This book had me at the get go. The dialogue was smooth & easy to read. Character development was fabulous. I will recommend this book to family & friends. An author to watch. Thank you, Netgalley, for a digital copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Accident by Dawn Goodwin. Veronica struggles with the death of her child and her friends and family cannot get her out of her funk. A stranger enters her life and nothing will be the same again;.
Good Book, but predictable and unfortunately forgetable. Just ok fo rme.

Veronica Pullman is in need of some help. Help she knows she needs but help she can't bring herself to ask for.
Her life fell apart the day her daughter died, her daughter Grace tragically died in a car accident and life for the Pullmans has never been and never will be the same again.
Veronica can't come to terms with the fact her daughter has gone, she can't believe and won't believe the truth, she won't even stand for anyone even saying it out loud - Grace is dead!
She has completely isolated herself from everything and everyone, even her marriage and husband Tom.
She very rarely leaves the house and when she does she just goes to her daughters school to stand for a moment imaging what it would have been like with Grace.
The other mothers know Veronica and of her loss but they have long since given up trying to talk to her so they just let her be and she's only there for a few minutes anyway.
On a day like any other day, Veronica starts her pilgrimage to her daughters school but unlike every other day, today she meets Scarlet.
For some reason being with Scarlet makes her feel slightly better and she can open up and talk to her, something she hasn't done with anyone else since Grace so the two women soon become best friends.
To begin with Tom is relieved to see some of his wife re-emerge after being so closed off from the world.
All Scarlet wants is to help, to help Veronica have a life again, have some fun and laugh again. Tom can't remember the last time he heard his wife laugh!
But then things start to spiral out of control. Scarlet isn't necessarily a good influence or the right person to help Veronica. Drinking through the day, going out partying for nights on end, drinking and dancing with god knows who and then the shoplifting! Why shoplift when you don't need too? And the anger that is bubbling in Veronica, anger she can't contain lashing out at everything and everyone.
Then odd things start to happen, a picture of Grace appears out of nowhere, parcels arrive containing items for Grace's birthday, things neither Veronica or Tom has ordered.
Toms concern for his wife grows as more things happen, Is his wife doing all these things without being aware of it, in some sort of fugue state?
Or is someone deliberately messing with Veronica's already delicate state of mind?
Is Scarlet really a friend or is she something a lot more sinister?
With twists and turns that at times are blindingly obvious and some more subtle, the book does end on a surprise.
So for anyone that likes psychological thrillers this is a book you need to put on your "To Read" list

THE ACCIDENT is the debut psychological thriller by author Dawn Goodwin. This is an excellent well-written novel with engaging characters. I was totally engrossed in this novel from beginning to end…wanting to know how it would end. I loved this book, and I know it will be well-received by those readers that enjoy reading psychological thrillers. A talented author to keep on the radar!

A tragic accident, an unbearable loss and a marriage in crisis – but who can she trust or is she all alone? A gripping, debut psychological thriller that will keep you hooked.

Veronica Pullman's comfortable suburban life comes to a shuddering halt when her young daughter, Grace, tragically dies in a car accident.

Veronica is unable to move on with her life, or come to terms with her daughter's death. She has isolated herself from her husband, a doctor, their marriage and her friends, and refuses to acknowledge that her daughter is dead…killed in a tragic car accident. She rarely leaves her house.

But then one day, Veronica meets Scarlet at her daughter’s school, where she goes a few times a week to relive the past. Scarlet is the complete opposite of Veronica, adventurous, wild, unpredictable, but Veronica feels comfortable talking to her…and Scarlet listens to her. They soon become best friends and Scarlet becomes a very bad influence on Veronica what with shopping, drinking during day, shoplifting. Veronica’s husband, Tom is worried about his wife’s rapid change in behaviour.

But then strange things begin to happen, and Veronica doesn’t know who to trust or what to believe.

I won’t disclose any more details for risk of spoilers.

Did I figure out the ending…part of it, but there was a real twisted surprise ending I didn’t suspect. An easy 5 Star rating from me. Can’t wait to read her next novel.

Many thanks to Dawn Goodwin, Aria Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I struggled getting into The Accident but I pushed through because I try really hard to never DNF.

This was a decent read but I figured this one out fairly quick. But, had I not figured it out, it would be a nice surprise ending. To anyone else looking at The Accident, I would still suggest reading it.

So what's it about? Veronica and her husband sadly have lost their daughter to an accident. Veronica has been posted up in the house for months, grieving and backing off from her husband and girlfriends.

