An excellent well written read. I couldn't put it down. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for this author's future books

Beware the Cuckoo by Julie Newman is not your typical mystery/thriller. It has very sensitive issues at the heart of the story which can be very disturbing for some to read (see below, if you don't mind a spoiler) .

The story flashes back and forth between the past and present of two women who were best friends as young teenage girls who reconnect at at a funeral where secrets and lies from the past are about to be dredged up and painfully relived.

Karen has a loving husband, two adoring children and a seemingly wonderful life; however, she also has an incomprehensible and painful secret that could potentially ruin it all.

Sandra had a perfect life which is now in a shambles as her business is gong under, the man she loves has a cunning dark side, and Sandra knows a secret that could help her reclaim what is rightfully hers if she uses it to her advantage.

*Spoiler Alert* This novel was certainly not what I was expecting. I almost stopped reading it when I realized that a young girl was being groomed by her best friend's father, and was frankly, hard to get through. After reading just over half the book, I did abandon it, which is something I very rarely do. I just couldn't get through it as it. It took a long time for the story to progress and then it just stalled, there were grammatical errors that were hard to overlook, and I didn't overly enjoy the writing style or author's voice I guess you could say; it was written rather simplistically. I did love the book cover however; it was very eye-catching. I rate this novel 2 stars out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley and Urbane Publishers for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review. https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Reviewed: May 22, 2017. Novel Publish Date: May 18, 2017.

Overall, I thought this book was well written. I thought it portrayed the powerful impact of grooming and the far reaching impact of this. I enjoyed the moving across time periods and thought the ending was interesting

First of all I have to say what a gorgeous cover design! It was this stunning artwork which drew me to the book initially then once I had read the book I understood how the artwork very cleverly linked to the storyline.
Secondly, I do think there should be a warning to readers who are sensitive to the subject of grooming and paedophilia as this is a strong component of the story.
The book centres around the friendship between 3 young girls who are thrown in to more of a friendship of convenience and circumstance rather than a close bonding. The lives of them and their families are entwined throughout the girls' formative years as they are tested by peer pressures and the need to fit in with the crowd. Their friendship finally hits a huge stumbling block when tragedy strikes, and the girls go their separate ways. Years later, two of the three are once again forced to meet when events and secrets from their youth rear their ugly head. Years of pent up jealousy and resentment come to a head and the story takes an even more sinister turn.
My only criticism of this book is that the conclusion could have been longer and more detailed to make for a more satisfying finish, hence I award this excellent book a strong 4 out of 5 stars

This book is well worth a read it keeps engaged all the way through. you see the girls journey from childhood through to adulthood and how their lives are so different with one person in common. Something a bit different definitely an author to watch

Beware the Cuckoo is an unsettling read but a good page turner that I could not put down and read in two sittings.
The characters are well developed and the pace of the story is slow to build with the tension ratcheting up with each chapter.
I know this book won’t be for everybody due to the disturbing dark theme and unpleasant characters but this was a well written story which held my attention throughout and had me quickly turning the pages as I needed to find out what happened.

Thank you!

This book was not what I expected. I was very drawn by the cover of the book and at the beginning I enjoyed it. But as I continued and I realized the story was partly devoted to the sexual grooming of a child, I started to feel put off. Also, the 2 main female characters were in no way appealing to me. Karen was so weak I wanted to smack her and spoilt Sandra also needed a good smack. As for Sandra's father! No words...
Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

Wow. This book is a total heart stopper. I could not wait to see what happened next. This one may be one of the thrillers of the year!

What a sad but brilliant and uplifting book.
The story tracks the life of a young girl who has been cleverly abused by an older man, making her believe that she is not a victim and so ashamed for what she has done, it's so heartbreaking and also realistic, I was so glad when she finally broke free of his clutches.
The ending was satisfying too, tying up all loose ends and filling me with a sense of justice.
This was a well written, captivating novel, with good characters and excellent descriptions, highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. Its the story of friendship, adolescence & adventures but also a thriller of mistrust and betrayal. None of the four main characters are particularly likeable so it's difficult to get behind them (which I struggled with at first) but the conclusion is a good one which left me feeling that I'd had good use of my time. Read this in 3 days.

I enjoyed this book. I found that my opinions of the characters changed as their lives and therefore their stories progressed. The aspect involving the grooming of a young teenager was unexpected, but was portrayed and handled well.
I found it difficult to equate the personality of the young Karen with the older one as the book progressed, but that makes in accurate in the way that people actually grow up and change. Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beware the Cuckoo by Julie Newman.
Two women. One man. A buried secret.

They were reunited at his funeral, school friends with a shared past. A past that is anything but straightforward. A past that harbours secrets and untruths.

Karen has a seemingly perfect life. An adoring husband, two wonderful children and a beautiful home. She has all she has ever wanted, living the dream. She also has a secret.

Sandra's once perfect life is rapidly unravelling. The man who meant everything to her had a dark side and her business is failing. To get her life back on track she needs to reclaim what is rightfully hers. She knows the secret.

As the past meets the present, truths are revealed - and both women understand the true cost of betrayal.
A very good read. Slow to begin with then bam couldn't put it down. OMG what a secret. 5* netgalley and urbane publications.

Great read! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

This was a very unexpected read, It was totally different to what I expected it to be, not actually in an awful way just very unanticipated.
I will start my review with a warning, this book described the grooming and exploitation of a young teenager so if you find the subject matter tackled in this story distressing best to give a wide berth.
So where to start well I loved the title "Beware the cuckoo" and I totally got the insinuation from Sandra's point of view of Karen being an interloper, the cuckoo in the nest who in her view has always wanted her life and dad.
Nothing could be further from the truth and it just shows the wrongness and lack of morality That Sandra has been raised with that even when the truth about her father is finally revealed to her she still sees Karen, not as a victim but as a cuckoo and her dad Bill as the injured party taken advantage off.
Nearly from the start we the reader are aware of the secret and what Karen has endured. The way she has been manipulated to believe her young self in love with a much older man, a predator.
We are taken through past events through a variety of eyes, even Bill himself, then returned back to the present time where our story continues.
As events unfold we learn all there is to know of these awful occurrences.
Now for the main characters involved well the three girls for starters, they are hardly the BFF'S you would want for life Sandra selfish and spoilt, Yvonne well in my opinion she seemed very fickle in her friendship, bouncing from Karen to Sandra and then back again. and then there's Karen herself she really needed to get a backbone with her friends and say what she thinks.
Well, let's just say the term frenemies comes to mind.
Bill, well that one is self-explanatory.
Then there's The husband, without giving away any spoilers I am not a fan of the condescending hypocritical douchebag I will just leave it there.
As you can see I got personally invested in Beware the cuckoo, hence the irritation with certain individuals, this only happens with me when I feel a connection.
So as I was saying Loved the title, the book cover is also fabulous and I book- bonded to the point I was muttering under my breath.
This Tale also kept my interest and I found the storyline easy to follow, overall this was an enjoyable addicting read.
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Beware The cuckoo By Julie Newman.
This is my own personal opinion.

This was a very good book with lots of twists and turns and suspense. The character of Karen was an interesting person who finally got a backbone as the book progressed. The relationship between the 3 young girls, Karen, Yvonne and Sandra was well developed. It was interesting to see how Sandra changed as she became older and got more and more greedy. The relationship between Karen and Sandra's dad Bill was difficult to read but made the story what it was.