4.5-5 stars! Gripping from page one, had me turning pages to figure out what was going to happen and to who and why. Thought it was an amazing book for those who love well written suspense thrillers. I knew I would love this book as soon as I read the first page, and truly had a hard time swapping to others, because I needed to know what was going to happen.
Will be recommending this week in Chapter Chatter Pub!

I really enjoyed this book. I particularly liked that you didn’t find out what the connection between Katie, Sam and Viola is until the very end which kept me intrigued.
The characters aren’t likeable but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this book.
There was no real twist in the story but it’s well written and easy to read.

Such an incredibly gripping read, with suspense and tension at every corner, the story was great which made up for the lack of any likeable characters, which is a huge shame.

I also found parts of the book made me angry. I’m an author myself and hearing some of things said by characters to Katherine in the story really pushed my buttons. I understand, wholeheartedly, that it was just a story, that the story tends to write itself, but it doesn’t make it any less infuriating to read about. For one, I’m highly disappointed that the option of self-publishing wasn’t introduced as an option to Katherine ANYWHERE. It’s where a lot of people start out.

The hated almost all the characters except Lily and Jack, and I did enjoy Katherine for the most part, but her naivety could be a little eye rolling worthy. And her interactions with Helen, her only friend, was honestly quite unbelievable. All they did for have a go at each other and Helen always put Katherine down and at some points, in my personal opinion, I felt Helen looked down on Katherine as much as her husband, Paul, did.

There was no amazing reveal but the story was written brilliantly. The writing style really grabs the attention of readers and it’s highly addictive to read.

I loved reading this book!

The blurb had caught my interest from the start and I was very eager to dive in. I finished the book in about 2 sittings, mostly at night when I could not fall asleep.

The story flows very naturally and the characters are well written!

I received an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one had a good start but it went off the rails and never came back. I would love to read a continuation of the first half the novel, but then it became something else entirely and that something isn't worth reading. Skip this one

Katherine is a housewife/mother with two young kids and a busy husband. She has always wanted to be a writer and now that the kids are in school she aspires to live that dream. After taking a writing course the teacher offers to be her mentor and help her get a book published. Suspense begins to build as the reader is lead to believe something in her past is still troubling her. She begins to receive anonymous threatening notes. Her husband is not supportive of her writing dream. And she can't figure out if her mentors wife is friendly and helpful or jealous and menacing. Good suspense build up as Katherine built up by her mentor, brought back to earth from her husband friend Helen, and harassed by her anonymous stalker. I enjoyed reading this book and felt it moved at a good pace with a good ending.

The Pupil by Dawn Goodwin is a psychological thriller that I read in one day.
Katherine who is stuck at home looking after her two children, dreams of being an author. Her husband Paul does not support her dream. Katherine enrols in a writing course and meets Sam a well known author. Sam decides to help Katherine with her manuscript. While working together she meets Sam's wife Viola who is sure that she knows Katherine from before.
I enjoyed this book although I did not like Katherine and found her to be selfish and dismissive of other people's feelings.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Aria For my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine was having a wonderful week, but her writing class had come to an end. The best week of her life!

She meets with Samuel, the writing class teacher, who tells her that he is willing to tutor her to assist her in having her book published. A week or so later, Katherine attends a publisher's party at Samuel's invitation. There, she meets his wife, Viola, who is a literary agent. They get on very well.

Eventually, Katherine attends regular tutoring sessions with Samuel - sometimes Viola (who is hot and cold towards Katherine) is present.


Meanwhile, Katherine is receiving threatening notes at home - "I'm watching you" "I wish you were dead".


As the story continues, Katherine wavers back and forth as to whether to go the next step - have her book published. She begins to realize that Paul is abusive in that he controls her every move, even her thoughts.


Katherine attends her mother's funeral and this is the point where she realizes that Paul is harmful. She decides what to do...


She tells her best friend, Helen, that she is leaving Paul...

And she tells Paul...


Many thanks to NetGalley and our Publisher for a wonderful read!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the style of writing my favourite books are written in the first person and the story is told from Katherine's perspective, Katherine is a middle aged house wife and mum to Lily and jack, she lives a middle class lifestyle in a lovely home and her husband Paul has a good secure and well paid job. However Katherine feels there's a spark missing in her life, she loves her family unconditionally but wishes she could accomplish something that's hers, having always loved creative writing she embarks on a creative writing course which is run by the elusive Sam a well known crime thriller author, Sam offers to tutor Katherine when the course is finished after being impressed with the start of her novel, Katherine is delighted and takes Sam up on his offer, she meets sams no nonsense wife viola who is adamant she has met Katherine before.. the story is told between Katherine and viola twelve years ago something awful happened to viola and Katherine is hiding a secret from twelve years ago, I clicked on at the start that Katherine had done something to viola all those years ago and was eager to find out what exactly, viola reads Katherine's novel when it's finished and offers her representation but has her own sinister motives in mind.I enjoyed the way the story unraveled from past to present, I enjoyed Katherine's character and at times felt sorry for her following her dreams of writing her first novel but with no support from her husband Paul who at times seems rather controlling, I wouldn't say the big reveal at the end was a massive shock I clicked on half way through what it is that Katherine could have done all those years ago, but I still enjoyed it none the less. Thank you to netgalley for my copy of this book.

This was ok, not great. I didn’t like the narrator. I loathed her husband and mother. Really there were no likable characters.

Katherine was almost adolescent in her narrative. She seemed desperate to escape her life. I don’t blame her.

I shouldn’t have requested this. I hate books about writers, reporters, or journalists. These type of stories tend to not work for me.

That being said - pls give it a try. It may be for you. It wasn’t for me and I could sense this from the get go. I did finish it and there is a story there. Just not a story for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Aria, and the author for an advanced copy I exchange for a review.

This book was a very different read for me..It was definitely a psychological read for sure but it goes to show you that you do not know what goes on in relationships or families.. The first half of the book was a little slow but it really started to get interesting midway through..The ending of this book through me for a loop and overall it was a really good read...It will really get you thinking...Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.