Charlotte Reynolds is separated from Tom and is the busy mother of three children. Today, she has agreed to take Alice, age 4, with her own children to the school fair. Harriet is going to take a class today to help prepare her to look for a job soon. She is a bit nervous about leaving Alice because it is the first time she has ever been away from her. Harriet’s husband, Brian, goes fishing every Saturday so he is not home to watch Alice. Both Alice and Charlotte are a bit edgy because a 9-year-old boy had gone missing from the park the previous fall and has not been found.

The fair is packed with people and it is a hot day. The children all want to go on a big inflatable slide, so Charlotte asks her older son, Jack, to be sure and keep an eye on Alice. But when the children return, Alice is not with them. The police are called and they search everywhere but cannot find Alice.

Harriet is devastated and in a state of shock. Her husband, Brian, is very harsh and almost vicious toward Charlotte who is also devastated and feels so guilty. The police send a Family Liaison Officer to stay with Harriet and Brian while they search for Alice.

This story encompasses Harriet’s emotions and Brian’s reaction to her. In addition, we see how Charlotte is almost ostracized by her friends for having “lost” Alice. Emotions are running very high. What happened to Alice?

Oh wow! This is a very good story with lots of twists and turns that the reader would not expect. It will keep you on the edge of your seat chewing your nails. I love how the author fully describes the emotions of Harriet and Charlotte that you almost feel them yourself. Don’t miss this one.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Her One Mistake was a very fast-paced and engaging read with a unique premise. There are a lot of twists throughout the novel, and even though I had some ideas of how the story might end, there was plenty of suspense to keep me on my toes.

I appreciated how the book managed to keep time very well, even when jumping between "Before" and "Now". I was never lost and always anticipating. I do feel as though the characters could have been a bit more developed, but overall, this was a very enjoyable read. This will be a great book for book clubs in the months to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy of this title.

Her One Mistake is a thriller about the case of a little girl who goes missing at a school fair. What happened to her? Who is responsible? Do you really know people as well as you think you do? These questions will keep you turning pages late into the night. This was a twisty and engaging quick read. I really enjoyed it!

I gave this book a 5 out of 5 star review. It was an enjoyable and I would recommend. to others. Generously provided to me through NetGalley

I knew this book would be good when I saw the author's name. Anyone named Heidi is going to write a good book. That aside, this was a very good read. A page turner with a well thought out and thought provoking story. You start off feeling sorry for all the characters at the start. A child goes missing at a school fair. You understand the upset parents and the person who was supposed to look after the child being upset. But as the story unravels, not everyone reacts in the way you expect them to. Gripping right to the end. I highly recommend this book.

Intriguing story with lots of twists that keeps you turning the pages until the end. Interesting characters that keep you asking what is going to happen next. Wondering why the police are not digging deeper into parents or seeing what might be going on. How far can friendships be pushed.

A very quick and engaging read for me. There are a lot of twists, and even though I had some ideas of how the story might go (some correct, some not), there was enough suspense to keep me interested. I think there could have been more development of characters/details, but overall, I could suspend belief/fill in the gaps and just go with it.

I think the blurb about the book is not quite accurate now that I've finished reading the book, so better to just go into reading it without any preconceived ideas of any of the details.

Thanks to netgalley for an advanced copy.

Charlotte was more than happy to watch her friend Harriet's four year old daughter, the first time that Harriet had ever been away from her daughter more than a few hours. Charlotte, her three children, and Harriet's daughter Alice, had a fun day at a school fair to enjoy. But soon after arriving at the fair, Alice is missing and life changes forever for Charlotte and Harriet.

Charlotte is criticized for losing sight of a child that is not hers and even for using her phone to post on Facebook around the time Alice went missing. Harriet had never been away from her child before, afraid that something could happen to her and her husband Brian can't believe she left her child with someone. The only friend that Harriet has is Charlotte and now that friendship is irreparably damaged.

There are so many twists and turns in this story and I certainly didn't have it figured out until the story allowed us to know what happened. Harriet's husband is obviously a manipulative, sick person who calls her "love" but really harbors unhealthy feelings toward her. Charlotte has lots of friends and plenty of money but enjoyed spending time with Harriet, who doesn't fit in with the rest of Charlotte's friends, because she feels like she can tell Harriet her thoughts and feelings without Harriet judging her or taking her ex-husband's side of things. Strangely, Harriet shares very little of real importance about her life, which allows the friendship between the women to be off-balance, without Charlotte realizing it, until this fact is pointed out by law enforcement during questioning, after the disappearance of Alice.

