I am a big fan of psychological thrillers, and can get on with most, whatever the plot. However, 'Guilty' fell short for me for a number of reasons.

The book is told in four parts, concerning the mystery of a missing school girl. The first part of the book set the scene for missing Constance, planting lots of questions in the reader's mind. The book us fairly fast-paced at this point, leaving you eager to read on to uncover the answers to Constance's disappearance. I am more used to major plot twists coming towards the end of a book, with gradual build-up and suspense throughout, until the twist is finally uncovered in a nice, meaty ending. In 'Guilty' however, the answer missing Constance (and the climax of the main storyline) was revealed in part one, less than halfway through the book. This left me baffled as I couldn't imagine what the rest of the book would address, and my reservations were justified. The remainder of the story concerned other characters in the book and their interconnected stories, but seemed to go off on a tangent, away from the topic of Constance. It felt almost as though I was reading two completely different books that had been joined together, and I didn't feel it worked. If Constance's disappearance had been the sole focus of the book, with more questions and momentum gathered for most of the book, I would have scored this much more highly.

Unfortunately for me, 'Guilty' didn't grab me. After the first part, it took a lot of effort to read through the rest of the book. It dragged, the chapters seemed disjointed, and there wasn't a huge climax to work towards.

Wow WHAT a read. I never expected when I downloaded this book to be so enthralled by it. An amazing storyline that grips you from the first page. Nemesis at its best. This is the first of Laura Elliot's books I have read but I'm off to buy the rest

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this original & thrilling book. The characters were very believable as was the plot which makes it quite unsettling.
I can't say such more or I would be spoiling the suspense for future readers and it really is a book you constantly want to know what is going to happen next.

Thank you net galley and bookouture for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
When 13 year old Constance goes missing, a reporter, Amanda, points all fingers to Constance's uncle, Karl. While Karl protests his innocence everything stacks against him until the inevitable happens and he loses everything.

Years later the tables are turned for Amanda when her own child goes missing and she comes under scrutiny.

I enjoyed this book immensely, it transitioned smoothly through the years and evolved the main characters without throwing in lots of nwr people which would have confused me. Brilliant

Guilty is a tense psychological thriller by Laura Elliott focusing on how media can build or destroy a person’s reputation by a few words.

Constance Lawson , a 13 year old disappears one night and the suspicion falls on her uncle Karl .
Innocent gestures are cast in a disturbing light and Karl's life, career, family and finally freedom was destroyed in the process . Leading the media frenzy is local journalist Amanda trying to further her career with this story.

The book is divided in four parts. The first deals with Constance’s disappearance, the next two with how this story effects Amanda and her life . The final part deals with Karl’s fight for justice and revenge

The first part was a quick read, the 2nd and 3rd dragged for me and the 4th felt a little rushed. Overall an interesting concept which proves the age old saying “Pen is mightier than a sword.”

Many thanks to the publisher Bookouture & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

My Review

I wanted to like Guilty by Laura Elliot, I really did. I still gave it 3 stars because it was well paced, the story line was good, and there were parts I loved. That said, there were also parts I didn’t love.

Many of the reviews (and even the book description) talk about Constance’s disappearance. Yes, Constance’s disappearance is what started the chain of events. But to me, this book was about Amanda Bowe. So I will start there.

Amanda Bowe is a journalist on the rise. She is having a tawdry affair with a cop who is leaking information to her. Particularly about the disappearance of 13-year old Constance. Amanda is certain without a doubt that her uncle, Karl, is “the guy”. So in a series of news articles, she has, in short, ruined his life.

I enjoyed this part of the book. It’s AMAZING what a few misconstrued, slightly twisted words on paper can do to a person’s life. Her articles never lied, but they sure did twist the truth around.

Revenge

This story, from this point on becomes about revenge. But that’s where it lost me. There was so much potential there and I enjoyed the premise. However, a little bit of the story was too “out there” for me. I did not enjoy the ‘plinks’ part of the story line at all. I found myself skimming over parts. That is always a tell tale sign that the enjoyment was lost somewhere.

The ending didn’t wow me much either. There is definitely some deeper meaning to the end of the story line, but it went over my head. I had trouble seeing understanding the underlying symbolism.

This story of revenge and bad karma had more potential. That is not to say that you won’t enjoy the book. 5 star reviews – and lots of them. I am definitely in the minority here. The author’s writing was enjoyable and the cover is AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL. The author’s other books appeal to me, and am looking forward to giving them a try.

THANK YOU

Thank you to Laura Elliot, Net Galley, and Bookouture for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A fantastic and original read focussing on the current topic of "fake news" and revenge. Karl's much-loved teenage niece goes missing from home and before long much is being made of his "close" relationship with her mainly by journalist Amanda Howe.
Before long Karl is swept up in a media frenzy and suspicion falls on him in relation to his niece's disappearance.
What follows is the unravelling of Karl's life and the repercussions for all involved. A twisting, turning, edge of your seat thriller which I thoroughly recommend! 5 star review posted on Good reads blog.

