This was an interesting read following the story of Sue, a forty-something wife of an MP and mother to teenager Charlotte who is in a coma after stepping in front of a bus in a seemingly deliberate act. Sue is beside herself with shock and anxiety about what would cause her daughter to do such a thing which only heightens when Sue comes across a disturbing entry in Charlotte's diary. We then follow Sue's journey to discover what happened in Charlotte's life whilst she lies in a coma. Sue's distrust of the people in Charlotte's life - boyfriend and friends - grow as she begins to question how well she knows her own daughter.
In addition the story focuses through diary entries on Sue's traumatic past including her abusive and violent relationship with James - her ex of 20 years ago who has now reappeared and Sue is adamant that this is linked in some way to her daughter's current situation.
A decent read with excellent characterisation and only let down for me by the ending which I found rather disappointing and unbelievable. Thanks to publisher and Netgalley for advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Accident was completely different to what I was expecting. It was much more slower paced than I thought it would be but once I got used to it, I enjoyed the book.
Tara and David are married, expecting a baby and finishing building their dream house – they appear to have it all. However Tara has a fling with an ex and David sees them together. Ryan wasn’t expecting the punch from David and he fell out a window onto the patio. What follows next is the consequences of that one punch and what happens to David, Tara and Ryan.

I must admit, I struggled to like the characters throughout. I didn’t like Tara and I struggled to gel with David, I wasn’t sure which way the book was going to go but I wasn’t all that keen on the characters so it didn’t really bother me what happened to them. However I did enjoy the writing style and the premise to the book, it did raise some questions with me – what would you do in that situation? How far would you go to save a marriage?

There was a lot of background information throughout to the characters which was good however I felt it did get a bit repetitive. I was waiting for the speed to pick up all through the book and it did but right at the end. Just as it got going and some action started happening, the book was finished.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot and the whole idea of the book however I wanted the characters to be more believable and likeable.

The Accident by S.D. Monaghan
Publisher: Bookouture

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Bookouture for ebook ARC of The Accident by S.D. Monaghan.

Tara has it all. She is married to David and about to move into their dream house. Tara can’t explain why she is tempted by one last fling with her ex before she settles down.
David would do anything for Tara. When he finds her with another man, his life begins to crumble all around him.
Ryan isn’t ready for the punch that David throws at him. He stumbles and slips over the balcony and falls three storeys to the patio below.
In one split second, a man will be killed. David and Tara’s life will change forever.
How far would you go to save everything you have?

I give this book a rating of 1 star. I did not finish.
The book just wasn’t for me. I did not like the style of the writing.
It sounded very good in the description, and I really wanted to read by the cover.

David, a university lecturer discovers his pregnant artist wife has had an illicit liaison with their builder, her ex boyfriend and in a fit of rage pushes the man off a builder. After being knocked unconscious, he wakens to find the body missing and is then blackmailed by his architect. I found this a tepid, slightly unbelievable crime drama featuring two unremarkable protagonists and caricature villains.

Two and a half star rating
The night before the move to a wonderful new home in Dublin, David sees something, acts on it which starts a chain of events for him and wife Tara. Sadly I found the plot unconvincing and predictable. Loved the start and thought onto a winner here but the middle section dragged on a bit and I felt the ending was rushed. None of the characters came across as being decent so immediately lose any sympathy for their predicaments. There was enough going on to keep a reader turning the pages. Loved the idea of this book and the cover was very appealing too, the sort you'd pick up for a closer look at what's inside.

I tried really hard to like this book but I just couldn't. There were parts which were fast and kept me hooked but I found most chapters to be slow and dragging, I skimmed those.
Tara and David are the happy couple with a baby on the way. Then Tara decides to sleep with her ex Ryan one last time before she devotes herself to her husband completely. David comes to know this and in a skirmish kills Ryan — that starts the story rolling....
The author S D Monaghan does write well, gives us a complete story without any loose threads. There are twists and turns along the way. This book basically deals with a fact that one selfish indiscretion can have so many consequences. I didn't like any of the main characters though I did understand David's actions.
The book is entertaining, with a great ending and it does thrill, but just in parts, at least for me...

The Accident

A great read that grabbed me from the start. The Accident shows us how one split second decision can completely impact on the whole of your life.

Suspense, drama, twists and wit, this fast paced thriller won’t leave your hands once you’ve picked it up! Four solid stars from me!

