The Edge

Lucy Goacher's <i>The Edge</i> is a solid mystery/thriller with a somewhat unusual structure. We know by the end of the prologue that the victim, Poppy, was murdered--and we know exactly who did it. Sort of. (It was her boyfriend.) But who exactly is this murderous man?

Fast forward six months. Poppy's sister, Clementine, is struggling to come to terms with Poppy's apparent suicide. It just doesn't make sense. She can't believe her sister would kill herself. Before long, Clementine starts to suspect the truth: Poppy was murdered by her mysterious new boyfriend--a man who changes his identity to charm his way into his victims' lives. Poppy wasn't his only victim. And Clementine has reason to believe she may be the killer's next target.

This is where it gets <i>really</i> good.

It's rare for me to stay up late reading--I love my sleep way too much--but this book kept me up long past my bedtime. Once I hit the 80% mark I just had to keep going until I knew how it ended. And the ending didn't disappoint.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed here are my own.

Absolutely loved and read this book in a single setting! Can’t believe this was the author’s debut novel. There were so many twists and turns that I’ll be thinking about this book for a while! This book is an about a woman, Clementine, founds out that her sister has committed suicide. Clementine doesn’t want to believe that her bright and artistic sister would have done such a thing. Especially, after talking to her sister’s friends who told her she was in a serious relationship. Also, she spoke with a man named Daniel, whose sister’s death is also been written off as a suicide. However, he has proof otherwise. This book held me in a chokehold and wouldn’t let up. I would definitely recommend this book! Can’t wait for more of the authors work!

In the end the book is good. I’m glad I didn’t stop after the first quarter which was rather heavy handed and repetitive. We get it, suicide is devastating to those left behind, forever looking for missed signs or wishing they did something to intervene. Clementine lost her sister to murder-staged- as suicide in the prologue . She feels guilty. She joins support groups and volunteers at a helpline. When the coroner rules the death a suicide, Clemmie vows to go back over her sisters last few months. This is a major shift in the style and feel of the novel Suddenly we are in the throes of an exciting thriller where Clemmie discovers incriminating evidence
and all the men in her life are suspects. Two stars for first third, five for the rest!

This was a great book right from the start it had me hooked. I raced through this one and at times I gasped as I was reading. I highly recommend this one if you like a creepy and brooding thriller. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The Edge by Lucy Goacher was a total shocker! And one heck of a debut!

I love her writing style and the way she fleshes her character’s personality so explicitly!
This book is brilliantly written with the tension almost palpable.
The Edge kept up a fast pace with plenty of twists and I was kept guessing throughout.
Densely plotted and wonderfully compelling that will be devoured in a single sitting.
Lucy Goacher brilliantly captivates and engages, leaving the reader enthralled from start to finish.
A gripping page-turner that will have you completely hooked until the utterly jaw-dropping twist.
I'm so thrilled to have read this book. Now I have a new author to look forward to reading more stories by.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thomas & Mercer,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

The Edge starts off with one of the most perfect, beautiful, HAIR-RAISING first chapters I've ever read. It had me by the throat, and I couldn't put the book down.

Lucy EXCELS are gorgeous writing. It's just the right side of pacey and lyrical, and her characters are so nuanced and fleshed out. The twists come fast and furious, and at just the right time. I adored the mental health angle, and how many viable suspects we had! I didn't trust anyone. ANY ONE OF THEM could've done it, in the most believable of ways.

Without giving too many spoilers, the only thing that niggled at me was I would've loved for the mc to not fall in love with the murderer for another reason besides realizing she was a lesbian--there were so many other reasons that could've been more compelling without going that route.

But that said, that was mostly at the end, and I did thoroughly enjoy the book. I can't wait to see what Lucy writes next.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

-A

A sister tries to learn the reason for her sister’s suicide…depressing and lengthy…this is a sad book…the characters are all working together to be helpful in the midst of the sadness. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review.

