Thank you NetGalley and Tomas & Mercer publishing for letting me read this book early!

Synopsis:
In this captivating mystery novel, we meet Robin, a brilliant child therapist, and Kathy, a nine-year-old girl who went missing 15 months ago, now found walking alone along the road on the other side of the state. Kathy's parents hire Robin to work with her, in hopes of helping her to overcome her trauma and, to some extent, uncover what happened to her. As Kathy's therapy sessions go on, we quickly discover that Kathy does indeed communicate, just not with words!

What I liked:
I enjoyed the fast pace of this story. The chapters ending in the middle of a dramatic scene really made me want to read on, and I found myself thinking about the story when I wasn't reading it. The chapters aren't too long, which I like, as it helps me stay focused. I liked the characters, and that sometimes we got different perspectives and even a few flashbacks. I did not predict the climax, as the story did a brilliant job adding in diversions!

What I disliked:
There was a romance subplot I wasn't really a fan of. It developed too quickly and felt out of place given the genre of this story. I did like both characters involved though, so by the end I wasn't totally opposed to it. Furthermore, I'm a little disappointed that the one character I really suspected, and that the writer did a brilliant job of making dislikable, ended up having nothing to do with it, simply because I disliked them so much by that point!

Final thoughts:
I found this to be a fast-paced, captivating novel that had my attention from start to finish. I enjoyed the length of the chapters, as it allowed me to read a little when I didn’t have much time (on the bus, on breaks at work etc). I also enjoyed trying to work out the mystery!

A dark, raw psychological thriller that is also a race against time to find a serial killer. Firstly I would say there should be some warning before this as some areas are quite gruesome and also the child kidnapping may be hard to read. This is a really fast read with lots of elements that come together over the space of the book to create a bigger mystery - I think that was really well done and the writing hooks you in. The only downside for this was I think it was slightly too long as some parts in the middle did begin to feel repetitive and a bit bland but apart from that I enjoyed reading this a lot.

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.

I thought Please Tell Me by Mike Omer was a good book but it didn't quite meet my expectations. The writing didn't really pull me into the story but I still enjoyed it. The storyline made me want to keep going because I really wanted to know how it ended. I'm very interested in all things mystery and thriller so this read was definitely a fun one.

I also really enjoy the characters. They are well-written and I did enjoy getting to know them.

This is why I rated this book 3 stars.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Nine year old Kathy suddenly reappears after being missing for over a year. She won't speak a word and frightens easily so her mother takes her to child psychologist Robin Hart. Through these sessions, Kathy seems to be playacting the horrendous acts she witnessed/went through while missing.

This had such a good foundation on which to build upon that I couldn't wait to dive into it. However, I found it lacking. I first assumed this was written by a debut author trying their hardest to impress and was shocked to find this is a well accomplished, seasoned writer. There were unlikely scenarios in this from the beginning that were hard to believe. The end result and supposed twist was just so out of left field and we are just expected to accept it and move on. The protagonist and surrounding characters were a bit immature at times. This did hold my interest though and I finished it pretty quick. It's just an okay read for me. Three Stars.

Thank you Netgalley Thomas and Mercer for this ARC.

I adored this.book. I read it with bathed breath, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Little Kathy is one of the bravest characters I ever read about, she went through trials that would have broken many adults but she conquered them, escaped and in the end saved herself and Robin by starting to speak when it was necessary. I give it five stars.


P.s. if you have to censor my review to not spoiler, feel free

I was so intrigued by the plot of this story and was excited to delve right in. Unfortunately, I was totally disappointed. COVID is talked about nearly every page yet plays ZERO part in the actual plot. Nothing happens through a good portion of this which left me bored and skimming. It felt like this writer wasn't quite sure where to take this story.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Please tell me revolves around a child therapist and a kidnapped girl. Occasionally switching POVs to try to throw the reader off of the culprit. The main character Robin was an enjoyable character. But the depth to her character, as well as others in this book, was very one dimensional.

The storyline in a nutshell was unique. The author does a good job at creating an eerie creepy atmosphere. However, for a story which the ending has absolutely NOTHING to do with COVID, the pandemic is mentioned over abundantly. In my opinion, the author sounds like a student trying to hit a word count limit for a paper. Many of these Covid scenes did nothing to add to the storyline and became extremely repetitive.

I enjoyed the overall storyline, but found many aspects bland, extremely redundant and overused.

I cant really give a full review because I just couldn't stick it and ended up DNF. I didn't mind the writing style. It was a bit wordy for my personal taste but I was fascinated by the premise so wanted to keep going. But...... Nothing ever seemed to happen?! I'm all for the slow burn but as much as I read, it's all about these random women who I have no interest in and I was unbelievably bored so decided it wasn't worth it. Maybe it does finally get better and actually get on with the story but for me it just dragged so badly, and with a completely pointless sub plot. A d that was even after the child was found and reunited with her mum...... it just didn't engage me at all and felt like absolutely nothing was happening. I'm sure for those who like a slow burn and who prefer a writing style that is more waffley the this might be a winner

This was thrilling and addictive to read. Every chapter left me on the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to read more by this author soon.

