As the ten year anniversary of the crime that almost cost Claire her life approaches, she finds herself still struggling with PTSD, awkwardly contemplating her first relationship since the crime, and planning a trip back to Ireland so seek closure at the scene of the crime.

A very interesting premise: the one that got away from a serial killer. The story contained many twists and turns and just enough breadcrumbs to lead you down the wrong path. Without giving away any spoilers, the path to the real killer is in there but is muddied with 2 or three red herrings.

While the book contains lots of description, at times a bit too much, it doesn’t focus on moving the story forward. I found the pacing to be very slow and I didn’t find any of the characters to be particularly likeable.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a good book, with lots of suspense and MANY plot twists. The ending frustrated me a bit as it finishes on a total cliffhanger. But all in all, was a very enjoyable read.

There I sat, smugly confident that I had it all worked out. A twist in the tale? Absolutely not, I had this one sussed, and then – bam! – everything I thought unravelled like a badly knitted jumper.
The story of Claire Moore, survivor of a horrific attack that left her physically and mentally damaged, hooked me from the start. Ten years on, she is still struggling to deal with the aftermath of her ordeal. Being thrust into the media spotlight and with few people to rely on, bar her ever-sympathetic mother and supportive new partner, Paul, her hopes of building a new life are dealt an agonising blow when another murder occurs.
I felt the killer was painted in such a way as to lend some understanding to his warped reasoning. 'There had even been talk of how he was a vigilante, a voice for the abused. A hero.' I wouldn't go that far, but he came across as more than just a sadistic monster.
The author throws in more than a few red herrings, but skilfully and in a way that keeps the reader on their toes. The final denouement made me gasp, and I read it again just to be sure I hadn't misunderstood. A tense, heart-pounding thriller which has convinced me to read more of his work in the future.

I love books like this. A traumatic event leaves a scarred survivor behind, finally -- after years of healing and family support -- starting to cope with life again. But then the madman is back, and all bets are off. Spine-tingling suspense, and absolutely gut-wrenching horror returns with a vengeance. And this time, it won't be denied. Great read!

** I thank the publisher and/or author for allowing me to read this novel as an ARC, without recompense, in exchange for my honest review. **

My mouth is still hanging open and my brain is scrambling to make sense out of what I just read.

This story is a powerhouse of a tale from the very beginning. Claire is a heroine unlike any other. She’s broken. She’s convinced she’s weak but oh is she wrong. She is the definition of strong.

The killer is back and he’s back with a vengeance.

Just when you think you’ve figured it out your slapped right in the mouth for assuming you’re smart enough to piece it together. Normally I’m not one for cliffhangers but this one was perfect.

Have just finished reading this and what an absolute killer of a book . It was brilliant you really need to read it.

Great read, full of suspense, twists and turns, just when you think you know who it is, you're wrong, I'm not good in the dark so I found it extra tense at them times, would recommend to all.

OMG OMG OMG, this book is one of the most gripping I have read in a very long time.I was hooked from the very first page, I sat on the edge of my seat, I gasped in parts and dinner may or may not have been late lol.
Full of twists and turns in all the right places and well written characters, with an ending you won't see coming.
Huge praise for Darren O'Sullivan, his books just get better and better.

Wow! This book started slowly for me, but soon I found that I could not put it down. Claire has suffered a horrible tragedy and brutal crime that continues to impact her life and her ability to live. She's afraid to travel to town alone, and she is often approached by strangers because of her notoriety as a survivor. You truly feel sorry for her, but I think I did get a little tired of her self-pity (but that's easy for me to say, right?) Anyway, it is clear that there is someone out there connected to her past, even though the suspected perpetrator has died while in prison for another crime. There are several red herrings in the book, and I honestly never suspected the book would end the way it did. I'll admit I was a bit angry at the author for leaving us hanging a bit, but once I got over the shock, I realized it was a pretty unique ending and ultimately was very satisfying. I received an advance proof copy of this book in exchange for a fair review from netgalley.com.

Entertaining read. Don’t read it alone at night with a power outage. Would make a great horror movie. Enjoyed the twists and turns.

Wow this was an absolutely fantastic book and def one of my favourite reads this year so far. It had a great storyline with some brilliant twists and an ending I certainly didn’t see coming. Very creepy and atmospheric it kept me on the edge of my seat. Will be looking out for more by this author.

Definitely will be reading more from this author . I was gripped with this book from the start. How do you carry on when something bad happens to you . After 10 years it all starts again . Who is doing the killings is it someone Closer than you think !!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, HQ Digital and Darren O’Sullivan for the chance to read and review this book.

