The Split is my first completed book of 2024! I love Sharon Bolton and while this is not my favorite I did enjoy it, it’s her usual twisty storyline that I didn’t entirely guess (though I did partly). The Split is a very good thriller with interesting characters and a unique setting. Highly recommend if you have liked her other books or page turning mysteries.

The audiobook narrator was also very good.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my late yet honest review.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

When I got the invite to review The Split, I wasn’t sure what I would be reading. The blurb described it as a woman on the run from an abusive ex-husband. Since I like reading thrillers like that, I accepted the invitation. But as I got into the book, I began to realize that this book was nothing like the blurb. I was a little grumpy about that, but at the same time, I loved the direction this book was going.

The Split had two exciting plotlines. Felicity is a glaciologist working at her dream location – South Georgia in the Antarctic. But Felicity constantly looks over her shoulder after getting a letter from Freddie. Freddie has been released from prison and is coming to South Georgia to meet with Felicity.

The secondary plotline follows a doctor, Joe, who treats Felicity for fugue states and anxiety months before she is due to leave. Joe, recovering mentally and psychically from being attacked by an obsessive patient, notices several inconsistencies in Felicity’s mental state. Felicity needs a good mental health evaluation to accept the job in the Antarctic. Soon, Felicity is the prime suspect in a series of murders of homeless people across Cambridge. With no evidence (of the murders or the mental illness Joe suspects), Felicity is cleared to go to South Georgia. But, soon after she leaves, a huge bombshell is dropped. Joe immediately leaves to find Felicity.

Along with his police detective mother, Joe leaves for South Georgia, hoping to get to her in time. What did Joe discover? Is Felicity the murderer? Who is Freddie, and what does he want from Felicity?

The Split is a fast-paced psychological thriller set in both Cambridge, England, and South Georgia Island, Antarctic. I was thrilled to read a book that was set in the Antarctic. The author did a great job describing the island and letting the readers know how isolated it was.

The main characters in this book were well-fleshed out. I could connect with each character, which is not something I usually do.

Felicity—At first, I was a little ambivalent about her. But as her character grew and I got a better handle on her personality, I started to like her. When her entire backstory was revealed, I was horrified. I cried. How could someone do that to a baby? I do wish that the author had talked more about Felicity’s job. I found her being a glaciologist fascinating.
Joe—I will admit this, but I got creeper vibes from him at first. In my eyes, he became overly attentive to her. But, the more I read about him (and it was complicated with the jumping around), the more convinced I became that he knew something was wrong with Felicity and he wanted to help her. It became more apparent when he made the connection and then jetted to South Georgia Island.
Freddie—While he wasn’t in most of the book (the beginning, a couple of chapters in the middle, and the entire end), I felt he was a significant presence. He was Felicity’s boogeyman. But I didn’t get that feeling during his scenes. So, I settled down and waited. I won’t say much more, but I will say that you need to view his character with open eyes and mind.
The secondary characters added more depth to the book. From Bamber to Shane to Joe’s police detective mother, I eagerly waited for them to show up.

The Split fits perfectly into the thriller/suspense/mystery genres. I was enthralled with what I was reading. I couldn’t put this book down.

The storyline with Felicity and Freddie was heartbreaking. It took me a while to fully understand what was happening (because the book kept bouncing around from past to present). I can’t say what was going on because of the spoilers. There is a massive twist in that plotline that I didn’t see coming. It took me by surprise. After that twist, there were several other twists. While they weren’t as jaw-dropping as the main one, they were still shocking into themselves.

The storyline with Felicity, Joe, the homeless people, his mother, and the murders was interesting. I wish it had focused more on Joe and Felicity’s therapy sessions, but I did understand why the author wrote it the way she did. It was a giant red herring!! I had a feeling I knew who was murdering the homeless people, but I didn’t know why. Well, that feeling turned out to be wrong. Again, a big twist in the plotline that I didn’t see coming. Also, the twist with what Joe figured out about Felicity. I did not see it coming. But once it was revealed, it made so much sense!! I felt like kicking myself after the book was over.