I really enjoyed this book, I was gripped from the first few pages and found myself hooked on a rollercoaster ride up to the last few pages.  I do love a good psychological thriller and this was definitely up there for me.  The book made me go through so many emotions I read it n pretty much one sitting, I just needed to know how the book was going to end and what was going to happen to Karl and Amanda, I hoped that I had guessed towards the end what was going to happen but it was touch and go for a bit - a book I'd definitely recommend grabbing a copy of (it is out today) - 5 stars from me!

Wow! What a book! A spectacular, thrilling page-turner of a tale! Loved it from start to finish! It was so addictive that I had to discipline myself to stay away and do some work instead. So tense and fast paced and heartbreaking and heart pounding. The characters took over my head and even now I keep thinking about them and getting distracted wondering what I would have done in their situation. This story was so unpredictable - I thought it would go a certain way and it didn't at all. I LOVE that - it's wonderful when a book surprises you. I have read all of this author's books and I think this is her best, combining her beautiful writing with brilliant pace, tension and emotion. An amazing, original, unique story that will stay with me for a long time. I experienced all the emotions of the characters in this book - heartbreak and anger, grief, helplessness and the yearning for revenge. Especially loved how it ended - I thought it was the perfect ending for this complicated story.This book is many stories in one - it is about multifaceted personalities and the depths humans can sink to and the best part is that it is told through the author's trademark, evocative writing. I read a lot of psychological thrillers and this is one of the very best, right up there with Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins and Tana French.

When Karl's niece goes missing he's found guilty in the eyes of the press leading his life to spiral out of control. Guilty takes you on a twisting revenge road trip right up to the last page.

ARC provided by Netgalley

This book brings home the adage – Loose lips sink ships

It takes a second and few written words to destroy a man’s reputation and years to rebuild it, but the scars of the pain undergone are felt forever. Words are that powerful, this simple fact is brought home by Laura Elliot in this book.

Amanda bowe, the journalist and Karl Lawson, the alleged suspect are the two main protagonists. When Karl’s niece, Constance Lawson, disappears one night, few words of implied guilt written by Amanda and a picture taken in a different context, implicates Karl. The media uproar following it and the police investigation destroy his life, his marriage, his career. Everyone, including his wife and brother, do not believe in his innocence. He is left all alone in this torturous journey, with his pain and sadness over Constance’s death, who was like his surrogate daughter and the loss of his own child Sasha, who is oceans away. The entire story is about the repercussion which follow one media article.

This book is told in 4 parts ;

Part 1 : Constance’s disappearance and the aftermath in which Karl is totally destroyed by Amanda.

Part 2: Amanda Bowe and her career, her flight up the corporate ladder including hooking up with the big boss.

Part 3 : Amanda’s journey as a mother and a wife.

Part 4 : Amanda’s child Marcus’s disappearance and Karl’s well planned revenge.

I enjoyed the first three parts. They were fast and well written. Emotions were felt in each word ; parents’ pain over the disappearance of their daughter, Karl’s disbelief, Amanda’s arrogance and selfishness, the media’s intrusiveness and influence over the public outlook. I felt so much anger against Amanda for the furore she caused by her writings, in her need to prove Karl guilty. She was ruthless. She does help him get free later but it’s too little, too late.

Its the 4th part of the book that i have a problem with. It’s a bit scattered, slow and too short. It does connect the various points but Amanda’s pain of being on the other side of media and its vicious attacks were not felt. I needed more from the fourth part, the downfall of Amanda and the consequences of her actions. But that’s my personal opinion. (I am a little blood thirsty…)

I have loved all of Laura Elliot’s books, she writes beautifully, her words bring out all the emotions especially Karl’s pain and his disbelief at the way his world turned upside down, his reaching the end of the barrel and his slow and gradual rise. It was an entertaining, well thought of page-turner with a compelling story. It deals with passion, ambition, deception, revenge, everything which makes it a potboiler of a read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Bookouture, for this entertaining read. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This book was really hard to put down, it had you guessing till the end, I'm glad there are other books by this author, I will definitely be reading more of her books.

Very well written psychological thrill. Great plot with many twists and turns to keep the reading guessing. I loved it.

Guilty by Laura Elliot is a great thriller that is full of suspense and tension. This story shows how deeply the media influences our lives and how the media can potentially ruin someone’s life. I really enjoyed reading this book and I look forward to reading more by this author.

