Cover Image: The Suspect

The Suspect

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Member Reviews

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, and the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jess’s mother was murdered in front of her in the park when she was still a baby. She doesn’t remember much, but the police and her family believed that a man called Nathaniel French was the one who did it. Although there wasn’t enough evidence to convict him at the time, Jess has grown up, believing he was guilty. Twenty eight years later, this man seeks her out and shatters her world. He tells her that he is innocent and that he has information about the identity of her mother’s real killer. Against her family’s advice, she believes him and tries to discover the truth on her own, but she’s not prepared for all the lies her family has kept from her.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Tamsin Kennard and it was a very enjoyable experience. The book was very well-written and I finished it so fast because I was really invested in the story and wanted to understand what happened. There were several twists at the end that I didn’t see coming, which is always the mark of a good thriller for me.

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I LOVED THIS!
The suspect is a brilliantly written thriller that has two main points of view. That of Jess and her mother. Kathryn Croft has created a wonderful past/present style that really sets the scene for Jess who witnessed her mother's murder. She was only young and doesn't remember it or who did it. Then she is approached by a stranger in the street who Jess was told that he is the killer. He insists otherwise and wants her to at least hear him out. Her family absolutely do not want her anywhere near him, and so the intrigue begins.
The characters are all crafted superbly well and are realistic believable people. I love a good psychological thriller that takes me here there and everywhere and I still didn't guess who the murderer was!
The narrator, Tamsin Kennard was fabulous. She totally brought this audio to life. Some narrators can really spoil an audio but definitely not the case with Tamsin. Her approach was subtle and calm and she brings the plot to life excellently.
A psychological thriller not to be missed.

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This was a really fast paced enjoyable thriller. Though the ending was easily foreseeable (as most are once you’ve read a bunch) the joy of a thriller always lies in the journey and this was great.

In this one we have a dual pov between Mom Laurie in the Past and Daughter Jess almost 30 years in the future. As we follow Laurie we head towards the day she’s murdered and as we follow Laurie we get to learn the truth about what really happened the day her mom was killed in front of her. Did everything happen the way she’s always believed or was there more to the story her family’s kept hidden?

The story kept me invested the whole time. I was listening on audiobook and there were a couple of times I got confused as to who’s pov I was on but it was easy to catch up.

This was my first book by Kathryn Croft and I’m interested now to check out her back list. I should also shoutout the narrator, Tamsin Kennard who was fantastic!

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Kathryn Croft for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

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This book was really good. It was told by 2 POV'S. Jess as an adult and her Mother while Jess was a toddler.

Jess has no memory of her mother being murdered in the park when she was a toddler. The prime suspect pops up years later. He's determined to convince her that he's not guilty. Is he telling the truth? Or is he telling the truth?

There's a lot of family drama that's been covered up for years. Once Jess realizes everything she's always been told all her life might be lies, she's determined to find out what really happened to her mom.

What happened to Jess's mom that dreadful day in the park? Check this out to find out.

Thanks to NetGalley for this Autiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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Thoroughly good story, plenty of plot, well narrated and kept me enthralled throughout.

First time that I've listened to this author - definitely up for listening to more of her books.

Thanks so much Bookouture Audio, Bookouture, via Netgalley, for gifting me an audiobook copy for review - can't wait for more!

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was twisted and gripping. I loved the way the story moves between the past and the present to tell the story as it added a layer of complexity and suspense.

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Thank you for the ARC! Laura is the protagonist's mother and we get to see her perspective. I loved that!
However, literally everyone in this woman's life is horrid to her. Her fiance and baby daddy won't move in with her. He isn't paying his part.
Her mom and sister and even brother in law are awful. She has horrid boyfriends. I was rooting for her escape even though we know from the beginning she doesn't make it.
Jess is the daughter.. She doesn't remember her mom. She only knows her mom was murdered in a park. The police completely messed up the investigation. Like her mother people are kind of awful to Jess. Not as awful but still.
Oh and the police are completely hopeless.
The ending shocked me because ... well I better not say. Just know it will not be someone you suspect.
The narration was perfect. I absolutely love the narrator.

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Jess’s mother was killed when she was little. There was a man in prison for her murder! When he gets out he tells her he did not kill her mother and showed Jess a picture.

Jess begins to question everything and everyone. Her father, step-mom and those around her seems to believe the killer was the man convicted. Is it possible someone close to her killed her mother? Her fathers past comes back to haunt her.

This novels had a few twist that made this a page turner. Thank you Bookouture, Netgalley and author Kathryn Croft for this advanced copy. This novel is due out Feb 8, 2023. Her next one The Lie comes out in April. 💛

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Thank you NetGalley and Bookoutune Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

There was a lot of mystery going on here. Jess's moms murder when she was a baby. The man who was accused contacting her. A new man in her life..... all at once ?????
Ties up nicely- a little wow at the end.

Was skeptical in the beginning of the listen, but it was worth pushing through.

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The Suspect tells the story of Jess, who's mother was murdered when she was just a toddler. A man was convicted of the murder, but when someone tells Jess he was innocent, she is thrown back into trying to solve the mystery herself.

This book was well written, although I found it a little slower paced than I usually like. The story is told from two timelines, the present and the time of the murder, and it flicks easily between the two. Gradually the timelines give us clues and it all comes together at the end.

