My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for a copy of “ Behind Closed Doors “ for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of Carol Wyer’s D I Kate Young series of books , and I’ve recommended them to several library users, and I’m eagerly awaiting the release of No. 4 “ A Truth For A Truth “.
Unfortunately this stand alone, for me, wasn’t as gripping as the other books.
It was a very dark story, which I was expecting, but although I thought the characters were well written the story seemed to drag and become more implausible. I’d sort of guessed the outcome , and sadly this book won’t really stay long in my memory , as her others have.

Two kidnappings with similar parallel methods. Could it be the same kidnapper? Carol Wyer creates this premise in her latest thriller, Behind Closed Doors.

Stacey’s ex-husband Jack calls on her to help him find his daughter Lyra, who was recently kidnapped. But the similarities are too familiar as Stacey must deal with her past when she was abducted 30 years ago. Her father never paid the ransom, but a detective miraculously found her, or she would have been killed. With Jack’s persuasion, she finds clues, calls upon old friends and unravels her past through hypnosis and memories. But history reveals painful secrets and discoveries.

Wow--first time reading Carol Wyer, and I thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful psychological thriller. Excellent pacing, troubling relationships, revenge, and a surprise ending make this novel a fast-moving read. I thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review it. #NetGalley # Behind Closed Doors #psychologicalthriller

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

two kidnappings 30 years apart but involving the same family

staceys first kidnapping occured as a young girl and the perp has never been found...she suffered horrendous injuries and has flash backs for years for those 5 days she was held captive

but its when her step daughter goes missing and her ex husband asks for her help that brings it more to the foreground, as the similarities rock stacey world

could it be the same perp who kidnapped her all those years ago..is he after revenge for the lack of money he never received

as the deadline slowly comes closer can stacey unlock her memories to help bring her stepdaughter home

oh my word what a tangle of emotions this was reading it...the horror of everything and the revelation when it comes

brilliantly written

Really enjoyed this and it kept me guessing from the beginning to the end.
It throws you straight into the action and you do question if it is someone from years ago after all the similarities.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

This is my first read by author Carol Wyer and I really enjoyed reading this novel.

We meet main character Stacey who 30 years ago had a really horrific experience of being kidnapped. Her ex-husband turns up one day in panic as his daughter, Lyra, has been kidnapped and wants Stacey to help save her.. This kidnapping brings up memories for Stacey and she really wants to help and find Lyra. Stacey sets out to find out what has happened and where Lyra actually is.

The story consists of both past and present and we really get to learn about what happened to Stacey when she younger. This story has lots of hidden twists and turns and will keep you invested in the story until the very end.

Really well written and great story telling by author Carol Wyer. I enjoyed reading about Stacey and would love to read more about her.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and Carol Wyer for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

OK what did I just read? I was kept guessing until the very end. I couldn’t decide if Stacey was seeing patterns where there weren’t because her kidnapping was never solved or if the similarities were more than coincidence. Everything takes place over 4 days, so while there is a lot of character development, and the characters are doozies, things move both quickly and slowly. This isn’t fast paced as it is really a chess match between the kidnapper and Stacey and Jack trying to find his daughter.

I find it an interesting choice to have a reporter and lawyer trying to solve the case for the most part. A little twist on the traditional crime novel. And there are a few twists along the way.

I enjoyed the cat and mouse game. I think this will appeal to both traditional and nontraditional crime lovers.

Is history repeating itself? Or is this one HUGE coincidence?

Those are the questions Stacey is asking herself, after her ex -husband desperately begs for her help!

She thinks this better be good…and it is. His daughter was just kidnapped and he felt the only person he could turn to was Stacey! Strange right!?

The fact is, Stacey has a great deal of experience in this department! She too was kidnapped at a young age. So hopefully she can find a way to bring her step-daughter back home safely.

But as her step-daughters’ kidnapping eerily begins to mirror her own, Stacey fears the original kidnappers have returned with a vengeance.

