The Evil in You

This book is so good. I pretty much read it overnight. It was scary and thrilling and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened. One of the best stories I’ve heard all year.

I kind of went back and forth on this one?! This book had suspense , intrigue, action and a crazy twisted who done it! The storyline was very unique, and I did enjoy reading this book but I was a little confused at times?! All and all it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it but it wasn't one of my all time favorites! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
A very creepy thriller, this story features a traumatized woman who, fifteen years ago, had such a terrible experience that she is still suffering from PTSD: sleepless nights, panic attacks and hallucinations are just some of the symptoms. She keeps hearing the voice of or seeing one of the attackers who killed her friends and the police and her mother are getting fed up with her sightings and accusations. Are they real or are they part of her hallucinations? She decides to take revenge when she recognizes a man as the killer and events spiral out of control into a nightmare of epic proportions.
It's a hard book to put down, even though I felt uncomfortable and tense at times. You know she's making mistake after mistake ... or is she?
Recommended!

Creeping Menace…
The past is returning to haunt Michaela and that past is bad news. Very bad indeed. This time she’s going to take the law into her own hands. But is Michaela in the grip of her own obsession? Slow creeping menace woven through this gripping suspense with solid characterisation and a well crafted plot.

Probably one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a while?? That was really great I really enjoyed the journey that this book took us on. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for this authors works in the future of course!

Michaela is sure it’s him. The killer. She’s been wrong before, but she knows she’s right this time. And she’s going to make him pay for what he did—at any cost.

Fifteen years earlier: five teenagers, camping by a remote forest lake to celebrate the end of school, are terrorised. All but one are brutally murdered. All but Michaela. She is left alive, left to try and make sense of the trauma, to piece together the fragmented memories she has of that day.

I loved this story. It was creepy, and believable full of twists and turns. I loved the setting of the story and that it had been translated into English. It felt foreign, dark and even more creepy than if it had been set in England or America. There were times where I believed Michaela and times where I was seriously doubting her sanity which made for a thrilling read. I found it hard to put down.

“For a fraction of a second, my heart stops. Something in my head goes click. In my mind’s eye, the lake drifts into view, the water dyed blood-red by the setting sun. An icy shiver runs through me. And then I see him.”

From the title I was intrigued, the short prologue hooked me and I never looked back. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours and that including having to work a full day. Michaela our main protagonist was so brutally tortured physically and mentally 15 years ago the scars still feel raw. Finally starting to come back out into the world causes many disturbances in her life and mental stability. Hearing the voice of the person who caused so much pain around every corner….or is it just in her own mind?

She plans to get revenge for her friends that went for a lovely summer camping trip and never made it home. Knowing she finally has the killer in her sights she sets about planning her revenge.

I loved how the author was able to break it up between chapters going back and forth from 15 years earlier to present day. Breaking it up into full chapters instead of flashbacks made me just keep turning pages to get more information. Constantly trying to piece it all together in my head before the reveal of all that happened comes to light. There are great twists and so many emotions throughout this book I even had to remind myself to breath a couple of times. The imagery she paints of Germany is beautiful and just made me want to visit all the Christmas marketplaces. So ein tolles bunch, ich kann es kaum erwarten, mehr von dieser Autorin zu lessen. 5/5

Thank you & Danke schön to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for sharing this digital copy in exchange for my honest review

This is a quick read. Interesting characters and a great plot, but unfortunately the writing is somewhat awkward. I did enjoy the story, although it was confusing at times. I was disappointed with the rather abrupt ending.

3.5 rounded up
Grabbed me at the start. Did slow down a bit but I still enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

*3.5 STARS
I thought the book was pretty thrilling. Herrmann succeeds in telling a very creepy story. The story moves between the present and past, and the author fluctuates between the two fluidly.
The book was fast paced, and kept you wanting to know more. Even though parts of it were slightly difficult to read, owing to the description of some pretty disturbing scenes, it was hard to put it down. There were some good twists as well. However, there were some parts that I thought were slightly predictable.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review...Some of the characters are likable...the story moves slowly...this is a quick read.