This was a heart-wrenching mystery about a gal whose younger sister dies in what appears to be a suicide. Clementine carries guilt and doubt, and this changes the course of her life. She leaves school and moves back home, begins to work at a suicide prevention line, all the while trying to come to terms with what happened to Poppy. She finds similar instances of suicide and tries to link the deaths. She walks a fine line between acceptance of Poppy's suicide and denial-obsession. This is a great psychological thriller. It is also a very realistic portrayal of the emotional turmoil experienced with the sudden death of a loved one, especially under questionable circumstances. Incredibly well written, with many twists and turns, and an incredibly wild surprise ending! Superb!

I was in a reading slump when I came across this book and it really helped me get out of it! The pace of the book, with different points of view interwoven with each other had me on the edge of my seat.

Clem is volunteering at a suicide helpline in the wake of her sister’s death when she gets a phone call from Daniel. He is adamant his sister was murdered and the more Clem hears his story she cannot help but draw parallels to her sister’s demise. Can she find the killer? And can she convince her family that Poppy didn’t jump off the edge?

This book is written so cleverly I absolutely loved it! This is a different type of crime thriller than I am used to and it was a refreshing theme change. For those who love crime fiction and want a different twist on the genre then this is perfect for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! There were so many surprises and twists throughout the entire book. And an amazing twist at the end! An amazing debut from this author. I cannot wait to read more by Lucy Goacher.

It took me a bit to get into the book but the beginning builds up the story and is ultimately important for the plot. I liked the main character and felt the author did a great job with character development. This book deals with some heavy subjects, which the author handled really well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
I liked this and would read future titles by this author. The action slowed way down about halfway through. Towards the end, instead of red herrings, it was like she couldn't make up her mind who the killer was going to be. I would recommend this but not at the top of your list. Kudos to the friends who stuck with Clementine and helped her at the end. A nice debut.

A superb fast paced thriller. I absolutely loved the story and couldn’t stop reading it. It’s perfect for all readers, especially thriller lovers.

It is called the edge for many reasons. One is that it keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting to know more and discover all the details of these crimes and how they are linked. Obviously the main reason is that a girl jumps from a ledge in the beginning of the book but not everyone believes it was a suicide. It was a very compelling book and I had a hard time putting it down. I would definitely read more books by this author!!!

“The Edge” is a debut novel (thriller) by Lucy Goacher. For a debut novel, this was a pretty gripping, interesting, and engaging book. Ms. Goacher throws red herrings about like crazy - but in a really good way. One can feel the frustration (and sadness) Clemmie feels regarding the passing of her sister, Poppy. I thought a few things were a bit too convenient in the end, but this book held my attention and made me think about “who could it be” in a wonderful way. Ms. Goacher will be on my radar for future books to read. If you like quick to read but engaging (and making you think) thriller books, do give this one a try.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: November 1, 2022

Poppy’s body was found by dog walkers early one morning; her death ruled a suicide. Clementine shoulders the blame for this terrible occurrence, not picking up her younger sister’s call on the night it happened, convinced she could have made a difference if only she’d answered. Grief stricken and unbearably guilt ridden, Clementine devotes her time to a suicide hotline, vowing to be there for anyone else in the same situation. But when Clementine meets Daniel, whose sister also died under debatable circumstances, she begins to have doubts. Was someone else responsible for Poppy’s death? Will her questions lead to salvation? Or more guilt…

PROS and CONS:
Very, very good for a debut novel! Clementine is a great main character (smart, sensitive, striving for redemption.) Her determination to get to the bottom of her sister’s death is admirable, and I liked the plethora of suspects to choose from. It gets a little bogged down in the middle, with some repetition in the investigation (notice the necklace already!), but overall it was quite good.

READ IT?
If you’re looking for…a fast paced look into a possible murder, then this one’s for you!

4 Stars

TW: Due to the subject nature of this book, suicide is frequently mentioned.

Clementine is studying at Harvard in Boston, US when she receives a call from her father telling her that her younger sister, Poppy, is dead. Poppy apparently went to a local beauty spot at night & jumped. Everyone, including the police, are satisfied that Poppy took her own life, & Clementine is racked with guilt for not picking up her sister's final phonecall that fatal night. Back in England, Clementine is dreading the inquest as she knows her parents will find out about the ignored call. To try & assuage her guilt, Clementine has been volunteering on a helpline for people in distress, & one evening she receives a call from Daniel, a man whose sister died. During their conversation, Daniel confesses that he doesn't believe his sister would kill herself & that someone else was involved, but no-one in his life believes him.

