Fab book which I really enjoyed reading and got thoroughly engrossed in it.

This review is written with thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy of Guilty.
Constance Lawson is thirteen years old. After an argument with her parents, she disappears and is reported missing. The media, in particular journalist, Amanda Bowe, believe Karl is the culprit and start a campaign against him. The campaign destroys Karl's life. Six years later, he has become estranged from his wife and daughter and is a homeless alcoholic. This is a world away from Amanda's life, a minor celebrity with a media mogul husband and a young son. But one day, Amanda faces a nightmare no mother should ever have to face.
In the beginning, Guilty is atmospheric and full of tension, and I wanted the police to discover what had happened. This, in part, kept me reading as the plot gathered pace. However, I found elements of this difficult, as Elliot starts Guilty with a prologue, which explains what happened to Constance. As a result, some of the tension, which Eliot works so hard to build, is diffused. This causes the novel to drag slightly towards the middle. I was also disappointed that Constance's story is largely forgotten in the second half of the novel, as I felt this element of the story had lots of potential that was not fully explored.
One of the central themes in Guilty is family, in particularly how fragile they can be and how secrets can destroy them. In view of this, I had high hopes for the novel, as the family dynamic is something to which I, and I suspect, several other readers, are able to relate. However, I found myself feeling ambivalent towards most of the characters: I couldn't hate them, but there was nothing about them that made me root for them or feel sympathy for them, and this left me feeling slightly disappointed.
Overall, although there were parts of Guilty that I enjoyed, I felt that some issues were not explored in as much depth as I would have liked, and as such, I finish the novel feeling underwhelmed.

I want to thank NetGalley, Bookouture, and the very talented Laura Elliot for my ARC copy for a fair and honest review.

This was a well written psychological thriller that kept me reading until the bitter end! I have to admit I quite enjoyed the dark and tumultuous storyline that ran throughout!

This is the story of Karl Lawson a successful music critic and editor, his missing 13 year old niece niece Constance Lawson, and Amanda Bowes the tabloid news report. Karl had it all a wife, a daughter and his brother and his family across the street that treated each others homes as their own. It doesn't get much better than that until Constance goes missing. Seven days is all it takes for well placed words, and twisted perspectives to ruin the lives of so many. Gossip and careful used words can easily ruin lives, and Laura Elliot brought home this fact in an epic way!!

The later half of the novel is about rebuilding your life from scratch and the need for revenge. Karl Lawson slowly starts rebuilding his life after losing absolutely everything and ending up on the streets, while Amanda Bowes life has taken off, a successful career, married to a media mogul and a happy family with their young son. Life has a funny way of catching up to people and again Elliot has brought this to life so creatively that it draws you in and immerses you. The want and need for revenge and how consuming both revenge and fear are. I will not give spoilers but lets just say this, how far would you go if you lost everything?

I can't wait to read more of Laura Elliot's novels, if this is any sign of what's to come then I am going to be reading an awful lot in the next little while!

Only 2* review for Guilty by Laura Elliot. The story starts well with a 13 year old girl Constance going missing and her Uncle Karl suspected of being involved and the avid reported Amanda gunning for him. The first half of the book is good and full of suspense and turmoil and families fall apart. However, the rest of the book lacks any meaning to me and the Author seems to wander off on a tangent away from the main story too many times and it becomes confusing and dull. She brings it back around at the end, but the writing falls flat to me and the ending seems to lack the gasp shock ending i was hoping for. First of Laura's i have read and a bit disappointed as it is described as a "gripping psychological thriller".

-holds head in hands- this is one of those books where you sit, staring at your computer for ages, attempting to write a review about it, but you end up failing miserably. As much as I would love the words to write themselves, my mind isn't that clever. However, this does mean that due to the nature of the storyline and the fact that it could be spoiler central, I will need to be annoyingly vague.

I finished reading 'Guilty' last week, yet it has managed to keep my nerves frayed ever since. There was just something about this storyline that got under my skin, but I have no idea what it was exactly.

A teenager is missing. A journalist is all over it like a bad smell. A family is at their wit's end, wondering where their daughter is. An uncle is being put in the spotlight, alongside the relationship with his thirteen year old niece. 