My first novel by author Jutta Maria Herrmann and I did enjoy it. The plot was gripping and it really drew me in.

The main character is Michela and she has experienced terror in her past and can not seem to let go. . She sees the killers face wherever she goes and is hanging on to bring the killer of her friends to justice.

The story follows Michela as she sees the killer and this in turn sets off lots of events that are terrifying. I can not say too much as I do not want to give any of the storyline away but if you like a good thriller with high content of a vigilante then do pick a copy of this novel up.

The only thing that I found quite hard going is that this novel is translated.

Nonetheless a really good thriller and the author is a brilliant storyteller.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jutta Maria Herrmann and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Interesting but not really my cup of tea. Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A good book, that I enjoyed. The book follows the main character trying to piece together the turn of events that resulted in her friends been murdered many years prior. It is suspenseful and intriguing, somewhat confusing in places however some of the twists I did not see coming. With a bit of crazy behaviour from the characters thrown in, making it a gripping read and you literally did not know what would happen next. Would recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the book.

A new author for me and a good read.The plot was a bit confusing at times. The first part of this book was gripping but I am afraid the rest of this book was a struggle. I don't know if this is the translation or if this is the authors way of storytelling. Unfortunately for me it did not deliver. Saying that I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in advance. Very interesting story and a lot of twists and turns. The book keeps you guessing.

The start of this book is so intense. It was a great way to glue you in. This isn't my normal go to read. but I'm glad I picked it up.
I had mix emotions about this. There were parts in this book I enjoyed. But some of the time line did get confusing and at times this book felt long winded.
Still I enjoyed it over all.

I was granted a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

This is a mystery that kept me guessing and surprised me in the end. I thought it was well written and held my interest.

Michaela is sure it's him. The killer. She's been wrong before, but she knows she's right this time. And she's going to make him pay - at any cost. Fifteen years earlier: five teenagers, camping by a remote forest lake to celebrate the end of school, are terrorised. All but one are brutally murdered. All but Michaela. She is left alive, left to try and make sense of the trauma, to piece together the fragments she has of that day.

The plotline can be a bit confusing at times, I don't know if some of it was lost in translation. This is quite a creepy read. The story has a dual timeline, told in the present day and fifteen years ago. There's also some graphic descriptions of disturbing scenes. There's lots of twists in this intriguing and gripping read. I never knew what was going to happen next. It can be both tense and uncomfortable to read in places, so it might not be suitable for the faint hearted.

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

This was a very interesting book. First time author for me. It was a.little different kind of book.

It was okay I liked it Thank net galley for letting me read this book

This was a very quick read!

At first, it was a bit confusing. But eventually it started to get a little far fetched and unbelievable. With that said, it still was worth finishing just to see who killed the 4 teenagers back in 2003. There were some plot holes as well.

The ending was good & was an unexpected twist. I do enjoy books where you can’t trust the main character’s perception which is why I did give it 3/5 stars.

Fifteen years after witnessing the murder of her friends Michaela is absolutely certain the killer is back as she spirals further into her obsession to get his confession, how far will she go and what memories will she uncover as she loses control of everything around her.
This book is very dark, twisted and suspenseful at times the plot seems confused and difficult to follow this may be due to parts being lost in the translation or it could be to demonstrate Michaela’s confusion and mental state.
The ending for me seemed to throw the whole outcome of the story up into the air and left me unsure of the truth of what happened, I’m sure some readers will absolutely love the way this ends but my preference is to be left with a solid outcome.
Overall this is a fantastic book which will play with your mind and senses throughout. I would like to thank net galley, Amazon publishing and the author for allowing me to have this ARC. #NetGalley #TheEvilinYou

This is a great book and I enjoyed it. Michaela is sure she's got the killer this time around. But things go wrong when she presses for a confession. The plot and twists were unpredictable. Even though some parts were slightly difficult to comprehend. The last few hours of Michaela, although didn't make sense, did great in building anticipation.

My thanks to Amazon Publishing, U.K, Jutta Maria Hermann and Netgalley.
This is an awkward book to review. I think the translater did a great job.
The story itself was.just average? I knew what was going on, and even the ending wasn't a surprise. It's just that everything was so fanned predictable!
That's not to say that this was an awful.story. Even when I became frustrated and wanted it to move along, I still liked it. Weird!
I think this should be a shorter, more succinct story.
As it is, it's too wandering.