“The one who lived”. That’s what the media called her. But Claire Moore doesn’t feel like she’s living. It’s been a decade since she survived the night that she was supposed to become the victim of a serial killer. A night that killed her husband. Still struggling with the guilt of not dying too, afraid to be in the bathroom alone, plagued by nightmares of that night and a fear of someone coming for her once again, Claire is a virtual prisoner. On the rare occasions she leaves her house she is terrified of every noise she hears and person she sees. But she wants to live again so in an attempt to lay her ghosts to rest she heads back to the place her life was destroyed and to visit her husband’s grave for the first time since his death. Not only that but on the advice of her mother she starts a slow building relationship with a man named Paul who is patient and understanding of her trauma. Maybe she can finally enjoy life again. If only she could shake the paranoia she’s being watched...

But what Claire doesn’t know is she isn’t paranoid, there is someone watching her. The same man who tried to kill her ten years ago is watching and he doesn’t like what he sees. She’s forgetting him and the lesson he taught her. He writes her chilling letters but never posts them, waiting for the right time for her to read them. The letters detail his obsession, his disappointment, his promises that they will meet again soon and that this time she won’t get away. But first he has to make her remember him. What better way than by killing again in the exact same way he did before; striking fear not only in Claire, but the general public once again.

This book was narrated by both Claire and the elusive killer, who’s name we don’t know for almost all the book. I think having the killer narrating as well as including the letters he was writing helped the tension of the book. When the book starts the world thinks The Black-Out Killer is dead so without the chapters from the killer it would seem like Claire, who is constantly on edge and frightened of every little thing, was being paranoid and it would have been easy to get sick of her character, despite the empathy I felt for what she’d been through. But as we knew he was still alive and plotting her demise once more, there was apprehension every time Claire left the house, or thought she was being watched or heard a suspicious noise in the house and I felt like telling her to be even more cautious many times as we knew she was right to be worried, but just not in the way she knew of.

I did like both of the main characters and, yes, I’m aware it’s a little strange to like a serial killer, but I liked that he was intelligent and had clear motivations for what he did, albeit very twisted and misguided ones. His obsession with Claire seemed to be something he couldn’t shake, a weakness as it were. The conflicting duality of his personality: a killer who delighted in his task, and relished the pain and terror he inflicted, bu then also held himself to a strict reason for each victim being chosen and vetting process, rather than simply killing for fun, was captivating. Claire was also a great character. Her agoraphobia, unhealthy coping mechanisms and fear of trust were understandable of someone who had gone through what she did. The reason it could have become annoying is very often she was overreacting to things but when you know she’s in mortal danger and is actually being watched by the killer you are glad she isn’t blase about things. The thing I loved most about how Claire was written was the fantastic description of her anxiety and panic attacks. I too suffer from them and after reading this book I will forever see them as “icy fingers playing” or “the icy hand that rested in my chest.” I’ve never read such a vivid and accurate description of how it feels.

I liked that I was never quite sure if my suspicions of certain characters were correct while reading this book. There were people who rang alarm bells but I always had this nagging doubt that this could be “him”. However absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the big reveal and I was in awe at the final twist the story took before leaving me to rethink everything I had just read. A brilliant thriller from an author I will certainly be reading again.

Claire Moore escapes a serial killer. Fast forward ten years, and she’s still dealing with the pain of the night her husband was murdered and she escaped death.
It seems the serial killer is on the loose again.
Claire has finally begun dating again and is seeing a nice man named Paul. She opens up and let’s Paul in. Until Claire finds things about Paul that looks like he may not be what he seems.
I had an idea of how this book would end, but I was definitely wrong and thrown for a loop at the end. Major surprise ending and cliffhanger.

Thank you to Darren O'Sullivan, and Netgalley for this DIGITAL ARC in exchange for an honest review

fast paced, edge of my seat read in a day! really enjoyed twist and turns galore!!

I have just finished this book and have to say it kept me gripped from the beginning. Great storyline and keeps you guessing throughout the book! I'm normally quite good at finding out who the killer is but not this time! Great read would recommend.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat and had me looking out of the corners of my eyes. Great writing and a great story, the middle was a little drawn out--but was still great.

A very creepy read from an amazing author!

Upon beginning this book I did question if Darren was a serial killer in a previous life or if he had just done his homework on his storyline. While I thought the storyline was slow in some places, I was on the edge of my seat at other times and had worked out who the killer was from about half way through. At least I thought I knew...

Darren is a master at ending his books with a bang and starting them off sucking you right into his story. I can’t wait to watch Darren grow as an author and read his upcoming books as they come out as I have done his previous books that sit nestled on my bookcase.

A massive thank you to HQ Digital and Netgalley for allowing me an advance copy in return of an honest review.

This has got to be Darren's best book yet, and I have enjoyed them all, Closer Than You Think is a fast paced thriller that will have you biting your nails, what an amazing twist!! Omg I didn't see that one coming!

An amazing story that you just have to read, well done Darren, I hope this book flies high.

Loved this thriller. It was fast paced with lots of twists and turns with andending you don’t see coming.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book