Please tell me is a thriller novel by Mike Omer about a kidnapped child who escapes after a year in captivity. The child is traumatized and refuses to speak, except to a child therapist named Robin Hart. Robin uses play therapy to help Kathy, but the sessions take a dark turn when Kathy starts to enact gruesome scenes with dolls. Robin begins to suspect that Kathy knows more about real-life murders than she is letting on. The novel follows Robin's race against time to unlock Kathy's secrets and stop a serial killer.

The premise is what pulled me in, but unfortunately executing was lacking. It was too slow and wordy for my liking and I feel like I was constantly waiting for something interesting to happen. It just didn't click.

This is a story with an awful lot going on, I missed the mark in my guess at the resolution.
I did enjoy it for what it is, absolute fiction with rather accurate psychological applications and theories. Not being familiar with the Author meant I did not know whether this is the kind of story to expect- a bit complicated, a bit frightening and interesting enough to keep me up late and sharing my progress with my friends, which is something I don’t often do…
To avoid any spoilers, I am not going to be any more specific, but this is a good story. Some people have expressed concerns about references to Covid, but I found them to be few, but appropriate to the story - it gave great context in some areas.
I would not recommend this to people with sensitivity to traumas with kids, or women, regardless of the positive resolution. I do recommend it to those who love a great suspense with lots of Law Enforcement cooperation, and those who just like a scary whodunnit!
My thanks to Thomas and Mercer Publisher and Net Galley for the download of this book for review purposes.

An enjoyable psychological thriller with clever plot-twists and engaging characterisation. Child therapist Robin Hart attempts to communicate with young Kathy Stone, despite Kathy not speaking a word since she was found by the side of the road a year after being kidnapped. This is a clearly well-researched and sensitive depiction of child psychology – with Kathy’s story gradually emerging through art and play. I also really enjoyed the sense of small-town claustrophobia and gossip, the complex dynamic between Robin and her Mother, and the gently hinted-at red herrings which definitely threw me off the scent.
Perfect read for borrowers after an engaging and addictive thriller.

As part of the author's group of pre-release reviewers I submit the following:

I have now read eight books written by Mike Omer. My wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed Mike's writing style, character development and a subtle sense of humor. However, since "Please Tell Me" revolves around the abduction and mental abuse of a child, a sensitive topic, one might think this would preclude him from employing his normal use of humor. Enter Menny to save the day. I'm not sure if Menny's breed or age was mentioned, but I visualized Dean Koontz's Golden Retriever as the perfect role model, or even our own female Schnauzer, Margot, who gladly takes me for walks each day.

There are three primary "couples" in this not yet released page-turning thriller.
(1) Robin Hart and her toxic ex, Evan Moore - aka "Drano" (my nickname). Dr. Robin is the primary narrator throughout the book and the psychologist who works with the child after her return.
(2) Clair and Pete Stone - aka "Nike" because of his pragmatic "Just Do It" and "Git R Done" personality. Clair and Pete are the parents of Kathy, the young girl who was abducted, then escaped 15 months later to provide the numerous plot twists that make this an interesting read.
(3) Finally, Robin's older sister, Melody and her hubby Fred (NLN given?) - aka "White Bread" because Fred seems be a good husband and father but he's more off to the side supporting Melody through the various crisis points in the story. They have four children: Sheila, Liam, Noel, and Amy. Amy was Kathy's BFF before her abduction.

There is another "couple" that plays an important role in Robin and Melody's lives, and that's their parents: Fred and Diana Hart. Fred had recently died of a heart attack, but I think he opted out to avoid any more time with the narcissistic Diana. Diana happens to be the best friend of Glenda, who happens to be the mother of Robin's ex - Mister Evan "Drano". Also, to add to the overall character confusion (that is the typical semi-small-town middle-America type of relationship confusion) Evan (aka Drano), Pete (aka Nike) and Fred (aka White Bread) all seem to be lifetime HS buddies.

Oh yeah, there is one other main "character" that creates some interesting subplots throughout the storyline: COVID. I give Mike credit for weaving the COVID sequestering and social distancing into the overall story, especially as to how it affected the relationships of the very young and very old.

I really wanted to like Robin as she struggled to deal with her own mental abuse and neglect at the hands of her mother. This abusive relationship seems to stem back to when she was child and has continued on into her adult life. Nevertheless, as a trained psychologist she seems ill-equipped to take care of her own demons (avoidance?). I will admit up front that I truly hated Chapter 5 where we meet Diana for the first time. That chapter felt way too long in my opinion. Nonetheless, as the story progresses, Robin starts fighting back by pushing her mom's "hot buttons"; first with the doll house, then ignoring her calls or visiting, and finally smoking in her mom's home and using the fine China as an ashtray. I understand Robin's adult rebellion, but rather than dealing with her mom as an adult, she regresses back to her childhood, when she was "forced" to bear her lot with her mother's anger and indifference. “Poke her in the eye Robin!” It seems that life with her mom was tolerable as long as dad (Fred Hart) was available to show some love and patience.

