Carole, Beth and Sal have been best friends since they were un boarding school together. At the age of 14 a traumatic even happened that catapulted the girls to making a promise. A promise that has haunted them throughout their lives. The decisions they make, the relationships they have are all tinged with the darkness of that event. Now years later the school is going to be grazed to the ground and the secret, the promise, the love and loyalty the women have towards each other will be put to the test.
A whirlwind of a read. Impossible to put down. Loved everything about it!

I am a big fan of Teresa's previous books and was looking forward to reading this. Whilst the setting of the boarding school and the close relationships of the women worked well, the twists were not impactful or unexpected. I kept reading toning there must be a great twist coming. Unfortunately the lack of an extra twist made this book an enjoyable read but easily forgettable

At just fourteen years old, Beth, Sally and Carol make a pact to keep a secret. A secret of what they did while attending school at the Covent of St. Colman A secret that they are sure will destroy their chances of ever being happy.

Now, nearly thirty years later, Beth and Sally are the only two who keep in touch- never speaking of what happened while they were in school. Except, the unthinkable happens, St. Colman is being shut-down and the land around it will soon be developed. Terror takes hold as the two women struggle to figure out what to do and whether they should try contact Carol about what may be happening and what it could mean to their lives. However, it seems that someone already knows about the secret that they buried when they were younger. But, who is it? Is it Carol trying to scare them away from telling the police? Or, is it someone else who is threatening them?

“The Promise” by Teresa Driscoll did a stunning job of bringing to light the secrets that we often keep for fear of what others will think of us. Especially, secrets from when we were younger. This story caused me to stop and think about what would have happened if the girls had communicated what was going on, asked for help from an adult and hadn’t had to carry the burden of their decision for the last thirty years. Would their lives have been different? Would they each have struggled internally as much as they each did?

Furthermore, “The Promise” brought to light how profuse mental illness is in the world. It laid the groundwork for those struggling or who know someone who struggles with mental illness, to understand that it is not something that can be helped; that a lot of times, there is an underlying issue that has caused the pain the person is experiencing. Inside this book there were a lot of areas involved mental illness that were covered from depression, eating disorders, drug addiction, alcoholism, etc. So thank you Teresa Driscoll for bringing these to the attention of your readers.

Because there was a multitude of situations that were covered in this 314 page novel, I did feel that the author packed too much in. There was a plethora of story lines to follow and I found it difficult to keep track of who was dealing with what or I was left feeling that one characters story was rushed due to all that was unfolding. However, that is the only downside that I found to this novel. Otherwise, it was an artfully told story.

Thank you to Teresa Driscoll, Thomas & Mercer Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of “The Promise”.

I'm an avid thriller/psychological thriller reader, so I jumped on this one. It has a great write up and I was intrigued by it. Unfortunately I think this is an "amateur thriller" book. I definitely felt disappointed by the "twists" and "turns." I also think the book started out in one direction and then went elsewhere just to throw off the reader. I think this is a decent book for a newbie to the genre, but I was let down by it.

Took me a little while to get into this book, but I was glad that I'd persevered. I haven't read anything by Teresa Driscoll before, so a new author for me. The story centres around three girls who promise to keep a secret from their school days. Problems arise when their old school is being demolished and Beth and Sally need to locate Carol before their secret is discovered. Interesting characters and the quest to find Carol was good but not as gripping as I thought it might have been. That said, I found it an interesting read, slightly drawn out in places and and not quite the psychological thriller I was expecting!

I was very excited to read The Promise after finishing Teresa Driscoll's "I Am Watching You" last month. However, I found that this book failed to deliver the thrill I was hoping to gain. While I enjoyed the alternating timelines, I felt as if the the author went a bit overboard with the secondary characters and attempted plot twists. I also found the ending a bit maddening being as I invested so much time into this book. Overall, this book left me disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me this ARC in return for an honest review.

This is my first Teresa Driscoll novel and it definitely won't be my last! I really enjoyed her writing style and found this book anything but predictable. That is a MUST in thrillers for me. I hate predicting the ending halfway through the book and being right. That did not happen here.

The book is told mainly from Beth's perspective (occasionally thought Carol, Sally, and Matthew) and I liked that format. I also liked how the book showed that things that happen in our past really affect our thoughts and actions as adults.