This book a raw, edge of the seat page turner. The story is told in four parts, all of which lead into each other beautifully.
Part one focuses on Constance Lawson, age 13 she has a fight with her parents and sneaks out that night to take part in a "challenge" set by "The Fearless". She is never seem alive again. Her uncle Karl, with whom she is very close becomes the focus of the media attention and through that becomes the centre of the investigation after Constance's body is found.
Part two centers on a journalist from a local tabloid paper Amanda and her single minded focus on Karl. How she gets her information and why she is so determined to prove Karl is behind the death of his niece.
Part three fast forwards in time again to Amanda, now with an extremely successful career, happy marriage with a baby on the way. Karl on the other hand has lost everything. His hate for Amanda and society in general is palpable. He is jobless and homeless and is sinking further into alcoholism. Because of her he has lost everything.
Part four...well I don't want to ruin the book. But part four is where it all really kicks off. And all four parts of the story come together in an ending that will have you in a spin.
The plot of this book is fantastic, the characters are realistic and believable. This is an easy five stars

Thank you to Laura Elliot, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing with me an advanced reader copy of Guilty.

I rated this book a solid 3.5 stars. If I had to rate the first part of the book, I'd give it 5 stars. I'd give the second part of the book 2 stars. This is one of those books that starts off so incredibly well, and then takes a divergent path that leaves you wanting so much more for the characters and from the plot. I couldn't put the book down the first day I started reading it.

Karl is the uncle of Constance, a 13 year old girl who goes missing in the middle of the night. Karl was known as the "cool uncle" to Constance; because of his writing gig with a popular underground music scene magazine, he gets Constance and her friends into concerts and gives Constance unreleased CDs.

Justin, Karl's brother and Constance's father, disapproves of this relationship because of his strict parenting style. One night Justin grounds Constance for her behavior and tells her she cannot attend one of her favorite musician's concerts with Karl as a consequence. Constance runs away, engaging in dangerous behavior that results in her disappearance.

Karl becomes a key suspect in Constance's disappearance, and is subjected to the typical rash of social media speculation and online gossip in an age where news is often reported before it is vetted. Karl loses his family, his job, and his friends over such speculation, his life essentially ruined by the media. Amanda is one of the reporters that pushes questionable stories about Karl, helping to incite violence against him and what remains of his family.

I won't give away the plot or spoilers, but the book becomes an entirely different story about 40% of the way in. The second part is about revenge and the desire for power, which was interesting but not as compelling or heart-pounding as the first part of the book. I think the book would have been more successful if it had focused on the story of Constance and drawn that out much longer.

Laura Elliot, the author, is a good writer, so I kept reading because I did enjoy her writing style and prose. Karl's character was written very well at the beginning, but I felt like his actions and behavior became questionable once I started the second part of the book. The twists and turns seemed out of character for Karl, and also seemed a bit unbelievable in an age where everything we do and say is captured digitally. I wish I could say more, but I don't believe the things he did in the second part of the book would be possible.

This was a stunner of a story! I loved it! Starting with a missing child it then takes you into the dark side of journalism, corruption, adultery, broken families and the ultimate revenge. A breathtaking ending. Highly recommended. Read it!

Goodness gracious me, this is one dark read!

I requested this book on Netgalley because of the cover. It was the pretty pink balloon that did it. Never mind reading the description so I didn't actually know what this book was about. Except someone made a terrible mistake that could ruin their family. Thank you tagline. And so I was pleasantly surprised.

When thirteen year old Constance goes missing, reporter Amanda Bowe zeroes in on Constance's uncle Karl and absolutely vilifies him in her articles. Six years later, Karl's life is in ruins. He's lost his job, his house, his wife and child. Mud sticks. Meanwhile Amanda is thriving. She has a successful career, a husband and a son.

This is a story about revenge but also about how powerless you are when nobody believes you, even when you know it's the truth. In this day and age of "fake news", this story is incredibly apt. "Guilty" highlights the power of the media and how quickly and easily they can distort facts and turn them into something they're not. Yes, they do good but they're also capable of utter destruction.

You can't help but feel for Karl. Watching him go from being a valued member in a close-knit family to being completely alone, was heartbreaking to read. Despite his actions, I sympathised with him all the way.

"Guilty" is one gripping psychological thriller with a well constructed plot and realistic and believable characters. I felt it was quite slow but I was still mesmerised. The addition of newspaper articles was genius as it truly showed the difference between what actually happened and what the reporter wrote. It really added an extra layer and proves you shouldn't always believe what you read.

Incredibly thought-provoking, it'll make you question everything.

Dark, twisted and bang up to date.
A story of murder, revenge, lies, kidnapping, affairs, manipulation perception and how actions have consequences that can destroy you at any time.
In this book karma really is a hitch and when the past comes back to bite it hurts like hell.
Very cleverly written, different and intriguing read.