4.5☆ A Gripping read that kept me hooked!

Don't say a word is full of suspense, intrigue, secrets, kept me guessing, it's gripping, an exciting chilling physiological thriller that kept me turning pages and made my hair stand on end!

Jen and her son Josh are living a lie! A secret life.
They appear to be hiding from someone but for what ever reason... it has got Jen very scared and unnerved her!
But when all that threatens to come crashing down around them... what is Jen to do?

Does she keep running or does she decide enough is enough and stays put?
All Jen has ever wanted to do is protect her Son no matter what the cost!

Jen is extremely protective of Josh. So much so she ends up in trouble a few times at work.

But Who is Jen hiding From?
Why is she terrified?
Is she really being too over protective or has she every reason to be?
Who can Jen really trust?

Don't say a word literally chilled me to the bone.
Although I thought I knew what was coming... I was in for plenty of shocks and twists!

I did find the flip flopping between Present day and Jens past memories a little confusing at times as they came randomly throughout the story.
Although I can completely see why they was written in this way as it gave the reader snippets of Jens past and why she acts the way she does.
Not giving the reader too much away. Keeping them guessing!

I did find the first several chapters to be a little confusing almost disjointed.
But once I got into the story it became clear it was about to get a whole lot better!

It's the little things that gave me goosebumps. The texts, the shop window. It was all building up a chilling atmospheric portrayal that something very bad was coming.

Don't say a word really is spine tingling good!
It packs a physiological punch that tormented my emotions and made me second guess my thoughts.
Be prepared to read long into the night as once you pick this book up you won't want to put it down!

The perfect read for those who love gripping physiological thrillers.

I didn't like the start of this book and almost gave up but persevered and happy to report it does improve. Actually read it in a day so just shows it must have held my interest. The main character Jen wasn't very likeable and seemed to be on edge all the time but the reasons for this did become clear. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. A good holiday read.

This book was very interesting and made me audibly shocked at least three times! I absolutely enjoyed it.

Jen Sutton is a lawyer and in Witness Protection with her young son Josh. When she starts working on a case involving a woman in prison and leaving behind a daughter, things start to spiral. The case has a scary similarity to her own past and as she starts to dig, she finds something that changes everything.

I received this ARC for an honest review, but I would recommend picking it up ASAP.

Riveting! Psychologically creepy, bone-chilling! This book will definitely keep you up at night.

The writing style, the weepy male lawyer still pining after his ex, and the barely interesting narrator made this a weak story for me. The protagonist frequently addressed the reader in her thoughts, her POV was the only one featured, and this book was more dry than thrilling.

The upside? The flashback scenes were tastefully fused in, the editing was okay, and Chloe earned that ending. The epilogue was realistic, fitting, and thorough.

I really enjoyed the book, it has everything I love in a novel from start to finish. I can’t wait to read what the author has planned next!

I'm really disappointed in this book. The Good Mother is one of the best books I've ever read so I couldn't wait for this one. Unfortunately it just didn't live up to the debut. I'm so sad. It's a good book but this author's first book was epic. It was a good read but in a poorer league to her first it pains me to say.

This s a roller-coaster of a book! Full of secrets which slowly unfold keeping the reader on edge throughout.

The story revolves around Jen Sutton and her son Josh. It is fairly obvious from the very beginning that there is a back story - an event, or series of events. Revelations come throughout the book whilst the tale rattles on at a breakneck speed. All is explained by the final page - although it may not be the conclusion the reader either wants or expects. More than a few surprises lurk between the pages of this one.

This is the first novel by A. L. Bird which I have read, but she is certainly an author I shall look out for in the future. This is a very fast moving and plausible thriller with good characterisation - but a word of warning here, you may never, ever trust anyone again!

I received an arc via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Oh my such a great book. Totally kept me up all night turning pages!

Oftentimes readers hear the claim that, "This book will leaving you guessing until the end."  I am glad to say that, for once, the claim is true!  Don't Say a Word is a twisting thriller that takes many unexpected turns and really does leave you guessing until the end.

I'll admit that I had a little trouble at the start.  The narrator's voice was difficult for me to follow.  I think this might have been because of certain British/U.S. differences in words and speech patterns.  However, once I got into the book, I couldn't put it down.  Every time I ended a chapter, I immediately had to find out what was going to happen next.

I loved Jen, the main character.  She was a little rough around the edges (there is a lot of swearing in this book), but she's a completely devoted mother.  She also makes the best choices, given her circumstances.  Her son, Josh, was a little moody at times, but what ten-year-old boy isn't?  Besides, his crankiness made him more realistic.

My emotions ran high when I read this.  At times, the book made me outraged.  Maybe it's because I'm a parent myself, but I couldn't stand some of the things that Jen went through.  Also, I was so angry at some of the characters in the book.  You know those movies that make you yell out loud at the screen because you get so upset?  Well, that's how it was for me in Don't Say a Word.

This is a fast-paced read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  I highly recommend it.

