This is a really good book. Girls growing up in a boarding school go through a horrendous experience. They live with this happening for many, many years not telling anyone. It severely affects all their lives until the unraveling. The twists and turns will have you astounded!

I would give this 4/5 stars.  It was well written and moved along at just the right pace.  It was descriptive without being too flowery. I have a hard time saying I 'enjoyed' a book with difficult themes but this one stayed with me days after finishing it.  Bravo!!  I will definitely be looking for other titles by this author!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Was a fab read and gripping I couldn't put it down and I fully recommended it

This is the story of three childhood friends that meet at boarding school. Beth, Sally and Carol are inseprable and do everything together including spending school holidays together. One such time together something happens and they make a promise never to discuss it again or to share it with anyone else. Move on 30 years and although Sally and Beth are still friends, Carol moved abroad to live in France and cut off all contact with her childhood friends. But now their boarding school is being demolished and the land sold on for development. Sally and Beth realise they need to find Carol and that promise they made may have to be broken.

This psychological thriller is written through the voices’ of its characters both in the past and the present. As the tale unfolds so does your feeling of unease and so the tension ramps up chapter by chapter. Just when you think you have the story sussed it moves in a different direction revealing something new. Teresa Driscoll has written an incredible book that I would highly recommend.

An amazingly intricate story of three girls and their growth into womanhood. This is a thriller with multiple storylines and many surprises await the reader up to the final page. A novel that will chill you to the bone and then pour a bucket of ice water over your head. Just as you are recovering from one incident another will slam against your psyche. Definitely a five star read!

The Promise is all about the intricacies of friendship and the secrets we all keep.

I appreciated the fact that Teresa Driscoll doesn't shy away from darker stories because in her own words, "we should not pretend these kinds of things things could never happen." The Promise is one such story. Everytime I thought I figured it out and it couldn't get worse,  a twist would happen and it would!  This would make a great book club pick because there's so many different issues to discuss! 
At it's heart, The Promise is a story of friendship and how even if you think you know everything about your friend there's always something else they are hiding.
.
⭐⭐⭐⭐🌠/5

It was their darkest secret. Three schoolgirls made a promise – to take the horrible truth of what they did to the grave.

Thirty years later, Beth and Sally have tried to put the trauma behind them. Though Carol has distanced herself from her former friends, the three are adamant that the truth must never come to light, even if the memory still haunts them.

But when some shocking news threatens to unearth their dark secret, Beth enlists the help of private investigator Matthew Hill to help her and Sally reconnect with estranged Carol ­– before the terrible act they committed as teenagers is revealed.

Beth wishes she could take back the vow they made.

But somebody is watching and will stop at nothing to ensure the secret stays buried. Now, with her beloved family in peril, can Beth still keep the promise?

This is the first book I have read by Teresa Driscoll.  As soon as I saw a picture of her, I recognised her as a former local news presenter here in the South West of England.

This was a slow burning book, but it did pack a punch that I wasn’t expecting.  I have the other books she has written on my Kindle and will be bringing them up as my next to read!  4*

Fans of Ruth Ware's "The Lying Game" rejoice! Although starting off a little slow, this book definitely ends with a punch! It has a familiar feel for those that may read a lot of thrillers, but was very enjoyable nonetheless.

A tale of vulnerability and the fragility of friendship sees Beth, Sally and Carol in boarding school together before their friendship is put to the ultimate test.  A traumatic event that they swear to tell no-one.  A promise to take the truth to the grave.  

Thirty years on we discover the boarding school is to be demolished which could lead their secret being uncovered.  Beth and Sally have remained close, but Carol has become distanced.  How can they work together to stop the secrets of the past from unravelling?  Where is Carol?

As an avid reader of psychological thrillers I have come to expect a fast paced, rollercoaster of a read, however Teresa Driscoll's The Promise was a surprising break from type.  I was drawn in by rich characters, by the intriguing story and throughly enjoyed the vulnerability of the characters and the developing story of the bonds, as well as frailty of friendship.  The story progresses well, had me questioning throughout and was cleverly written to keep the reader guessing.  The main secret is exposed rather early in the book and fell slightly flat, I felt the story led me to expect a more dramatic climax, but maybe I read too may psychological thrillers!   That said it was an enjoyable read and I will look forward to Teresa Driscoll's next offering.

