3*

A decent thriller about a young mother desperate for another child, who befriends a new girl in the village, she thinks she can trust, but, can she?

The story switches between the 'then' and 'now' which I found to be frustrating at times. However, my main issue with this book was that I didn't care enough for the main character, Sophie. She came across to me as whinging, self obsessed and frankly, irritating. So, although I found this to be an 'ok' read, it's not for me.

Well, now. If, like me, you have trust issues sometimes and don't like meeting new people, let this story be a lesson!

Sophie is traveling on a train with her husband when she gets a phone call to say her four year old son, Ben, is in hospital. Sophie had left Ben in the care of her friend, Emma. She thought Emma could be trusted. They were kindred spirits after all. But how well does Sophie know Emma anyway? Was what happened to Ben truly an accident? Or is there something more sinister going on?

The story of The Friend is mostly told through flashbacks from before Ben's accident. Emma and her son Theo move to a tiny village and Sophie quite quickly strikes up a friendship with her, despite the other village residents being rather wary of Emma. On top of that, the quiet village is rocked by a murder and slowly but surely, things are revealed that will make you never trust another living soul again.

After having enjoyed I Am Watching You, I was very much looking forward to this new offering by Teresa Driscoll and I was not disappointed. There were a few things I didn't see coming and while I don't normally mention the ending, I must just say that this one blew me away. I didn't particularly like any of the characters although I did sympathise with Sophie throughout the story for various reasons. Not least of all, obviously being miles away and stuck on a train when you don't have the faintest idea what's happening to your child.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Friend. It held my attention from start to finish, even if it was maybe a tad slow in some places. A compelling tale that just goes to show you never really know someone and though sometimes the things you learn about other people can be mightily surprising, the one person who may just surprise you the most is yourself.

This has risen to the top of my all time favs! I absolutely loved this story. The suspense was of nail biting quality! I never expected the ending! Sophie and Emma had what seemed like the best friendship! Ideal even! Suspicious right off the bat! But you'll never believe how it ends!

The book begins with Sophie on a train ride, hours from home, when she receives a devastating phone call that her 4 year old son has been rushed to the hospital and in need of surgery. Sophie left Ben with her good friend Emma and her son Theo for just one night. How did this happen?

We flashback to the beginning of Emma and Sophie's friendship. Through these flashbacks we see all the warning signs that Emma may not be the friend she thinks she is.

I have to be honest and say that this book just didn't grip me at all. Thankfully it was a quick read and I was able to finish it but I just wasn't very impressed after turning that final page. Meh.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Having loved I Am Watching You, I was really looking forward to The Friend. I’m pleased to say that I absolutely LOVED it.

The Friend had me gripped and intrigued throughout, as I wasn’t sure where the story was going, so eagerly needed to read more to find out. This thought provoking psychological thriller was full of mystery, intrigue, suspense and an impressively manipulative character. Ooh, I do love a good sociopath to keep me on my toes!

I really don’t want to go into detail about the plot, because with many psychological thrillers I think it’s best to go in blind, so if you like the sound of the blurb, please give this a go. I just have to say that I was loving this story so much, I enjoyed being in the moment and never consciously tried to work out where the story was going or how it was going to end, so everything came as a surprise to me.

Teresa Driscoll is very good at creating well developed and believable characters that I often find easy to connect with. However, in her thrillers, rather than her women’s fiction books (which are also wonderful, so do check those out too), I find myself feeling much more suspicious of the characters. Unsure of what will happen and which characters to fully trust.

“Not every hour is equal. Ask an insomniac how long the night is” - I relate to this far more than I’d like to. As someone who has had severe insomnia for many years. I’d like to clarify that nights are exceptionally long, yet at the same time nowhere near long enough. I need more sleep!

“To know the Lizard is to drive past the flat and unpromising landscape of the RNAS base, smiling inwardly at the trick of it. For, just a few miles in any of several directions from the neatly fenced but unlovely facility, there is this feast of the unexpected and unspoilt.” – It’s true, going past the military base then approaching the Lizard is so magical. The Lizard landscape is like a hidden treasure. I doubt I’ll ever become fully used to the magic of it. On another note, the power behind that neat fence steals my husband and controls my life. I sometimes feel like a character in a dystopian novel. Give me back my freedom!

I loved this whole book and the epilogue too. I highly recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers. I actually think I enjoyed The Friend even more than I Am Watching You. They are both standalone novels. Needless to say, this is yet another brilliant 5 star read from this talented author. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

The Friend was a book I couldn't put down and was a great psychological thriller that kept me awake far into the night.
You start off by meeting Sophie she is on a train journey that is the longest of her life after being told that her 5 year old son and his friend have been involved in an accident and are in theatre with collapsed lungs and a damaged spleen but for some reason the doctors can't work out which boy is Sophies. As the train journey progresses you find out Sophies families life that brings them to this point.
This was a book the more I read the more I liked, I wasn't sure which way this was going so had me guessing for a while. I liked how the book between past and present so you got a good understanding of the characters. Sophie was a good lead character and I became to like her quickly which always helps!! There were a good few twists at the end that made the read worthwhile and will definitely be reading more by Teresa Driscoll in the future.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing, Thomas and Mercer for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

What a twisted and disturbing read! A very fast paced and enjoyable story that I read in a day.