There are trigger warnings in The Split, but some are spoilers. The one I can reveal is murder. The other ones will give away too much about what is going on.

The end of The Split almost made me have an anxiety attack. But, the author calmed me by wrapping each storyline up in a way that did the book justice.

I would recommend The Split for anyone over 21. There are mentions of sex and sexual behavior, language, and violence. Also, see my trigger warning paragraph for other triggers (or, in this case, lack of them because of spoilers).

Chilling!

Switching back and forth between the present, set in South Georgia Island in the Antarctic, and the past, set at Cambridge—The Split centers around Cambridge graduate, glaciologist, and researcher Felicity Lloyd.

In the present...
Felicity has accepted a position on a multi-year research project on an island in the Antarctic, and we learn that it isn’t just the work that motivated Felicity—she is on the run from her ex-husband Freddie and she’ll go to literally the ends of the earth to escape him. The tension mounts as Felicity carefully checks the passenger manifests for each ship bound for the island, hoping the day never comes where Freddie’s name appears.

In the past...
Felicity is at the beautiful Cambridge campus. Having experienced a recent trauma, Felicity is seeing psychologist Dr. Joe Grant to help recover some lost memories and hopefully heal and move on. But as Felicity and Dr. Grant get closer to the truth Felicity has locked inside of her, it becomes more and more urgent that Felicity leave Cambridge as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Dr. Grants mother D.I. Delilah Jones is tracking troubling crimes impacting the homeless population in Cambridge. Could the three seemingly separate stories somehow be linked? And how close is Freddie to catching up with Felicity once and for all?

Reflection
There are several POVs used in differing parts of the novel, dominated largely by Felicity and Dr. Joe Grant, but with other characters also having bits of their own stories to share. The way the stories intertwine is brilliant. Even that parts that I guessed the connections earlier on were so captivating and brilliantly connected, it is hard to imagine having guessed how this book would resolve.

Delivering twists as chilling as the icebergs Felicity studies. Brilliant!

I've read a few of this author's books before and they never disappoint. So I was completely shocked when I started this one and to my surprise it was boring. I'm still going to read more from them, but I couldn't get into this one.

This might not be a reflection of the book itself but between the graphic descriptions of whale killing from the whaling industry and the stalking, I couldn’t finish this one. Willing to try a different Sharon Bolton book though, writing style was nice, but not something I could ever try to enjoy.

The Split tells the story of Felicity as she runs from something. What is she running from?

This book was definitely entertaining. I was intrigued by the story and the two different story lines that converged in a way I didn't expect. While I didn't see some things, I did predict a good many things that did happen. It took away the wow factor slightly in this one but I still really enjoyed it!

Atmospheric setting, interesting storyline, and twists and turns that will leave you breathless. This book basically had it all! Such a clever, well-crafted read. I had heard so much about it and am glad I got to read it!

Sigh, I guess I found the one Sharon Bolton book that didn’t work for me. I never thought I would say this but I found this one so boring. She’s still one of my faves and I’m hopeful her next book will be better for me.

Love this book!! Can’t believe it took me so long to read! Definitely recommend! You need this one ASAP!

The setting of this book was so strong. I felt like I was there and the beginning of the book jumps right in and made me so interested. I thought the whole thing was really well done and I will be checking out more by this author.

This was a very slow burn of a novel. One that just couldn’t hold my attention. I have set this book aside many times, hoping if I just came back in a different frame of mind I could finish. Sadly at this point I need to step away from it.

It may just be me not being the right reader for this book, as there are many positive reviews.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

The Split by Sharon Bolton delivers so many twists and turns and is another hit by one of my favorite go to thriller/mystery writers today. A tense tale of murder and trauma that plays out on the frozen wasteland of Antarctica.

