No Place Like Home by Rebecca Muddiman was one hell of a ride. Pardon my language. I do not think that I have ever read a book that scared me as much as this one did. Polly seemed like an average woman with average woman issues. However, after she bought a new home everything changed. Someone was there already. The writers ability to keep the pace was to me, beyond anything I was expecting. The plot was great and it did not let up until I finished reading. Even now as I write this review (at 2 A.M.) I am still feeling the aftermath. The ending is not what you would ever think. This was a vey fat paced story that delivers a huge punch. I want to, need to read more by this author.

Thank you so much netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.


5++++ ⭐️ out of 5

To be honest, I couldn’t bring myself to finish this book. I wanted to like it, really, but it was just not for me. There was too much repetition and not enough progress to hold my attention. I’d be interested in reading more from this author, because I think she really could be great!
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the ARC. The official release date of this novel is Monday, August 6th, 2018.

No Place Like Home is a psychological thriller in every single way. Unreliable narrator? Check. Mystery? Check. Drama? Check. Paranoia? Check. Check. Check. It does pull you in quickly, with action right at the very beginning. The format is a little confusing, but if you can get passed that a some other annoying details this is a wild ride, especially towards the end!
In this book we follow Polly, who is in her 30s, and is ecstatic to finally have her first home. That is until she sees someone INSIDE of it that doesn't belong there. This happens within the first couple of pages and then we go back and forth between the past 3ish weeks and the present {which gets HIGHLY confusing sometimes}.

The first half of the book was intense, but annoying... sorry. Polly's CONSTANT internal struggle was killing me. I get it, I do. I am one of those people that over thinks everything and second guesses everything but GOOD GOD. "Did I see him or did I not? I did, I am sure. But what if I didn't? I probably didn't, it's just my mind playing tricks on me.. But what if it wasn't a trick? What if he was there for real? He wasn't there.." like OOOOOHHHH MYY GGOOOSSSH. *those are not real quotes from the book, but you get the idea here.*

Okay so, just around the time I am starting to think, "man, I think I hate Polly. I really hate her, she's so FREAKING ANNOYING". Things get realllll interesting. Not saying I ever really LIKE Polly.. But the book really picks up and comes into its own. I even thought that dang, if the first 30-45% of this book did not exist, I would be TOTALLY loving this. I ended up staying up way passed my bed time to finish the book, because that is how intense things got... which was a complete turn around for me personally.

Without the annoying internal struggle of Polly's paranoia and the odd way that the author chose to format the chapters/time frames the plot was dynamic with some deep psychological shit going on....excuse my french.. And I really appreciate the book ending with a bang rather than starting off really strong and finishing weak. Overall, I did like this book - especially the second half!! And I think you can get it on Kindle unlimited right now for $0!!!

Rebecca Muddiman was born and raised in Redcar in the Tees Valley area of North East England, UK and worked within the NHS for many years. She has a degree in Film and Media from the University of Sunderland and an MA in Creative Writing from Teesside University and has also studied several short courses including Crime Scene Investigation and Criminology. Her first novel "Stolen" won a Northern Writers Award in 2010 and the Northern Crime Competition in 2012. "No Place Like Home" is her fifth novel.

I was very much taken in by the exciting sounding synopsis but this unfortunately was hard work. I read fiction to relax so this wasn't ideal, if I had wanted to read something that engaged my brain I would've chosen a non-fiction title. The story was far too confusing to keep up with as the timeline jumps all over the place with no prior warning and the author uses past and present tense rather randomly too. Don't get me wrong, there is a story there if you are willing to put the effort in. It also started out quite steadily and increased suddenly to a rapid pace and all the action seemed to take place all at once. The format and structure the author uses to tell the tale will make sense at the end of the book if you are willing to continue it. I am sure that others will find this a great read as reading is so subjective - it just wasn't for me i'm afraid.

