I have now read several Jane Corry books, and I have been hooked every time; Corry is one of the few authors I pick up from the shelf and buy, knowing I'm going to enjoy whatever it is I'm about to read, and oftentimes, without even reading the blurb!

I Looked Away was a hard read at times because Corry manages to evoke such strong emotion in her books. She often focuses on sensitive subjects, but does so in a careful, considered way. The book has a twist, but unlike some psychological thrillers, the twist isn't just in the book to shock; it is a pivotal part of the story and character, and is one of the more original twists I have encountered recently. 

Definitely one of my favourite recent reads; if you are in any doubt about whether or not you want to read this, I urge you to do so!

I won't be reading any more Jane Corry books as this solidified for me that I find her characters unlikeable and her plots too obsessed with human misery. Everything starts bad and keeps getting worse. This novel flickers around all over the place and I felt the reading experience quite jarring. Not for me!

Ellie always looks after her Grandson for her daughter but one day she takes her eyes off him for just a moment when it looks like her husband might be having an affair. When she looks back her grandson is gone. After this Ellie's life spirals and maybe at last her past is set to come out. 

This was a really interesting read. Its told from the point of view of Ellie and Jo. It does jump around a little but its easy to follow. I liked the changing time lines and learning about Ellies past. The story is quite slow but draws you in wanting to know what really happened. The ending was so good too, I wasnt sure how I wanted it to end and I think the author found the best option. There's a couple of clever twists in this that just add to the story. A really good read.

My goodness, this was an amazing book!

Told from the perspective of two women, Jo and Ellie, combined with flashbacks, "I Looked Away" is a tear jerking tale of tragedy, with a side order of mental illness and homelessness. After Ellie's involvement with a childhood tragedy, her life is permanently scarred, so when her grandson has a devastating accident, her world comes crashing down around her.

At first, it was a little hard to follow, but when all becomes clear, you can't help but feel for Ellie. With well drawn characters and an unpredictable plot, this is one of the best books of the year.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation to review.

This is a great book...psychological drama, but mixed with real life situations throughout...Jane Corry has clearly researched aspects of mental illness, to the undoubted benefit of this book. It's a great story on it's own, but it feels like so much more...fab read! Many thanks to penguin books for allowing me to read and review the ARC!

My first book by Jane Corey and it did not disappoint! 

Ellie is in prison for doing something bad, it takes some time to untangle the story. We meet Jo, a homeless woman who is hiding from someone and something that has happened to her. 

Ellie believes that her grandson is dead and she is the reason behind this, however it turns out that she has been through a lot of trauma in her life, from her early years when her mother died, to when her stepbrother also died in a tragic accident. 

As we follow Ellie’s story we discover how her life has become intertwined with Jo’s and the tragedy surrounding her. 

I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this story, it was a great read and I really felt for Ellie and all she had lost in her early childhood and the way she was treated. The aspect of mental illness was handled with great care.

I was already incredibly hooked on this story and then the moment came where I actually gasped out loud, and couldn't work out how I hadn't seen it coming. 

Jane Corry writes such compelling characters that you just have read all about them.  

We are told in alternating chapters about Ellie and Jo's lives and there are assorted flashback sections, where we see key moments of Ellie's past, and also another characters past too... which I couldn't quite work out how it connected initially. 

I couldn't help but feel very sorry for Ellie, she really has had a hard life. 

But equally Jo is homeless and living a tough time now, although she does seem to have an impact on the people she comes across. 

This was a simply fascinating book, one which wouldn't let me know. There are sections that make for tough reading, but they are written in a compassionate way, and you can tell the author has done a lot of research to be able to make everything so real.

Another absolutely amazing story from the always brilliant Jane Corry.

Thank you to Penguin on Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

Often there is a book which captures your attention and you cannot put it down. For me, it was this book.

We meet Ellie Halls, she has been hiding from a traumatic incident as a child, one which she carries the burden of all her life.  Now married to a controlling husband, Roger, she has two children of her own and a grandson, Josh, whom Ellie adores.

The disappearance of Josh one afternoon changes Ellie life in a way you could never imagine and it is here that we meet Jo who lives on the street.  Their lives intertwine as the story moves backwards and forwards between them both, only at the end will it leave you feeling wrecked with emotion, but why? Well you will have to read it and find out for yourself.

The book takes us on a whole emotional rollercoaster of emotions as we deal with issues such as PTSD, deception, homelessness, danger, discrimination, bullying and more.

This is  a read for those who love issue led thrillers and who like to think more deeply about societies contemporary problems at the same time as enjoying a well-written tale.

 Ellie is a Grandmother, she's married to a somewhat objectional man named Roger. Josh their grandson is visiting and when Ellie looks away, life is changed in an instant. We also meet Jo who sells the Big Issue from the streets of Bristol.  The issues both women face are laid bare and readers of I Looked Away are invited to see why.

