invasion which goes horribly wrong. Ava’s husband, Robert Is injured and Ava sustains a head but it’s June who comes off worst and is badly shot.
There is worse to follow as Robert soon becomes a suspect and it’s clear that Ava’s relationship with the Sheriff is more than it seems.
This races along at a cracking pace which left me wanting more. Definitely one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time.
Thank you Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for allowing me to read an early copy.
A GREAT thriller that will keep you guessing! Pulls you in from the first page and leaves you needing to read "one more page". Very engrossing and highly entertaining...highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
I gave a five star review recently for Friends Like These, so I can add another five (hundred ) star review for this delicious new offering from this brilliantly devious woman. A character named Ava - the palindrome is our first clue - has us running in circles and shifting back and forth unearthing the secrets under her seemingly perfect life. Twist upon twist, revelations galore, unexpected truths and an all around perfect read.
Sarah Alderson gives us a great thriller that kept me turning the pages from beginning to end. I thought I knew the answer to the "who done it" in this one but I was wrong. I love when the author keeps you guessing and it ends up being someone totally different than you thought. Very well thought out and written!
Ava lives in a mansion with her husband Robert, 12 year old daughter June and her step-son, Gene, who loves in an apartment over the garage. From the looks of things, Ava has the perfect life. She doesn't work and runs June around where she needs to go. They have had their battles in the past though, they have not always lived in a mansion, June had cancer and fought it and Gene uses weed just to name a few. From the outside looking in though you would think they have it all.
When masked men break in to the house one night leaving Ava and Robert injured and June fighting for her life, Ava is determined to find out who those masked men were and why they targeted her family. As Ava begins to unravel some truths that have been going on, we go on a wild ride with her to figure things out. Everyone in the family seems to have their own set of secrets.
Will Ava be able to figure out who those masked men were and what they wanted with her family? You will have to read this one for yourself to find out. I could not put this one down once I started reading it. There are no lulls in this story and you will not regret picking this one up for sure. Very well written!
All opinions in this review are my own and voluntarily written. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book.
A beautiful family. A robbery gone wrong. A lifetime of secrets between them. Who do you trust? What do you believe? As Ava searches for the truth the pages turn faster and faster. Wildly suspenseful with so many unexpected plots twits. A definite must for a weekend read.
Thank you NetGalley and Sarah Alderson for this early edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner
Absolutely fantastic had me gripped!!! Loved it! Can't wait for more from.this author. Storyline was great, characters were easy to.connect with
Thank you for the advanced copy
It feels like every book at the moment is described as an 'edge of your seat thriller', and most of them completely fail in meeting this description. But this one honestly did! It was very difficult to guess what was going to happen, as straightforward is exactly the opposite of this plot!
There were times where it seemed to drag a bit, but these were few and far between, and it didn't affect my enjoyment. In fact, it was so gripping, I ended up reading it until 3am!
This book was excellent! Totally kept my attention and I wanted to find out what would become of the main characters. Highly reccomended.
Ava and successful husband Robert live in their mansion with her 12 year old daughter June, stepson Gene lives in an apartment over the garage. Their eldest daughter Hannah is studying in New York.
When armed men break into their house, leaving Ava and Robert injured and June fighting for her life,
Ava will stop at nothing to find out who and why her family were attacked so violently.
This is not a straight forward burglary gone wrong, there are lots of twists that will keep you hooked and this book just gets better and better!!
A must read thriller that keeps you guessing till the end.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Ava lives with her loving, successful husband in a beautiful house – a $3 million mansion in fact. Her step-son lives in an apartment over the garage, her eldest daughter is in New York studying and her youngest – ah, her youngest! 12 year old Jane is a cancer survivor and as such is very much centre stage in Ava’s life.
A home invasion spins Ava into a vortex, it leaves both her and her husband injured and Jane in a coma fighting for her life. Ava has limited memory of the events surrounding the home invasion but her recollections are crucial to the investigations – can she identify the intruders? Her efforts to remember raises questions in her mind; what happened when Roger was escorted from the kitchen – what happened when the intruder took Jane upstairs? When the sheriff informs her that some of her jewellery has been found and then that her husband is bankrupt it leads to more confusion, more questions and paranoia.
