The Memory by Lucy Dawson is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My Synopsis:
When Isobel was seven years old, a shooting event traumatized her,  and she never fully recovered. At 34, she still speaks in a child-like voice, and her mother Eve caters to her. Eve has been so protective of her daughter, that she never really allowed Isobel the freedom to grow up. They moved to Fox Cottage, and there they have remained. But the “Cottage” is much too big and costly, and Eve finally sells it. She’s afraid to tell Isobel, and when she realizes who has bought the property, her fears grow. But Isobel has her own secrets, and some of them may be revealed when the new owners take possession.

Claire has been with Timothy for years, and they have a small daughter named Rosie. With circumstances beyond her control, they are forced to move closer to Tim's parents, and Claire agrees to purchase Fox Cottage with the aim of sprucing it up over the next year. But Claire has been kept in the dark about a number of things, including the relationship between Isobel and Timothy. Nor is she aware of the relationship between Eve and Timothy’s parents.

Eve thinks Claire is aware of everything, and she tells her that she will not be happy in Fox Cottage. If only she knew.

It seems the house itself is trying to force the family out…..or is it human intervention that is forcing the issue.

My Opinions:
The book is about loss, and love, families, and secrets. Part of it was very sad, part of it a little dark.

Most of the characters were initially very hard to like. Timothy and his parents seemed to be very manipulative. Both Claire and Eve came across as naïve. However, on the whole, they are all just trying to protect their children, and after a while you started to feel their pain.

I like the way the author used both Eve’s and Claire’s perspectives to tell the story. The alternating chapters kept the reader informed and interested. Dawson provided both human and supernatural options to keep the reader guessing, and it was done well. The twists at the end were really good.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book.

You can always rely on Lucy Dawson to come up with an intriguing story that will hook you from the first page to the last. Her books don't tend to be the regular run-of-the-mill psychological thrillers, in the sense that even if you do see the twists coming, there's always this incredible layer of emotion woven throughout the story that almost wraps itself around your heart in a vice-like kind of way.

I'm not telling you anything about the plot. The description is a nicely vague one and I prefer leaving it like that. Suffice to say Izzie is indeed a most unsettling character and one that is very hard to connect to. You never quite know what she'll do or say next. Yet, she's also someone to feel sorry for and that feeling only grows throughout the story.

The Memory is one of those books that lends itself perfectly to be read in one sitting. One of those utterly addictive page-turners that has you reading one more chapter and then another one and before you know it, it's way past your bed time but hey, who cares, right? With lots of strange things happening, I was left to wonder if this was a case of paranoia or hallucinations. Yet, I found I was utterly convinced I knew exactly what was going on and couldn't put it down until I reached the conclusion. As it turns out ... I was completely wrong.

This is a tense and gripping tale of secrets, unrequited love and a mother's fierce attempts to protect her vulnerable daughter. It's dark, sometimes creepy, sometimes disturbing but intensely compelling and delves into quite a few traumatic and important themes. An unnerving read that has desperately left me wanting more from Lucy Dawson.

The Memory by Lucy Dawson was my first read by the author. After reading the blurb, I wanted to read it! Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Bookouture for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

The first chapter had me sitting on the edge of my seat with only one thought: This is going to be an amazing read! I couldn't stop reading, until the story jumped some 20 years later. I feel like that was a big let down. Then came the supernatural and my interest spiralled downward from there. This novel is a slow burning mystery and I personally prefer more of a fast paced story. I had a hard time getting into the story, but I know it's only because it didn't quite meet my interests. For someone who likes a good supernatural story, this one would be a great pick.

The characters are strong, the dialogue and scenes were fantastically written and described but the general feel of the book didn't quite win me over.

This is a brilliant book.
The story revolves around two families - Eve and her daughter Isobel, - and Claire, Tim and Rosie.
Tim grew up with Isobel but moved away many years ago.
Tim’s circumstances change and he has to move back home with his parents along with Claire and Rosie.
It’s clear there’s history between him and Isobel but Claire is more worried about Isobel’s state of mind. She struggles with being an adult and has emotional outbursts which her mum, Eve has difficulty coping with.
Claire and Tim move into a house near his parents but Tim starts to hear things and see things that frighten the life out of him. He’s scared to live there but Claire can’t see what the problem is.
Soon events escalate and someone is fighting for their life.
This is a real page turner and I was desperate to know how it would all turn out.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book is fantastic and is on my mind even days after I've finished it. The twist is mind blowing. 10/10 - brilliant.