This is an emotional read as well as an intricately plotted one. Although homelessness is ever present the author cleverly managed to stop short of being hectoring in asking the reader to understand that there can be many reasons why this could happen.

All in all a captivating if solemn read.

Having just finished reading I Looked Away by Jane Corry, I am pleased to say I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys family stories with some tension and discord. The theme is set around a tragedy and the feelings of guilt in the aftermath. This multi dimensional book succeeds in also sympathetically depicting the plight of the homeless and gives a realistic insight into the fragility of mental health.

It's a quick read and also, unusually, it gets better and more complex  further on in the story.

An extremely emotional well-crafted read!

This was my first encounter with a Jane Corry novel, and I was not disappointed! “I Looked Away” is an extremely emotional well-crafted read, which certainly highlights human frailty.

The reader has to follow the lives of the two main characters... Ellie and Jo. The narrative cleverly informs events from their present to past, and the often-shocking consequences for these two ladies.

As time goes by both Ellie and Jo reflect and tell their own emotional stories of the events in their own troubled lives. Of course, it is always the past which shapes their present and even their future situations.

We discover just how unfortunate and hideous their lives are, and how Jane Corry tackles issues such as abuse, bullying, deception, cruelty, alcoholism and homelessness with sensitivity, empathy and compassion. She has clearly researched these subjects, so adding to the reality of some people’s fractured lives. Even potential murder and prison becomes real for Ellie.

I felt that all the characters were extremely believable and woven together expertly by Jane Corry. We discover how their lives are interwoven and I enjoyed the twists throughout. I’ll certainly lookout for this author again!

Galadriel.

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.

I am a big fan of Jane Corry and have read all of her previous books. This was yet another gripping book which had me hooked from the first page. Highly recommend.

Jane Corry can certainly write a fantastic book and this was gripping, I was captivated pretty much straight away. It is so emotional and highlights real problems real people have. I feel it is unique as I have never read anything like it before. It was well written, and it definitely gets ‘in your head’.

I liked this book, but it seemed a bit samey to the others of hers I have read before - with the prison links and the Devon setting.

It's a big old book, took me a while to get through it, which isn't a reflection on how I felt about it, it just took me longer than usual! 

I would definitely read more by this author, and I would recommend this book to others, as I enjoyed it once I was in. I like Jane Corry's writing style and the pace of the book was well delivered.

I thourghly enjoyed this book, it tells the story of Ellie's life right through from being a child to being a Grandmother.
Ellie's life has been quite difficult and marred by tragedy, she lost her mother at an early age. Her life gets worse when her father gets remarried to their neighbour Sheila. 
When she is older Ellie gets married to Roger, who turns out to be an emotionally abusive serial cheat.
Jo is a homeless woman, who sells the big issue, Ellie always buys a magazine from her and gives her food. 
The story is told through both of their perspectives, as life unfolds after yet another traumatic event.

Really enjoyed this story. Plot unfolded brilliantly. Characters were likeable kept me interested all the way through and wanting to keep reading

Ok. Maybe I’m a bit simple but I really really could not guess what the next page was going to bring me. Ellie encountered a childhood that no one should ever have to experience. One that will obviously impact on your life forever. But no one could imagine what it would lead her to do. All she ever wanted was to keep her family safe. Excellent story, just the right length of chapters and easy to follow 3 stories within the same novel. Brilliant Jane Corry as always.

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. 
This story gripped me from the start. It's really cleverly written from the POV of two characters, Ellie and Jo, which leaves you wondering how they are linked together (don't worry, you do find out but I'm not about spoilers!). 
I found the characters really believable, with realistic backstory's that bring so much feeling into the story. 
I was gripped reading this. It is an emotional rollercoaster of twists and turns. 
I highly recommend.

The opening scenes of the prologue are dramatic; an affair, arguments, flashbacks and death. We are introduced to a homeless big issue seller and to Carole, at this point having little knowledge of the significance of these two characters; and we are introduced to Ellie, a 49 year old wife and mother, and adoring granny to her daughter's little boy, Josh. We move swiftly on four months to the first chapter, and the inside of a prison where Ellie is being held. We have no idea what has happened or why she is there.
So begins a complicated plot of manipulative characters and damaged people, held together by the central story of Ellie, deeply traumatised by a childhood event which has chased her down the years to this point. The story is told through the alternating characters of Jo Bristol and Ellie through the past and present, gradually filling in the gaps of Ellie's past while moving forward in her present. The twist when it comes is a good one and worth the wait!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and give it four stars.

You get invested in the characters but 
You also don’t know what’s gonna happen next
One moment can change everything 
This was very gripping