A great read! Lots of twists and plots. Told in a duel timeline - present day and fifteen years ago Michaela is left to try make sense of the trauma and of a brutal murder in which she was the only one that survived. It was a tense read and I was kept on my toes not knowing what was going to happen! I loved the fast paced chapters going back and forth in time and made for a fast read.
The imagery the author paints of Germany is just beautiful and somewhere I’d like to visit one day.
I would highly recommend this book!
Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this advanced reading copy.

I don't know what to say about this one. I was completely absorbed, couldn't get through this one fast enough but I feel like I was left with a lot of questions. I thought the main character, Michaela was an intriguing yet flawed individual who I was sympathetic towards but the storyline was confusing at times and there were inconsistencies. Also, some things seemed completely over the top but I attributed that to Michaela's state of mind and where the story was meant to go. Overall, I really thought it was a good read, thanks to the publisher and author for the opportunity....

What a surprise read! "The Evil In You" has it all; Intense, mysterious, intriguing and crazily good! I had to stay up all night just to know what would happen and I can tell you, it was worth it. I am willing to lose sleep (or breakfast) just so I could finish it.

The writer was able to write interesting and likeable characters. It also scared me a few times, I mean, imagine innocently camping in a remote forest and get terrorized by a killer. All your friends, dead, you were the only one who survived and years later, you came face to face with the killer? What are you going to do? Well, Michaela is a badass and I loved her character.

If you want a fun and exciting book to read with a lot of action and surprises along the way, I suggest you get this book. You're in for a ride.

Cheers to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC.

This story starts out SCARY and the pace is quick containing a few surprising plot twists. This is a very well done translation. I loved the setting in Berlin and enjoyed trying to figure out what was happening with our main character. I did find the ending a little rushed, but would highly recommend this one as a fast, fun thriller. Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer Publishing and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fifteen years ago five teenagers were camping by a local lake. Only one teenager came back ... Michaela. She's relived that time in her life on a daily basis. She has spent the years seeing the killer's face. He seems to be everywhere. And this time she is sure she has found him.

The police no longer take her sightings seriously, so she's made a plan to make this killer disappear ... forever.

But you know what they say about best laid plans ....

An air of mystery surrounds the events that took place 15 years ago. The main character is solidly defined and is an enigma unto herself. She says and does things that she doesn't quite understand. Strange thoughts race around her head. She has sleepless nights wondering what exactly did happen that terrible night. It's a compelling read, but I'm a little ambivalent about the conclusion. The translation was spot-on ... kudos to the translator.

Interesting fact about the author .. she is a trained bookseller. She uses this experience as part of this novel.

Many thanks to the author / Amazon Publishing UK / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological drama. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

When all but one of five teenagers are brutally killed whilst camping near a remote forest lake, Michaela is the only survivor & her memory of the murders is incomplete & she is haunted by what happened. Fifteen years later, she hears a familiar voice, & she's sure that she has found one of the killers. There is no evidence, no proof he was there, but Michaela decides to make him pay.

This started off promisingly with an intriguing firsthand account of one of the five friends, & the book then switches to Michaela in the present-day & her chance meeting with an old school friend. The ensuing invite to a party leads her into hearing what she is sure is the voice of one of the two killers from fifteen years ago. Things deteriorate from there for Michaela & the story veers from one unlikely occurrence to another. I felt that the characters were rather thinly drawn too, especially Alexander, the brother of one of the victims. It was an okay read, but I felt that the final twist at the end was unsatisfying.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Thomas & Mercer / Amazon Publishing UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Not for me I’m sorry to say. I ended up skimming through the last quarter. The story seemed all over the place with lots of inconsistencies and too many far fetched scenarios.

Thankyou to NetGalley for this book. I found that it started off quite slow and I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to carry in reading it. I’m glad I pushed on because the twists and turns of the book really made it worthwhile! Some of the twists were quite obvious but there were some that made my jaw drop in shock! I would definitely recommend this book!