This was a speedy thriller with a bounty of shocking moments that kept me firmly glued to the pages.

I’ve been wanting to read a book by Carol Wyer for years and so glad I finally jumped at the chance with her latest here. I look forward to more from this talented author! And may need to take a look at her backlog until her next release!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK

Drum Roll! .................Carol Wyer's back with a new Brilliant book called Behind Closed Doors and what a brilliant Book this was. Carol never disappoints! This latest book has so many great twists and turns. I found this a perfect book for your holiday or just to find a comfy chair, open your kindle and close the world around you - just for a few hours. It was a book I could not put down which I find with all her books.

With two kidnappings, and all of thirty years apart. Stacey needs to face her own dark past in order to save her stepdaughter?

When Stacey’s ex-husband turns up on her doorstep begging her to help save his kidnapped thirteen-year-old daughter, Lyra, However, the terror is all too familiar. Stacey’s own violent kidnapping thirty years ago and was never solved. She has a severe case of amnesia spares her from recalling the specific horrors, she remembers enough…

Stacey knows her father never paid the ransom, she has the missing pinkie finger to prove it, and she knows she was only saved because of an anonymous tip-off to the police. She also knows her captor was never caught.

Now, Lyra’s kidnappers have made it clear the police must not get involved. But Stacey can’t shake the eerie similarities between the two cases, Now, she will use whatever she can, from her journalistic powers to all her shady contacts, to save Lyra from the same nightmare she had all those years ago..

But, will she do it on time to save Lyra?

Why is this kidnap so familiar? and why now what are they after?

This book was so good and I highly recommend it and all of Carol's books. Especially as they have been 5 star reads. I am looking forward to her next book

Big thank you to Carol Wyer, Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for this ARC for review.

This was a first for me - I got about 20% into this book and just could not continue. The storyline felt so off to me and while I can suspend disbelief while reading I just could not get past the stumbling blocks in the particular book. The synopsis definitely intrigued me which is why I requested this book.

Stacey is kidnapped as a child and held for ransom but has blocked out most of what happened to her. She does know her father refused to pay the ransom and that her rescue was a fluke thanks to a stranger. Thirty years later Staceys ex husband shows up at his door telling her that his daughter, Staceys former stepdaughter, has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom but he refuses to go to the police.

For me the storyline was just so incredible outrageous with Stacey being kidnapped and her father not paying but then the same thing happening to her step daughter. The story almost seemed too perfect with the similarities and it just was not intriguing enough for me to finish. I'm rating this book a 2 star because while I did not finish it would be unfair to give it a 1.

A good standalone book from Carol Wyer. I have read and loved all her books. This is a really good thriller too. Two kidnaps with one person who seems to have a connection to both but it seems incomprehensible due to timelines. A great read discovering the culprit and connection.

I meant to have this up for publication week - last week 🤦‍♀️ No matter, here I finally am with this wonderful new stand alone by Carol Wyer. She has very quickly become an auto buy/read author for me, her books are always fast paced, clever plots and thoroughly entertaining - Behind Closed Doors is no exception.

Two kidnappings, thirty years apart. Can Stacey face her own dark past in order to save her stepdaughter?

When Stacey’s ex-husband turns up on her doorstep begging her to help save his kidnapped thirteen-year-old daughter, Lyra, the terror is all too familiar. Stacey’s own violent kidnapping thirty years ago was never solved, and while a severe case of amnesia spares her from recalling the specific horrors, she remembers enough…

This propulsive novel will have you questioning and second guessing everyone! In usual Wyer fashion, she has created a creepy landscape that draws you in from the onset. Another thing I’ve come to expect from this author, is she doesn’t hold back - there are some pretty graphic kidnapping scenes that had me cringing - and yet wanting more. I love a dual timeline, this one is shared with current times and flashbacks to Stacy's own kidnapping, where she begins to unlock memories that have been too traumatic for her to unlock. There’s a clever moral dilemma twist, which I thought was pure genius!