The story is told in alternate times of Before and Now and from the point of view of Harriet and Charlotte. This is a very enjoyable, psychological thriller, that kept surprises coming throughout the book, until the end. It really says a lot about how blame, including unfounded blame, can destroy a person's sense of well being and how friendships can be ruined by lies and omissions.

Thank you to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and NetGalley for this Advance Read Copy.

Best friends formed over discussion about their children and Charlotte's recent separation. Harriet is overprotective of her four year old daughter but agrees to let Charlotte take her daughter, Alice, to the local fair. Within minutes of arrival Alice disappears while playing with Charlotte's children. Local empathy centers on Harriet while Charlotte must deal with with everyone's assumption that she was not paying attention to the children. Both women harbor secrets that are not expected.

"You know you can trust me."

Six words. One moment in time. Two lives changed forever.

Harriet is a mother like many that is nervous to let someone else care for her child. When her best friend, Charlotte, promises her all will be fine, she nervously trusts her friend to take care of her baby girl. She trusts that her daughter will return home safely, that surely her good friend would never be careless with someone else’s child. Harriet pulls up to her house to find a world of her nightmares awaits; Alice is gone. Police have nothing. And this eerily connects to a previous child kidnapping.

...or does it?

Something more sinister is going on here that will rock everyone’s world. Someone goes missing. Someone dies. And someone loses the life as they know it for better or for worse. The author cleverly leaves the decision up to you. Do you walk away from this book feeling relieved? Or do you walk away feeling unresolved?

- - - - - - - - -

This book was 4 stars for me. It had delicious twists and turns and one epic, jaw-dropping shocker. It was better than I had anticipated and I fully recommend reading! As for what I didn’t like? I felt the ending did not quite match those twists and turns felt throughout the book but still good and worthy of a 4-star review. I love that she didn’t tie it all up in the end with a nice, neat bow however it still left me with a feeling that it could’ve been so much more. I’m not knocking the author because it’s clear she is more than capable. The ending just didn’t fit the book for me but it was definitely worth the read. If you read other reviews, some absolutely love the ending as not everyone has the same taste.

My only other issue is the title. I still cannot quite figure out what her title is referring to but don’t let that steer you off course. It still fits, but not quite as well as one would like.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.25-3.5 STARS

What could be worse than your child disappearing without a trace? The disappearance of your over-protective friend’s child, who trusted you with their child’s care. That’s the nightmare that Charlotte lives, when Alice—the daughter of her best friend Harriett—vanishes from a school fair after she loses site of the child for several agonizing minutes.

A unique and compelling premise, "Her One Mistake" was a decent story overall but was a bit lackluster in its entirety. While I was pulled in right from the very start, the story quickly plateaued, leaving me craving some much-needed suspenseful thrills. And though promoted as a psychological thriller, for me, it didn’t quite fit that bill. Perhaps my expectations were set too high. Regardless, I did find “Her One Mistake” to be an enjoyable read--albeit a bit predictable, as I easily deduced the “mystery” behind Alice’s disappearance quite early on.

Awesome story! It was pretty emotional and very raw. The suspense was another great factor of this book. I loved how Heidi Perks showed her characters on the pages. I would recommend this to any of my friends!

This is not the typical missing child book. It is so much more! From the beginning, I was drawn into this clever and unique plot. Charlotte is Harriet’s only friend, so when Harriet decides to take a bookkeeping class, Charlotte is the one that she naturally turns to for a caregiver for her young daughter Alice. The plan is established that Harriet will go to her class and Charlotte will take Alice, along with her own three children, to the school fair. When Charlotte goes on Facebook for a few minutes, she looks up and Alice is gone. Okay, the stage is set for the increasing drama. Harriet isolates herself and mourns the loss of her daughter, but she also has carefully guarded secrets. Charlotte has her own secrets, and the police just want to uncover everything so that they can find the missing child. The story is told via narration by both Charlotte and Harriet and on a dual timeline of now and before Alice disappeared. The drama was intense, as befits a psychological thriller. The conclusion was satstfyingly surprising. Readers of thrillers wil enjoy this book and hope for more from this author!