"...She thinks of the fear inside of her like a cancer, eating away at muscles, organs, bone, growing all the time, until there is nothing left of her but a rotten , stinking mass in skin stretched like an overfilled balloon. How will the terror burst out, she wonders, when it inevitably does. A scream? A petrified whimper?
An alarm sounds on her phone, letting her know that life doesn't stop, even when it's on the brink of ending. She turns to walk back, knowing that she's running out of places to hide.
The ends of the Earth. That's how far she ran this time.
Not far enough..."

Felicity Lloyd has travelled all the way to the remote island of South Georgia in Antarctica, in one part to further her career as a Glaciologist and in another to hide from her ex-husband Freddy. But as the final boat of the summer begins to dock, Felicity is convinced that Freddie is on it. That somehow he has found her and travelled across the world to reach her. Freddie is out of prison now, after serving a term for murder, and he has come all this way Felicity believes, to kill her. She begins to pack away her things and what little she needs as she heads out in further into the frozen wasteland. Will Freddie continue to follow her, even out here?

In Cambridge, England, Dr. Joe Grant is looking into the relationship between Felicity and Freddy. There is so much that doesn't quite make sense. But Dr. Grant has gotten to close to a patient before and with violent and devastating consequences. There is something about Felicity that makes him want to believe in her but there is too much that makes what she is saying untrue. Eventually, Dr. Grant knows that he has to make a trip to South Georgia to find out what is really happening between Felicity and Freddie.

"...Joe leans back in his chair. 'Felicity, I don't want to scare you, but is it possible someone has keys to your house? An old lodger, maybe? A cleaner?'
She shakes her head. 'No. I changed the locks when I moved in and had two sets of keys made. One set is in the safe. I checked. I've never had a cleaner.'
Joe seems at a loss.
'I know it's me,' she goes on. 'I know I'm doing these things and not remembering them. But some of them are so out of character. It really is like someone else-someone invisible-is living in my house..."

Sharon Bolton has written a thriller that is much played out in the mind of Felicity Lloyd as it is on the frozen ice. For those of you who loved the book Sybil and yes I am going back that far are the M. Night Shyamalan film Split, you will love this book.

Is Felicity in danger? Is Freddie real? Is her trauma and her past what she says it is? Or is Felicity herself the real danger? These are the questions central to the novel and it moves at a pace that will have the reader flipping pages like crazy. If this was a movie you would be afraid to take a bathroom break because of what you might miss. Or if you were streaming it, you could hit the pause, but even then you would be worried.

Whether set in Ireland or Scotland or the Antarctic, Bolton's thrillers are red hot! The Split is a good reading!

Atmospheric & Chilling.

Felicity is a Glaciologist, stationed on the Island of South Georgia off the coast of Antarctica. The last boat will be arriving soon and Felicity is terrified that her abusive husband, Freddie will be on it. Just released from prison for murder, he can’t quite let go of Felicity and unfortunately for her, she can’t possibly hide far enough away from him.

Nine months ago, Felicity was living in Cambridge and was a very different person. Frail, terrified, and unable to remember parts of her life, she seeks treatment with a therapist, Joe Grant. Through journal entries we find some shocking discoveries

A vivid landscape. Secrets. A thrilling chase. Twists and Turns. A big reveal.

“The Split” by Sharon Bolton is a brilliantly plotted character driven novel, which I enjoyed even though I had a hard time in the beginning as the pace is quite slow and the story line was a tad boring. It picked up as the novel went on and I then became more invested even though I guessed what was going to happen before I got to the end. I enjoyed the atmosphere and loved the vivid description of the landscape, all of which made me feel as if I was right there with the characters.

A buddy read with Kaceey.

Published on Goodreads on 6.28.20.