So far that might just sound like your average, home invasion type story. To some degree that is what I thought when I first started reading: yes, I was enjoying it but then… Oh my goodness! It went from strength to strength. I went this way and that (probably a bit like Ava) trying to figure it all out. Ah! It is definitely that person – oh, perhaps not then. I have to stop talking about the plot now – spoilers. Enough to say that I was surprised right until the last couple of pages. Hats off to you Ms Alderson, you are clever. One more thing, 5 stars are just not enough. Loved it!
Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.
This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased
Wow - chilling thriller - have not read this author before but will certainly be looking out for more
Lots of twists and turns - was on the edge of my seat
A great summer read
I could not put this book down!! Very suspenseful and full of lies that weave a tight web. I highly recommend this book! I received an ARC and this is my honest review.
Ok gimme a minute to pick my jaw up off the floor. Phew. Ok this is one of those books you will want to read any chance you get! So Ava is leading a seemingly wonderful life with her husband, two daughters and her stepson. One night their home is broken into and one of her daughters is left hospitalized with serious injuries. I won’t spoil anything but as a suspect emerges, Ava struggles to find out why. That only leads her to unbelievable secrets and lies within her family. And Ava has some of her own as well. This book is full of action, suspense, and family drama. I finished it in two days! Loved it!
I went into In Her Eyes cold--I'd had it on my Kindle from NetGalley and couldn't remember which book is was--and pulled it up to read just a bit to see if I liked it. Welp, 24 hours later, I finished. It was a compulsive, compelling read. I loved Alderson's writing so much I immediately purchased her previous book on Kindle--that almost never happens for me. Stamp of approval.
Even knowing nothing about the premise I could see the intrigue piling up in the opening chapters--family members keeping secrets, lying. Then the home invasion hit and I was sucked in with no hope of escape. I read from 0 to 56% in a single night, got to 76% on the train to work, and finished on the way home. It's cliche, but when they say a book is unputdownable, this is what they mean. (I'm already flying through the book I bought, too.)
The character work is bang on. Ava is a typical domestic suspense thriller heroine in many ways: she's rich, living the life, with a seemingly perfect family. Things begin to unravel and she claws desperately to get her life back. But. I'm so accustomed to a character like this making stupid choices, or not fighting back (in the literal sense), and Ava surprised me. She can take care of herself, even when she's terrified. She fights back and defends herself in a way that is completely believable and satisfying. I was rooting for her and was never frustrated by her train of thought, her choices, the things she misses. (Because it's a thriller; of course there are late stage twists!)
Ava's children June, Hannah, and Gene felt believable/real and complex. When I looked up the author and found out she used to write YA, I wasn't surprised. I liked the side characters and dynamics explored--friendships, jealousy, but ultimately loyalty among girlfriends. Ava's husband is a rounded, twisty character. Medical personnel, cops, all the typical side characters worked well.
There were lots of red herrings and twists and things to keep me guessing. I figured out enough to feel clever, but not everything so as to be bored. The ending was satisfying and unsettling at the same time.
Honestly, she's a new favorite. Highly recommend for anyone who loves domestic suspense thrillers, especially one with a Southern California rich-ass-rich-people flair.
Ava seems to have the perfect life, Husband, great kids, lives in a big house with no money worries. Some of her friends are jealous of the life she lives. But everything is not as it seems. Her husband has been distant and has locked himself in his office. Her daughter has had Cancer but is now in remission and Stepson Gene lives in an apartment over the garage and smokes pot.
When one day Ava comes home to find Armed men in her house. Ava follows one of the men upstairs as he brings her daughter June with him. Ava has a gun and follows the man and June up the stairs. Ava thinks the worse but, in the commotion, June is shot.
When there is investigation to what happened. Not only that the Sheriff who is investigating is childhood sweetheart Nate. She also finds out that her husband is bankrupt.
In your eyes by Sarah Alderson is a gripping on your edge of your seat thriller. With lots of twists and turns and a surprising twist at the end that you didn’t see coming. This is a very good read.
Ava and her husband Robert live in a beautiful big house with their daughter June and Roberts son Gene while their eldest Hannah is at college in New York. When armed men break into their home leaving Ava and Robert injured and June in a coma. When Ava wakes up in hospital she is determined to find out why this has happened to her family and has to deal with her past to find the truth.
So many twist and turns I have been on the edge of my seat for the whole book 😱 I could easily of read it in one sitting an addictive read and I was kept guessing to the end.