I found the whole missing child/family relationship under fire, extremely difficult to read. Extremely difficult. Whilst I was aware that the entire situation was an integral part of the storyline, I struggled. Don't get me wrong, the author had completely nailed the situation, as well as writing it extremely realistically. My issue wasn't with the book, it was my own personal reaction to it.

As the storyline settled into itself, more nail-biting situations cropped up, and the media stuck their noses in every single time. Of course, that is their job! Even though their involvement could be quite raw to read, it was incredibly eye-opening to witness the lengths that journalists go to in order to get a story. It was crazy. I was aware that the media can spin stories, but I didn't know the full extent.

Because 'Guilty' is split into various parts, it was quite easy to turn myself off from one main circumstance, to allow myself to engage in the brand new one without too much confusion. The storyline flowed well, and the author combined the parts without leaving any major loose ends. Bonus.

Being honest, this storyline wasn't for me as it brought up too many bad memories. However, because that it is my own personal reaction to the storyline and not the work of the author, I still think that Laura Elliot has done a brilliant job with this book.
Why?
Because the author still managed to get a reaction out of me! The storyline was gritty, nail-biting and raw, and the characters were very well-developed. I genuinely cannot fault the author at all! 'Guilty' has done the job of a psychological thriller, big time. Instead of keeping the intensity on an even keel throughout the novel, it just continued to grow, raising my blood pressure with every turn of the page.

A very well written, intense and jaw dropping novel - if you can hack the pace and like your heart beating rather fast, you will adore this book!

Thanks Bookouture,

Guilty is a deliciously gripping psychological thriller. Guilty begins with a prologue setting the scene and was from the off a book unlike any I have read in recent months. At first we are introduced to the Lawson family, consisting of Constance and her parents, her uncle Karl, aunt and cousin. Constance disappears following an argument with her parents over attending a concert with her Uncle Karl, who immediately becomes prime suspect in the case, thanks to the media frenzy created by journalist Amanda.

We then learn more about Amanda, discovering her secrets and learning more about the things which have motivated her and driven her in her role as a crime journalist. As the book continues we rejoin Amanda, but have skipped forward 6 years to see she has become a media star, married to a rich man and expecting a baby. Life should be perfect. But Amanda soon discovers she has made enemies who are out for revenge and plan on taking her and her idyllic life down. is it coincidental and does it have anything to do with the cold and chilling destruction of Karl's reputation?

Guilty is a gripping, thrilling read which took me on a whirlwind of discovery. Plot twists and turns galore kept the book fresh and exciting. With realistic, believable and complex characters, such as the cold and calculating journalist Amanda and Karl, who couldn't help but win me over as I discovered more about his marriage and the destruction caused by Amanda's media slaying of him following the disappearance of his Niece Constance.

Guilty was a satisfying and enjoyable read which kept me hooked with its fresh take on the psychological thriller and the impact the media and social media have on our lives and the influences they have. I really enjoyed the search for Constance and the way this was handled and how suspense was built throughout, revenge is sweet. This is one heck of a page turner!

Guilty starts with a missing girl. Karl who has an ordinary life falls under suspicion and the press in particular one journalists believes his guilt. This is how the book starts. You the follow the ins and out of Karl's life and those who have accused him. Fascinating story that spans a fairly lengthy time. The book definitely falls into different parts but the author nicely draws the story back together. My only criticism is that I wanted to know more about some of the less obvious charters in the book and how those relationships continued. Worth a read

Of course, when I took a look at Guilty’s cover, I was hooked. The colors, the balloon, the chimneys. A homey feeling contrasting with the taglines. A comforting and normal view threatened by chilling and ominous words. My favorite kind of covers.

I had a pretty good idea where this book was going to take me from the beginning. Relying on the events that were unfolding in front of me, I assumed it would follow a linear path up until the end except… This book has no straight path! This story is a giant hole into hell, with a dark and greasy ladder with pitfalls and spiders. Get ready for the bites!

I immediately felt for Karl. The Guilty label is so easy to get. One gesture, one misinterpreted word, one tricky situation, and the world around you turns grey. All it takes is a hint from someone. Sometimes it’s innocent, sometimes it’s not. The aftermath is always a disaster.