Finally, Detective Nathaniel King enters the story brings some stability to Robin’s life and refocuses the entire storyline on the "who-done-it". Most of the early story is about Kathy's escape and the work Robin does with Kathy to process her time of captivity. The second "half" of the book begins to focus on who was the abductor and were they (he or she) still in play. Mike drops some short chapters early in the book that start introducing the abductor and possibly someone who knows the complete story but hesitates to get involved.

This is a very well thought out and creative plot that will keep you guessing while you put up with the dysfunctional adults who are desperately trying to help Kathy heal so they can get back to a “normal” life. I appreciate Mike’s sensitivity to the fact that Kathy’s “normal” is no longer the “before her abduction” normal. Now if only her family, friends and the rest of the “small” community can come to grips that their own lives have been indelibly violated, not only by COVID, but also the disappearance and reappearance of Ms. Kathy.

Mikes writing is definitely one of a kind and I personally enjoy his style but i know some may not and with that said to each their own. This is a very well thought out and creative plot that will keep you guessing while you put up with the dysfunctional adults who are desperately trying to help Kathy heal so they can get back to a “normal” life. I appreciate Mike’s sensitivity to the fact that Kathy’s “normal” is no longer the “before her abduction” normal. Now if only her family, friends and the rest of the “small” community can come to grips that their own lives have been indelibly violated, not only by COVID, but also the disappearance and reappearance of Ms. Kathy. 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!

I LOVED IT!

I have a background in childcare and have also worked in the mental health field (secretarial, but you can't help but pick up on a few things when you are there for ten years!). I really liked the fact that you made Robin flawed. I never met a counselor who didn't have issues, unless they were straight up lying! The way you wrote Kathy was well done! Fragile but yet strong when it came down to the nitty gritty!

My thoughts: I absolutely adored this book and I thought that Robin's job was absolutely fascinating! I enjoyed the chapters that went back to Kathy's abduction day to get some insight! I also really liked how they found the person. The last twist was the best though! Overall, I really liked it!

WOW! If you enjoy a great psychological thriller dipped with some macabre then this is the book for you. It is one of my favorites from the very talented Mike Omar. A young girl, Kathy, is found on the side of the road after being abducted. Her family is excited to have her home but she refuses to talk about her ordeal. Child therapist Robin Hart has great success breaking through yet must be very careful with the privacy act. While the therapy sessions continue, strange things start to happen such a the dolls that Kathy are playing with stab each other and every time she plays, one of the dolls dies. Robin must try to figure out what happened to Kathy and stop a terrible person from doing the same thing again. Can Robin get to bottom of who abducted this young girl and why is she hurting the dolls? I truly loved Robins character. The way she was developed and how true to form she is as a counselor. I cannot stop reading books by this author because the ride they take me on is way too fun.


5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Overall, a very solid book! Captivating to read, and I loved Robin's perspective. I found her to be quite a complex character and loved reading about both her therapy sessions and her conversations with her mother.
I also thought that the romantic subplot was very cute.

I appreciated the insights into psychology and therapy very much!
The concept of the book was fascinating, and I liked how the story progressed, but I thought that the final twist was unessecary and out of nowhere. I also didn't particularly enjoy the jumping around to different POVs at different points in time. I prefered Robin's narrative.
I would recommend this book if you want a quick, fast paced read, if you are less interested in detective work and more into the trauma of abduction cases.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me a copy for a honest review!
Content Warnings

I was delighted when I received this ARC as I have liked all the other books by Mike Omer. But my delight was short lived. Did Mike Omer really write this? His writing was humorous in all books in the Abbey Mullen, Zoe Bentley and Glenmore Park series. But I found this book was bland. The plot has been done to death in many other thrillers I have read. The book was too long with unnecessary details about social media and a constant reminder of Covid.

The characters had nothing to make them likeable. Robin was the most annoying. She was a therapist, but she had so many issues herself. The reasons for her anxiety apparently because of her mother is still not clear to me. Her therapy sessions were creepy when she verbally tells what the child is doing. "Now you have paint all over your hand. you decide where it goes" The character of the kidnapped girl Kathy was also hard to believe. She was stuck dumb because of the trauma due to her long period of captivity. But she was too expressive drawing everything vividly she had seen, that too from the very first session.
Then the unnecessary romance angle. And the stupid killer. This was a huge disappointment.

<i> Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC</i>

Please Tell Me was an absolutely amazing thriller. This is probably one of my favorite books by Mike Omer to date this is an author that has a gift for the macabre and taut gripping thrillers and police procedurals.

This book varies from others that Mike Omer has written in the past in that the female MC Robin is a child Phycologist and the new perspective of being patient oriented first and foremost, while still maintaining client patient confidentiality did her best to help the police find a demented killer. We see wonderful moments with Robin while she carefully helps Kate a deeply traumatized girl come to terms with the horrors she endured as a long term kidnap victim taken my a homicidal serial killer.