Hi Noelle/Kim - its that time to clear shelf again! Not read all yet but I will. Thanks. Louise x

This is a good, modern thriller. It has plenty of twists and turns. The dramatic story keeps on going right up to the end.

I didn’t find this to be a particularly gripping thriller, it was quite disappointing.

David Miller grew up in the maze of the Cawley estate council housing in Dublin. That is where he learnt from an early age that words are not always enough. They can lose their power, and it is then that you need to throw a punch. He did not want to end up like his friends, either dead or in jail, and he realised that if he wanted to get out, he had to make society unafraid of him. And the only way to do that was to become part of it somehow. He struggled to educate himself with scholarships while working in a warehouse and he struggled to lose his accent - but he made it and now teaches History at Trinity College.

Tara Brown took David’s Modern European War History class at college and her work stood out above the other students’ work. After saving her from a potentially dangerous situation and a chance encounter in a city park, David transformed Tara from a weekend art enthusiast into an international celebrity, married her and managed her career while still teaching. Then one day, they both made a mistake and suddenly their perfect life changed in an instant.

The book shows how what we do can have a huge impact on what happens in our lives and that people are not always what they seem. Every choice we make has a consequence and we have to live with that consequence for the rest of our lives. There is no undoing what has already happened. I found the book a bit tedious at times and that is why I give it four stars instead of five.

Saphira

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Fantastically well written, draws you in fro the very first page and is literally unputdownable! I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a good thriller.

This was an enjoyable read. David and Tina's life seems perfect. They are happily married, expecting a baby, and are about to move into their dream home. One small mistake the night before moving starts the ball rolling to totally change their lives forever. How can 24 hours turn David's world upside down. The choice of losing his home, his wife and his baby or losing his liberty. You need to read this to find out what David decides to do.

I enjoyed this engrossing read, even though I never warmed to the characters. Lots of plot twists and it's quite fast-paced. Ultimately, it was a little predictable, but not dissatisfying.

3.5 Stars

David leaves work early, decides to take a last look at his brand new home before moving in tomorrow. Much to his surprise, his wife, Tara, is there .. and she's not alone.

David is distraught at finding his newly pregnant wife with another man .. a man he knows very well. When Tara leaves, he confronts the man. During a scuffle, David pushes the man off the balcony and watches him fall three stories to his death.

One shove, one push, one accident and life as he and his wife know it is changed forever.

I wouldn't call this a 'gripping' psychological thriller. There are twists and turns, but it is more than a little predictable. It's still an entertaining read. The characters don't come across, to me, as credible. They're either too good to be true or bad in the way of movie bad guys. I was a little disappointed ... but I will surely take a look at whatever book comes next from this author.

I would like to thank the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

The first few chapters had me engrossed and I settled down for a good read of what isn't a very long book but I ended up rather disappointed.
I didn't like any of the characters and although that isn't always a bad thing in this convoluted tale it proved to be in that I really wasn't bothered about any of them.
Plenty of cliff hangers and lots of plot twists but it was not to my taste.

Thank you netgalley and bookouture. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. It shows how one mistake changed the course of this couple's lives. Many twists and turns. Definitely recommend.

Seriously vapid and disappointing. Not much else I can say on this one!

It starts slow, which made it hard to read and I did put this book down for a few days. However, about a third through the book the pace quickens and the stakes heighten and you will be gripped to the spectacular crescendo. It could have done with better pacing instead of being slow to start then speeding to the end. Nonetheless, a very enjoyable page-turner and which will keep you reading until the end.

David and his pregnant wife Tara are moving into a new home. Things should be wonderful, but they are not. David sees his wife with another man. Well, now what? Well, confront the “other man” of course, and that just never goes well. And thus, the deception begins.
The story revolves around “the accident” and the subsequent related events. The story is told from alternating points of view and contains flashbacks to add in the details. This gives us a greater understanding of David and Tara, and we come to support them despite their flaws. The rest of the cast of characters is small but believable and intriguing.
The writing is very expressive and enjoyable. The pace picks up dramatically, and the story becomes more frantic as it unfolds. There are many twists and turns along the way, some that are easy to spot and some that are well hidden. Things come together at the end, but it is not necessarily the ending that every reader might want.
I received a copy of “The Accident” from S. D. Monaghan, Bookouture, and NetGalley in exchange for my impartial review. This compelling psychological thriller kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. I recommend it.