Ava has the perfect life. A beautiful house which her husband Robert worked hard to give her. Two beautiful daughter and a lovely step son Gene. But life hasn't always been plain sailing. Their youngest daughter June has cancer. At 11 year old and the rest of her life in front of her. Will June survive?
Ava and Robert have been married a long time. After her friend Laurie thinks her husband could be playing away. Ava thinks to herself that she would know if Robert strayed.
Robert organised a special anniversary night out, however Ava cancelled it as Laurie needed her more.
Coming back earlier than expected to a surprise husband. She jumps into the shower.
During the shower she hears raised voice downstairs. Two men in masks were trying to rob them!
They end up in hospital - Ava and Robert beaten up but June got hit by a bullet and is fighting for her life)
But when the Ava friend's Nate, the police officer tells her Robert may have staged this and tried to kill her. She sets off an investigation by herself. But is this too close to home?
A brilliant story that kept me hooked from start to finish; There are a few twists to the story that make you think OMG. Just when you thought you'd figured out the plot and who had done it.. Something happens and you rethink it.
This is one of two books in 2019 that I've read in one sitting - a rarity in my busy schedule. Ava leads a privileged life - plenty of money, a big house in California. But like everyone else, she has hardships. Her daughter just recovered from cancer, her husband is working more and more, and her adult stepson smokes pot in their guest house and shows no signs of leaving. Her perfect life shatters after a home invasion.
I found the characters to be extremely believable. Ava is a strong woman who will go to any lengths to help her family and save them from impending threats. There were quite a few twists that were well executed, along with a fast plot that kept me reading past midnight.
A home invasion gone wrong or is it? Who are the bad guys? A very fast page, thrilling, and shocking book! I kept turning page after page to find out what happened next!! This is going to be one of my favorite thriller novels of 2019!! Definitely a suspense filled exciting book that should be made into a Hollywood movie!
4.5 stars
Wow this book threw me through a loop!
Ava appeared to have the perfect life with the perfect family, but that all changed one night when her home was invaded. Ava then woke up in the hospital and discovered her daughter was in critical condition after having been shot. From there, everything spiraled out of control while Ava tried to piece together the events from the night of the invasion and she searched for answers as to why her family was targeted and who was responsible. As the story dove deeper, Ava found that her family might not be so perfect after all.
I really enjoyed reading this book! I thought I had it all figured out early on in the story, but I couldn’t have been further from the truth. It was a suspenseful and page-turning read that had me guessing the outcome from one chapter to the next. I’m happy to say I definitely didn’t see the end coming (it was a jaw dropper!), and it made the book that much more enjoyable.
Highly recommend!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2998618096
I absolutely loved this book! Riveting suspense. You have to carefully follow all the threads and things going on, but together they form a cohesive thriller of a novel. Unbelievably fabulous, highly recommend!
I really enjoyed this book! I thought there were quite a few twists and turns, certainly enough to keep you guessing and wanting to read until the end. Would highly recommend!
OMG this book had me so chilled to the bone!! It was such a great thriller and I could NOT put it down. Ava has a perfect life, or so she thinks, until the unspeakable happens. After a violent home invasion, which leaves her daughter fighting for her life, she must come to terms that all is not well. Someone is clearly after her family, but why? Suddenly, everything in her life seems like a lie.
I cannot express how good this book was...I was so sad when it was over. If you like crazy psychological thrillers, you do NOT want to miss this one!
5 out of 5 stars for In Her Eyes by Sarah Alderson.
Sarah Alderson has created a true psychological thriller with twists and turns from start to finish. The story begins with our protagonist, Ava who is a wealthy wife of a IT developer, artist and mother of two of her own children and a step-son. She believes life is great when suddenly the rug is pulled out from under her and her world turns upside-down. There are so many twists and question marks throughout this book that the reader begins to wonder how reliable the narrator is and who is lying to whom. The story is fast paced and keeps you reading. It has some back and forth in the timeline, jumping from current to past events. This was to inform the reader of history but was well placed in my opinion and added to the story.
Definitely recommend - 4.5 stars
#InHerEyes #Netgalley #HodderandSloughton #MulhollandPress #SarahAlderson
I am a Sarah Alderson novice and I was so impressed with this outstanding psychological thriller, although I have had another of this fabulous author’s books - Friends Like These - on my Kindle for a while. The premise of In Her Eyes beckoned to me and I knew that I had to read this novel!
