Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the chance to read this book.

This is a gripping thriller about a young girl, called Kathy, who is found after being abducted 15 months earlier. She won't speak and the family take her for therapy sessions with Robin. Robin's therapy style allows Kathy to communicate with her via art and play. The things Kathy demonstrates are graphic and terrifying.
With the help of Detective King, Robin realises that these scenes all relate to recent murders. It's then a race against time to stop what's unfolding.

I read this story in 1 day (thank you school holidays!) as I just couldn't stop and needed to see where it was going.

8 year old Kathy Stone was kidnapped. After 15 months in Captivity she escapes, and the world is waiting for her story, but Kathy doesn't say a word. A child therapist Robin uses play therapy, only for playtime to take on a grim turn.
Horrific truths that soon lead to her psychologist on a race against time..

Story is set after the Pandemic of Covid and the impact it had on adults as well as children. With short chapters.
This is my first book from Mike Omer and I did enjoy it, however I did find the start of this book hard to get into as there was alot of characters and alot going on. But once I got to grips with who was who I did enjoy this book.

A dark read with suspense. Enjoyed it!

Overall 4 stars. Thank you #NetGalley and publishers for this Advanced readers copy to read and review. #PleaseTellMe

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book. My review will appear on episode 31 of my podcast which drops on Monday, October 23. I wall also post the review to my website and Goodreads.

Review:

This was a nice little mystery that I thought I had figured out early on, but I was wrong - kudos to the author for being able to trick me. While I was surprised at the nice little twist, I wasn't completely blown away by the overall book.

The story kicks off with a young girl walking along a road in the rain. It's clear she's escaped from somewhere, and she's completely lost. Turns out the child was reported missing over a year ago and was presumed dead. The child, eight-year-old Kathy Stone, is traumatized to the point of being completely silent, refusing to speak to anyone, including her own parents. She is easily triggered by loud noises and clings to her mother. Child therapist Robin Hart becomes determined to help Kathy and is the only one besides the child's mother who can connect with her.

Using play therapy, Robin tries to help Kathy process her memories and heal from her traumatic experience. However, as the therapy progresses, things take a pretty dark turn when Kathy begins to reenact what appear to be murders with the dolls in the dollhouse. Each session brings a new chilling scene, with another toy meeting a gruesome fate. It becomes clear to Robin that Kathy might possess knowledge about real-life unsolved murders.

This is where the tension in the story ramps up, as Robin must decide if she can uncover the truth hidden within Kathy's mind. She knows that Kathy is fragile and needs to proceed slowly, but the police are desperate for answers. They need to stop whoever is killing these women before they claim their next victim, and while Robin wants to help stop whoever is behind this and bring Kathy's kidnapper to justice, she knows she has to tread lightly. When Robin begins to act as the mediator between Kathy and the police, she unwittingly places herself in the crosshairs of the big bad.

As I mentioned earlier, I am a little on the fence with this one. The story was engaging enough, but there were parts of the book that felt unnecessary and caused the pace of the book to slow. Some scenes didn't really further the plot and seemed to be nothing more than filler. These scenes really slowed the book down for me. Also, some of the dialogue felt as though the author was trying a little too hard to make it come across as natural. For example, there's a scene where Robin is out with her dog, and she's speaking with another character, and in the middle of her dialogue, she tells her dog to "stop that". This is likely something that many of us pet owners say several times a day - and many times while we're having a conversation with another person - but when added to the dialogue in the book it felt weird and, again, unnecessary.

As far as the characters go, for the most part, they are all well-developed and have clear motives. I was especially attached to Kathy and Robin. Robin's dedication to helping Kathy is evident throughout the story, and readers will find themselves rooting for her as she navigates through a treacherous path to uncover the truth. Omer's portrayal of Kathy is also notable; the young girl's silence and eerie behavior create an enigmatic aura that adds to the overall sense of unease.

