This book is set over two time lines, Now and Then. Now is in Northern England where the body of a worker, Katie Straw, at a women’s refuge is found yards from a local suicide spot. This story then follows the investigation by DS Whitworth and DC Brookes into whether this was suicide or if someone else was involved. Then follows Katie’s earlier life and the development of her relationship with Jamie in London. Avery troubling time for Katie as Jamie slowly grabs control of everything Katie does, even the care of her sick mother.

Both stories are tied around women in fear of controlling and violent men. I feel this subject must be very close to the author’s heart as the writing felt quite personal at times. Also the male characters in the book were all written with a strong taste of hatred, how men treat women and how men perceive feminists.

For me I found the story to be missing something. It wasn’t really the thriller it was billed to be. It had enough about it to keep me reading, but something was missing or got in the way of this being a good read. The main twist which comes very near the end I spotted about 2/3 of the way through the book. Maybe this is why I felt the ending was weak, but more than anything I was left a little confused as to what actually happened, so after 300+ pages of reading I was really no clearer, which I found frustrating. In the main it was ok and written well, however there were also small sections where the narrative lost me as to what was going on.

I received this free advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for this free and honest review. I had higher hopes for this book but they were never really realised. I give this very average 3/5.

Jessica Moor's Keeper is an immense debut, skillfully woven to lull you into a false sense of security until WHAM it hits you in the face with truth, darkness and the brutality of violence against women. The novel shines a spotlight on coercive control and the insidious creep of an abusive relationship in a way which I think demonstrates incredibly good writing.

Hauntingly vivid and real. Keeper is a novel that grips you from page one and keeps you on the edge of the seat in suspense trying to guess the next twist, right up to the last page. The conclusion of the story stays with you longer after you've finished reading it. This book is a great talking point with friends, and one that should be read and discussed by many people.

I really enjoyed this. A deep, dark look domestic abuse and how insidious it can be, as Katie finds herself gradually taken over by boyfriend Jamie with the most dreadful of consequences.

Abandoned at 56%
It started so well, and I was immediately drawn into the narrative of a woman being drawn into a coercive and abusive relationship but I just lost interest halfway through. Too many other pov characters from the woman's refuge and ultimately, I just stopped wanting to know. It could be the fact that the world has gone mad at the moment with convid19 mania and this book is a bit too harrowing reading for right now, but I haven't DNF'd a book after the halfway point before.

This was creepy. You knew Katie was being psychologically abused, but she didn't seem to realise. The parallel stories of then and now showed her body being discovered in the present day, in a supposed suicide. Then, Katie lived with her terminally ill mother, commuting to work in central London. She has a strong network of friends until she meets Jamie, who subtly and cleverly comes between her and her friends and makes a strong young woman feel she depends on him. Now, Katie is a worker in a women's refuge - but how did she end up in this job, far from London? We learn the backgrounds of the women in the refuge, of big hearted, well meaning Val who runs the place on a shoestring. Some of the stories are heartbreaking. Alongside the main story of Katie's death, we have the stories of the women she works with and their traumatic lives. We discover Jenny knows more about what happened on the night Katie died, but she disappears rather than reveal the secret. Will the police discover this wasn't a suicide. I don't know why I didn't work out the twist before it happened but it was a real gasp out loud moment! Loved this book.

I think the middle of a global pandemic was the wrong time for me to read this; it is dark and uncomfortable reading. At any other time I think I would have really dived in but I'm anxious and easily distracted and felt I couldn't really give this the full focus it deserved. It is a well written and important story and Jessica Moor is one to watch.
The attitude of the police and the general public, the normalisation of domestic abuse and the complicated feelings of the women involved, all with very different backgrounds and stories, is really well conveyed, realistic and frankly disturbing. You can't always trust appearances.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

he Keeper by Jessica Moor is a well written, insightful debut novel on the theme of domestic violence and intimate control.

It starts with the death of a young women, Katie Straw, a support worker in a women’s refuge, whose body is pulled out of a river. It’s not clear whether her death was murder, suicide or an accident. She left no note (although it is acknowledged by the detective leading the investigation that suicide notes are found much more often in TV dramas than in real life) and did not appear to have any enemies, until the police try to dig into her past.

The team investigating her death comprises DS Whitworth, a likeable, well-respected officer who is approaching retirement, and newly recruited, super keen and enthusiastic DS Brookes. Throughout the book the stories of violence, intimidation and mental cruelty suffered by the women in the refuge are told in a calm, measured but very powerful way and they make for difficult reading at times. It’s certainly easy to understand from these accounts how strong and independent women can be coerced, controlled and driven to breaking point.