The only negative for me was that it did take a little while for me to get into the story. I was definitely happy I stuck with it!

I recieved an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley. I am a fan of british authors. I think they do the psychological supense/thriller genre just about the best. This is my first novel written by Teresa Driscoll. I had The Friend on my to read list so I was previously interested in checking out this author. This novel offered some good plot twists and overall I really liked it. I probably would have read it fairly quickly but I had a book on hold at the library that came in. I had to interrupt my progress with this one to take advantage of my loan on the other book. Otherwise I think it would have been a brisk read for me.

I hadn't read Teresa Driscoll before so wasn't sure what to expect.
I wasn't disappointed.
Believable characters and great character developments throughout.
The story unfolds at a gentle pace until the final third, when all the threads come together.
This leads to a roller-coaster and very enjoyable final act.

3 girls - Beth, Sally and Carol - promise to keep a secret from their years together in school. It is now years later and they find out that the school is being torn down. Will their secret now be revealed? This book is told from Beth's point of view in the present and past, as well as Carol's journal, and Matthew, a private detective Beth and Sally have hired to help them find Carol. There were parts of this book I enjoyed, but other parts that didn't care for.

I thought the revelation at the end was kind of ho-hum and nothing that exciting. I also didn't really understand why Matthew's point of view was in the story - after reading it, it seems like it was just taking up space because his view really didn't offer anything to this book. Overall, it was ok and just another way to express that friends and family aren't always what they seem to be.

3.5 stars

This is a well-written tightly woven novel about three woman who met at boarding school and make a promise that was meant to be kept until their death. However, the secret they thought they hid so many years ago on the school grounds threatens to be revealed when the school is slated to be torn down so Beth and Sally must find Carol to decide what they should do before their secret is uncovered.

This novel is told from various viewpoints throughout different times in the three girls' lives without a pattern. Beth seems to be the 'main' character with Sally, Carol and Matthew taking up a few less chapters. I wish honestly that the author had focused more on Sally as she was my favorite and I felt more interesting but I understand why the choices were made.

There are a few twists here and there, some I guessed way before they were revealed, some I hadn't.

It wasn't as twisty as other novels of this nature but it was a solid entry into the mystery/thriller genre. I think some parts dragged it down a bit (Carol's diary entries were a bore for me) but others were good (the Hogwarts lover in me liked the 'before' boarding school stories).

I recommend this book to any fans of her work or for the milder types of thrillers without as much gore or sex that some have.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC novel in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this one although difficult subject matter to read while pregnant. Love the jumps in timeline to help tie everything together and the suspense throughout. Not a typically psychological thriller with numerous twists however. Now I need to read Driscolls backlist.

Very interesting plot. Book about young girls and joint promises.
Well developed storyline.
Looking forward to the next book by this author.

As someone who reads a whole lot of crime / thriller/ mystery novels, it takes quite a lot to really surprise me or really wow me anymore. While The Promise followed the formula of a good thriller novel; secret buried in the past, turmoil in the present and then a big reveal, and while some elements were predictable, I still really enjoyed reading it.

I tend to really enjoy stories which are set in boarding schools or other places where characters must band together and form close bonds. This is so well done in The Promise , all the uncertainty of being away from home and the strict environment of the Catholic school with the nuns and the girls own troubled home lives enhances the story and brings it all together.

The novel is told from the perspective of Beth, Sally, Carol and Matthew. While the life changing secret the women keep tears Carol away from Beth and Sally, the latter two cling to each other and remain close friends. One of my favourite things about this novel would have to be the depiction of friendship and how strong it can be. Even after so much time and distance, it was quite heartwarming to see a portrayal of friendship which was so vital and central to the plot. It felt believable that these three women would form such an unbreakable bond and the flashbacks to when they were young teens in boarding school were very sweet too.

For fans of a relentless, fast paced thriller this would probably not be the best choice, however if you enjoy a slow burn thriller then definitely pick this one up. There were times when I just wanted to find out what the deep dark secret was and perhaps because of the slow pacing, it felt kind of anti climactic for me when it was finally revealed. There was another element to the reveal though which did catch me off guard however and was indeed shocking.