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

This book was confusing. The first half was difficult to get through; it made me feel claustrophobic, and I wasn’t sure if it was in a good way or not. It was told solely from the point of view of Polly, and contained limited interactions with only a few extemporaneous characters. I definitely had a few “wait, what?” moments, especially when the author started jumping back and forth in time and used different tenses (present vs. past). The story direction was not entirely clear. But then, just over halfway through, the plot kicked into gear and everything started happening quickly. I actually had as hard of a time putting it down for the second half as I did picking it up for the first half. It also became apparent as to why the author started the book the way she did. I’m glad I stuck with it, because it actually ended up being a fairly good story with a thoroughly despicable villain. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a gripping read that really plays with your mind.
Just when you think you know what’s going on, it’s turned on it’s head and you have to adjust to something else.
The story is told from Polly’s point of view and there are a number of flashbacks which build up the story.
When Polly sees a figure in her bedroom window she hesitates at first but then goes into her house.
We learn that she knows this person but it takes a few more chapters to explain how she knows him and what he wants.
It’s hard to say much more as I really don’t want to spoil it for you, but I will say that if you like a good thriller, full of twists then this is for you.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I’ve just spent my afternoon reading this and I loved it. It was completely different than what I expected.

Polly is a pretty normal relatable character. She’s in a job she doesn’t like and is feeling the emotional effects of her Mum being in a care home. Finally she’s got her own home, a place she wants to make as her own.

Expect the unexpected with this read. I mentally high fives the author when she blind sided me.

I wasn’t too keen on the way the story was told.. through the past and the present. However once I kept reading I understood that it had to be told that way.

This is a five star read to me due to the amount of gasps coming out of my mouth. Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

No Place Like Home…. What would you do or what lengths would you go to for a house?

Polly has finally gotten what she always wanted, a house of her own, her own sanctuary or at least it will be once she gets rid of the musty smell of the previous owner and puts her own stamp on it.

At first you feel empathy for Polly, she has so much to deal with what with her mother in a nursing home after an accident in her house due to early onset dementia and then having a stroke, so she is trying to juggle going to work, visiting her mum every day and getting her new house in order.

Until one day shortly after moving in, she comes home to see a shadow in the upstairs window, what will she do, does she call the police or go in and tackle whomever is in there? And so it begins!!! There is a constant shadow across the street staring in at her, driving her insane. Who is stalking Polly? Too easy to give away spoilers, so that’s where I’ll stop!!! YOU’RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO READ IT TO FIND OUT!!! 

I enjoyed this book, it was an easy read, fast paced with plenty of chill factor, however, I found it quite confusing to begin with, the story jumps between timelines and sometimes you have warning say “two weeks before” but then out of nowhere you could be back in present day so you have to be on your guard to keep you but you soon get used to it.

An interesting plot line with a twist, I did figure out one of the twists, however this did not detract from the overall story.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bloodhound Books and Rebecca Muddiman for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is very confusing because it jumps around so much it becomes hard to know which point in time you're currently reading from which to me becomes hard to focus. I found myself many times wanting to put this book down and forget about it though I did quickly pace on threw, the main character was not likeable from the beginning I didn't feel any sort of connection with her and the choices she made were just so selfish and then came the big twist which was so stupid when I told my sister I was laughing because I'm very sorry but it really didn't make sense to me at all,it was boring and unrealistic.

First I want to thank netgalley and the author for an advanced copy for my kindle. The book starts with Polly who recently just moved into a new home. She starts by telling you how her ex Jacob is stalking her and seems to appear wherever she is. Polly’s mother recently had a stroke and is in the nursing home. She seems to have a round of bad luck. The more you get to know Polly the more you start realize there’s more to Polly than she’s letting on. One night she arrives home and finds Jacob standing in her living room. The story alternates between now and the past. You start to wonder whose the victim Polly or Jacob. I enjoyed this book it was quick read and I couldn’t put it down!