One of the things I did like was how the author wrote about the psychological aspects of trauma and its impact on individuals. Through Kathy's story and RObin's attempt to help her deal with her trauma, readers gain insight into the complex psychology of a survivor, as well as the lasting effects of trauma on a young and vulnerable mind.

My only gripe with the plot was the motive behind the kidnapper and the connection to the murders. I can't go into it much without giving it away. I also felt that there was a big build during the climax that suddenly fizzled out during the final standoff. I had to reread it to make sure I hadn't missed something.

All in all, this was a fun read that kept me engaged despite an uneven pace and an ending that - to me - fizzled out. Anyone looking for a decent thriller with an engaging premise will likely enjoy this one.

Mike Omer has become an auto-buy author for me but I still really hesitated reading this book. The synopsis hinted at some intense story lines and I wasn't sure if it was going to be something I would enjoy. However, I'm so glad I gave this one a go.

Nine year old Kathy is found wandering alone on the side of the road after being missing for fifteen months. She refuses to speak and no one knows what happened to her. In an effort to unlock her fragile mind, her parents take her to Robin, a child psychologist who attempts to help Kathy communicate through doll play. When Kathy starts to re-enact extreme violence with the dolls that resemble a recent murder, Robin decides to get the police involved.

This was a highly enjoyable thriller, with many twists and turns I didn't see coming and some that I did. There's potential for a sequel but it reads great as a standalone.

I’m a big fan of Mike Omer’s books and was really pleased to find out he had a new book coming out. ‘Please Tell Me’ opens with missing child Kathy Stone, who disappeared over a year ago and suddenly turns up again on the side of a country road. Traumatised and mute from her kidnapping, Kathy’s parents send her to child therapist Robin Hart, whose use of play therapy to process memories and trauma have helped other children. It’s during these play therapy sessions that Kathy slowly begins to open up to Robin and starts reenacting horrific scenes of murder with dolls. When Robin recognises some of the play acted doll murders to be actual murders she has seen on the news, she contacts the police, fearing Kathy may be in grave danger with the knowledge she has in her mind. It becomes a race to figure out who took Kathy before they try to come after her again.
For the most part I liked this book. It was a good, solid, interesting murder mystery book. I liked that the protagonist wasn’t a cop trying to solve the murder mystery. It was a non law enforcement person trying o figure out who the bad guy was. The storyline too was a bit different. The only trouble I had with the book was the play therapy sessions. They were just too odd. I’m not sure if thats how play therapy actually works but Robin constantly repeating the play actions that Kathy did out loud was very disjointing and took me out the story. I ended up skim reading those sections because they made me laugh.
Overall not a bad read. 3.5 stars from me.

This was…actively not great. I’ve seen several reviews from die-hard fans of this author saying this book was a departure from Omer’s typical style and quality, and I’m choosing to believe that’s true. Almost nothing about this story worked for me, which was a genuine disappointment because the premise was so intriguing.

Firstly, the pacing was pretty brutal. The book felt much longer than it was in actuality, and it was incredibly difficult to find the motivation to keep reading.

The social commentary was inexpertly metered out, with rampant (and un-nuanced) mentions of the COVID pandemic, millennials being the worst, the utter uselessness of social media, and the fact that women should learn to see themselves as beautiful through the eyes of the men who want to sleep with them.

The actual abduction and captive storyline wasn’t bad, and both of my stars are because of the ultimate reveals and a handful of scenes that did capture my attention. The child psychologist angle was brutal to read, however, and I often found myself rolling my eyes or skimming entire pages to avoid Robin’s pedantic play-by-plays of Kathy’s actions in play therapy. Several psychologists apparently read this book and signed off on it, but I found it clunky and frustrating.

All in all, this wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read, but I was expecting more from this story. I will check out some of the author’s previous work to get a sense for his typical style, but this was a miss for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!