Heidi Perks is going to be on my list as a favorite from now on with her incredible story Her One Mistake. This was a psychological thriller that kept me guessing every step of the way. I even gasped a few times while reading because I was taken so off guard by a twist here or a turn there.

The story follows two people; Charlotte, the mom who lost another mom’s kid at a carnival, and Harriet, super protective and mostly unliked mother in the neighborhood. Both are going through ordeals all stemming from the missing daughter of Harriet. Charlotte is being blacklisted among her friends and Harriet is all alone with just her husband for support, and he’s a little weird, if I do say so.

Every character in this book played a pertinent role in the story. The supporting cast, including Harriet’s husband, Charlotte’s best friend, estranged family members, and the town gossip all brought so much more to the story and helped form this elaborate vision in my head as I read. I think Heidi Perks wrote characters that were not only interesting, but also mysterious and filled with depth. They all had their own little secrets that just emphasized all the questions swirling around as we read. Each time I thought I had an inkling of what was going on, Perks through out a twist that had me questioning everything. I never would have guessed the ending in a million years.

One of my favorite parts to read was Harriet’s relationship with her husband. I enjoy when an author can bring out specific emotions in me as I read, and Perks made me uncomfortable to the extreme with Harriet’s husband. He was super doting and seemed to care a great deal for Harriet, but at times I found myself incredibly uncomfortable with his behavior. I loved that Perks was able to make me feel that emotion so strongly.

Her One Mistake is a mystery/thriller, but I also feel it falls heavily into women’s fiction. So if you like women’s fiction with a little kick, pick up Her One Mistake. You won’t be disappointed. It will make you question, “What would I have done?” Pick up your copy and let me know what you think.

Wow, what a roller coaster ride this book was for me! Heidi Perks new novel Her One Mistake is a psychological thriller that centers on one of every parent’s worst nightmares – a missing child. The story follows Harriet and Charlotte, best friends and mothers who have children about the same age. Harriet, a somewhat overprotective mother, has never let her four-year-old daughter Alice out of her sight prior to the day she allows Charlotte to take Alice to the school fair with her own children. Charlotte knows what a huge deal it is that Harriet is entrusting her with caring for Alice and vows to be worthy of the trust that has been placed in her.

When the unthinkable happens, however, and Alice goes missing at the school fair, Charlotte turns the place upside looking for her. When it becomes clear that Alice is no longer on school grounds, the police get involved and begin a search. They are quick to act because another young child had gone missing several months ago and still hadn’t been located so the fear that a predator may be on the loose in their community is all too real.

Charlotte is truly devastated. She is crushed, not just because Alice was in her care when she went missing, but also because she doesn’t even want to think about how distraught Harriet will be. This will surely spell the end of their friendship, even if Alice is found safe and sound.

After she finds out about her missing daughter, Harriet refuses to even speak to or see Charlotte. She and her husband blame Charlotte exclusively for what has happened, as do all of their mutual friends and apparently most people on the internet who are discussing the incident.

As the police investigation ramps up, however, secrets, lies and some ugly truths begin to surface. As we move closer to the truth about what has happened to Alice and who is responsible, it becomes clear that nothing is as it originally seemed.

Characters. I found both Charlotte and Harriet to be very sympathetic characters. As a parent, I know how devastating it would be to find out my child was missing, and I also know I would never forgive myself if I was entrusted with the care of one of my friends’ children and they went missing while in my care.

Not only was it easy to sympathize with these characters, but it was also very easy to imagine them as real people. They are flawed and messy and some of the problematic scenarios they find themselves in are of their own making. Part of the reason Charlotte is so widely blamed, for example, is because while she was supposed to be watching the children at the fair, she was also posting on her Facebook account. So everyone who follows her on there, knows she was at least somewhat distracted while the kids were playing.

Pacing and Perspective. I loved the pacing of Her One Mistake. It’s set up from the perspective of both Harriet and Charlotte and we hear from each of them as we go through the lead up to Alice going missing, the initial search and immediate fallout, the police investigation, and then the subsequent larger fallout as we get closer to the truth. Seeing first hand what is going through the minds of both Charlotte and Harriet not only had my own emotions all in knots, but it also painted such a full picture of what was going on by presenting it from both sides. The chapters were short but powerful, and I just flew through the pages because I needed to know the truth.