Once the shocking subject of the titular ‘promise’ is revealed, it’s easy to understand why the characters chose to keep what they did a secret and why it has haunted them for such a long time after. The characters are clearly traumatised after which they go on to be adults dealing with this repressed trauma, all resulting in different coping mechanisms.

Overall, I’m glad to have read this novel and look forward to reading any other of Driscolls novels, if this story was anything to go by, it will definitely be a thrilling journey. Perhaps another of her novels will prove to be more gripping for me and result in a higher rating – either way, an enjoyable read with dark twists and turns.

The Promise by Teresa Driscoll is a slow building tale of three friends who find out that the very school that they became friends as children will be demolished. So the race is on to keep the promise they made many years ago before it's discovered. It took me too long to get into the book since the story really didn't get going until half way in.

Thirty years ago, Beth, Sally and Carol make a promise to keep secret a shocking event in their lives that happened when they were a boarding school.
Now the school is due to be redeveloped and their secret exposed.
Beth is terrified of the effect that might have on her family, and along with Sally decides to employ a private investigator to help them find Carol with whom they have become estranged.
Someone is watching though and Beth receives some threatening messages which leave her terrified of people finding out and the consequences.
Interesting psychological thriller which keeps up a good pace and has an unexpected end.

I just read The Promise by Teresa Driscoll. It grabbed my attention immediately and kept me hooked until the end! It is told by the point of view of 3 crucial characters, however, I was a little surprised that it doesn't include the pov of one of the 3 main females in the book.
The three main characters have experienced a traumatic event in their youth that is now about to come to light in their adulthood. It deals with the aftermath of their choices and how they have all dealt with their emotions.
While slightly long winded, and added a twist towards the end that I didn't care for and found unnecessary, I overall enjoyed this book!

What Lengths Will They Go To Keep A Promise

The novel opens with three Catholic boarding high school friends Beth, Sally and Carol, much blood and a dead girl. After another quick background chapter the storyline starts. Sally and Beth are still close friends. Carol is estranged and living in France. Beth and Sally learn that the Catholic boarding school is going to be sold for redevelopment. They fear that the reason for their promise of silence that they made with Carol so long ago will be discovered. Beth and Sally try to locate Carol so that they can move the remains to a safer location. The main storyline proceeds from here in two threads, the present, and their high school days before that fateful day.

The author unfolds with twists and misdirections to keep a reader’s interest and even adds some hints or events, some subtle and some with the subtlety of a slap to the face. They capture my interest and made me to want to continue to read to find out how everything turns out. The story is enriched with adding a private investigator, husbands, and other boarding school roommates.

If vulgar language and graphic sex are criteria for not reading a novel, you are in luck with this novel. While reading it, I did not remember see any vulgar language. Searching for f-bombs and other common lesser vulgar language returned zero hits. As with most novels written by British authors, I highly recommend that you read this novel on a Kindle. With this novel I found many of the British informal language was not in the Kindle dictionary. Searching the Internet for the meaning of these words using the Kindle was quite easy.

I particularly liked that all the loose ends were tied up by the end of the novel. The novel did eventually capture my imagination so that I wanted to continue to read as much as possible. This is my major criterion for a high star rating. Unfortunately, the start of the novel is a little slow in the beginning so please continue to read, as I believe that the novel will capture your imagination also. Based upon my enjoyment in reading the novel and the eventual capturing of my imagination, I rate this novel with four stars. I do recommend reading it

I have received a free kindle version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer with a request for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this novel early.

The Promise was a fantastic read! I enjoyed the closeness between the friends in the story and author Teresa Driscoll’s style of writing. Beth, Sally, and Carol spent many years as roommates in a boarding school when they were young. That was when something terrible happened and they made a promise to never tell anyone about it. Now, it’s years later, and this secret is in jeopardy of being revealed. The secret has caused so much emotional turmoil for all three of the women over the years. Carol has been estranged from the others and Beth and Sally are trying to locate her. The characters are beautifully portrayed. The story is full of surprises, especially during the later parts of the story. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, something new would be revealed to shock me again!

Secrets from boarding school. What could they be? This book explores the secrets that three girls have been guarding since they left school. This book is full of suspense and anticipation and will have you wondering how life has been affected when difficult choices are make.