After their call, Clementine listens to that last call message again & realises that it's not silent, she can hear someone breathing & it's not her sister. She starts to ask questions about Poppy's life at university & finds out Poppy had a secret boyfriend. Like Daniel, no-one wants to listen to her, not even her parents, but Clementine knows she has to find out if her sister was murdered. She makes a deal with Daniel to investigate both of their sisters' deaths, but the further they get, when it starts to look as if a serial killer is murdering young women & passing their deaths off as suicides, the more Clementine starts to wonder if the killer is already in her life. Can she really trust Daniel, or what about Liam, the over solicitous flatmate, Jude, her fellow helpline volunteer who seems to know an awful lot about her, or Alexander, the archetypical science geek who lives next door & who seems just a little bit too textbook?

This is a great thriller, & I can't believe it's the author's first published novel. It's not perfect: it's slow to get started, & for an intelligent woman Clementine can be unbearably dim at times, but overall it's well-written & there are some great clues in the narrative, & I didn't find it immediately obvious which of the characters was the guilty party. In fact I suspected all of them at one time or another. The ending was good (a couple of elements in it reminded me a little of What Lies Beneath with Michelle Pfeiffer & Harrison Ford - you'll see what I mean), & overall, this is an excellent debut & I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. 4.5 stars (rounded up)

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

This book grabbed me right away. Introvert Poppy thought she had finally found her prince. She was so shy she couldn't even go to the post office to mail letters to hers sister in Boston. Poppy's relationship with Ben gave her the confidence to do things she had never been able to before - but he encouraged her to keep their relationship a secret. When she was found dead at the bottom of a cliff no-one followed the trail to Ben. Poppy's only sister Clementine moved back from Harvard to the UK to help support her family.

Clementine is determined to find Poppy's killer. As a scientist - she is determined to treat the investigation as she had been trained. Clementine's research leads her to believe that the killer has probably already embedded himself in her life....

Thanks to Lucy Goacher & Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Huge thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for this ARC.

Clementine lost her sister, Poppy to suicide but she never believed that Poppy would do that. She was a happy person who had her whole life ahead of her and looked forward to it, not someone who was depressed or had suicidal thoughts. Clementine decides to start her own investigation and uncovers the truth.

While this story was a long one, each detail and event that happened was merely building up to the ultimate twist at the end. If you love a good suspenseful, twisty story, read this book! I have officially stayed up too late because I couldn’t put it down!

An absolutely gripping read that hooked me right from the start and didn't let me go. It was utterly compelling with twists and turns, mystery and fast pacing. It was completely unpredictable and kept me guessing. I loved it.

What a fabulous read - I really can't believe that this is a debut author! Everything about this intricately woven psychological thriller is just spot on. Took me ages to guess whodunit and the twist at the end just blew me away! Outstanding and can't nt wait for the next one!

This was quite the nail biter thriller! Prepare for many twists and turns—and expect the unexpected ending,

This was WAY heavier than I expected. I knew it was about a murder thought to be a suicide, but there is a theme of suicide throughout the entire book. It's very dark, sad, and depressing. It was well written, if a bit too long, but definitely be aware going into it that it's more sad than thrilling. This was a wonderful debut. I'll definitely want to keep reading more from this author.

After her joyful but socially anxious sister Poppy commits suicide(she doesn't, and we know that from the prologue), Clementine devotes her time to volunteering at a suicide hotline. She's stayed near her parents instead of going back to her work as a scientist. She carries a lot of guilt because Poppy tried to call her before she died and Clementine didn't answer. She'll never forgive herself and doesn't think she deserves happiness.

When a call from another grieving sibling reaches her at the suicide hotline, it throws into question everything she thought she knew about her sister's death. Maybe it wasn't really a suicide. As she investigates, it seems that every obstacle is thrown in front of her which leads you to wonder.. is the killer already in her life?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review!