Harder to get into and a lot of time jumping. This is a good thriller if you can keep up with it! I wasn’t as engaged as I have been with other books this year but I am open to reading more from this author as she evolves!

This is a good read but frankly the jumping from the past to the present was not my cup of tea. I would reveal too much of the book to go into any detail. It took me 50% of the book to finally get into it and want to finish the read. This is a book where you want to love and hate the characters. The author did a great job with the ending and I am happy I finished. This book was given to me for an honest review.

Ooh what a fab story!

It's hard to actually know what to say about this one as to do so I think would give major spoilers away. Things definitely took a different turn to what I was expecting which is what makes this book really stand out for me. 

The story flicks back and forth from present day to weeks leading up to current events. Polly could be any one of us. Sadly she spends her time visiting her mum who is in a care home as well as avoiding Jacob who seems to be obsessed with her and is stalking her. All Polly wants to do is make her new home her own and feel secure. She certainly gets the readers empathy to start with.

No Place Like Home piqued my interest from the very first page. The further into the story I got, the more twisted and surprising it was. It really will mess with your head as you won't expect what's coming. Things definitely arn't as they first appear making this an absolute must read for fans of psychological thrillers.

A very clever book! We start the story (or I did!) feeling sorry for Polly, having had an abusive relationship and also her Mum is in a care home. However all is not what it seems and the story unfolds. By the end of the book, I so wanted Polly to get her comeuppance, and the way it ended was something I hadn’t expected. A great read!

I received this book free in return for an honest review.

This book was just a lot. First of all the book jumps all over the place with no warning. Sometimes it's the present, other times like three months ago or back in her childhood. Once you get past that there is the story.

Initially you feel sorry for the main character because she is being stalked, harassed and ultimately abused by someone who has broken into her home. In addition, she is dealing with her sick mother in a nursing home and trying to work everyday to maintain her new home.

By the end there are so many twists and turns you almost don't know whose side to be on. The fact that all this happened just based on wanting a house is ridiculous and far fetched! And that ending? Seriously?!!

Very good story, lots of intrigue, suspense and few unseen twists!, well written and very edgy. Thanks #netgallery for the opportunity

I received a copy of this book through netgalley and can honestly say that it is a triller with a twist to it,that I did not see it coming.
The characters are life like and you feel a connection with Polly, the main character,and feel sympathy for her until you reach the end of the story and see her true colours,and her aim in life and the ways she goes around getting her goal.
Jacob,seems a troubled character and on the verge of violence,and madness, but not is all that it seems with him and in the end he is the victim of the whole story.
An excellent ending.
This book must be on everyone reading list.

This thriller was a real nail biter rollercoaster of a novel. I didn’t see any of the twists coming and I’m usually good at figuring out the twists ahead of time. I recommend this to any mystery and suspense fans.

Polly Cooke, tired of the flat she shares with two friends, has moved into her own house. She’s eager to begin renovating the property - but who is the man she see’s inside her new home on her way home from work one night?

The pace of the book is great and it has all the expected characteristics and set-up of a psychological thriller. Your loyalties switch between characters and you’re never quite sure who to side with - the twist was definitely unexpected!

I did, however, struggle with the timeline of this book as it wasn’t always clear that we were switching from past to present and vice versa. The repetition of her monotonous life tasks also began to grate me after a while. Making coffee and taking the bus to see her Mum became slightly tedious as the book progressed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I start with this book?! It was sooo good, it was my first time reading Rebecca Muddiman and I have now added the rest of her books to my TBR pile! The book starts out with Polly on her way home and spotting a man in her new house, what is he doing there? Is he there to hurt her? Does she have a stalker?! This book seriously grabbed me from the first page and took me on a suspense filled ride with twists that literally had me holding my breath as I turned pages. I have already added Rebecca to my list of Favourite writers, Thanks so much to @Netgalley for introducing me this author and giving me the opportunity to read this book. #noplacelikehome #rebeccamuddiman #netgalley #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #litsy #nickikendall