Suspense and Tension. Perks did a phenomenal job of ratchetting up the tension and suspense the further we get into the story. There was one character in particular I had a bad feeling about from the first moment they were introduced. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was that bothered me, but every time they appeared on the page, my skin crawled. I hated the character but loved that the author had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see if this character would turn out to be a monster or not.

Dark but Relevant Themes. And finally, I liked the wide range of themes Her One Mistake touched on. Be forewarned that this is in no way a fluffy read though. It explores some dark topics like abuse, isolation, deception, desperation, and there is a big focus on friendships, both in terms of how such a tragedy can strain or even ruin friendships, and in terms of fair weather friends who abandon you at the first sign of trouble.

I don’t have any real complaints about the novel at all, although I did feel that there were a couple of loose ends that I would have liked some closure on. I can’t speak to what they are for spoiler reasons, but if you read it, you’ll probably figure out the ones I’m referring to.

Overall, I found Her One Mistake to be a riveting and compulsively readable thriller. I binge-read it in just a couple of sittings and found myself immediately going to Goodreads to see what else Heidi Perks has written. She is definitely an author that I look forward to reading more from. If you’re a fan of Liane Moriarty or Sally Hepworth’s domestic thrillers, I think Her One Mistake might be right up your alley as well.

4.25 stars

Harriet allows her friend Charlotte to watch her daughter for an afternoon. Somehow her daughter Alice vanishes. Charlotte fells horrible and public opinion makes her feel even worse. Harriets husband Brian is watching everything and looking for someone to blame.
Heidi Perks touched on a few different subjects. This was close to being a 5 star read. I was wrapped up in the story until the last page.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

What a great start to the new year with this amazing psychological thriller. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. What I thought was just about a missing girl turned out to be much much more. I got sucked in by Alice's kidnapping, and was held there by the strange relationship between Harriet and her husband and the blame and disdain Charlotte was receiving. All of this combined together to make this a creepy, wild ride.

As pieces fell into place I still couldn't see how it would end and even now that I know it gives me chills. Well written, well woven and interesting. This is about secrets, and how well you may know even your best friend.

The novel opens with Charlotte Reynolds preparing to give a statement to the police. It's a device for starting a narrative, but also flags that we can expect to read Something Horrible in the near future.
Thirteen days earlier, Charlotte took her three children to a school fair. She also took little Alice, the daughter of Harriet, her best friend. Harriet was taking Charlotte updates her online status at a critical moment, and Alice disappears. The police are summoned, and the child is nowhere to be found. Harriet and her husband are notified, and Charlotte must endure not only condemnation from the public (her posting on social media is soon discovered), but her own guilt for letting her best friend down.
This book kept surprising me. The author and setting are both British, so I expected to plow through a lot of setting the scene and character introduction. The first few pages provide this information, including a bit of tension between Charlotte and ex-husband Tom, but the action--and seeds of doubt--begin early.
Harriet was taking a course in bookkeeping. This is why Charlotte had Alice with her in the first place. This seems very normal, but Brian, Harriet's husband, is surprised. He hadn't been told. Why?
Heidi Parks is an artist at giving out one piece of information at a time, shifting the reader's idea of the truth again and again. Secret after secret is revealed, pulling the reader deeper into the well of mental games, broken relationships, and murder. I kept picking up echoes of Gaslight and Bunny Lake is Missing, and was delighted.
I received a free NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review. My honest review is that Her One Mistake is a great read, and I recommend it to readers who enjoy psychological suspense.

You've convinced your best friend that you will baby sit her only child and watch her like the own. Then in the blink of an eye, Alice is missing. Oh, the guilt Charlotte felt when no one can find Alice but was it really her fault? Something is a little off with Harriet and Brian, Alice's parents. It seems that everyone has a secret in this psychological thriller. Recommended!

Talk about a psychological thriller. This story was captivating, gut wrenching, thought provoking and not one that I would have imagined myself actually enjoying. However, I did. Granted, the story was so hard to get my heart wrapped around. It started slow, in my opinion, however if you stay the course it does pick up. I couldn’t help but put myself in each of the characters shoes. What if my friend lost my daughter? What if I lost my friends daughter? Lord help me if I didn’t gain a few gray hairs outta this one, and for me that is saying something as I read horror and mystery all day long. With this topic it made it all more stressfull for me.

GIve it a chance, and I think you will find the ending quite satisfying. It is not one of those reads that leave you hanging, which would have made me beyond furious!

Enjoy! And Thanks for the advance read!