Cover Image: All Your Fault

All Your Fault

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

ALL YOUR FAULT is about an overworked social worker who’s own child goes missing. The beginning did hold my attention and it was very entertaining, as well as an accurate account of a social workers life .
I’m a marriage an family therapist, and have worked closely with social workers so naturally my heart went out to the mother/ social worker. Balancing the two roles can be challenging.
The writing I felt was good, it was an easy read. The character development was also very good. I felt I knew each character pretty well. However it was pretty predictable and I was able to figure it out half way through it.
Overall, I felt the book hooked me at the beginning, kept my interest, had good character development..but I wasn’t surprised at the end.

Was this review helpful?

although this was a pretty typical thriller, it was still really fun and exciting to read. i had suspicions about the culprit at the beginning, but it wasn't very obvious and i kept suspecting pretty much everyone in the book, so the twist was quite unexpected when it came.

the treatment of mental illness was also well done; at first i feared it was going to be another one of those Mentally Ill People Are Evil and Violent books but it really wasn't, which was good.

overall, although it wasn't anything particularly new, it was still a good mystery/thriller.

Was this review helpful?

Suzanne Walker easily wins this season's award for the worst parent. She is a social worker so deep into her job that she doesn't notice her daughter has been missing for 2 days. And before that, she didn't seem to place any importance on spending time with her daughter. But then, as Suzanne is telling the British public all about how her non-profit foundation is going to help fight child sexual exploitation, Teigan goes missing. Did she run away from her horribly neglectful mother? Was she groomed and kidnapped by a pedophile? Or is it something even worse? For me, this book had the makings of a great thriller but somehow I never felt sympathy for Suzanne. Even when her daughter disappears, even when we read about some of her clients at work, even when we read about her childhood. In addition, I felt like the ending was rather predictable instead of the intended twist.

Was this review helpful?

*Thanks to NetGalley and Be Ebooks for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* 'All Your Fault' is J. C. Lewin's first novel and she has certainly entered the field with a bang. The book focusses on British social worker Suzanne Walker, who is a single mother to a teenage daughter, Teigan. In the middle of a crisis at work, Teigan goes missing.

Not only was the storyline riveting, but the book also provided excellent food for thought and information on the foster care system in Britain in general. It was a thought-provoking and fascinating novel. Themes of family, abuse, social media and social welfare are all explored. I was not surprised to read that Lewin herself has previously worked as a social worker, as the writing seemed very well informed in this area. I look forward to Lewin's next book.

Was this review helpful?

I gave this book 3 stars as the story was good & well developed characters but ad I got closer to the end I could figure out who did it. If you like this kind of story & happy endings...This book is for you.

Was this review helpful?

First, I want to thank J.C. Lewin, BE, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

An Incredibly gripping debut novel from J.C. Lewin in All Your Fault! A book that had so many twists, turns and an ending you never saw coming! It is a book you will start and won’t want to put down til you see what happens to Teigan! Trust me on this one I was up til wee hours of the night reading this book!

This book tackles tough subjects like missing children, pedophile, murder, abduction, problems within social services, domestic abuse, suicide. For this reason, this book was emotional on many levels and you felt for so many of the characters.

There was an extremely interesting scene in the book with Monty explaining about his thoughts on Pedophilia. Even though I don’t agree with it at all. He did have a point if you knew your child had the gene would you abort your child?

This is a story of every mother’s nightmare where their child goes missing. Where she goes to great lengths to find out what happens to her. However, she is one of the suspects in the case. Plus, she is a social worker with failed cases.

I loved the investigation aspect of the book. Trying to figure out what actually happened to Tiegan! I absolutely love books like this!

At the end of the book there is a chat with the author J. C. Lewin. She like Suzanne in the book is a social worker. However, she quit her job to be a writer as that was her dream!

In the chat with the author section she mentions that her favorite character was Monty. You can totally tell that she put her heart and soul into this character. I can agree with her that there is a challenge to the reader and their preconceptions. Monty seems like a monster at first. But you have to dig deeper into him and his character. His end fate is sad though.

This is an AMAZING book by an incredible author! This is a must-read book for those who like very gripping suspenseful books! You will be biting your nails and on the edge of your seat with this one. Plus, hugging your loved ones a little closer!

Was this review helpful?

Having read two books from be ebooks previously and absolutely loving them, after reading the synopsis for this one it was an easy decision to request an advance copy. It also reminded me to purchase and try some of the other crime writers they publish. I get all gushy like this when I feel as though an author or publisher is very underrated, this is definitely the case here. I will be going to purchase some of their other publications once I have completed this review.

"All Your Fault" is the third title from this wonderful publisher to totally and wholeheartedly blow me away! I am not surprised it was the winner of the Janklow & Nesbit 2015 Debut Novel Competition and was shortlisted for the Luke Bitmead Bursary 2015. This is a first-class, gripping thriller and just when you think you have it all figured out Lewin pulls the rug out from under you and you realise that you were completely wrong! I just love it when that happens!

The story moved at a rapid pace, the characters were likeable and realistic, and I found it pretty unputdownable. An excellent read that would be a worthy addition to any crime buff's library or TBR list.

Many thanks to be ebooks for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I found this book didn't meet my expectations, the writing was too poor for my tastes and I've decided not to continue reading it.

