This keeps you reading as you try to work out who is the bad guy, Katherine joins a writing class as has always dreamt of writing a novel, will her dreams come true or will her dominating husband put an end to all her dreams once again. Sam the author mentors her but why is he doing it and is it just for show or to help him with his own writing. So many questions but no answers so it kept you gripped, will she survive and is there someone after her, watching every move she makes. So many secrets and what does it all mean? I liked this so read it very quick and really enjoyed it.

I wasn't too sure if I was going to be able to get into the storyline of this one, however it really captured my interest and although I foresaw some of the ending, it wasn't all laid out for you so a few surprises in store still.

Wow! I really love a good thriller and this did not disappoint. I found the lead up quite a slow burner but all the while could feel the tension in the air. Dawn Goodwin manages to introduce the characters and describe settings in a way that you can’t help but feel something dramatic is about to happen.

Katie is a downtrodden wife and after being a stay at home mum, realises she has missed out on following her dreams of writing. She decides to attend a writing class while her children are at school and from there, the story develops. I think many mums will identify with the feelings of Katie in the beginning. Although we love taking care of our little ones and getting to spend that precious time at home with them in the early years, once they go to school you can feel a little lost and without purpose. I like how the author drew on her own experiences of almost missing out on her dream for this story, and very glad she began writing as I really enjoyed this book!

This is perfect for any thriller fan. The author builds fantastic atmosphere through her descriptive writing and the story line itself is well handled and indeed, thrilling! A must read for any fans of thrillers, I look forward to future books from Dawn.

A gripping story which started with a slow burn and ultimately erupted into a blazing finale. The subtle hints of the traumatic history of the main character were interspersed with the struggles of balancing her writing with her family life, and when the mysterious past was finally revealed the story came together with heartbreaking clarity.

A very engaging read from start to finish, couldn't put it down, a good story with good characters, A really enjoyable book

Being perfectly honest, The Pupil was a real slog to get through. I actually found myself constantly looking at how many pages I had left because I simply wasn't enjoying it. I found Katherine as the protagonist quite limp, she wasn't someone I rooted for and it frustrated me that she didn't stick up for herself and let others walk over her. There were no twists or anything to get you excited. I also found that the big 'secret' that had been teased throughout the plot was more of an: "Oh" than an 'Ooooh!' I do think Dawn is a good writer but I feel there is a lot that needs to be done with this story for it to ever be one that stays with the reader.

I enjoyed this book, however I wasn’t blown away by it. The plot is well executed and the main characters are well developed, but it just didn’t grip me, and I found it to be forgettable. Other readers may find it to be more to their liking

So, where do I begin...
I read this book few weeks ago and already don't remember much of it. And that is not a sign of a good book in my opinion.
Some things that I do remember, though, is that I didn't like any of the characters and especially hated the main character. Non of them had any redeeming qualities. And Katharine was so full of herself. She wasn't happy about her past and where she lived, she felt all those people were bellow her. So, she managed to step a ladder and got in a better neighborhood and once again she felt she was better than anyone in it, her friend was boring, her husband was horrible ( with which I agree, he really was). And she kept going and going how she was so misunderstood, that it started to get on my nerves really hard.
The only thing, that I found about this book in my notes is that it is boring and very predictable. I instantly knew what that BIG secret from her past was after it was mentioned where she worked.

Do not recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is August 7, 2018. Katherine Baxter is a stay-at-home mom. She and her husband have two children. They met when Katherine was waitressing and he basically rescued her from a life of poor paying dead-end jobs. There are many vague references throughout the book that Katherine caused something tragic to happen shortly after she was married but that part of the story remains a mystery until the end of the book. Because of this incident, Katherine’s husband has become very controlling and overly protective of her and when she wants to take a writing course and pursue writing a novel, her husband is not supportive. During Katherine’s writing class she meets Sam, the class instructor and also a famous author and his wife, Viola who is a literary agent. Sam reaches out to Katherine at the end of the course, offering to mentor her with respect to her book while his wife offers to represent her to get it published. There is an air of mystery as to what Sam and Viola really want from Katherine. While Sam’s motives appear too good to be true, Viola appears to be threatening. I found the story to drag at times and I quickly grew tired of Katherine’s husband’s dominance and expectations of her. I felt that he married her so that he would have someone to run after him to ensure that all aspects of his life ran smoothly. If this is being billed as a thriller, I have to say that I have read better.