It sounds hard going but I felt it was well worth reading. In her acknowledgement Jessica Moor thanks mentors such as Jeanette Winterson and Val McDermid, and the latter’s crime writing influence was certainly evident, with quite a clever and shocking twist at the end which took me by surprise.

I thought this was a really interesting book. It opens with the death, seemingly by suicide, of Katie. She works at a local domestic violence refuge and the woman that runs the centre is adamant that Katie would not have taken her own life. The book swaps back and forth between the present day and Katie's back story and slowly and skilfully unpicks what happens. It's not really a classic police procedural, more of a literary thriller, and hard to describe without giving spoilers. One for those who like a slow reveal and something thought-provoking.

‘Death?
Seen him. Loads of times.
Death’s just a bloke.’

I’d already heard lots of good things about it by the time THE KEEPER by Jessica Moor dropped through my letterbox courtesy of @vikingbooksuk. (Thank you!)But this is no ordinary thriller. As much as it is compelling to read, it’s also incredibly comfortable for the simple reason it’s so well written.

Moor has succeeded in writing both a gripping crime thriller – with one helluva sick twist! – but also raises awareness of the incredibly important issue of domestic violence. For this reason, although I appreciated the writing, THE KEEPER is also hard-going at times in that you read in sickening detail about the abuse, both physical and psychological, that the women in the narrative suffer. My God, it was tough reading at times. But in this case, this is no criticism but heartfelt praise as it forces the reader to exam the structure of the human psyche and psyche that allows such tragedies to occur in the first place.

Happy Publication Day to an important book about an issue all too often hidden behind closed doors and masked behind make-up. Congratulations to @ms_jessica_moor on her powerful debut!

The premise of this story was flawed from the outset as I really don’t believe the police would go to such lengths to establish suicide or foul play after an initial investigation throws up no confliction. Having said that and putting my scepticism aside, I did quite enjoy the book, particularly its two timelines. The descriptions of domestic abuse is very well handled as it’s not all about overt violence and can be very invidious. Because of my initial thoughts I can only give this book 3 stars.

When the body of Kate Straw is pulled from the river, the police think it was suicide. But the women at the refuge where katie worked think differently. They persuade DS Whitworth and DC Brook to investigate further. But when the police .ook into her background, it seems Katie didn't exist. So who is Katie Shaw.

This story is told from multiple points of view. This is a story about domestic abuse. Kaatie worked as a counsellor at a women's shelter. It's written in the then and now. There's references to sexual abuse and violence. There's a twist athe the end that I never saw coming. Thenstory is character driven. A good debut novel

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Books (UK) and the author Jessica Moor for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katie Straw works in a shelter for domestic violence but when her body is found in the waters of the local suicide spot, the police are preparing to write her death off as a female suicide. However, the residents of the shelter have other ideas - they believe it was murder. Even so, DS Dan Whitworth and his team still deem it to be a straightforward case of suicide - until they discover evidence that suggests Katie wasn't who she appeared.

In a compelling story that seamlessly moves back and forth in time, Katie's life is gradually exposed. It tells of her involvement with a gracious and affable young man named Jamie and his volatile, controlling, and manipulative behaviour that reduces her to a petrified mess of a woman, with all possibilities of support severed.

The Keeper is a superb, hard-hitting, powerful, début literary thriller with a feminist edge. Jessica Moor doesn't pull any punches when it comes to describing the horrific and harrowing abuse. Indeed there are parts of The Keeper that are exceptionally difficult to read due to its core subject. The plot is very well constructed, and there is originality in the author's writing which deserves particular mention.

Overall, The Keeper is an excellent début and I believe a Jessica Moor is a writer with monumental potential. This book should make many top reads of 2020 lists. I'm already looking forward to seeing what Jessica Moor has in store for me next time.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Penguin Books UK/ Viking via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

This book started off with a lot of promise but I didn't actually find it to be a thriller in usual terms. We learned a lot about domestic violence and the many forms it can take. It was a bit long winded in places but from a feminist point of view it portrayed life in a women's refuge very well.

Really clever examination of feminism in the modern world through the lens of the murder mystery. Great twist which I should have seen coming but didn’t.

when the body of refuge worker Katie Straw is pulled from a local river notoriously known as a suicide hotspot the police seem Convinced that Katie took her own life. Others at the refuge do not share their view.

When I read the blurb about this book I had high hopes for a fast paced gritty storyline however I do not feel it lived up to my hopes. The style of writing was quite long winded for me and whilst the book covers the sad world of domestic violence I didn’t feel any connection to any of the characters nor that the storyline interested me enough to want to keep reading.

Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

When a young woman’s drowned body is discovered, a lack of markings leads the police to believe their investigation will show she died by suicide. However Detective Whitworth’s curiosity is piqued when he first learns Katie Straw worked at a women’s refuge, and then that her name is an alias.