I am really not sure what to make of this book; could have been the translation and the different timelines but it seemed predictable and the ending was a bit meh.

However I am glad I read it.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

This book was just fantastic. It was dark and gritty. It had me from the beginning. I definitely would love to read more like this by the author or by other authors.

Plot ✍
Fifteen years ago she escaped with her life. Now he’s back but has her luck run out? Fifteen years earlier: five teenagers, camping by a remote forest lake to celebrate the end of school, are terrorised. All but one are brutally murdered. All but Michaela. She is left alive, left to try and make sense of the trauma, to piece together the fragmented memories she has of that day.

TW: Animal abuse

Thoughts 💭
I will start with the things that I liked.. I liked that it went back to 2003 when the murders happened and forward 15 years later as she was thinking about it. I enjoyed the pace of the book. The suspense was slowing building it went on.

Now the bad, the ending absolutely ruined it for me. The entire book built up and made you wonder the whole time what really happened that day at the lake. They threw tons of theories at you. Then it had a terrible and abrupt ending. There needed to be so much more to explain at the end. I feel like the book was a waste because nothing for me was resolved. I did not enjoy it because of the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC. These are my honest opinions.

Wow. Enjoyed this one so much.
The story is about a woman who went through some terrible stuff 15 years ago. She still has nightmares and she feels like she can hear and see him (the man who hurt her) everywhere.
At first the books is a little confusing because of the constant traveling between past and present while still not knowing many details.
As I was reading more and more I became more invested in the story, curious to find out if the bad guy will be caught.

Thank you netgalley for this!

"I'd like to read this in the original German" is something I usually say when I'm (meanly) trying to imply that something has fascist vibes. In this case, it's because I think something was lost in translation. The story doesn't flow as it should, to the point that it was challenging to follow. I think there's a good story here, but I don't love this execution.

The Evil in You, by Jutta Maria Hermann, is a psychological thriller with plenty of family drama. The family drama is actually a huge part of what makes this book a psychological thriller. It's also what lends a lot of sadness to the story. It really kept me guessing the entire way through and had a huge twist at the end.
Fifteen years ago Michaela stumbled upon the campsite murder of four of her friends. Somehow she was the only one who was able to get away. Now traumatized, she continually tries to make sense of such senseless violence.
She remembers one of the killer's faces and not only suffers from flashbacks but she often thinks she sees him in real life. Now she’s absolutely convinced that she has found him. Even his voice sounds the exact same. She knows that she's the only one that can make him pay for his crimes.

The evil in you by Jutta Maria Herrmann.
Michaela is sure it’s him. The killer. She’s been wrong before, but she knows she’s right this time. And she’s going to make him pay for what he did—at any cost.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great story and characters. 5*.

Micheala survives a horrific event in her teens and is haunted by the voices of the killers who slaughtered her friends. She frequently feels she recognizes the voices and immediately behaves rashly. Unfortunately she is not right.

Once again, she hears the voice of one of the killers. This time it belongs to an old schoolfriend's husband. She decides to take matters into her own hands.

I didn't love this book. I found the ending a little confusing and not in a "was this a twist" way.

Fifteen years ago, Michaela and her friends are so exited schools over they decide to celebrate by taking a camping trip in the forest. All but one are viciously murdered. Michaela was the sole survivor.

Since that horrible day, she has never been the same. The face of the killer follows her everywhere she goes. Unable to let the events of those nights go, Michaela goes on a rampage. What transpires is a chain of events that no one can see coming.

I really liked this book! The concept reminded me of some of my favorite horror films.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

The Evil In You, is a quick and easy read. I really enjoyed this book from the minute I picked it up to the minute it concluded. This is my first book by Jutta Maria Hermann, but I will be sure to keep an eye on her for the future.

This book had all key components for a suspense novel . The Evil in You, instantly grabs your attention and does not let it go. I finished this book in one sitting. The twist is one you will never see coming.

The story line was well developed and the characters were multi-dimensional.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a quick and suspenseful thriller!