I wasn't massively fond of any of the characters, but I did like the mystery and found myself wanting to know how it ended. I enjoyed the ending and thought it all came together nicely, it was not at all what I had guessed either.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

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The Suspect
Kathryn Croft
Every family has secrets. Jessica’s family has many.
Jessica was a toddler when her mother, Lori was brutally murdered. She was too young to remember what happened. Now twenty years later she is approached by Nathaniel French, the man accused of the murder. There was never enough evidence to place him on trial. He begs her to listen to him as he proclaimed his innocence; he wants all suspicion lifted from him. He said he loved her mother and would never hurt her. He said her family had lied to her and continued to lie to her. Her father and sister warned her to stay away for him; after all he was responsible for her mother’s death. Everyone warned her he was dangerous; then the unthinkable happened. He was murdered. He had wanted to tell her something that someone else didn’t want her to know. Jessica wants the truth. She begins questioning everything she thought she knew.
This story quickly pulled me in and held me captive until the very last word. It is told from the past and the present. The present point of view is Jessica’s, and the past is her mother’s. I kept trying to figure out who was the real killer and knew before the great reveal. I had to sort through all the secrets of each character before I settled on the culprit. There were multiple twists, turns and red herrings. The writing was superb. The genre falls under psychological thriller, domestic drama, mystery and suspense. The audio book moves along quickly and the narrator, Tamsin Kennard, did a great job. I enjoy a British accent and her voice is lovely. Reader’s will not want to miss this one!

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While i enjoyed the different POVs I just couldn’t get into it. The narration is great. However, I was left confused a lot of the time due to excess amount of characters and the time switch. There is more to this book than there needs to be to tell the story.

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The Suspect is a gripping psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns and a whole host of characters carrying their own hidden secrets.
Jess has always been told by her family that her mother was randomly killed by a man in a park when she was a baby.. When this man is released from prison he seeks out Jess claiming his innocence which eventually leads to her trying to discover the truth about what actually happened all those years ago. In seeking the truth could Jess shatter her whole family structure?
The book is written in two different time zones and from two different points of view. Jess is the present voice and her Mum recounts her journey in the past. I enjoyed the dual timelines and the author blends the two viewpoints beautifully.
The audiobook is very well narrated and the plot and characters maintained my interest from start to finish. A very enjoyable thriller- I will certainly look for more of the author's work in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

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This is the best book I've read this year! I can't express how much I loved it. There's a twist that you don't see coming. This book is about a woman who lost her mother way too young. She was murdered and the person she thought killed her contacted her 28 years later. She finds out that nothing is what it seems, not her friends or her family. This book is a page turner or, in this case, a thrilling listen from the first second. I listened to the audiobook, and Tamsin Kennard did a superb job narrating. I could listen to her speak all day. She gave life to all the characters and kept me enthralled.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and Kathryn Croft for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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This fast-paced thriller is full of anticipation, drama, and secrets. This story is told via dual timelines from Jess’s and her mother’s perspectives, focusing on Jess’s search for the truth about her mother’s death.

The narration makes for an entertaining audiobook, and the conclusion is unpredictable, adding to the enjoyability. The storyline flows well, and the writing style builds up the plot’s intensity. The characters were relatable, and I empathised with Jess’s anguish and desperation.

I highly recommend this to fans of this genre in any format that suits them, and I am looking forward to future releases by this author.

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The number of family members and friends was a bit confusing at times especially when you add to that the two time frames it switches between. I had a help remember the time frame when quite earl6 on one of the characters says “Sorry Laurie” more than once in a short period and it tickled me so the characters stuck with me.
Overall everyone behaved either without thinking or with malice or plain stupidly. So not really for me

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Jess thought she had a pretty good childhood, but knew she was always missing out on something because of her mom. Her stepmom was great, but she wanted to know her real mom. When she was a baby her mom, Laurie, was killed while walking Jess in the stroller. Everyone said they knew who did it, they just couldn’t prove it. Jess always wondered why she couldn’t remember anything, and felt guilty about that. When she bumps into the accused killer Jess begins to have doubts. He seems pretty honest in his claim of innocence yes, but it’s more than that. Why is her family do very adamant she not speak to him? Why does everyone avoid talking about Laurie? Why does she feel something just isn’t right? I love that Jess sticks with her search, despite the difficulty and resistance. Croft has created strong character development, as I literally see Jess grow up and mature as I turn the pages! I like the twists and turns here. I think I suspected everyone but Jess! I like how everyone was represented as both guilty and innocent. We all have secrets. I would assume in a situation like this we would all feel a little guilt too. I must admit I was surprised to discover who the true villain, that may have been the lowest on my list of suspects. Good job I’m not a detective! While the starting was a little slow, it did pick up nicely. I would have liked to have jumped in a little quicker, but it was worth hanging in for sure.

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Interesting concept! I loved the dual POV storylines and how well they ended up meshing back together. I listened to the audio version and liked the narrator as well.

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This thriller has a dual POV/timeline and it was really when done. First there is Laurie, 30 years ago, the last year of her life before her murder. Second is Jess, now, who gets her life turned upside down when she learns that her mother's murderer might not be who she always thought it was.

I enjoyed almost everything about this book. However, I couldn't give it 5 stars because it hinges on a trope I absolutely detest: the MC's life is made so much harder because they won't go to the police "because I don't have enough evidence" or won't talk to a family member who could've helped. If your book needs that trope to make sense, maybe you need to rethink the whole thing. I know I sound harsh, but I'm so disappointed because this book would have been 5 stars worthy without it.

The narrator, Tamsin Kennard, was great!

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Kathryn Croft for the advanced copy of this audiobook. I offer my review freely.

Publication date : 08 February 2023.

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Do you really know the people around you? Are people truly who they say they are?! Told in dual timelines, this story makes the reader question the motives of everyone. I almost had it predicted. Almost. It is great when a book can keep you guessing!

I felt connected to the main characters. Both struggling with the woes of relationships and parenthood. Both trusting too much and realizing instincts/gut feelings are very important!

The end left me with a few questions… but overall, a solid mystery/thriller.

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