Wow! What a fantastic read. This was my first book from Dawn Goodwin and it certainly won't be the last. It kept me enthralled throughout and I couldn't wait to read more. A definite recommendation, 5 stars ✨

This was an interesting read, although it seemed to lack direction, halfway through the book and I was still unsure where it was going. Persevere though as it is a good thriller.

The Pupil Dawn Goodwin
A great read, with Katherine’s back story gradually released piecing together the mysteries that dictate her lifestyle. Her character was real and drew empathy and my support willing her on through the tangles she faces, supporting her family and understanding herself.
The book drew a variety of emotions from me and held my interest throughout. There are surprises and twists galore and the emotions felt at various times throughout the story (no spoilers here!) are brought to life with great realism. The dogs characters are portrayed beautifully.

What a rollercoaster of a ride you will experience once you pick up this book. Dawn Goodwin will have you twisting and turning. She'll drop you from terrifying heights and just when you maybe think that you have things figured out she will have you barreling around the next corner at top speed leaving you light headed and dazed and wondering what in the world just happened. Happy reading!

Wow this book is amazing. Such a great read. It. really had me hooked from the beginning and I just could not put it down. . You really connect with the main character Katherine which makes the twists and turns in this book a real roller coaster of a read. The end is mind blowing. Absolutely loved this and would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a good physiological thriller.

EXCERPT: Viola's eyes landed on the woman hiding at the back of the group, some of her face obscured by the person standing in front of her. Taller than any of the other women in the photograph, long dark hair falling in waves around a pleasant face, but most strikingly, those huge eyes like a kewpie doll. Difficult to forget. She was smiling thinly at the camera, but her eyes were looking across at Sam. The credits below had her listed as Katherine Baxter.

I know you as someone else. Don't I?

ABOUT THIS BOOK: One moment of carelessness. Four shattered lives.

Psychological suspense that explores a labyrinth of lies, manipulation and revenge. Perfect for fans of Louise Jenson and Katerina Diamond.
Literary agent Viola Matthews is sure she's met Katherine Baxter before. So when her husband and bestselling novelist Samuel Morton introduces Viola to the quiet, unassuming woman he has offered to mentor, she knows their paths have crossed before. The question is where?

As their worlds collide and the bond between Samuel and Katherine deepens, Viola realises she must take control.

If Viola is right, then Katherine needs to pay for something that happened twelve years ago.

MY THOUGHTS: This book touched me on several levels - with the author's incredibly accurate insight into Katherine's desire to write being subjugated by, not only her own fears, but the reactions of those closest to her; her accurate description of Katherine's husband’s control over her being presented as solicitous concern; the machinations of friendship.

All of these things were incredibly well done. But where this book should have zinged and sizzled, in places it merely limped along. There was, perhaps, far too much of Katherine's background, most of it irrelevant, and far too little about the accident that precipitated all that was to come. The ending may have been more believable had we had more insight into both Katherine's, and Sam and Viola's story as it happened, rather than just hearing it in retrospect.

I enjoyed The Pupil, but not as much as I could have. The premise is great, the author has a wonderful way with words, and with a little reworking, this could be a great read. 😊😊😊.5

THE AUTHOR: Dawn Goodwin. Dawn's career has spanned PR, advertising and publishing. Now, she loves to write about the personalities hiding behind the masks, whether beautiful or ugly. Married, she lives in London with her two daughters and a British bulldog called Geoffrey.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Aria Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Pupil by Dawn Goodwin for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

At the beginning of the book I completely related to Katherine, who appears to be the central character, as she is starting her journey on the road to trying to become an author and breaking out of the mould of wife and mother and doing something for herself. This is the exact situation I am in, so I sympathised with all her fears and self doubts. I have also just attended a writing course myself, so even that was familiar. (I hasten to add that all the people on my course were lovely and supportive and encouraging, unlike the ones in this book!)