Emma moves to the villiage with her son and soon Sophie and her son Ben become friends, despite the rumours flying around about the newcomer. Sophie believed that she could trust Emma with Ben.. until one day when Emma is hours away on a train and news comes through that he has been hurt in an accident.

I really did feel for Sophie and waned things to work out for her. Thanks to Amazon Publishing and Thomas and Mercer via NetGalley for a copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions

Emma was like a breath of fresh air in Sophie’s dull, suburban life as a stay-at-home mom. Emma says that she has never really clicked with anyone like she has with Sophie and Sophie knows just exactly what she means. Idle summer jaunts, dinners, plans for a new business – the friends are happy and busy. What’s more, their sons, Ben and Theo, are just a year apart and good friends too. So when Sophie has to go away one night, she leaves Ben with Emma, trusting he would be safe. And then she receives the phone call that every parent dreads – her son has been hurt…

The Friend starts with an intense first scene that pulls you into the story and grabs on to your emotions. You know that Emma’s friendship with Sophie is not all that innocent and pure, but just how twisty and manipulative it is, is not revealed till the end. I felt that some of the back stories were unnecessary and distracting, and without which, the book would have easily been a 4-star. I would still recommend it to anyone who loves psychological thrillers.

I loved this book I was practically glued to my kindle while reading it, I couldn't put it down.I loved the setting of a little Devon village with all the characters you would expect to find in a little place where everyone knows everyone else's business .I liked the main character and really didn't know how this was going to pan out I thought it was well written , I liked the pace of the book and I really enjoyed the story.No spoilers but I was surprised by some of the revelations and it kept me page turning to the end.Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.

I've read this book in matter of days the story keeps you reading all the way through, twist through this good with them are brilliant

I started this novel really enjoying it but after a while I felt it was drawn out and not going anywhere. I didn't particularly like the characters which didn't hell. Sorry to say I gave up.

This is the second book I've read by Teresa Driscoll. After really enjoying I Am Watching You, I'm glad The Friend didn't disappoint. A great thriller filled with suspense. The first chapter had me hooked. Imagine your child is in hospital and you're stuck on a train. A terrifying scenario. The chapters go between the present day and the past. A great page turner that I thoroughly enjoyed and I can't wait for her next book.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Friend by Teresa Driscoll. I really like I am Watching you, her last novel, and I found this was written very similarly.
The plot takes place when Sophie gets bad news while she rides a train - her new friend is at the center of this incident. The story goes back and forth with Sophie and her friend Emma and what leads them to this tragedy.
Good book, but the lead character was naive and this drives me crazy.
Fast read.

I absolutely loved this book, from the beginning to end I was completely captivated.
Imagine being away from your child when they're with a friend, injured, and the hospital is unable to identify which child is yours. How would you react?
What is your new mom friend wasn't who she seemed to be?
The Friend explores this crisis and more with such riveting detail it will keep you on your toes from start to finish!

EXCELLENTLY written thriller with absolute perfect pacing and well developed characters. I loved this book so much. The sense of urgency when the danger plot point started completely impacted as, I expect, the writer hoped it would. I hope to read more from this author soon. Five stars!

I adore this author and have loved everything by her. And this book - wow! From the first electrifying, attention grabbing page I was hooked. I could not part with this story. I read it in one sitting, the characters taking root in my head and demanding my full attention. And even now, days later, they haven't let go. I am still thinking of their motivations, the events that led them to do what they did. The writing is exquisite, there are so many wow moments. This author goes from strength to strength in her writing and I absolutely cannot wait for more from her. Although only February this book I am sure will feature at the top of my favourite reads of 2018!

I struggled with this book at first. How emma treated Theo made me feel uncomfortable and it flitted too quickly between past, present etc. However I did enjoy how it ended which boosted a 3 star book to 4 stars.

An excellent psychological thriller, really well told and totally gripping.
Sophie, Mark and their young son Ben seem to live an idyllic life in a village in Devon. But underneath the surface Sophie has suffered post natal depression after Ben's birth, she desperately wants another child but cannot fall pregnant, and Mark is commuting from Devon to London for his work which is not ideal.
Then one day Sophie meets newcomer to the village Emma Carter and her son Theo and they become close friends. Without giving too much away Emma is not who she seems.
Told in flashback from the day they meet to the present day, where both young boys have been seriously hurt in an accident whilst in Emma's care, the story is gripping.
I highly recommend this book and will definitely be reading more by this author.

Woah, now this book is a great psychological thriller!! So much drama!! So much suspense! Makes you ponder how well you really know your friends!
This is a must read!
I read a reviewed an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

While I tried so hard to enjoy this book, I found the constant flicking back and forth quite confusing athough I have never had issues with this style of book in the past. I enjoyed the story as a whole but I did find that it dragged in parts and took a longer way round to get to the conclusion. The main protagonist was constantly making me cringe with her naivety and whilst I hadn't guessed at the ending, it was almost instantly forgettable.