I received copy of this book via netgalley and thoroughly enjoyed it. The book is written from the perspective of two women - Eve and Claire, both of whose lives are tied to a house, called the Fox cottage. Eve is mother to a beautiful but troubled daughter, Izzie. Izzie shares a past with Claire’s husband, Tim and a side character, Adam. The book describes the happenings in the lives of the two women following the unwilling sale of the house.
I enjoyed this book and I did get caught up in the drama of the mum-daughter, daughter boyfriend, husband-wife sagas. The ending also offered a lot of unexpected reveals, The one thing that didn’t sit well with me was the magic and voodoo component. I feel that the author could have used a different ploy. She does explain herself in the end. But I still felt that make-believe and fantasy is distinct to the voodoo nonsense and one shouldn’t be used to explain the other, if that makes sense. That however is personal preference and I would recommend this book to readers looking for an intriguing read.

An horrible event in primary school sets the tone for this book. Izzie, a child of seven and her mom, Eve both witnessed the event which has affected their lives. Eve sells her house and moves with Izzie but that doesn't help. I wasn't expecting the supernatural aspect which turned me off. There is lots of subplots which do not help the story either. Just wasn't appealing.

The Memory by Lucy Dawson is a thriller that has a lot going on within the pages that definitely kept me guessing all throughout. I’m going to try not to say too much but only enough to let readers know what they are picking up. There is a supernatural edge to this story including things like Ouija and voodoo that gave it a dark and creepy feel.

Years ago Eve and her daughter Isobel had moved to a new town after the death of Eve’s husband. Trying to find activities to get her daughter comfortable in a new town Eve found the two of them in Paul’s class one Saturday when he ask her out and she refuses. This angers Paul to the point he takes it out on the children by bringing a pellet gun into the class and shooting at the kids. This event set the stage for Eve and Izzie’s lives from then forward with Izzie never quite recovering from the trauma.

Now Eve has decided it’s time to see their country home to down size into something smaller. Eve finds herself showing the home to Claire who has ties to Eve and Izzie that neither woman are quite aware of on that day Claire visited Eve’s home. Claire however does fall in love with the home and the sale happens before realizing her husband shares a past with Izzie.

As I said I don’t want to give away too much with this one but it definitely was a haunting story from beginning to end. I was certain for the longest time I knew which direction this was headed but boy I was way off the mark. There are of course plenty of secrets and lies among the drama to slowly be unraveled throughout the book keeping the pages turning.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I almost DNF this when talk of Ouija boards started. I've never been a fan, never will be, and had I known it had this little touch of darkness I probably wouldn't have requested it. Don't get me wrong, I love dark and twisty, I just don't do Ouija stuff.
This was told from several view points, with past and present parts. It wasn't that it wasn't a good story, it was, a bit slower than I'd like, saw the plot twists coming if you can call them that. This book took paranoia to a whole new level and had everyone on edge throughout the book for one reason or another. Everyone was guilty of something. Everyone hated someone for reasons no one knew the true root of.

The Memory by Lucy Dawson draws the reader in from the very fist chapter which is disturbing yet riveting in its own right. The book examines the idea of how a traumatic event in childhood can have ripple effects into the future. The book is told from two perspectives- Eve and Claire. Eve is the mother of Isobel who was a child during the first chapter and Claire whose partner is Tim. Tim is the object of Isobel's child-like obsession as a result of the events in the first chapter. The novel take place almost 30 years past the tragic event. Neither Eve nor Claire are perfect people. Both are flawed women doing the best they can to deal with the cards life has dealt with them. At times both women are actually unlikable- but aren't we all? This book's gripping plot keeps you at the edge of your seat wondering how all the intricate pieces will fit together. The ending wrapped up most of the loose ends but left me with a few questions, which is a "plus" in my book!

I had such high hopes for this book because typically I love Lucy Dawson, but I didn’t like this book. The story is weird, scattered and drones on and on before a let down of an ending. I hate having to write a poor review and it’s not that the writing or author are bad, just this story wasn’t for me. I was left bored and underwhelmed at best. It was hard to even make myself finish.