What starts as a missing child case turns into a reenacting of Salem’s trials as Karl goes from the caring uncle to the prime suspect in his niece’s disappearance thanks to a clever and frightening manipulation of the media. We have seen it happen. People see what they want to see, and it’s in our nature to look for someone to hold responsible. I have always thought it made things more bearable to point the finger and unleash the anger on a name, a face, whenever something terrible happens. Everything happened so fast that all I could do was shake my head and watch the tailspin engulf Karl. I was shocked by the little amount of time and information it took for his life to crumble, for his family to react. It was painful, it was unfair, it raised my blood pressure and shattered a little more my already broken hope for a fair world. Communities need a scapegoat to explain the worst. The doors closing one after the other were so real I felt I was the one left in the cold with no chance of coming back.

Suddenly I was taken years later, on the other side of the road. Amanda, a sweet name and the cunning weapon that used a family’s pain and destroyed lives with her articles and innuendos, is living the life. The chapters from her perspective never ever made me warm to her, no matter how many times the brilliantly raw writing tried to give me a different perspective. I had nothing but contempt for such a character, and I am not ashamed to admit that the second part of the book was very satisfying for me. Seeing Amanda’s world turn to a nightmare, with her past coming to bite her in the arse, from different angle, was a delight. I sound like a monster right now, but I do believe in karma and in getting what you deserve in the end. Those crime books are turning me into a dark person!!!

This part of the book was fiendishly well-plotted and weaved, and my confusion at the change of point of view soon became a gritty need to see a woman thrown down her pedestal. Isn’t this why we buy tabloids and watch reality shows, or even the news? To see people vulnerable and pushed to their limits? We are guilty, too.

Amanda is not a one-dimensional character and she makes for an interesting protagonist to follow, but like the crowd holding torches, I only wanted her to pay for what she had done.

The thing is we are all guilty in different ways. Guilty to be gullible, guilty with blood in our hands, guilty to use words as guns to kill the deer, guilty of lying, guilty of eating that second serving of pie, guilty of feeling, guilty of closing the door… The list could go on and on. I loved how the author used the notion of guilt and how it surrounds us, how no one is as white as an angel and how life has a way of teaching you a lesson. Even if it’s your choice to learn it or not.

This story works as a mirror, the disappearance of the young Constance putting you in the middle of the action from the start, before letting you get a bit of a relief from the tension as years go by, as you wonder why things take a good turn for some and leave the worst to others, wondering about the reasons why, just to be thrown into another, oh so similar scenario, and this gut-wrenching feeling of losing it all. The distress, the pain, the questions, they all come back to haunt Amanda, and despite my contempt for her, I just had to know what happened, I wanted justice, I wanted blood, I was guilty of being high hooked on this dark and unbearable suspense.

I am guilty of having had my head turned upside down with this brilliant and entertaining story that resonates in all of us every time a terrifying headline makes it to the news. I am guilty of having loved being faced with human nature when the beauty is gone thanks to a cold, gripping, and realistic portrayal of our society and one of its biggest flaw.

Guilty was a great psychological thriller that kept me hooked. The twists and turns throughout threw me each time, I loved this book. It was so addictive that I read it in a day I could not put it down. Have a read you won't be disappointed. Well deserved 5 stars from me.

Laura Elliot is a mystery-reader's dream! This book has twists and turns that NO ONE will see coming!

This is a complex thriller that should make you think about how the fast pace of news and thoughtless reporting can create a long lasting nightmare. Amanda's relentless pursuit of Karl has many more consequences than she could even imagine. Frankly, neither Karl nor Amanda is particularly likable but that's to the point. Elliot has laid out her plot carefully- there are enough twists to keep you reading even when the pace slows from the first section when Constance goes missing. Very well done. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

After a fight with her parents, thirteen-year-old Constance is reported missing. Her uncle, Karl, a man with a complicated past, finds himself implicated in her crime when a devious journalist, Amanda, suggests he could be the prime suspect. Karl’s life is essentially ruined. Six years later, Amanda finds herself in a mother’s worst nightmare when her own son goes missing. Could it be a coincidence? Or could it be past sins have come to back to haunt her?

Guilty was completely different than what I was expecting and if left me feeling quite the amount of mixed emotions. Let me explain.