The twists and turns are gripping, believable and gut wrenching as a mother to read what can only be any mothers worst nightmare realized as a frantic search for Kate and the scars on both the family and community are explored as a hunt for the killer begins in earnest.

I honestly can’t say enough about the book I absolutely loved it and I highly recommend it.

4.25 – 4.5 STARS

Boasting an intriguing premise that pulled me in right from the start, “Please Tell Me” is a fast-paced, chilling suspense novel that I was hard-pressed to put down! There are many elements in this story that I found compelling, but the romance sub-plot was not one of them. And when it came to the ultimate “reveal,” I couldn’t help but feel a bit let down, especially since the final “story twist” towards the end came as no huge surprise. Still, Mike Omer spins quite the thrilling mystery, and I found this latest novel of his to be a unique and enthralling tale. I look forward to reading more of his books in the future!

Overall I like the story and it is well paced. Parents (mothers in particular in this book) have a big impact on children’s life. There was a saying that a happy childhood helps cure unhappiness during a life time and it may take a life time to cure an unhappy childhood.

For the ending, I just feel there are still questions that are not explained well. For example, why Ellie ran away without Kathy if she wanted to be her mother. Did he contact Ellie; I doubted he didn’t know where Ellie was since he was in the neighborhood. The relationship between them seemed complicated than just a few sentences.

Wow! I finished the book in a little more than one night.
I loved Robin she is a star!
I believe she is a totally different character than anyone I have ever come across in a thriller or suspense type book. I believe you could build a new series off her and Nathaniel (Melody, Menny...)
I would love to see what's next for all of them. I feel like I got attached and got more invested and now that window has closed.

Anytime Robin "has the floor" I pay attention.
I didn't find any typos! Which in this day and time is huge.

Strong character development, felt like I was immersed in the story. I didn't want this to end and would love to see Robin, Menny and Nathaniel return for more books!

Absolutely loved Robin! (Can't say this enough!)
She has such a real "voice" that is believable. Her relationship with her mother, her sister, her patients and Jimmie all make me want to know her better.
Would love to know more details about some of the other characters relationships with Robin. Her mother?
This book, the characters and writing don't disappoint!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy!

I thought this was a solid mystery. The part that sold me, a child re-enacting murders in a dollhouse, was very creepy and well-done, and I thought the reveal was a pretty solid payoff. I quite liked the movie obsession of our villain. It made the visuals so strong, and made the whole Kathy-seeing-murders thing believable. Also, the second villain was a clever twist.

Mike Omer never disappoints. I love both his Zoe Bentley and Abby Mullen series! This book is equally captivating. Instead of his typical police procedural style, it is about a child therapist who is helping a little girl deal with the trauma she endured when she was kidnapped and away from her family for 15 months. The relationship between Robin and Kathy is sweet and I'm glad that this story highlights the good that therapy brings. Then, the way Mike gets into the mind of the killer is just as engaging as in his Zoe & Abby books. A good twist and a nice romance are always a plus too. I hope to see more of Robin. The only thing missing is the comic relief of a Marvin. He still cracks me up! 4.5 stars! Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing the ability to read an advanced copy~

Over a year after 8-year-old Kathy disappeared, she turns up alive but not speaking. Her therapist Robin believes she may have been a witness to at least one murder during her abduction. Pretty good, 4 stars.

It was a great story, as I thought it would be. I read other books by this author, so I knew what to expect. And I am not disappointed. More, I am delighted. 'Please tell me' is suspenseful, gripping and satisfying. This psychological thriller will make you guess. The main characters are likeable; they grow and change as the story unfolds. It is worth the time.

WOW. This book was amazing!! This was the type of book I was picking up even if I only had 5 minutes to read. I haven't been able to pick up another book after finishing it because nothing sounds as good as this!
Please Tell Me is about a little girl returning to her family after going missing for over a year, when she returns she's completely silent and won't talk to anyone. The story is told from the pov of her therapist, her mother, her kidnapper, and from an investigator. There's bits of the investigation and clues from her therapy so it has a really nice true crime feel.
The characters are amazing and so is the story. I highly highly recommend this book!

Mike Omer's Abby Mullen series is one of my favorite thriller series' I've read in a while which is probably why I was a bit disappointed in »Please Tell Me«, I think my expectations were just too high.
However, this was still a solid thriller, even if it was not what I wanted from this book.
The premise sounded really interesting, I love that we got to read from the POV of a psychiatrist instead of someone working inside the criminal justice system, it was something different. But that also meant this was less about finding out who abducted Kathy/the killer than Robin working with Kathy to better manage her trauma. That made parts of the book... I don't want to say boring but definitely less exciting to read about because it was just a lot of guesswork on Robins (and everyone else's) part because Kathy wasn't talking.
I also wasn't the biggest fan of the multiple POVs we got from the day Kathy was abducted - obviously the author tried to mislead the reader but especially after the ending I just think it didn't add a lot to the story and was more confusing than anything else.
Honestly, I'm mostly just a bit bitter because I know the author is able to write great plot twists and keep me on my toes while reading and this book just didn't work for me personally.