In Her Eyes definitely did not disappoint. It had everything I would expect from a psychological thriller - a great plot, well-drawn characters and terrific pacing.
Even though I have read quite a few books with a similar premise to this one - a 'perfect' family, unexposed secrets, compulsive lies, domestic drama and several twists, so I began this book in the knowledge of what was to come. This novel has also been a great delight, full of fracas, melodrama, tension, to-do and fascinating characters, whether they were loved or hated and unexpected outcomes. There was oodles of suspense and it was definitely an enthralling reading experience that had me hooked throughout.
I loved the shock factor and twisting plot, making this extremely difficult to put down. I really appreciated the smooth writing style of Sarah Alderson and it was easy to connect with the characters - to imagine them, sympathise with them, love or hate them.
The great reveal was astounding, fulfilling and unexpected. In Her Eyes was everything I wanted in what was a pretty special psychological thriller and I am already looking forward to my next read by this gifted author.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Mulholland via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
An absolute mystery . . . even when I thought I knew what was going on, Bam! Another plot twist. I was so sure I had the ending figured out (I usually do). I was so wrong.
How could one night go so wrong?! Ava reaches home after a night on the town with her youngest daughter, Jane. Ava was supposed to have an anniversary date with her husband, Robert, and Jane was spending the night with her friend, Abby. But plans often go awry. This time it puts both of them in the path of armed robbers. Will her family survive the robbery? Each has something they are keeping to themselves. Will their secret help or hurt them in the long run. You will need to purchase this outstanding book to learn for sure. But don’t get too comfortable, things are about to change on the next page.
This book is very well-written. The twists and turns are carefully planned so the reader doesn’t see them coming. I knew Sarah Alderson was a good writer but I am still wowed to realize her flair for the unexpected.
I received an ARC from Hodder & Stoughton; Mulholland Books through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review.
WOW!! What a brilliant psychological thriller! I absolutely loved this book!
The pace was very fast and it keeps you wanting to turn just 1 more page.
It is everyone's nightmare. Home is the place where we should all feel safe and secure.
Ava is living the dream. After years of struggling she is living in the perfect house and all is well with her family. Her husband is very successful in his job, her eldest daughter is away at university and her youngest daughter is cancer free. Even her stepson is starting to take responsibility. Then 1 evening her life is shattered to pieces when there's a home invasion. It leaves both her and her husband injured and June her; youngest daughter; fighting for her life. From there everything spirals out of control.
I absolutely loved this book and will definitely read more from this author.
Thank you to #netgalley and #HodderBooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Absolutely fantastic thriller which had me longing for more.
The premise was so different. The beginning chapter blew me away. Ava apparently led a great life with family, children, stepson. A home invasion changed it all. Daughter went into coma and the family destroyed. Ava needed to get to the truth. Secrets were revealed which broke her trust.
My first book by this author, and I was simply enthralled with the writing. I had to get to the truth so tapping on my kindle was at a rapid pace. Twists were aplenty, and the writing style was smooth, increasing the tension across the scenes.
A compelling thriller, I would say. My kinda read!!
Sarah Alderson had me hooked from the moment I picked up “In Her Eyes”.
What a cast of characters this novel had…From Ava to Robert to June to Hannah and so many more….. they were all instrumental in the story. I truly couldn’t tell you my favorite.
I was in awe of the books ending! The twists and turns along the way we’re immense, so many I just never saw coming.
This was my first novel by this author.
If you want to read a thriller that you will not be able to put down, then this book is perfect for you!
I highly recommend “In Her Eyes”! Looking forward to the next Sarah Alderson Book! Sign me up!
I received the ARC of this book from the author in exchange for fair and honest review.
My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton/Mulholland Books for an eARC via NetGalley of Sarah Alderson’s latest domestic thriller, ‘In Her Eyes’, in exchange for an honest review.
Last winter I was completely enthralled by her ‘Friends Like These’ and so I was very keen to read this.
My policy with thrillers is to read ‘cold’ with little details of the plot in advance to avoid being spoiled. Here a shocking opening chapter indicates that this novel is going into very dark territory.
Sure enough after a brief flashback to earlier in that same day that establishes the details of Ava’s current life, it is completely shattered by a violent home invasion.