One day, Veronica spots a woman outside dancing in the rain. Veronica was captivated and jealous of the happy go lucky woman. We learn shortly after this that the woman's name is Scarlet. Veronica and scarlet become fast friends. Scarlet is wild and happy. Veronica feels as though Scarlet is helping her get her life back. She needs Scarlet. They have fun and Veronica is living again! She grows a back bone towards her bitchy friends. But during this time, Veronica starts noticing sketchy things. Things turning up, phone calls, messages etc. What is going on? You'll have to read to find out 😉

This is told in mostly Veronica's POV but also a few others. I'm a huge fan of multiple POVs but I know some goodreaders do not.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley. Thank you!

What a brilliant book and an author i cant wait to read more from. Tragedy strikes a family leaving everyone involved to deal with their grief in their own way. However the ways grief is dealt with encounters its own problems. Can the family come together in the end or is the tragedy too much to overcome. This book will keep you reading into the small hours.

What happens to a mother when she lodes her daughter? it us an awful thing to even think about so I sympathized with Veronica. things start to happen to make her question herself and those around her. Secrets and lies are exposed ... this book has it all. thank you to Aria via Netgalley for a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review

Fantastic read I won't given any spoilers but I have to say wow each character had me going the only on I was sure of and right about in the end was felicity . I truly felt for veronica but I new so much more would come out in the end I did nail one of the big twist on the head but I couldn't put this read down I had to get to the end and even though I guessed the big twist the other turns surprised me if you want a good thriller that will knock your socks off this is perfect for you I highly recommend it.

Twisty or what ? I was fascinated to see this story unfold, it was as twisty as it gets and I approached it thinking that everything will not be as it first appears and I wasn't wrong.The book deals with grief, with separation and losing yourself and your identity, and almost losing your mind. How does anyone cope with the death of a child, we don't know what goes on behind closed doors or in some one else's mind, and this was a skilled description of what it may be like.Throw into the mix a rather wild and not necessarily good influence from a newcomer and a bitter and jealous next door neighbour and a difficult relationship between a husband and wife and you have an interesting and intriguing read.I'm not giving the plot away and have just tried to set the scene for a gripping read, I hope others enjoy this book as much as I did.Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Veronica Pullman has had a heck of a bad year. An accident involving her daughter, the overpowering loss, and her marriage is in tatters. She's become a reclusive, rarely leaving her house, has ignored all her friends, and having nothing but silence between her and her husband. She refuses to acknowledge that her daughter is dead and won't hear anyone else say it.

She knows she needs help, but she's unable or unwilling to do something about it. She goes to her daughter's school 2 or 3 times a week, just imagining what it was like for her daughter. The other moms have grown used to her, and knowing her story, they just leave her alone. She only stays for a moment.

But today is different. Today she meets Scarlet, a woman who is to become her best friend. With Scarlet, it's easy to talk to her .. she doesn't judge, she just wants to help Veronica be the best she can be... to lighten up, to be fun again.

But Scarlet's fun isn't always innocent. First there's the drinking, especially the tequila. The there's the bar hopping, the dancing, the laughing... and then there's the shoplifting, the anger that comes to the forefront, allowing Veronica to say what she wants, when she wants.

Veronica's husband is worried .. a lot. He doesn't know who Scarlet is but she seems to be helping. He can't remember the last time he heard his wife laugh .. let alone go out on the town.

According to Veronica, she is the domesticated, house trained wife .. much like a family pet. Scarlet is a stray who has wandered free and has only herself to please.

Things begin to happen. A picture of her daughter comes to appear out of nowhere. A music teacher calls to schedule her daughter for her first lesson .. only Veronica never called them. A delivery man shows up with lots of packages... full of presents for her daughter's birthday.

Is she doing these things without knowing? Is she being gaslighted by her new friend? Or could it be the neighbor who would like nothing more than to have a go at Veronica's husband? Is Scarlet really a friend ... or something a lot more sinister?

This is an excellent debut of an engaging and suspenseful psychological thriller. Well-written with credible characters. Twists and turns with a surprising ending.

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

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

This novel is a beautifully written, if disturbing, exploration of how grief affects friendships, marriage and the main character's sense of self. The author explores in chilling detail how those around Veronica react to her grief, the way in which she comes to reject their cloying sympathy, then frustration, pushing them away as she retreats into a world of twisted reality.

I could see what was happening as the story unfolded, but all I could do was keep reading, unable to look away as the chilling facts unfolded. My suspicions were proved true, but the best part was that Veronica exacted her own revenge at the end. The author left us with a question - would Veronica ultimately emerge from the trauma of everything that had happened and become the almost perfect woman she was before, or had her values as well as her sense of self changed forever?

I guessed the twist early on but still enjoyed the read.

Veronica Pullman has been shut off from her friends and pulling away from her husband for months since a tragic accident took the life of their only child, Grace. With everyone pressuring her to overcome her grief Veronica slowly tries to get herself together and try to resume normal daily tasks. When out of the house Veronica runs into a lady that is new to town and someone an unlikely friendship is formed between the two.