Another brilliant psychological thriller, I highly recommend.

Many thanks to @Negalley @amazonpublishing and @carolwyer for an advanced reading copy.

This book was crazy! I couldn’t put it down wondering what was going on! Copy Cat kidnappings…Greedy people. This book definitely keeps you on your toes!

Who doesn't love a good kidnapping novel? This book is full of dark and twisty turns. I kept thinking I knew exactly what was going to happen then I would be thrown for a loop! What is really going on here? Where is Lyra? Why is this so familiar to Stacey?

You may think you know who has kidnapped Lyra or what is really going on but you don't. It's so similar to Stacey's own experience, can she figure it out?

A smashing novel by Carol Wyer. You won't want to stop reading! I will be seeing what other novels she has for me!!

Thank you to netgalley and Amazon publishing UK for this ARC

I have said this once and will say it again…Having read both genres by the author. I am loving Carol’s darker side. Once again she brings us a story that will have you hooked from start to finish.

The more I read the more I wanted to know. I literally could’nt tear myself away. The build up of suspense is absolutely brilliant. When we meet Stacey…a character that I loved and would love to read more of. Although this is a standalone I feel that this book is going places and would make a great start to a new series!

In this book we follow a story that alternatives between two kidnappings. One which happens to Stacey 30 years ago and the other is her step daughter which happens in the present when Stacey’s ex husband begs for her help. Can she face her past and find the link to both the kidnappings is the question?

Behind Closed Doors will have you guessing until the end with plenty of twists and turns. Not forgetting the OMG ending….I wasn’t expecting that!

Behind Closed Doors is Carol Wyer's first standalone thriller after novels in three different amazing series, so I was interested to see how she would handle this new project with completely new characters. The characters are absolutely brilliant and the author has observed them so well. Stacey could easily front a series of her own and I loved her tenacity and intelligence, despite having problems of her own. Jack was a character who really got under my skin. Having been in a relationship with someone like Jack, I know just how authentic his narcissistic behaviour was and he really got under my skin.

Carol Wyer is an exceptionally talented writer and I was taken to every scene and was able to see it play out in front of me as though I was actually there. She has researched the location immaculately and this really helped to build up a picture of the setting.

Stacey has her own back story which the author weaves into the main story really well. I loved the flashback scenes as I felt they added an extra layer to Stacey's character, but also gave the reader clarity in some aspects of the plot as well as being incredibly tense.

The plotting in Behind Closed Doors is off the scale. I kept changing my mind about who was responsible for Lyra's kidnap right up until the final reveal. I loved the feeling that Stacey was against the clock to find the answers and this made it very difficult to tear myself away. I read the whole novel in just one day!

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

Behind Closed Doors is a gripping story that has you guessing and questioning everyone and everything from start to finish. We follow Stacey who suffered a traumatic kidnapping thirty years previously and still doesn't know what is fact or fiction from the flashbacks she gets. When her ex-husband Jack appears on her doorstep, Stacey's lpresent ife is thrust back into this traumatic past event as her step-daughter Lyra has been taken and similarities unfold from the kidnapper. Stacey frantically tries to remember what happened to her and filter through her memories as to what really happened to her and what was real and what her mind has made up. Stacey's father didn't pay the ransom thirty years ago and Stacey was punished for this physically - Stacey fears for Lyra as every second ticks by. Can she remember enough to stop thie same events happening to Lyra and find the kidnapper before it's too late? This book gripped me from chapter one and I couldn't put it down. I thought the author did a great job of blending the dual timelines and keeping the reader on their toes with the clever twists written into the plot. I enjoyed the characters and the team of support Stacey has around her. The book is set in Morecombe which is only an hour away from me so I loved this element too!

First of all, I love books where characters share your name! Stacey herself was kidnapped as a child, and now, her ex husband comes to beg her for help to find his own daughter found wrapped up in the same position. Kidnapped. What are the odds? She becomes convinced the happenings are connected and will do everything possible to find that girl!