A psychological suspense with not one, but two big plot twists which had me unable to put this book down until the very last page. DON'T SAY A WORD by A.L. Bird was an intense read.
Jen Sutton is a lawyer who lives and breathes for her son, Josh. Over-protective to the extreme, but what is a mother to do when their lives are built on a lie? Jen’s past life is slowly revealed through internal dialogues and rants. Her reasons for her secretive life become increasingly clear as the psychological tension ramps up to a plot twist that took me completely by surprise.
Clear time for this one!
The true character of each character was revealed at the same pace as the plot, slowly working up to a break-neck pace. Every character had secrets and/or ulterior motives. The character development kept me reading even while some plotline developments in the story were a little unbelievable at times. For me, at times the writing feels somewhat choppy, but it also mirrors Jen’s internal panic and disintegration to a degree. The ending was a well written tie up of all the plot points and characters.
Thanks so much to Harper Collins UK HQ Digital and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! A well deserved 5 stars, one of the best pyschological fiction books of this year so far!

Excellent book. Great storyline and characters. A real page turner. I would recommend this book.

I haven’t quite decided how I feel yet. On the way hand it was great to read a thriller where I didn’t figure out every detail before the author started the reveals and one surprised me quite a bit to the point I had to reread some passages to see how I missed that coming.

One you get towards the end you better hope you’re not needed for anything because you will find yourself glued until the last word as the pace picks up crazy quick. I liked the characters, at least the decent ones, and not so much the bad ones which is always nice when you don’t end up feeling the reverse like I did with another book recently.

The character development mostly made sense especially as the past started filling out so the reader can truly understand the motivations and actions of everyone involved.

The only big negatives I found were a few plot devices I felt the author really wanted us to stretch our imaginations in believing that would happen in reality and some of character’s little internal monologues seemed to last forever.

I was late picking my husband up finishing the last few pages - it really ramps up with the twists and reveals at the end.
The main character Jen is likable and I was glad that when she was having her inner monologues and rants, there was plenty of swearing and in keeping with how you would expect someone with her background to think and react.
However, the lengthy internally ramblings I found quite irritating after a while. It was uncomfortable reading the scattergun, quickfire panicky thoughts.
(Spoilers from this point on)
The reveal regarding Chloe did take me by surprise. I thought of everything I'd read and could see that all references to Chloe were vague enough for it to make sense. However, for me it meant that I didn't really get a sense of Jen's old life or buy into it. I had no sense of who Mick was. So come the finale, nothing seemed plausible regarding the Mick-Dan-Emma-Tim-Louise connection. Had the deception just involved Mick and Tim it would have made more sense. I can;t even remember now what Louise's link to the family was.
As for the ending, I was confused that Jen's Mum wasn't charged with any crime for stabbing Mick in the back, but Jen received 6 years for manslaughter... And surprised the author went down such a dark route rather than all charges dropped by pleading self-defence.
An enjoyable enough read (I loved Josh learning about Henry VIII!) and I would read more by this author.

An easy read as we meet Jen and her son josh, currently in witness protection working in a law firm. When a case comes in a little close to home, and Jen feeling very paranoid that her past is catching up with her, how will it all end? I enjoyed the storyline and whilst a few places were a little far fetched in the plot, I did guess part of the ending, but not all of it which was a nice surprise.

Thank you A.L Bird (Amy) and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second A.L Bird novel and it will keep you guessing page after page to the very end, even though everything is right there in front of you.
Almost lawyer Jen Sutton and her son are hiding from someone, hiding from her past and the people she left behind. For 10 years Jen has rebuilt her life while constantly looking over her shoulder, waiting for the day she is finally found out. Then one morning the lawyer she works with asks her to help on a case. A life very similar to hers. Suddenly Jen's very controlled and ordered life starts to spiral out of control. Has she been discovered, have they finally found her? What will she do to protect her son from the life she left behind? Who can she trust?

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

Jen Sutton and her young son, Josh, have secrets. Jen only wants to protect her son. She knows what it is to live in terror day after day and she will do anything to keep him safe.

She has spent years pulling herself up the ladder of success. She's a Legal Executive and only her immediate supervisor knows part of her secrets.

But someone has found them and now she has a choice to make. Stay and fight for her new life .. or run ... again.

The story premise was a good one. however, the first couple of chapters felt somewhat disjointed to me ... a bit confusing. I am very glad I stuck with it because as the meat of the story appeared, it became impossible to put down.

The characters are carefully written ... and there are some who are not who they seem to be ... or are they exactly what she sees?

There are some major twists in the story that I never saw coming. The ending was quite surprising.

Many thanks to the author / HarperCollinsUK / Netgalley for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Jen has a solid life as an attorney with a young son. But she’s worked hard, and told lies and kept secrets to create that safe little life, a life that seems to be on the verge of collapsing. Someone who knows the truth has contacted her, and all she has worked for, the safety of herself and her child are about to be in jeopardy. Bird surprises readers with a few twists and turns in this whodunnit/whydunnit