Started off suspenseful, pulling me in. Especially that first chapter, told through the POV of 8 year old Katie, who just escaped a kidnapping 15 months long. The story then meandered through different POVs, taking us on a ride of finding out what happened to Katie all that time. And trying to solve the mystery of the kidnapping and more. Making things more intrguing is the fact that Katie is not speaking due to trauma of the ordeal. Telling her side through drawings and roleplaying of toys.

Like i said, it started well enough. But the middle parts got really really draggy and repetitive. And there was something with the writing that felt slightly weak? In a tell not show kind of way. The last 10 chapter probably pulled things back in with the twist and revelation. Though still not strong enough to close the story with a bang.

Premise had so much potential but it was slightly flat for me, overall.

I was able to read an ARC the book Please Tell Me by Mike Omer. The book caught my attention right from the beginning and I enjoyed there being a different POV for each chapter. It was different than any other book I have read. The short chapters made it easy to read, as well.
I would recommend this to other readers.

This might be unrealistic in real life. But damn this was such a fun, also a dark read, but then again it could have been better. Robin, the fmc, was so annoying as hell.
Overall it could have been better but It was not.

This was a thriller for the ages! Kept me on the edge of my seat. I love a book that keeps me turning the pages!

I've wanted this book since I saw it on net galley and now, I have it.
This is the first book I am reading by this author and I liked it. The description itself was enticing. Only thing I didn't like was the ending. Felt too flat for me.

Whenever I see a Mike Omer book, I always want to read it. This one lives up to the Mike Omer hype and standard of quick-reading thrillers. This one is different from his usual, because instead of the main character being a cop or detective, it's actually a child psychologist. A young girl is abducted from her front yard and for the next year and a half, the town is desperate to understand what happened or who took her. Until one day... the young girl shows up on the side of the road and is taken back home, but she refuses to speak. To try to get her speaking again, the parents take her to see Robin Hart, child psychologist. This book is excellently written. The only part that I didn't love/didn't understand was the continual focus on the relationship of Robin with her mom. It took away from the main part of the story and there was never any resolution. Overall, I'm a huge fan of Mike Omer books and would recommend any of them to suspense/thriller/mystery readers.

I really like the premise of this book of a kidnapped child that returns and re-enacts murders. Overall, I think this book is just okay. The beginning of the story was extremely slow and hard to get into. The last three-fourths of the story was a lot more interesting that the start. I don't think any of the characters were particularly interesting to follow and I felt Robin was kind of annoying toward the beginning of the book. The story would have been more intriguing if we go more perspective from the investigators toward the beginning of the book.

While this book is far from perfect, it was a read I enjoyed. I found myself needing to read just one more chapter in order to find out what happened next. I am a therapist, so the premise intrigued me. I enjoyed the twist at the end. I would recommend this book to others.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the book for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed and the story was engaging. I recommend that others try this book as well. Well done!

First, this is my first time reading from this author, and I am pleasantly surprised. The tone was well established early on and the characters had incredibly realistic thoughts and actions.
The chapter that tells of Claire’s experience when she realizes Kathy is missing was one of the best tellings of that kind of moment. It felt real, it felt relatable (even though I am not a mother myself). The text was written in a casual way that made it sound like a real person could have been sharing their own thoughts.
The energy was high in this book. I felt like the action scenes were written really well and they kept me hooked. There was never a moment where I was bored or wishing things would move along more. I think it was also a great length - and this is saying something since I often find books to be longer than they need to be. But this was great, it had constant twists and developments that kept the plot moving.
After reading the acknowledgments at the end, I’m also glad to hear Omer had quite a few interactions with Cho old psychologists and therapists to refine the interactions and thoughts of Robin in the story. I thought she was written well and handled the situations very believably - she was professional, but she warred with decisions like any person would.
I’ve seen critiques of the fact that Robin had such an unhealthy relationship with her mom and how that doesn’t make sense if she’s a therapist herself… and clearly those people don’t understand that most therapists see their own therapist because you can’t always diagnose or address the issues in your own life on a clinical level. It’s a pointless critique in my opinion.
I think the story or Robin and her mom was interesting in perspective against the resolution of the main plot - it all tied together well and I liked that progression. Although stealing the dollhouse was not the best choice she ever made.