The shocks come fast with plenty of twists and turns. I was completely caught up in it from the start and ended up reading in a single sitting.
An amazingly tense thriller that delivers on all counts.
Wow .. just, WOW! I wasn't sure about this one at the beginning but what a read it turned out to be!
Ava leads a charmed life and is the envy of many - in particular, her best friend who is struggling with money worries and concerns about her husband. Returning home one evening, Ava is shocked to the core when her home and family are subjected to attack, in their own home, by masked men. Horrifying as this is, it's only the beginning . . .
What a story! Lulling me into a false sense of security that made me think this was going to be a straightforward thriller, it wasn't long before I was plunged into a terrifying, heart-pounding state. I kid you not, my heart thudded throughout this one as the book twisted first this way and then turned another. Absolutely packed full with non-stop events, I was almost afraid to put it down even when I was totally shattered and more than ready to sleep. It's a gripping and very exciting read (I dread to think what it did to my blood pressure) and I could never have seen where it was going to end up! Shocking and thrilling, this has put Sarah Alderson very firmly in my sights for future releases. Stunning! Earning every one of the five shiny stars I'm more than happy to give.
My thanks to Mulholland Books for my copy via NetGalley; as always, this is my honest, original and unbiased review.
I have to admit I couldn’t put this book down and I read it in one sitting, which is a first for me.
Ava and her husband, Robert, live in a large house with their 12 year old daughter, June and Robert’s son Gene. Ava and Robert also have another daughter, Hannah, who is away at college. One evening Ava hears a scream in the house and realises it’s her daughter June. She runs downstairs to find two armed men in the house threatening her family. They want access to the safe and things suddenly take a nasty turn which results in Ava waking up in hospital and June fighting for her life.
Ava is scared for her family and decides the police aren’t doing enough to find out what happened at her home so she takes it upon herself to find out exactly why her family were attacked. Not everything is as it seems and soon Ava realises this is not a straightforward burglary gone wrong.
A great thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat and ensures you are sucked in right until the very last page.
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.
How well do we really know anyone? We may think we know. Deep down we realize we will never really know all about someone, so we pretend we do... until the unthinkable happens. We suddenly have fleeting thoughts that people we are close to have done bad things but doubt ourselves and ultimately convince ourselves that person we are second guessing would never do such a bad thing. This book starts out as a home invasion gone bad. Who were the invaders, why did they do it and why can’t Ava remember everything from that night? Her world is turned upside down when she learns more information about why the invasion happened. Can she believe this information? She cannot believe anything in her life is true anymore until she decides to try to put the pieces together from that fateful night . This book had so many twists my mind is still spinning well after finishing it. It was unbelievably good. I would highly recommend this book!
Well, well, well. Sarah Alderson you’ve restored my faith that thrillers can indeed be thrilling. I’ve had some let downs recently, but not with In Her Eyes. Sure those other thrillers had some action, but In Her Eyes started with action and kept it going. And besides the first scenes that leave you wanting more, Alderson had twist after twist. And that final turn left me thinking about the books for days.
If you look closer at the story you could start picking it apart. There are a lot of coincidences coming together and that may be hard for others to look past. But for me, I let the story carry me away and just enjoyed where it took me. There have been suspense and thrillers that I’ve read where too many unbelievable things had to happen in order for the story to flow or come together. But all of the things happening in In Her Eyes were believable enough in this day and age that I could see it happening.
I really don’t want to give anything away, so just purchase the book and take time afterwards to appreciate that (hopefully) your life is nothing like those in the book!
Oh boy this book had me hooked right from the beginning and it didnt let me go. Perfectly paced, with a killer of an ending. Im so sad to have finished reading this! My second 5 star review on net galley!
This book is full of twists and turns, just when you think you've sussed someone or something out you're proven wrong.
How well do you really know your family? How many lies can one family have?
This book is written from Ava's point of view, and her struggle to find out how June, her daughter, ended up in hospital after a burglary that had gone terribly wrong.
Ava is on mission, and does her own detective work as to why they were targeted in the first place, but finds her family have a lot of secrets.
This is an addictive read, which i thoroughly enjoyed, and will be looking into reading other books from this author.
Will definitely recommend to friends
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Adapted by Robin Bright, Illustrations by Lauren Adams, Rebecca Galloway, Michelle McIver & Tony Mitchell
Children's Fiction