Cover Image: What She Saw

What She Saw

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Member Reviews

Characterful escapism, with secrets and lies abound, that as ever cannot stay buried in the past where everyone wishes they would stay. There are some twists and turns along the way in this one sitting read, that will have you flipping the pages more and more urgently as they story progresses.

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This wonderfully written novel is told from the point of views of Leona, Beth and Ria. This is a very clever, well researched and fabulously crafted book with a group of characters that you can’t help but feel sympathy and love for.

It started as a slow burn novel as we learn about the characters back stories. There were some clever links which were well written and I found the whole book kept me reading due to the wonderful setting it is based.

I’ve been to the Lake District as a child so the description felt familiar and it brought back some imagery from my childhood. These were lovely memories to remember so thank you to the author for bringing those back.

Overall a very week written book from an author that is new to me. I’ll certainly be reading others of her books.

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Omg talk about a roller coaster read wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat threw out I just couldn't put it down this writer keeps you hooked and once your hooked your not letting go I found this book thrilling the characters were fantastic and well thought out and the little clues all the way threw keep you guessing until the end this book stays with you long after you close the book this book is well worth the read I promise you wont be disappointed

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Oh my word this book wasn’t just good it was fabulous. My perfect kind of read, a psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns. I was hooked from the very start. A superb read.

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What would you do to protect your child? Everyone knows Leona would do anything for her daughter, Beth: she moved to Church Langdon to send Beth to the best school, built a business to support them and found the perfect little cottage to call home. Leona has been with Scott for as long as Beth remembers.

Leona never talks about why they moved to the Lake District. She’s never told Beth anything about her father. She says Beth should never speak to strangers. She says Beth doesn’t need friends. She’s only trying to protect her daughter. Everything changes when Beth finds an envelope hidden in her moms room. It looks like nothing is how it seems.

The book started out slow but I enjoyed it once it picked up. The characters were well written and I enjoyed it.

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Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
This is a good read and a great debut novel!
Even though it's a quick read, it kept me interested throughout the story. A good psychological thriller!

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Really enjoyed this book and found it very gripping. A few good twists too, to keep you guessing. I liked Leona's character and enjoyed the writing style too. Looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.

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This is the first book by Ms Clarke I've read, and I can see her going places. The book was gripping from beginning to end, and nothing was as it seems, throughout the whole book! Recommended.
TB

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5 stars. Full of secrets, deception and watch out for the twists! A psychological thriller that deserves to have "psychological" in neon lights! The book set off with intrigue and even though I could see where we might be headed, I needed to know more.

I recently read The Bride by Wendy Clarke which is her newer book and loved it so much I went into my TBR pile to read this one because I wanted to keep the Wendy Clark thriller ride going for as long as I could :-)

excellent writing, beautiful scenic descriptions and dark dark personal anguish.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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The first half of this book was a little slow for me, and by the time the twists were revealed, they weren’t all that surprising. I did enjoy the book overall though- I found it entertaining and it definitely held my interest once it picked up midway through. I would definitely read more from this author.

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There were a few parts of this book that really got my heart racing - read if you like more edge-of-your-seat and less psychological exploration. A fair choice for public libraries where thrillers are popular.

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I kinda thought the first half was a bit slow but then it kicks in, and when it does....boom happy days! Great book that had good twists in it that kept me guessing, loves it was set in the Lake District as that’s not far from me so it was nice to recognise the areas in the book. Really good plot and story and I’d read more from the author

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I absolutely loved this suspenseful psychological thriller. The way the author teases the reader with just enough information at the right time, was perfect and kept me glued to the book. I had at least a couple of coffees go cold on me while absorbed in the story! Thank goodness for microwaves.

The Lake District setting started the novel in an idyllic way but soon had the desired effect of providing a bleak and dangerous backdrop for what was to come. The Beth chapters were really intriguing. The portrayal of the teenage girl, hormones alight and flushed with angst, were so realistic. The dynamics of the whole family were cleverly interwoven, each one of them playing a crucial part In the story.

Leona’s character maintained my interest with ease and I turned each page with anticipation, needing to know what was coming next and it wasn’t what I was expecting at all! Wendy Clarke is certainly great at surprising the reader, and I must add, with great plausibility.

I loved this psychological thriller and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. Just don’t put the kettle on and pour a cuppa, it may just go cold on you too - haha!

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Very well wrote I was pull in from the first time I pick up the book o could not but it down characters become uour friends and family your pull on the story

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I read this book some time ago and immediately reviewed it 4/5 stars. It’s only now that I’ve sat down to review it, and despite reading the synopsis and various reviews from our GoodReads members, I realise that I can barely remember any of the plot. I must have enjoyed it to give it 4/5 stars, but the fact that none of the plot sticks in my mind speaks volumes to me. Usually I remember the books I read and a quick read of the synopsis reminds me of all the positives and negatives of the books. I guess the fact that nothing stands out about this book says that it wasn’t very memorable. The comparisons to books such as ‘The Girl on The Train’ I feel are vastly over-exaggerated. What I do remember however, is that I found the book very predictable and the twist finally panned out during the last 20% of the book, but nothing surprised me. I did however enjoy the alternating perspectives between different characters and different periods of time, leaving you trying to complete the puzzle as to how everyones’ stories fit together..

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Love a good psychological thriller! Found it hard to stop reading because I really wanted to see what happened, so intreging. Lots of twists and often thought I had it worked out only for something else to happen. Good book

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The first half of this book was slow reading for me. I lost interest but came back to it in order to fulfill my promise to review. This time I was quickly intrigued. Perhaps my mood was all wrong months before. Now, having said that, let’s get to the review.

This is great twisty story. The first half is a tad slow but necessary if you want the reveal to be a surprise. I figured it out a chapter before it happened but there was so much I never saw coming. The characters are richly written. Most important this book’s female lead is not wimpy, wishy washy, stupid, codependent, or any of the other things that seem to be trending recently. If this is common in Clarke’s books then I’ll be reading them.

I wholeheartedly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read. My apologies to Ms. Clarke and publishers for the long delay on my review.

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This was a really great read that kept me wondering and guessing right until the very last page. Would highly recommend!

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Sorry for my late review! But all the wait was worth it! What She Saw was a fascinating tale. Without giving anything away we are told the story of Leona, her daughter Beth and a mystery character named Ria. Told from the perspective of present day life living in the Lake District (fascinating, rich detail. I now want to visit!) the trials and tribulations both mother and daughter face and glimpses into the past as told by Ria. I was thrilled to have been fooled by Ria’s Connection to the story for as long as I was. Intrigue and suspense. Just take my word for it, read this book. Special thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre for this wonderful ARC.

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Wow! I loved this book! It was so well written the story just flowed. The story was told from the perspective of Leona and her daughter Beth and Ria who is Leonas friend. The author did a great job describing the landscape as well. Lots of research was apparently done. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre.

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