Scarlet is everything that Veronica is not, outgoing and feisty and never caring what anyone thinks. Veronica finds herself pulling out of her shell as the two do everything from day drinking to shoplifting. As the two get together more and more Veronica slowly starts to feel she can face what had happened to her daughter and finally uncover the truth of just what had happened that day.

The Accident by Dawn Goodwin was a well written page turner of a psychological thriller that was easily to become engrossed in while reading. The point of view is mostly Veronica’s but it does switch here and there along with some flashing back to tell the story but it was all easy to follow along as the story unfolded.

The one thing that brought this one down a tad bit for me is again I believe I just read too much and immediately figured out where the story was heading. I don’t know that it would overly obvious to the average reader though and still enjoyed reading so I didn’t take off too much in my rating for this since it was still an engaging read. In the end I think this was a solid read that fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Veronica has lost her young daughter, Grace, to a drunk driver, and becomes mired in a depression so severe her husband and friends despair of helping her move past the tragedy. Undercurrents of a friend with ulterior motives and a husband who has strayed, raise the stakes for Veronica's well-being and recovery. Amidst the turmoil, Scarlet seemingly drops from the sky and befriends Veronica. But as their friendship simultaneously helps and harms Veronica, some will slyly try to push her over the edge to gain what they want while others will desperately try to reach her and help her make her way to acceptance of her loss. Goodwin definitely leaves the reader guessing until the end, and causes her to wonder how far she might go to help herself deal with unbearable grief and unspeakable guilt.

It took me a little while to get into this book as it flits between the perspective of several different characters, and it took some time before I could differentiate between them all. Once that hurdle had passed thought, I found the storyline very gripping. The main character, Veronica, I found that at times I felt a real fondness for, and at other times I just wanted to shake some sense into her. Other characters were much less likeable.

The premise is that there is a tragic accident, hence the title of the book, and this has serious knock-on effects to Veronica's relationships with both her husband and her friends. However she soon meets a new friend who appears to be trying to help her, but perhaps all isn't as it seems. I really didn't see the ending coming, and with each couple of chapters I changed my mind as to what I thought was happening. It's very hard to give much of a review without giving away key parts of the storyline, but all I will say is that this is a 5-star read and will keep you hooked until the very last page. If you can persevere past the confusing first few chapters, hopefully you'll love this book as much as I did.

Months after her young daughter Grace was tragically killed in a car accident,Veronica Pullman is still struggling to come to terms with her daughter's death.

Detached from her husband Tom and alienated from her friends and family,a chance encounter on a rainy street pushes her in a unlikely new friendship with feisty,unpredictable Scarlet.

But as she approaches what would have been Grace`s 10th birthday,it becomes clear to Veronica that the friendship she thought was saving her life could be costing her everything.

Consumed by grief and left questioning her own sanity,is there anyone she can really trust or is someone out to torment her as part of their twisted game?

This gripping drama is voiced be Veronica,her husband Tom,her best friend and neighbour Felicity and also one chapter that is voiced by young Grace.Interspersed throughout the story are italicized chapters that are voiced by the person who is tormenting Veronica.Hardly anyone in this twisted tale are very likeable but that also adds a human element to their characters.Throughout the book my feelings and sympathy for Veronica changed a number of times as the story unfolded.I know I was meant to feel sympathy for her because of her grief and suffering due to the death of her daughter but I struggled at times to understand some of her actions.Then something was revealed and some of her actions and behaviour made sense.Some situations can put a lot of stress on a couple's relashionship,some couples pull together and work through things as a team while others are pushed apart.Is Veronica and Tom`s relashionship strong enough to survive once hidden secrets and the whole truth about what happened on the day of their daughter's tragic death is finally revealed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this emotional story of grief,relashionship,friendships,jealousy,mental illness,blame and forgiveness.Although I did guess quite early on in the story the truth about a couple of characters,it's didn't spoil my enjoyment of this well written,debut thriller and I would happily read more books by this author in the future.

I thought the book was well written and discussed the theme of grief well. I did guess that wasnt real (taxi driver scene confirmed it) but I thought it was overall enjoyable.

I really loved this book. Tom and Veronica lose their little girl Grace in a car accident with a drunk driver and both are having problems coming to terms with it. Tom throws himself into his work, but Veronica is in denial, and their marriage is falling apart. Veronica feels that her close knit group of friends feel awkward around her and so she is pleased to meet Scarlet, an outgoing, bubbly person who helps her take her mind off Grace's death. But suddenly strange things are happening to Veronica and someone is out to hurt her.
The twists when they came surprised me although I had guessed one of them, and I found that I was caught up in Tom's and Veronica grief so much I really felt for them.
Excellent debut and I look forward to more by this author.

A clever tale of grief, friendship, manipulation and intrigue. Now I understand why only Veronica ever paid for the drinks!