This book is full of surprises. I love thrillers and dual timelines, and I enjoy trying to piece the puzzles together. Some chapters might be considered longer which can feel like the book slows down, but it was still a great read! This was my first by this author and I'm looking forward to what else I can find by her! I'd like to thank Netgalley and the author, publishers, for the advanced copy in return for my honest review!

“Stacey couldn’t shake the ominous feeling surrounding her. The hair. The dingy room. The scissors. This had to be an echo of her past.”

When Stacey’s ex-husband, Jack, turns up on her doorstep one afternoon, Stacey O’Hara is unprepared for the nightmare she’s about to be plunged into. Her thirteen-year-old stepdaughter, Lyra, has been kidnapped, and he wants Stacey’s help to rescue her from a terror she is all too familiar with after her own violent kidnapping thirty years ago.

As they race against the clock to save Lyra, Stacey can’t shake the strange similarities with her own abduction that keep cropping up. Could the two be linked? Forced to face the past she’s run from for decades, can Stacey make sense of the secrets she’s unearthed before it is too late?

"The room was dimly lit by a small lamp. Shadows, like demons, danced on the wall."

Wow! This book certainly packs a punch, grabbing me from the forbidding opening pages. I didn’t want to put this book down! It showcases why Carol Wyer has become one of my favourite thriller authors, her ability to hypnotise the reader and keep them guessing as she weaves her tangled web of dark secrets keeping me on the edge of my seat as I read. As the secrets are slowly revealed, the intricate puzzle begins to come together. But would it look like I imagined? Or something completely different?

"A hazy vision floated from the recesses of her mind. She saw herself as a terrified teenager, tied to a chair, a hood over her head. Her heartbeat increased. She didn't want to remember."

I loved that this book was essentially two mysteries in one as we uncover the truth not only about Lyra’s abduction, but Stacey’s too. While Lyra is never on the page as anything other than a character being discussed, her presence is felt over every sentence, along with the urgency to save her. And while trying to do so, Stacey begins to discover things she never knew about her abduction thirty years ago. Because of her profound dissociative amnesia Stacey has never processed the trauma of being abducted. The memories were buried so deep that she can’t reach them. But after Lyra’s abduction, she is assailed by flashes of the long-repressed memories that she isn’t always sure she can trust. It is so evocatively written that we feel every bit of her confusion, torment and fear as she faces the truth of her abduction for the first time while desperately trying to rescue Lyra. She is a likeable protagonist and was easy to root for, unlike her ex-husband, Jack.
In Jack we see Wyer’s skill for writing morally dubious and complex characters that you aren’t sure you can trust. Did I dislike and suspect him because he reminded me of my own abusive ex-husband? Or was he really involved in this somehow? I could never make up my mind but also couldn’t shake my suspicions of him no matter how much Stacey was adamant he wasn’t involved.

Dripping with suspense, charged with adrenalin and fraught with malice, Behind Closed Doors is a heart-pounding thriller that fans of the genre will love.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Behind Closed Doors' by Carol Wyer.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Carol Wyer, Zooloos Book Tours and Thomas & Mercer publishers.

Publication date 6th December 2022.

This is the seventh book I have read by this author. I have also previously Carol's 'Detective Natalie Ward' series and her 'Detective Kate Young' series which I would also highly recommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its gorgeous eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I am also a huge fan of Carol and if this is half as good as any of her previous books it is sure to be a fantastic read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Thomas & Mercer. I have yet to read a book published by Thomas & Mercer that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 22 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


This book is based in Lancashire, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited holidayed in Lancashire this year so am looking forward to see if I recognise anywhere

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Stacey O'Hara. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

OMG!!!! ANOTHER ABSOLUTE PAGE TURNER!!! What are you doing to me!!!!! Seriously!!!!! I hope you are writing your next book as I write this!!! I'm talking to you Mrs Wyer!!!!! Right, yes, well anyway let's give you my review....