The Edge by Lucy Goacher.
Everyone says Poppy jumped. My beautiful, creative sister, with her paint-splattered dresses and sunshine smile, took her own life. And I think they’re right. Until the day I get a call from a man with a very similar story.
Everyone says his sister jumped too. But he has proof that she was pushed. And if she was, I have to ask myself: could the same thing have happened to Poppy? In the moments before she died, was she really calling me to say goodbye, or was she calling for my help? Was she really alone on that cliff edge?
When Poppy’s friends tell me she had a serious boyfriend, I feel like I’m losing my grip on reality. If they were so madly in love, wouldn’t she have told me? Wouldn’t there be pictures of them together? And when I find the silver heart necklace he gave her, I feel sick. It’s the same silver heart another murdered girl was given in the weeks before she died.
This can’t be a coincidence. Either I’ve lost my mind, or the man my darling sister loved killed her. And if he could charm his way into her life so easily, what’s to say he’s not already in mine?
A good read with good characters. Likeable story. 4*.

The Edge by Lucy Goacher is a debut novel, and what an impressive one it is. I am always happy to discover a promising new author, and am confident that we can look forward to much more from the talented Ms Goacher in the future.

Clemmie is struggling to believe that her beautuful sister Poppy has ended her own life when she had so much to live for. While volunteering on a helpline, Clemmie speaks with a man whose own sister's death has also been ruled a suicide, though he is not convinced that she has not met with foul play. Is it a terrible coincidence, or is this the work of a serial killer who charms their way into the lives of their victims, leaving only bewildered families in their wake?

This one kept me up late, and racing toward a shocking and satisfying conclusion.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an ARC.

An amazing debut mystery that checked all the boxes for me ....

As I read the story, the descriptive style of the author transported me to another place, where I began to walk with Clementine, feeling her pain and together we searched for the truth....

A warm recommendation for all readers, especially those who enjoy great thrillers....

Fantastic read that really keeps you on the edge of your seat! It’s truly suspenseful and also a bit of a heavy read but I really enjoyed it! This is a debut from this author and she did an amazing job! I will definitely be reading more from Lucy Goacher, 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Lucy Goacher for providing me with an advanced reader’a copy of this book.

What a ride! When they say the Edge, they mean you'll be on the edge of your seat trying to predict what's to come. This book was enjoyable from the very start. Great plot, great characters, great ending! I would definitely recommend this title to my friends.

Thank you for an ARC of this title!

Clementine has waited six months for the coroner’s verdict to come back regarding the death of her sister, Poppy. It was assumed that she committed suicide after her body was found on the beach by a cliff known to attract jumpers. But Clementine has never truly been able to accept that Poppy would do that. Sure, everyone says that, and denial is nothing new to the family and friends left behind. Nor is guilt, and Clementine has an immense amount of that. Then she meets Daniel, and her whole world is turned upside-down. He also had a sister who was thought to have taken her own life, except he has proof that she didn’t. Now Clementine feels justified in her denial and she’s more determined than ever to get justice for Poppy.

She and Daniel work to piece together the last few months of Poppy’s life. Away at college, she wrote Clementine often, but never mentioned the boyfriend Clementine discovers. How can that be? This would have been Poppy’s first relationship, a significant event for her. She suffered from social anxiety and could barely leave the house, or her flat once she left for college. Why would she keep this secret from Clementine?

Soon Clementine beings to doubt everyone in her life, fearing that she may already know this boyfriend. She believes he made sure no one knew about him so he could get away with murder. He won’t stop his sick games until he’s caught, so Clementine swears to do just that.

This is an amazing debut, and the author handles the subject of suicide with grace and understanding. It really would be difficult to get anyone to believe that a crime took place without definitive evidence. I like how the author included a plethora of suspects because of how readers will be questioning every single character. It’s not the typical one or two people you are suspicious of and that makes the mystery much more enigmatic. I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next.

The Edge by Lucy Goacher

TW: Suicide is frequently mentioned

The blurb!
Everyone says Poppy jumped. My beautiful, creative sister, with her paint-splattered dresses and sunshine smile, took her own life. And I think they’re right. Until the day I get a call from a man with a very similar story.