It was creepy, and believable full of twists and turns. I loved the setting of the story and that it had been translated into English. It felt foreign, dark and even more creepy than if it had been set in England or America. There were times where I believed Michaela and times where I was seriously doubting her sanity which made for a thrilling read. I found it hard to put down.

This was quite a confusing plot. I love how tensed the story was, leaving you no room to digest your thoughts but I feel the plot is lacking something. I am not sure if some of the plot is lost in translation or the author intentionally leaves you confused.

This story follows Michaela in a dual timeline focusing on the past and present. Fifteen years ago, Michaela and her friends went camping in a secluded forest lake to celebrate the end of school. What is supposed to be a fun trip quickly turned into horror when they were terrorised and brutally murdered. Only Michaela survived and the culprit was never caught. She was never the same eversince and she is always on the lookout for the culprit and has gotten into trouble with the police several times because of it. She believed that she finally found the culprit and decides to take matters into her own hands. What will she do next? How will she make the culprit pay or is it all in her head?

Some parts of the story is actually creepy, just thinking about being in a secluded forest where no one can hear you scream gives me goosebumps. Despite there being loopholes, the whole story is actually quite thrilling and kept me on the edge. I did enjoy the little plot twists but I felt the ending was a little rushed. Overall, I still enjoyed reading this. If you are looking for a fast paced thriller, do give this a go.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the arc.

This was the first book I have read by German author Jutta Maria Herrmann and it may be her first novel translated into English. Born in Sarland, Hermann has been a trained bookseller and studied German, has organised rock concerts, scrubbed floors as a cleaning lady, worked as a secretary in a carpentry shop, been an assistant to political editors of a daily newspaper but has now dedicated herself to writing psychological thrillers.

The book centres on unreliable narrator Michaela whose life has been impacted by tragic events that took place 15 years earlier. Going on a camping trip to celebrate the end of school she and 4 friends had a terrifying ordeal which saw only Michaela return, forever damaging her psychologically. She and her mother run a bookshop in Berlin and being fully aware of her triggers, Michaela keeps to herself and avoids social encounters. However, after meeting a one-time fellow pupil from her school, far more popular than herself, Michaela is convinced to go to a party.

As the novel develops we follow the events of 15 years earlier in parallel with the contemporary storyline which reveals that Michaela is haunted by the face and voice of one of the perpetrators. Convinced that she has run into him again, she concocts a plan to abduct him and extract a confession. Where better a place to do so than the remote forest that she was at on the camping trip. Yet a power struggle occurs between Michaela and the man she has abducted and it starts to become unclear who is the aggressor and who is the victim.

I did enjoy The Evil In You. I felt quite invested in Michaela as a character who despite her obsessions was a sympathetic character. I did like her interactions with the other characters in the story. The confrontations in the forest were fairly tense and I was very keen to see how they would play out. Although the book has multiple timelines, I felt it was fairly easy to understand, although I did feel the ending was a bit open to interpretation. If you’re interested in psychological dramas in different locations, I would certainly encourage you to read this book.

I'm not sure if it was lost in translation, but I found the beginning very confusing due to character names. Even with the beginning not clear, if you stick with this thriller, the twists at the end make it worth it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Evil in You by Jutta Maria Herrmann is a terrifying thriller that you won't be able to put down! The story revolves around Michaela who escaped from a killer 15 years ago. Back then, she and four friends had been camping in a remote forest when they were brutally murdered. Only Michaela survived. But now, years later, she sees the killer again. Is it really him? What will she do to take him down and bring him to justice?

Here is a terrifying excerpt from the Prologue:

"Stop! Wait! You can't leave me like this!
She tries to scream, but the words die away in her throat and she can barely manage a squeak. Terror wells up inside her, her heart thundering like a cannon.
She pulls frantically at the ropes. The coarse fibres cut deep into her wrists. Blood trickles down her hands, drips on to the forest floor."

Overall, Evil in You is a fast-paced read which was so good until the disappointing ending. One highlight of this book are the gripping and terrifying flashbacks. They made the story very exciting to read. I did take off 2 stars, because I did not enjoy the ending of the book. When I finished the book, I was left wondering, "What was that ending?" It was much too ambiguous for me. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you can check out this book, which is available now!