The Promise is a story of three girls friendship which starts when they meet at Boarding school a Convent, The Order of St Colman’s.  Beth, Sally and Carol knew from the first time they met they would be friends for life.  As the girls approach their fortieth birthdays they receive an invitation to the final reunion at the convent,  after the reunion builders will be knocking it down and they might discover the secret the girls have kept all these years.
The girls had made a promise to each other they would take this secret to the grave but with the builders digging the area up will they discover the girls secret.
I really enjoyed this book there was the secrets at boarding school the girlie things then we go through the ages with them until the invitation.

The Promise
by Teresa Driscoll

Thomas & Mercer

General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 07 Feb 2019

I am reviewing a copy of The Promise through The Promise through Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley:

Thirty years prior to the opening of this book three schoolgirls made a promise that a promise that they would take the horrible truth about what they did to the grave.

Beth and Sally are still trying to put the trauma behind them. Carol has however distances herself from her former friends in an attempt to distance herself from the past. The three are adamant that the dark secret of their past must stay hidden.

After learning some shocking news that threatens to unearth their darkest secret. Beth decides to enlist the help of a private investigator Matthew Hill to help her and Sally reconnect with estranged Carol- before the horrible thing they did as teenagers comes to light.

Beth Kong’s to be able to take back the vow they had made when they were teens.

With somebody watching who will stop at nothing to keep their secret hidden Beth finds that her family is put in peril. Will she be able to keep the secret and save her family?

I give The Promise five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

EXCERPT: 'I think I put my hand over her mouth. . .'

'Don't say that. Don't even think that. You wouldn't have done that.'

They sit very still in this room of blood and sorrow - girls whose pulses burst in their veins and boom inside their ears. Their heads. Somewhere a clock ticks. A bird calls. . .

Three girls. One dead. 

ABOUT THIS BOOK: It was their darkest secret. Three schoolgirls made a promise – to take the horrible truth of what they did to the grave.

Thirty years later, Beth and Sally have tried to put the trauma behind them. Though Carol has distanced herself from her former friends, the three are adamant that the truth must never come to light, even if the memory still haunts them.

But when some shocking news threatens to unearth their dark secret, Beth enlists the help of private investigator Matthew Hill to help her and Sally reconnect with estranged Carol ­– before the terrible act they committed as teenagers is revealed.

Beth wishes she could take back the vow they made.

But somebody is watching and will stop at nothing to ensure the secret stays buried. Now, with her beloved family in peril, can Beth still keep the promise?

MY THOUGHTS: While The Promise lacks some of the oomph of Driscoll's previous psychological thriller, The Friend, it still had me hooked. As you can see, I read it in twenty-four hours. 

Told mainly from Beth's perspective, and occasionally from that of Sally, Carol and Matthew, it is easy to see how things that happen in our childhood color our perspective, our decisions as adults. For the three women, their decision as teenagers follows them everywhere; a shadow, a scar. I can't even begin to imagine the guilt, the fear that they have lived with, that has refused to stay buried. 

There are multiple layers to the story. Nothing is simple. Nothing predictable. Just when you think all has been revealed, there is more. 

Definitely an author I will be following. 

💕💕💕💕

THE AUTHOR: Teresa Driscoll - a former BBC TV news presenter- is now an international #1 bestselling author. Her debut psychological suspense I AM WATCHING YOU hit Number One on Kindle in the UK, USA and Australia and sold more than half a million copies in its first year. Her second thriller THE FRIEND was also Kindle #1 in the UK and Australia and a top #10 bestseller in the USA. 
Teresa also writes women's fiction. Her debut in this genre RECIPES FOR MELISSA was auctioned at the Frankfurt book fair between seven German publishers and her second women's fiction title is LAST KISS GOODNIGHT.
During her long career as a journalist, Teresa worked for newspapers, magazines and television, including 15 years presenting the BBC TV news programme Spotlight. Covering crime for so long, she was deeply moved by the haunting impact on the relatives, the friends and the witnesses and it is those ripples she explores now in her darker fiction.
Teresa's books have been sold for translation in 15 languages. She lives in glorious Devon with her husband and two sons and blogs regularly about her "writing life".

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas and Mercer via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Promise by Teresa Driscoll 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 webpage sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

I received an advance proof of this book from netgalley.com in return for an honest review. This is an exceptional psychological thriller about three women who attended a boarding school in their teens. While at school, one of them is involved in a shocking incident - I don't want to give too much away - that has a lasting impact on all of their futures as well as their friendship. I really liked the characters in this book, and while Carol was not shown in a very good light throughout the book, the conclusion of the book was so satisfying to me. I especially liked Sal; she seemed resilient and straight forward. The book does move back and forth between time periods regularly, so the reader must pay close attention. There is also an additional male character, Matthew, who has his own deep, dark secret. All in all, I liked the way that all questions were answered by the end of the book. And, while there is a bit of a surprise at the end, it totally makes sense. I highly recommend "The Promise" to those who like mysteries and suspense.