Keeper unfolds over two timelines, ‘Now’ - which follows the police investigation and in doing so explores the lives of the women in the refuge, and ‘Then’ - which reveals Katie’s history. The latter is an emotionally harrowing tale of a young woman drawn into a relationship with a frighteningly manipulative man.

Keeper centers around a very important topic - that of domestic/intimate partner violence in its many forms. I thought Moor’s portrayal of the issue’s complexity was nuanced and thought-provoking, and her diverse characters, including the detective, represent a spectrum of related perspectives and experiences.

Unfortunately though I didn’t find the execution compelling. The pace is slow, the tension is slight, and I really wasn’t surprised by the final twist designed to shock (though I think it’s likely I’ll be in the minority there). It’s also bleak, which is probably how it earned the literary tag.

In the end I’m a little torn, while I think Keeper is a socially valuable, and even interesting read, I just didn’t find entertaining

When the body of a young woman, Katie, is found drowned in the river, DS Whitworth and D.C. Brookes initially believe it to be a suicide. But Katie worked at a women’s refuge, which has been trolled online. Is this connected to her death, or does the story lie in Katie’s past?

Keeper started off quite slowly, with the action moving between the investigation into Katie’s drowning, and the events of her life leading up to the point of her death. In the early chapters, it’s a little confusing, with many different characters, especially in the refuge. At times I had to refer back to earlier pages to confirm who was who. However, as Katie’s story nearer its tragic conclusion, the pace and clarity improved. I did work out the ending before I got there, but it was still very cleverly done.

Worth persevering with, and ultimately a thrilling read.

Loved this book. Fast paced, kept me guessing right up to the end and twists it'd never expected. Will definitely look out fOr more by tHe author

I was exceptionally excited when I got approved for this on NetGalley. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy read but I had a feeling it would be something I could become completely absorbed in and fully connect to -I wasn’t wrong!

Katie Straw committed suicide. She was found in a local suicide spot with no injuries or evidence of foul play, so it’s a cut-and-dry case, right? The residents of the women’s refuge where she worked disagree. It’s up to Detective Whitworth to piece together Katie’s final months and figure out whether this was, in fact, murder but the investigation throws up a lot more questions than answers.

As a woman, of course I’ve always been acutely aware of the fact that dangerous men exist. I’ve had more than a few less-than-healthy relationships of my own so naturally, I know the signs of an abusive control freak and the effects they can have on their victims. The women of the refuge all have harrowing stories and every single one of them rang true. I could fully understand how each of them had ended up in their situation and my heart broke with every individual case. I actually wanted to get myself a job at the shelter, purely so I could talk to and look after these incredible women.

I took a dislike to Whitworth for the majority of the narrative. He had a sexist, judgemental edge that I couldn’t get over but I think my dislike was the author’s intention. Towards the end of the book, there’s a scene where he starts thinking about his teenage daughter and his fierce need to protect her. It’s a side to him that isn’t explicitly shown before this point and it really made me warm to him. Whitworth is a grown man but he still has so much to learn and a certain plot twist reveals that he is actually just as easily manipulated as some of the women in the shelter.

Despite her seemingly cold and distant demeanour, Katie craves love and stability in her life. Her childhood wasn’t exactly easy and she doesn’t have the closest relationship with her friends in spite of their efforts. When she starts getting serious with Jamie, she becomes very isolated and his control over her increases. I could tell where the relationship was going and I was willing her to get out of it. When the final twist came, my heart genuinely skipped a beat and the last chapter brought up a lot of strong emotions -heartache, anger and a deep sadness that the story could repeat itself. There are trigger warnings for sexual violence and mental abuse within this relationship, so definitely be mindful of this before picking up the book!

The cameraderie between the women in the refuge was so touching. Nazia is a young Muslim woman, who was attacked by her brother after she refused an arranged marriage offer. She is also struggling with her sexuality -a shameful taboo in her culture- so she has all the ingredients to be a scared, timid young girl but she isn’t. She’s feisty and determined to fight injustice and take control of her own life. Nazia was the only shelter resident who I was convinced would emerge a strong, confident woman. Many of the other residents met less than happy fates, so be prepared for a few tears on that front too!

Keeper is a difficult but highly addictive thriller. It has a lot more profound social commentary than most books in its genre, which is why I think it has been described as ‘literary’. However, I found it much more accessible than a lot of literary fiction so I wouldn’t take that label too seriously, if it puts you off. There are numerous trigger warnings for abuse and violence against women that you should be aware of but it’s a definite must-read for those who love a good emotional mystery. What’s even better is that it’s Jessica Moor’s debut, so I’m very excited to see where her career goes!