This was my first exposure to the writing of Heidi Perks, but it certainly will not be my last! Her One Mistake is a compulsively readable, chilling and suspenseful thriller that had me hooked from the very first page.

Charlotte Reynolds is looking after her friend Harriet's four year old daughter at a school fair when the unthinkable happens and the child vanishes without a trace. Charlotte's own three children are accounted for, but where is Alice? Told from the dual perspectives of Charlotte and Harriet, and an alternating timeline of "before" and "now", it becomes apparent very early in the novel that each woman is harbouring secrets that we, the reader, will need to unravel as all is not what it seems. The competency of each woman is called into question throughout the narrative. We learn, for example, that Alice is not the first child Charlotte has lost. As for Harriet, her husband Brian has convinced her that she is losing her mind, and tells her that he has always known that she would lose Alice one day.

As with any effective and gripping psycholgical thriller, we must peel away the layers of truths versus untruths, and "pick out parts that need slotting together and force them into place," Brilliant.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for this wonderful ARC.

The description of this book really intrigued me....the idea of losing one of your friends children would be devastating!
This book started out a bit slow for me. It took me a bit to get into....and to be honest was a slow read throughout.
I enjoyed the idea of the story...I felt the writing was good....I just found the characters tough to connect with...it felt very “unbelievable” the way that the book unfolded.
I would definitely check out Heidi Perks next book....this one just didn’t grab be as I was hoping.

3.5 stars, rounded up. I didn't find this book to be as gripping as I'd hoped but nonetheless it was an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt that the main character fell flat for me, and I couldn't relate to her. However, I enjoyed the rest of the cast, and really liked the twist. I didn't see that coming. I also liked the appearance of her Dad, and his involvement in the story. Cant wait to recommend this on my blog later this week!
I think what makes this book different, is that the twist is unique, and the plot separates itself from others.

This book is an awesome mystery/thriller. The storyline is fantastic! I couldn’t put it down! It’s a real page turner!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an emotional roller coaster. I felt for those characters. The plot was really well done. There was a point where I kind of lost a bit of interest, but I kept going. And I’m so glad I did. This book was amazing. I really enjoyed the back and forth between past and present as it told the characters stories a bit more. And I was learning something new all the time.

I will definitely be reading more of this author.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for my ARC of Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks. This was my kind of book. You go in thinking you know the premise of the story, but you haven’t a clue! When Charlotte offers to take her friend Harriet’s daughter to the school fair it seemed like such a good idea. Besides, Harriet has never left young Alice alone with anyone. Ever. So when young Alice disappears seemingly without a trace it would appear Harriet’s fears were justified. Or are they? Excellent twists and turns, told from the POV of Harriet and Charlotte in Before and Present, you’ll want to gobble this one up like I did to see how it all plays out.

Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks is a new psychological thriller that starts at a school fair and ends with one person dead and another missing.

This fast-paced nook is exactly what I like in a psychological thriller. It keeps you guessing and second-guessing right until the very end. Characters are well developed and the storyline is well written. The story is told through flashbacks between then and now and from different viewpoints.

High recommended for all who like a good psychological thriller!

*I received an advanced readerès copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not a big fan of psychological mysteries, but Heidi Perk's "Her One Mistake", held my interest all the way through. A small child disappears while under the care of the mother's close friend, whose life quickly unravels, though to readers she seems blameless.

Charlotte took her her best friend Harriet’s daughter Alice to a fair, along with her own three children. Alice disappears and Harriet refuses to speak to Charlotte. The media blames her, and her other friendships start to fray. She's questioned repeatedly by the police.

Readers' expectations of where this all might lead get overturned more than once - definitely worth reading!

I couldn't put this book down! The author draws you in from the start with the disappearance of a child. From there, the story moves quickly and you soon start to realize that there is more going on than meets the eye, you just don't know what...
I really liked Charlotte and felt so bad for her. I can't imagine how I would feel if a child went missing while in my care. I liked Harriet also once the author gives us more of her viewpoint...
This is the kind of book that's hard to review without giving too much away, there's more to the story than what is in the synopsis. If you are looking for a quick, intense read then this is the book you'll want to pick up...

On the surface, this is the story of the disappearance of 4-year-old Alice, who goes missing whilst in the care of her mother’s best friend, Charlotte. Alice is Harriet’s only child. This, in and of itself, is a parent’s worst nightmare. However, underneath that tragedy is the true guts of this story. There is so much more to Her One Mistake than a missing child. It delves into relationships between partners, friends, family, and the community. It highlights how quickly society judges, how deeply we can be hurt by society’s reaction to how things look on the surface, and to what ends we are prepared to go when we are desperate.
This is a well written book in many respects. The various settings are well described, and whilst many of the characters are not easy to like, they are well developed and they slide easily into their roles in the story. I did enjoy this read as it wove its way through plot twists and turns to its climatic end.
I think that there is a brilliant story and plot line here, however, I found the format confusing and the forward movement of the plot slow. I do understand that authors have their own style of writing, but for me the “first person” “third person”, “now and then”, “Charlotte and Harriet” back and forth was very confusing. I guess I like my novels to start at the beginning and go to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of Her One Mistake.