Please Tell Me by M. Omer, published by Thomas & Mercer, is a full-length, stand-alone mystery with thriller elements.
Kathy is a 9 year old who shows up after she vanished for 15months. Non speaking her mother brings her to child therapist Robin. And she starts to work with Kathy. And soon a race against time and villains starts.
Please Tell Me is one of these books that are difficult to describe. It took me a minute to get into the story, but on the other hand I couldn't not read it. It's like a car crash on the other lane - you just can't look away.
A gripping mystery, a great read, excellent.

I am devastated. This was just so terrible, I didn’t think I would make it through.
Let’s start with the writing, it did not feel like Mike Omer. This felt like a really flat, hand holdy debut novel by and author who is trying to bust into the scene. It was extra wordy, so repetitive and so much unnecessary story. I am shocked to announce that this is under 400 pages because it felt like 900 pages to me. I just kept dragging myself through this book.
It even seems rather childish at times and it was not thrilling at all.
I will still give this author another go but I don’t think I’ll rush into his next book with as much energy as I did with this one. Fingers crossed for next time.

Please Tell Me
by Mike Omer

I found the book to be ok. It did not scream great, or good. But, it was not the worse I have read. Just not reality. The child was not age-related in the story, nor is Child therapist Robin Hart in any way how a therapist would behave. But again, someone took the time to write a book, I have not, so props for the effort.

You could tell she had been an abducted child that had gotten loose.
The age we find later was 8 then 9, how did she know some of these things,
didn’t seem to fit.or even knowing what they meant.
Robin a therapist, by use of a play kitchen gets the child to reveal the horrors
she has seem. The plastic toys , that come and gone.
Have read his other books, and this lacked, didn’t pull me in.
Didn’t seem like the writing of a much published author.
Given ARC by Net Galley and Thomas Mercer for my voluntary review

Please Tell Me is a gripping mystery novel that keeps readers engaged from the first page. The fast-paced plot and intriguing characters make it a must-read for mystery enthusiasts. The writer's skillful storytelling ensures that readers cannot predict the killer's identity until the end, adding an element of surprise that is rare in mystery books.

The characters are well-developed, each with their unique strengths and weaknesses, and the writer portrays their struggles in a realistic and relatable way. The book's standout scene is the phone scene in Chapter 4, which is beautifully written and shows the protagonist's strength and resilience in the face of adversity. The only minor downside is that a few pages in the early chapters are slow, but the writer provides a good reason for them later.

Overall, "Please Tell Me" is an excellent mystery novel that will leave readers eager to read more from the same author.

A great take on a kidnapping story. Most books surround the kidnapping itself, but this book follows what happens after the person returns.

This was an engaging book about a young kidnap victim who escapes and returns home but is too traumatized to talk about her ordeal, or anything else. Kathy is now nine years old and was found wandering the streets barefoot in the middle of the night. Everyone is overjoyed to have her back, but many questions remain. Her mother, Claire, takes her to see Robin, a child therapist, to try and draw out some type of communication. And when Kathy does begin to respond by interacting with toys, she gives terrifying glimpses into what she may have seen. Several gruesome deaths and an evil villain, for starters.

Not everyone around town agrees with Robin's methods, but it's clear that this therapy is working and Kathy has plenty to convey in her own way. But will they be able to locate the person responsible this way? And is Kathy truly safe now that she's home or is there still danger lurking in the shadows?

I thought the story was intriguing and well-paced, and the scenes between Robin and Kathy read like true therapy sessions. It's the same with the way Robin interacts with Kathy's parents - they differ on how to approach the therapy and are no longer together, but they are doing their best to follow Robin's guidance. Helping Kathy process the trauma safely and at her own pace is crucial to enable Kathy to trust again. It pays off though I can't say how, and it leads to a satisfying yet bittersweet conclusion. It's not one to be missed!

Please tell me is a gripping and chilling tale that kept me on the edge of my seat, I read this book in all of two and a half days, I was hooked.

The book kept me guessing and while I wracked my brain trying to figure it out, it truly eluded me.

In a small town where a child is abducted only to be found 15months later across state lines with the memories of her harrowing time locked in her mind, begin to unravel, revealing a horrifying ordeal.

Mike Omer has certainly captivated myself as an audience and has a talent for thrillers.

A really interesting premise and important issues are captured in this book. The writing style was not as smooth as I like i]when reading thrillers, as I think the prose and dialogue matter a lot if you are going to engage effectively. But this may be a personal taste thing. The story itself is fascinating.

Ugh! I really wanted to like this book, but I just could not get into it. Sadly, at 14% I threw in the towel. I was extremely bored and falling asleep. There were just too many repetitive phrases, choppy wording, and nothing exciting happening. My apologies to the author and NetGalley for having to DNF this book.

Thank you for the opportunity in allowing me to access the digital eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.