What I Loved:

The characters in this one were awesome. I hated Amanda. HATED HER. It takes quite the penmanship to really make a reader feel that type of blind hatred and make it blatantly jump off the pages. I was expecting the plot to follow the typical abduction narrative, but I was surprised when it chose, instead, to split the novel into several separate sections that focused on the abduction, the aftermath, six years later, etc. It really made the plot stand out. I also liked that this one followed and developed the relationship between the accused and the reporter who essentially led the witch-hunt against him. It isn’t often a relationship like that is explored. Along with this, I loved how the first sections of the novel really drove home the media’s influence on news and how the media can truly manipulate an investigation. I found this to be fascinating and I felt like Elliot did a brilliant job at portraying this notion within the pages.

What I Struggled With:

I did find the pacing of Guilty to be a little slow for my liking. As mentioned above, the novel is split into several sections and I found that some parts of the plot really dragged. There were whole sections that felt like filler to make the story longer. I didn’t necessarily find they added anything to the plot. I also didn’t feel this one read like a psychological thriller; in my thrillers, I expect to be on the edge of my seat and completely confused about the plot and where it is going. This one focused more on the aftermath of an abduction and kind of read like contemporary family drama.

Overall, if you are looking for a fast paced, on the edge of your seat style thriller, I think this one will disappoint. However, if you like a slow burn that deals with relationships and what ifs, then I think you have found your next read!

I'm
Sorry I just did not enjoy this book. Even from the beginning it never kept my interest.

Guilty by Laura Elliot is a perfect example of everything I loathe about journalism. I have absolutely no doubt there are journalists out there who act with integrity and who work to inform the public of matters of importance in a wholly professional way. And then there are the others, people like Amanda Bowe, who thrive upon sensationalism and the notoriety and opportunity that an attention grabbing headline can bring them, caring little for the impact upon the people they are speculating on as long as they have their scoop. We have all seen it, particularly in recent years. 

For Amanda, Karl Lawson is that person. When his niece Constance disappears, Amanda is quick to exploit the 'close relationship' they had to turn it into something seedy. Something far from innocent. She steers clear of an outright accusation but says just enough for even Karl's family to doubt him. Thanks to her, his life is left in ruins but unfortunately for Amanda, he is not the only one. When her life takes a very tragic turn some six years later, there are no end of suspects who could be responsible for her pain. But is Karl really one of them?

What I really enjoyed about this book was the way in which Laura Elliot explored the idea of how the media are able to so easily sway how others think. Karl was a seemingly everyday guy who really cared deeply for his family and had a strong bond with his young niece. When we first met him he seemed genuinely anguished by her disappearance. And yet appearances can be deceiving, and Laura Elliot did a great job of injecting just enough doubt to make you wonder just who was telling the truth; Amanda or Karl. It didn't appear that Karl could have done it; he wasn't that good an actor. But then it's not unheard of for someone to feel so guilty about what they have done that they completely blank it from their memory. But then there were things in Karl's past, secrets he had kept which all added to that sense of unease surrounding him. That and there was just no other explanation. Perhaps he was guilty after all.

The evidence was all circumstantial yes, but in a carefully spun article, with all the digging and continued insinuation, the trail of crumbs left for all to follow, Amanda had ensured that no matter what the truth Karl was already tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. I really despised her character. I can't believe how much and I have to applaud the author for that as she made her so detestable that I couldn't feel an ounce of pity for her and what came to pass. She was a woman so blinded by ambition and having a personal score to settle with Karl that she too had convicted him without proof. I'd go so far as to call her the 'Queen of spin' she was so efficient and economical with the 'truth'. How does it go? 'Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story...' And as far as Amanda goes, Karl and Constance's story is the greatest one of all.

The novel is broken into five parts, parts one and two dealing with the disappearance of Constance and the immediate aftermath, parts three to five dealing with the lives of those affected by the young girl's disappearance, most notably Karl and Amanda. Their fortunes do a complete about face throughout and I loved to see the way their lives intersect and collide throughout. Who would have thought that the ending of one relationship, a bout of infidelity, could do so much damage?