I was lucky enough to be given a chance to read and review this book from Netgally. I absolutely loved this story. From the plot to the extremely well developed characters, every detail was well thought out and contributed to the storyline. I was gripped from the very first passage, the stories seamlessly intertwined as Charlotte and Harriett each told their version. This was fast paced till the very last page and i could not put it down. It is every parents worst nightmare to have your child abducted, this book took me through the crazy emotions those close to the child would go through, from different perspectives.The plot was realistic and played out with what i feel would be great accuracy in real life. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Her One Mistake was a gripping read with twists and turns.

Charlotte agrees to look after Heather's daughter Alice who goes missing at the fair while under Charlotte's care.

Then the pages start to fly. Was the one mistake Charlotte's or Heather's ? You cant help feel sorry and like both ladies.

Even you think you might have guessed the ending, you won't be 100 per cent correct.

This is my first book y Heidi Perks and it wont be me last.

Clear your calendar , grab a copy and settle in for a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of Her One Mistake

Loved this book. Truly. Finished it over two evenings and had a hard time putting it down. It grips you from the moment you pick it up and keeps you guessing! Loved it and highly recommend to all!

This book was a quick read, probably because it captivated me. A good work of fiction should be both a page turner and entertaining. Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks was both. Most parents can relate to being panicked as soon as their child is 'lost' even if it's for a few seconds. The story starts slowly with details of the mundane lives of the two main characters, Charlotte and Harriet. However it's gathers momentum continuously throughout the book, which kept me reading on, it is a thriller! I was provided a free copy of this book throughout NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review.

I read a lot of "thrillers" .. with few exceptions, the genre has become rather predictable, especially when the plot centers around child abduction (there are more than you think) as this book does. So, for the first 1/3 of the book, I was frankly quite bored. But then the author delivered a plot twist ... and that twist actually worked. (many times they don't) . I found myself more and more intrigued as I turned the pages, right to the end. Unfortunately, the ending was a little underwhelming compared to the full body of the book, . Nonetheless, all is not lost .... the central female leads were well portrayed and just flawed enough to keep the overall characterization interesting.. When you get full check marks from looking at the plot, the twists and the "people" you end up with a pretty good book. Recommended .. thank you Net Galley

I just finished reading this spellbinding book in one mammoth session, literally unable to put it down. I would rate it easily the best psychological mystery I read this year.
I will refrain from summarizing this book since, on the one hand, a teaser preview is readily available at any online bookstore and, on the other hand, a true summary would spoil the pleasure of reading and discovering.
I found the storyline to be multifaceted and complex with a structure that mirrored this complexity; chapters changed between 'now' and 'before' and were told by changing narrators as the layers of the plot were peeled back. This style contributed to the flow of the story and the credibility of the characters, who were developed with psychological insight, and thus emerged as completely credible. Their raw emotions were painted such that they evoked similar ones in me, the reader - breathless disbelief and panic, rage, despair, resignation, and feeling betrayed, abandoned, and helpless.
In this novel, Heidi Perks touches on the intimate invisible within families and explores how individuals act out their needs and obsessions in their relationships with others: their children, significant others, and friends. And when all is said and done at the end, people need to come to terms with the consequences of their actions and deceits; lingering guilt, anger, and fear.
I found Her One Mistake a brilliant read, which I can recommend whole-heartedly.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced digital copy in return for my honest review. This was a suspenseful book, but often slow paced. I enjoyed that the story was told from the perspectives of the two main female characters. I didn’t much care for the book’s structure. The narrative kept going back and forth in time and I thought this type of story needed a more linear structure to sustain pacing and suspense. There were a couple of good twists later in the book which I had not expected.

Four-year-old Alice is the daughter of an overprotective mother, Harriet, and an emotionally abusive father, Brian. Harriet’s only friend, Charlotte, has finally persuaded the mother to allow Alice to attend a school fair in the care of Charlotte while accompanied by her three children. This is the first time Harriet has permitted anyone else to look after her daughter. The four children go into a nearby enclosed play/ride area while Charlotte waits outside. Charlotte’s three children emerge, but Alice has vanished. They tell their mother that they believed Alice was following behind them but never actually saw her. Charlotte is guilt-ridden and desperate. Finally, the police are called. Many of the women of her acquaintance now shun her and Charlotte is widely condemned in the social media.

I found the characterization of Alice’s parents strongly written to the point of being overwrought. Harriet is portrayed as indecisive and clinging, a passive victim of emotional abuse. This should have aroused my sympathy but I kept hoping she would gain some determination for independence before it was too late. Brian was unpleasant from the beginning and emotionally abused his wife in a stealthy manner which was difficult to detect. I feared that if their daughter was found alive that neither parent would be good for her, each displaying their own insecurities and serious emotional hang-ups.

How do the distraught parents react to their loss of a child by a friend who was supposed to be looking after her? Brian blames Harriet and everyone blames Charlotte. Harriet and Charlotte are no longer friends and Charlotte is carrying so much guilt and withdraws from social activities. She is ashamed to venture out in public or to her workplace. Who has taken Alice and is she still alive? There are so many lies of omission and commission, so many secrets to be revealed. The police are sympathetic, but find it difficult to get a clear picture of what could have happened to the missing child as people are covering up secrets surrounding the disappearance.