Everyone says his sister jumped too. But he has proof that she was pushed. And if she was, I have to ask myself: could the same thing have happened to Poppy? In the moments before she died, was she really calling me to say goodbye, or was she calling for my help? Was she really alone on that cliff edge?

When Poppy’s friends tell me she had a serious boyfriend, I feel like I’m losing my grip on reality. If they were so madly in love, wouldn’t she have told me? Wouldn’t there be pictures of them together? And when I find the silver heart necklace he gave her, I feel sick. It’s the same silver heart another murdered girl was given in the weeks before she died.

This can’t be a coincidence. Either I’ve lost my mind, or the man my darling sister loved killed her. And if he could charm his way into her life so easily, what’s to say he’s not already in mine?


This is Lucy's first novel and a great debut, lots of very unexpected twists.

The start was very engaging, and I loathed to put it down, about halfway through I though it dragged a little and became slow and a little repetitive.

Towards the end it picked up with gusto and went off in different directions and I was thoroughly gripped.

Clementine's character was well developed if a little naive and tenacious in her pursuit of the truth.

Without giving too much away the "murderer's" character was slightly far fetched and the situation seemed unrealistic - having said that I was gripped and wanted to know what had happened but in hindsight it was improbable.

This and the slower mid-section leaves my rating at 4 out of 5 stars.

To sum up - Once it gets going Gripping read


#TheEdge #NetGalley

I quite enjoyed this book, particularly from an author so young. She clearly has lots of promise for future books. There are an awful lot of 5 star gushing reviews for this book in a short space of time using very similar language like 'twists and turns' which makes me think that some are perhaps written by Lucy's friends and family! I, like many others, got this books as a freebie Amazon first reads, so here's my honest review of it.

I liked the opening chapter - so you knew immediately that it was murder and not suicide, that was going to be the main story in the book (no spoilers there). The lead character, Clementine, was rather frustrating as she was so paranoid and constantly jumped to all the wrong conclusions, despite the obvious reality staring her in the face from quite early on in the book - despite the red herrings she created along the way. Despite the author saying that Clementine was a scientist and therefore presumably meant to be quite clever, there was no evidence of that in her investigation. I also didn't understand why she had been at Harvard instead of university in the UK, as the story is totally based in England. The killer turned out to be quite an incredibly implausable actor/chameleon with a motive that wasn't believable after so much 'success' in his more recent life. I won't say here if Clementine ever discovered who the killer was or not. The ending was also rather contrived and I wondered if the author had originally planned to end it differently.

Despite the above slight annoyances, I found it a fairly gripping read and would recommend it to others who enjoy thrillers. It kept my interest and I read it quite quickly. I would definitely read other books by Lucy Goacher in the future.
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*4.5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a really interesting read - how this guy was able to con all these girls into falling for him. Some surprises that I didn't see coming. Clementine was a determined characters - determined to find out the truth of what happened to Poppy. Great characters, good book, surprise ending.

Poppy jumped to her death and everyone believes this until her sister talks to Daniel. Poppy used to be creative, fun, and enjoyable. Daniel also has a sister who jumped but he claims he has proof that was she was pushed. As they start to explore the two deaths it is discovered that Poppy could have potentially been pushed as well, There is a discovery of Poppys boyfriend as well and that brings more questions for her sister. Poppys sister feel like she is loosing her grip on reality and it become apparent there are more questions than answers.

This was too much for me to read. Talk of suicide is rough in general but the idea of two people invovled is even harder. Even as we go through the book and murder is dicussed I couldnt get into it. There was lot of emotions in this book and it really showed the raw side of the human psyche. It was an okay book and the characters werent very deep. It was okay but not that great.

I don't usually read this kind of book but this one just looked interesting to me, and it is! Very interesting.
Oh my goodness, I was on the edge of my seat biggest part of the way through the book..
This is one that I would be interested in reading again in the near future. I thought that it was really a good book.

Thank you so much, NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book. I. enjoyed it so much.