The Memory begins with a huge opening scene that I will not dive into in fear of giving away to much. The beginning definitely sets the mood for the whole book and affects every character. Fast forward and Eve and her daughter Isabel are still dealing with the effects of the childhood trauma and Isabel in many ways still trapped in her childhood on the outside she looks like an adult but when she opens her mouth to speak she sounds like a child and still acts like one, she’s also dabbling with some witchcraft which she claims the house is evil. . Living in an isolated home named Fox Cottage on the outskirts of town Eve is forced to move due to financial circumstances. Matt , Claire and their daughter Rosie purchase Fox Cottage with the help of Matt’s fathers financial help to help fix it up and sell it. While fixing it up they will live in the home. Matt and Isabel once dated one summer during their childhood before Isabel changed. Isabel before moving warned them the house is evil which worries Claire but she brushes it off. Matt starts claiming he feels like he’s being watched in the home and Claire decides it’s just paranoia and she blames Isabel for their unease since she keeps popping up at the home and odd things keep happening. Matt gets the house blessed but continues to feel unease and Isabel tells him to keep Claire and Rosie safe. Is the house truly haunted or does it all lead up to why Isabel changed and remains so childlike and what caused the sudden drastic change? Claire is determined to find out what’s causing Isabel’s obsession with Matt and her family but should some secrets remain buried? The ending blew me away I was truly drawn into this book and had no idea what each chapter was going to lead me to this was a quick read by definitely a thriller!! Four stars!

Eve is being hit on by Paul Jones in the beginning of the book and plays the widow card.I sobel is at school along with her mother Eve when a young man opens fire a machine gun. The ammunition is pellets not bullets but the kids are traumitized.

Oh wow. Put some time away for this book. It has all the ingredients for a terrific psychological thriller.

No spoilers from me. Book is great with lots of lies, deception, tragedy, and twists. Also, loved the unpredictable ending. Can't say enough great about this. Read it today!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this fabulous book.

Fantastic read really enjoyed it although did feel slightly let down by the ending. Thanks for the preview.

To say that this book kept me at the edge of my seat would be an understatement. The Memory was so much more! This is one nail-biting, spine-chilling page-turner with a spooky story. I knew this book was listed under the Suspense/Thriller genre but I found myself doubting that until the very last page. There were too many creepy, inexplicable happening to keep me second guessing whether I picked up a book from the Horror/Paranormal section. The way this book was written and presented, it really goes to say how talented the author Lucy Dawson is.
The book centers around Isobel who suffered an extremely traumatic event as a child and has never gotten over it. I loved how each character, in this book was shaped and presented. Mysterious & uncanny things keep happening at Fox Cottage which is shrouded in an eerie atmosphere. As Isobel and her mum Eve move out of Fox Cottage while Tim, Isobel's childhood crush, Claire & their child Rosie move in, both families come to terms with terrifying secrets.
This was such a refreshing change from the normal Thrillers and was my first Lucy Dawson book. I'm definitely hooked!
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Lucy Dawson for a copy!

A really intriguing book. Kept me hooked all the way through but felt the ending was a bit of a let down.

Oh my, what a book! Not at all your typical psychological thriller. With lots of supernatural elements thrown in, this writer really hit it out of the park this time. Gave me a few bad moments last night ;) Maybe this should be classified as part horror too, you know, for ‘brave’ readers like me. I kind of figured out the mystery half way through the book, but the scary parts kept me going. I was torn between believing Eve to be the most devoted mom and the worst ever. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

I am a big Fan of this author so when The Memory by Lucy Dawson came out to review I jumped at the chance to read this. However, I found Lucy's latest book very hard to get into. It was a slower pace than her other books I have read. I enjoyed the different time periods being of this book 20 years ago, 10 years ago, and to the present and by the different characters.

A word of warning - Pay attention to every detail throughout this book because there are some Big Twists and turns. If you blink you will miss them! So if you are a fast reader pay attention or you may miss them!
Lucy plays with your mind, it has lots of twists and turns throughout and can be very dark in some places. It has heartbreaking scenes and the ending was just Brilliant.

I would Highly recommend this book. Fantastic read.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read in exchange for this honest review..

This is a truely griping story that will have you at the edge of your seat waiting to see what is happening.

Matt, Claire and their daughter, Rosie, move into Fox Cottage but all is not as it seems. The previous owner, Eve and her daughter, Isobel have a history with Matt’s family after an incident which happened when Matt and Isobel were younger. Relations between the two families are strained and the return of Matt and his partner and daughter are just adding to this. Once living in Fox Cottage things progressively get more weird but will the truth be revealed.

This is a book that will take you in right from the start. I had many ideas about what was happening but none of them were correct !! A truely spooky read, with some fabulous characters, that will keep you guessing right until the end.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.