Boarding school besties, Carol, Beth and Sally have made a promise to keep a secret...forever.  That was 30 years ago, now they have received news that could reveal the dark secret they have kept this long.  Carol has become estranged, Sally and Beth remain closer than ever, and contemplate if the time has come to reveal the terrible act the committed when they were 14 years old. 

As Beth and Sally try to reconnect with Carol with the help of a private investigator, they begin to receive warnings to make sure the secret stays buried.  The warnings start to involve Beth's family, and she realizes this is becoming dangerous for everyone.  

The genre is a psychological thriller, I'm not quite sure I agree with it.  I thought this was going to be so twisty and crazy, especially when in the few pages we are teased with " three girls...one dead" But it fell flat after that.  The secret is revealed a little more than halfway through the book, and while it is definitely dark and traumatic, I was expecting more.  The middle of the book kind of dragged on...blah blah blah.  Then BAM...the final few chapters are CRAZY!  The ending is a huge surprise as everything unfolds.  The ending made everything else worth it, I wish it was just as juicy throughout the entire book.  

I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I was intrigued by the book from the beginning. It was a bit slow but I enjoyed the characters. This book was told from different characters perspectives and I normally like this type of writing but in this book it was a bit confusing at the beginning. Overall I enjoyed the book.

A very well written book which keeps you guessing from start to finish.  Three 14 year old girls make a promise to each other - but is it really possible to keep the promise?  Will it bind them together or tear them apart?  They are all haunted by their experiences at boarding school as well as their home lives but friendship has a strong bond, a bond that will see the three girls struggle to decide whether or not they can keep their promise.  There is plenty of suspense and good twists and turns right up till the end.  I loved this book - the story, the characters, the suspense, the writing style and I highly recommend this book - a great read!

Underwhelming? Anti-climatic? -- A big whopping yes to both. 

If you're looking for a psychological suspense, The Promise isn't the book for you. I'd say it's more of a domestic fiction. Mostly though, it's just dull. 

The book begins with some serious potential:

"Three girls. One dead. She looks at the other girl -lips blue- and all of the blood, and she realizes the happiness on the beach was just a trick."


These words made it appear we were sitting on the cusp of a deeply dark, deeply disturbing story. Unfortunately, we weren't. When, at around the 65% mark, the secret was revealed, I was less than thrilled. I thought to myself, "I was waiting for this? Really?" 

The final 10% of the book throws a few mild surprises at the readers (one of which was very easy to figure out), but honestly, at that point, I didn't really give a hoot one way or another. I was bored with the characters, bored with the story, and annoyed that "the promise" was so underwhelming.

I loved the debut novel by Teresa Driscoll, I Am Watching You. Unfortunately, I was less inspired by book two, The Friend, and The Promise might be the worst yet. 

**Despite my lackluster review, I'd still like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced reader's copy, in exchange for my honest review.

This book was extremely hard to get through.  It was predictable and so drawn out.  Girls at an all girl school with a secret and the building is going to be torn down years later exposing it...who didn't know what the secret was?

A wonderful thriller that shocks and entertains at every turn of the page. Family (and friends) drama involving secrets and those that must be kept are always an intriguing ride, but this is definitely one to make note of.

I’ve always said that I am a fan of second chances for authors and The Promise is my second chance book. I have previously read Driscoll’s I Am Watching You and it was ok, but didn’t thrill me the way I was expecting it to but the plot and writing was enough to make me want to give the author another go. Unfortunately, I have similar opinions of this book as I did the first.

It took me quite a long time to get into The Promise. There just wasn’t enough to pull me in as much as I was hoping and I found that I could only read in short bursts or the book would lose me. Don’t get me wrong, I love a slow burn but in a thriller….I would rather my attention be captured sooner rather than later.  I will say, however, that in the last quarter of the book had me! I just wish that the story would have picked up and redeemed itself earlier on. This would have been a much different review. 

Great characters, excellent development and a fantastic ending but I wasn’t thrilled. Maybe the “school girl friends hiding a secret all these years” plot has been overplayed recently and I just wasn’t feeling it.
The Promise isn’t bad by any means but this is my second thriller by Teresa Driscoll that didn’t “thrill” me so I’m going to call it and say that this author just isn’t for me. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and provide my own honest opinion.