Carol Wyer does it Yet again!!! ABSOLUTELY Fantastically written as always ensuring a smooth and easy read that sucks you straight into the pages. Vivid descriptions put me in the middle of the action looking at everything going on in High definition. The cover and synopsis works perfectly with the storyline.


This is the first standalone I have read by the fantastic Carol so was excited to see if it would be just as good as her 'Detective Natalie Ward' and 'Detective Kate Young' series. Well... Mof course it bl00dy well was!!! This is Carol Wyer we are talking about here!!! A woman full of talents and surprise who can write psychological thrillers, comedy's, romance, series and standalones and each one will completely suck you in from the beginning to the end!!!

The storyline itself was very fast paced, rammed full of action, murder, mystery, suspense, tension and twists and turns. OMG the bombshells and unexpected twists which I was not expecting (a rarity to surprise me after the amount of crime books I've read but Carol does it without fail every time!!!) and WHAT AN EXPLOSIVE ONE at the end!!! I CANNOT WAIT for the next book this queen of crime comes out with next!! The storyline was realistic so easily imagined and the events themselves were unique which is definitely a positive when you have read the same ones over and over again!! An absolutely addictive and compelling page turner!!! If your going to start reading this then clear your schedules because it is absolutely unputdownable!!!! It is filled with crime, loss, romance, bribery, corruption, lies, deceit, excitement, tension, suspense and so so much more!! I mean it literally ticks every single box that you could ask for when looking for THE BOOK. You could NOT get any better than this. This is the best book I have read this year. I have loved all Carol's books but she just keeps getting better and better!! How do you do it?!?! The research Carol has put in absolutely shines through as does all her trips to Morecambe. I loved the photos which she posted online which made it even more realistic plus recognising some names of places I've visited and I was completely sucked in. There were so many times I looked up and had no idea where I was as I was just so lost in the storyline. The descriptions are perfect as is the atmosphere. The ending just completely blew me away!! One minute I thought I knew what was going on and the next I thought I was on the wrong track completely. I didn't know who to trust or who to believe. It is so rare to find a unique storyline when it comes to crime as there are so many out there but yet again Carol has absolutely blown my mind and slamdunked it. The ending was just WHAT THE HELL SHUT THE THE FRONT DOOR!!! I literally shouted when I read it which earned a few strange looks from my partner lol.

IF YOU LOVE A GOOD BOOK THEN THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST!!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GRAB YOUR COPY NOW!!!!

I absolutely loved meeting all the characters!! Stacey is just amazing, an extremely strong female lead who didn't hold back the punches while going through hell herself after the trauma she had been through. I always love it when an author brings in strong women. I also liked Stacey's personality and really felt for her on several occasions. I love the fact that she refused to back down in what she believed was going on although there were times when I thought maybe she should consider other options more. It is hard to write what I want to about the rest of the characters without giving too much away. It is clear that Carol has done her research on hypnotherapy and police procedures among all the other topics that she covers in this explosive storyline. Regardless of who I did or didn't like they were all very strong and well defined characters. As always Carol brings her characters to life ensuring they jump out at the reader and drag them deep into the storyline with them.


I am really looking forward to the next book that this amazing lady comes out with and would LOVE to see this made into a movie!!! It would definitely be a best seller along with this amazing novel which kept me up late at night (early in the morning) as I just could not put it down!!!!

Congratulations Carol on another absolutely blooming page turning success!! This is exactly why you are my favourite crime author and because you lady have talent!!! Keep up the amazing work and here is to your next success 🥂

Overall a not to be missed, must read, addictive and explosive page turner with a BOMBSHELL ending!!!

Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Fiction, Thriller, Women Sleuths, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense and Crime Fiction amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as Angela Marsons, Tess Gerritsen, anyone looking for a good book and YOU, your friends, your neighbours, just everyone!!


335 pages.

This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle and £4.99 in paperback via Amazon (during time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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