Was this review helpful?

This debut novel is a heartbreaking read about a social worker who feels terribly guilty about the death of a young girl in her care. It describes in great detail the pressures that social workers are under and it's unsurprising to learn that the author worked as a full-time social worker.
On top of her day job, the lead character also has a teenage daughter who goes missing, there's blood found in her property and she has missing time that she can't account for!

It's not an easy read as it deals with uncomfortable subject matter, but, it's a well written one and I'm grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for having the opportunity to preview.

Was this review helpful?

I received this book from Net Galley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. This book drew me in from the start and I thoroughly enjoyed the main character, Suzanne, who is a social worker. There were a couple of parts that were a bit unrealistic, but it all came together at the end including a twist or two. Also very interesting that the author WAS a social worker which made the story quite believable. Kept reading until the end with no real slow spots at all. Very good book!

Was this review helpful?

**Thank you to Net Galley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.**
I did not love this book. I know a lot of the reviews have it marked as awesome but sadly it didn’t work for me. While the storyline was good and the twists were unpredictable I found a few things hard to believe. These things made it hard for me to love it. I can’t imagine in today’s world the following:
-a detective giving away so much information,
-a person leaving their phone at home and not even checking it for over a day
-a mom not talking to her daughter who lives in the same house for 2 days and not even knowing she’s gone!

Was this review helpful?

Thoroughly enjoyed this one! Had my gripped from the start. Just when you think it's all figured out..a huge twist comes along.. highly recomend this!

Was this review helpful?

For a first book ,this is amazing,I didn’t expect the ending.The characters were believable,and I couldn’t put it down towards the end a brilliant holiday read ,keep you guessing who did it

Was this review helpful?

This is a first class thriller that deludes the reader into thinking they have it all figured out. Until they realize they don’t have a clue.

Suzanne Walker, a British social worker, known for throwing herself into her work advocating for children in need of help and for taking on the most heartbreaking cases, wakes up one morning, two days after having an argument with her teenage daughter, Teigan, and discovers that Teigan is not home. Not only is she not home, it becomes rapidly obvious that she is missing, either by her own choice or not. Shortly after her disappearance, Suzanne’s estranged sister Stephanie drops in out of the blue, from Australia, to support her sister in her time of need.

Those are the “facts of the case.” It takes some dedicated and intelligent police work, as well as Suzanne’s vigilance, to find Teigan and unfurl what really happens.

This is a book hard to put down. Just when you think the answer to Teigan’s mysterious disappearance is imminent, it’s not. This happens several times. And, when Suzanne is diagnosed with complex, longstanding, PTSD, you say, “AHA, she killed her own kid and doesn’t remember.” Except that’s not correct, either.

The unwinding of the case and the identification of the perpetrator is brilliant. Instead of saying, “AHA! I figured that one out two hours ago,” the reader is left breathless, saying, instead, “WOW. I never saw that coming.”

Highly recommended.

I received All Your Fault as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. I received no compensation for writing this review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Bastei Entertainment for the Arc.
This book drew me in from the beginning, it held me completely till the end, and what a twist, did not see that coming.

Was this review helpful?

It was a great read, I couldn't put it down and finished it in one go.
Suze was a great person, even if a workaholic. Her life turn upside down when her daughter goes missing just after one of her cases, a girl is murdered. Under immense pressure from all sides, she copes with it and tries her best to find her daughter.
As the police investigate, old secrets are opened and they are quite a few cans of worms that are spilt.
The ending is excellent. During the course of the book, there are a few pointers here and there. You can realise the direction the investigation and who could be behind it. But, the ending was, in a way, a surprise.
Excellent read!

Was this review helpful?

Suzanne Walker has had a tough life, but it's about to get a lot tougher.

Suzanne is a likable character, which is quite surprising considering the genre spawns so many unlikable main characters. She takes her job as a social worker seriously, and for the main part appears to do her job quite well. Unfortunately, when one of the children she was responsible for is murdered by her mother, Suzanne's reputation as a social worker comes under fire. This isn't the first time one of the children she was responsible for has died.

Suzanne is so obsessed with her job it seems maybe she doesn't spend enough time with her own daughter, as she's about to find out. When her daughter Teigan goes missing, Suzanne finds out she doesn't know her daughter...or herself, as well as she thought she did.

I really enjoyed this novel. My biggest dislike is the absolute incompetency of Detective Clark. What kind of detective gives so much detail about an ongoing investigation to another potential suspect? It just didn't sit right with me. sleep deprivation maybe?

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and it's a fast read too.

Was this review helpful?

Suzanne is a social worker who is under fire because one of the kids under her care died. Then her own daughter disappears. Suzanne can't remember what exactly happened the morning Teigan disappeared, except for the fight they had. Did she have something to do with Teigan's disappearance? I had some suspicions about what really happened, and while I was partly correct, I did not see the actual ending coming. I liked this overall and would give it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for a surprising conclusion.

Was this review helpful?

I really loved this book! It was a really quick read for me because I just had to know what happened next!
I found the characters to be very real and likeable. The story moved along at a quick pace. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

All Your Fault by J.C. Lewin is a quick and easy read. I found myself getting sucked in fairly quickly, but at points bored and wishing for deeper character development. It's the perfect read for summer if you are looking for something entertaining and quick.

Was this review helpful?