This is not a fast paced novel, and if you are looking for all action and explosive tension then this isn't the book for you. There is a slow building feeling of unease, and yes of tension, driven by the knowledge that nothing good can come of the course of Amanda's investigation. It will tug at your heart strings and it will make you think. It may even make you think twice about reading that gossip column or sensational headline (please God let it make you realise the folly of reading The Sun and The Mail Online). What it most certainly will do is make you realise how quickly a secret kept and an accusation thrown can ruin a person's whole life. It kind of made me wish the Plinks were real too but you'll need to read the book for that to make sense.

Another brilliantly thought provoking read from one of my favourite authors. Loved it.

A great quality read with a gripping story line. Well worth the read.

This is the first book I have read of Laura's and I was quite impressed. It feels like 2 separate stories mingled into one. I wasn't expecting the twists in it and that's what made it more enjoyable to read. I wanted to keep reading it to find out what was going to happen but I also didn't want it to end. I will certainly be reading some more of her books!

Guilty was a bit different than I had anticipated, it was divided into five separate parts and the first one was very frantic as it focused on the disappearance of a teenaged girl. Her case is resolved during this section, then part two details the aftermath. It mainly follows Karl, Constance’s uncle who was the prime suspect when she went missing and the media storm created by a local reporter named Amanda. Then parts three through five fast forward to years later and follow both families and explore how the case effected so many lives.

Even though the beginning had the most rapid pacing I still found the book as a whole to be quite a page turner. I’m always intrigued by how the media’s influence can shift a criminal investigation and this played a heavy role here. Karl winds up losing everything dear to him and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. The rest of the characters were a pretty unlikable bunch, but I was still so curious to see what would happen to them. I know that’s vague, but it’s for your own good!

This was a book with a very complex plot and tons of unexpected moments and surprises. The power of revenge and righting perceived wrongs was another thing that grabbed my attention and held on tight and I really did love how things came together in the end. Elliot is a talented writer and she definitely had me under her spell, just be aware that this is not a nonstop, action packed thriller, rather it’s more moderately paced, but still extremely entertaining.

I really loved this book and I think Laura Elliot did a great job. She's won me over and I'll look for more books written by her.

I loved the first half of the book and I loved the ending. There was this bit in the middle that I didn't enjoy as much because of the character it focuses on. I found that character to be so unlikable that it was hard to spend that much time with them. However it was still well written and the character is supposed to be unlikable!

The thing I liked most about this story is that as a reader you know what's going on...you just don't know how it can possibly end. That is the sign of a great story! A definite page turner and totally worth your time.

**NetGalley**

Guilty by Laura Elliott.
It begins with a phone call. It ends with a missing child.

On a warm summer’s morning, thirteen-year-old school girl Constance Lawson is reported missing.

A few days later, Constance’s uncle, Karl Lawson suddenly finds himself swept up in a media frenzy created by journalist Amanda Bowe implying that he is the prime suspect.

Six years later …

Karl’s life is in ruins. His marriage is over, his family destroyed. But the woman who took everything away from him is thriving. With a successful career, husband and a gorgeous baby boy, Amanda’s world is complete. Until the day she receives a phone call and in a heartbeat, she is plunged into every mother’s worst nightmare.
OMG. Gripping and tense on the edge of your seat read. This will keep you guessing until the end. 5*. Netgalley and bookouture.

Laura Elliot brings her psychological thriller to life with deception, an adulterous liaison, fractured family relations and above all............. Sweet Revenge.

Guilty is a book told in 4 parts, the transition from each event is smooth and easy to adapt your thought process. Guilty begins with a parents worst nightmare, a missing child. Constance is a typical teenager, argues with parents, has become secretive sneaking out a night, until she doesn't come home, Constance is never coming home. Uncle Karl was Constances confidant she turned to him for advice when she believed her parents were too strict with her, as the story unfolds the media latch onto Karl's closeness with his niece.

Amanda is a journalist who is determined to prove that Karl murdered his niece, by any means possible, loose tongues propel Karl into the spotlight, his life spirals out of control.
Years later Amanda is a successful career driven journalist married and pregnant, Karl is destitute, no home, no family, no job his only solace at the bottom of a bottle.
As the years pass, Karma comes calling, Revenge is a dish best serve cold.......

Laura spins a web full of lies and deceit, where carefully worded scenarios can destroy a persons life. Laura has produced a fantastic psychological thriller, it will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Laura Elliot for a advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.