Unlike Katherine, I have a supportive partner on my journey. Katherine’s partner is fairly awful. Domineering, belittling, controlling, possessive, bordering on abusive so she had my wholehearted support in her attempts to carve something for herself- I even sympathised with her small deceits given his behaviour. Her mother is made in a similar mould so you can perhaps see why she keeps repeating these dysfunctional relationships.

Viola, on the other hand, is not a character you immediately warm too and there is the genius in this book. Characters start out making you feel one thing about them and then, as events unfold and secrets are revealed, your viewpoint can be switched and altered from chapter to chapter. It is very neatly done and kept the suspense going and the pages turning throughout the book.

The book has quite a sedate pace, particularly at the beginning. It is not one of those that hits you with startling events on page one but that did not make it any less of a great read for me. The reader just needs to have a little patience with the plot, waiting for the suspense to pick up. The writing flows well and is very easy to read, it was not a book I had to work hard at, which was good as I have had limited reading time this week. I really liked Dawn’s voice, as I said earlier, I found a lot I could relate to in the characters which makes this type of book even more shocking when some of them turn out not to be what they seem.

Anyone who likes this type of domestic-set psychological thriller will enjoy this. It has enough twists and turns and suspense to keep you interested, it felt slightly different to others I have read which was refreshing and the writing pulled me through the book with ease. I liked the premise of the book very much. A highly recommended read.

Katherine is attending a wek long course in creative writing in London. Writing has been Katherine's lifelong passion but her friend,
husband and her mother have no faith in her ability. The writing course is run by a well known author Sam Morton and Katherine becomes fascinated by him. He says she has potential and offers to mentor her. Katherine meets his wife, Viola who feels that she has met Katherine before. We learn of how Katherine's life is dominated by her husband Paul. It is a complex story which covers a 12year period and involves a dark secret Katherine has been hiding but the past is catching upon her.
I thought the book started quite slowly and Katherine’s secret wasn’t revealed until near the end which was a little rushed, but all in all an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Aria for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Katherine is an aspiring author and has wanted to write since she was a little girl. With little support for her writing she goes to a week long writing seminar where she meets famous author Sam Morton who offers to  mentor her. It seems everyone in this group of people is hiding something Katherine in particular. While The Pupil starts a little slower it builds to a reveal I didn't expect. I thought this book would be totally different than it was but I'm glad it was, it made for a more interesting book. While most of the people in Katherine's life seem to be not that great, from her unsupportive husband and mother to the fake famous author, it's the relationship between Katherine and Viola that caught my attention and this is where the book started to really get going for me. Dawn Goodwin's writing is very detailed and neat which made for a good read.

An aspiring novelist with a troubled past, surrounded by abusive figures finds a mentor in author and teacher, Sam Morton.. As Sam helps bring Katherine’s talent out, we discover he is struggling with his own book and insecurities. The two become good friends, giving each other what they lack in their own relationships. As the tale comes to a head the many sad secrets of the past are revealed in a devastating climax. I found Katherine’s story a hard one to read; a child brought up with little demonstration of love finds it easy to slip into abusive relationships. However the only character I actually liked, for some reason, was Sam who seemed even more damaged than the protagonist herself.

I enjoyed The Pupil and its premise was enticing - Katherine is a married woman with two young children and a controlling husband who enrols on a writing course. When it ends she is thrilled to be mentored by her tutor, Sam. a celebrated author whose wife Viola, is a literary agent.

But Viola can't place where she knows Katherine from and blows hot and cold, one minute encouraging her writing and the next appearing angry toward her. Sam himself has writer's block while Katherine has to motivate herself despite lack of support from her husband Paul, who once rescued her from the aftermath of a scandal which is not revealed until near the end. It was a good twist, but the final ending of the story was unbelievable and in my view rushed. Without spoilers I can't say what exactly frustrated me about the final chapter but it means this is nearer a 3.5* than 4*for what is otherwise a well written noir novel.

One thing I would change if at all possible - crushed avocado on sourdough was not a 'thing' in 2005! This really jarred for me. 95% location 3937 on my kindle. Many thanks to NetGalley and Aria for the opportunity to read and review The Pupil. Despite my concerns I think it will be very successful.