My one major critique is that this book attempted to include a romance and it fell completely flat. The romance between Robin and Nathaniel (which was predictable from the minute he showed up) felt so forced and unnatural. Every kiss and intentional touch felt like it was added in so that there was a romance element and I was just not having it. However, the good thing is that the romance took absolutely nothing away from the main plot.
A second, minor (spoiler) critique is that I’m still not sure what the point of the creepy interaction between Evan and Claire in the car near the end… I’ve tried to think it through and I’m just not sure why he had such a creepy vibe when he wasn’t even guilty.

All in all, I devoured this book in less than 24 hours and loved it. And I recommended it to other friends upon release.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. It didn't disappoint! Must read!!

I begged and pleaded for Please Tell Me . Never in my life did I think I would get the early approval from netgalley, but here we are .

I like to believe I read books in a priority order of release date but let’s be serious, that would be a bold face lie . I’m a mood reader, I read what I want, when I want, and when a long awaited book pops up with an approval email. I skip the line like a 5th grader and read the book.

I had to mentally prepare myself for this one . I had pined after this one for so long I needed to make sure I could appreciate each page in entirety.

I’ve never made it a secret that children scare the crap out of me so a book like this is sheer terrifying for me and I loved every minute of it. There is no way you could anticipate the ending but this book right here sure is a doozy.

Do your thing, pre-order the book and count down the days until December 1, 2023z

Teaser :

After a year in captivity, a kidnapped child escapes—only to reveal horrific truths that lead her psychologist on a race against time in this thriller from New York Times bestselling author Mike Omer.

When eight-year-old Kathy Stone turns up on the side of the road a year after her abduction, the world awaits her harrowing story. But Kathy doesn’t say a word. Traumatized by her ordeal, she doesn’t speak at all, not even to her own parents.

Child therapist Robin Hart is the only one who’s had success connecting with the girl. Robin has been using play therapy to help Kathy process her memories. But as their work continues, Kathy’s playtime takes a grim turn: a doll stabs another doll, a tiny figurine is chained to a plastic toy couch. All of these horrifying moments, enacted within a Victorian doll house. Every session, another toy dies.

But the most disturbing detail? Kathy seems to be playacting real unsolved murders.

Soon Robin wonders if Kathy not only holds the key to the murders of the past but if she knows something about the murders of the future. Can Robin unlock the secrets in Kathy’s brain and stop a serial killer before he strikes again? Or is Robin’s work with Kathy putting her in the killer’s sights?

I liked how quickly this narrative moved along. I genuinely wanted to read more because each chapter ended in the middle of a gripping moment, and I couldn't stop thinking about the book even when I wasn't reading it.

I enjoy how the chapters aren't too long since it makes it easier for me to concentrate. I enjoyed the characters, different viewpoints that occasionally appeared, and even a few flashbacks.

I was surprised by the ending because the script did a fantastic job of throwing in distractions!

Please Tell Me is thriller about an abducted child found and her therapist who helps unravel the truth. Robin Hart is a child therapist who helps children deal with the trauma they have experienced through play and art. Eight year old Kathy Stone was abducted a year ago and believed to be dead by everyone but her mother when she is found walking barefoot on the side of the road. Robin soon begins to see Kathy who refuses to speakand helps her to feel safe enough to work through her trauma. Using a dollhouse and art, Kathy soon begins to bring her trauma to life in a twisted tale that will even put Robin in danger. Dark and unpredictable, the story keeps you guessing and Robin’s character is a unique heroine to uncover the dark mystery involved. I would love to read more books with Robin playing lead! My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.