(Thanks to the publisher for the free review copy.) The Split is a psychological thriller that explores a woman's hidden memories that are wrecking her present life. The story moves through multiple narrators and perspectives, as Felicity's carefully organized life unravels as she experiences black outs, lost hours, and unexplained injuries. She is terrified of a person she can't name, and she escapes to the farthest reaches of the earth. Her therapist, Joe is both drawn to her and unsettled by her; his narrative is a really interesting outsider's perspective of what she is experiencing. There is a solid mix of thoughtful character development and tense action, culminating in a dramatic glacial rescue.

I really enjoyed the different narrators and the quick-paced plot. The settings of Cambridge and Antarctica also shaped the story, giving context and background to what the characters were experiencing. I am not a huge fan of psychological thrillers, but this won me over.

BIG trigger warnings for: serious child abuse and violence, homelessness, mental illness, This book describes some pretty horrible things, so beware if these are hard for you.

I tried really hard to get into this one, but I could not make it far. It was a DNF for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters and I honestly felt lost in the first few pages trying to figure out who was who and where they were and a little back and forth was too much for the plot.

Thank you St Martin's Press for sharing a copy of The Split by Sharon Bolton for review.

This was a very action packed thriller. I loved the unique setting of the North Pole and the added danger that the location held. I did like the little mystery at the beginning, trying to figure out who was chasing who and why but I also did find some of the characters undeveloped so I was not too emotionally involved or feel the suspense as I might have if the characters were a little more fleshed out.

This book didn't work for me for a number of reasons, but there were two main ones.
[
The first is that I hate the trope of a character with DID with a passion. I feel it is incredibly overused by mystery writers and much too convenient of an explanation. There seems to have been a plethora of books using this trope over the past year (The Other Mrs. and The Patient) and it seems like a cop out for explaining things away. I give credit for the author at least acknowledging the fact that this disorder is incredibly rare, but that doesn't make it justified to use as a mystery twist (well, it really isn't if you look at the title, but still, some people won't get it) (hide spoiler)]
The second reason is that the psychologist, Joe, is terrible. He is so unethical, he talks about himself and his problems with patients, he doesn't figure out what is wrong with Felicity even when it is staring him in the face, he breaks her confidentiality to the police, to random people who he comes across, etc. He has romantic relationships with patients, not just one, but many of them. His behavior was bad on so many levels.
There are lots of other minor quibbles I have--with the police investigation and other things, but they pale in comparison to my first two issues.
I did like the setting, especially when they were on South Georgia, and so that improved my outlook of the book. I think there are much better choices, I wish I would have skipped this one.

My first book by this author was The Craftsman, which came out in the fall of 2018. That story blew me away, and after that I made it a point to watch for new books by Bolton. Thanks go to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the review copy. This book is for sale now.

The title is a double entendre: our protagonist, Felicity, is avoiding someone, and she is certain he’s found her. Since her field is glaciology, she decides to travel to Antarctica with an expedition. He’ll never find her there, and even if he should, he’d be at a distinct disadvantage to her. Those are her stomping grounds. Thus, she is about to split.

The catch, however, is that her superiors are uncertain she is mentally stable enough for this journey. She keeps missing time; there are whole blocks, an hour, an afternoon, a weekend, when she doesn’t recall where she was or what she is doing. She finds evidence that she has done things she does not remember doing. As we perch in her psychologist’s office, veritable flies on the wall observing her therapy sessions, it soon becomes clear what the issue is, or at least it did to me; and thus, the second meaning of the title.

One of the things I appreciate about this story is that there is no coy effort on Bolton’s part to deflect the reader’s awareness of what ails Felicity. I would have liked at some point to see or hear the correct name used; Felicity has a dissociative disorder. But this is a small quibble.

What I appreciate the very most is that Bolton doesn’t sensationalize this disorder, but sticks closely to the truth. Why not? The real thing is dramatic enough all by itself to keep our interest. And when I realized where we were headed with this I regretted, if just for a brief while, having signed on, because this topic cuts close to the bone for me. I have a close family member with this disorder, and hearing the voices of people that were, and yet were not, my relative’s voice is one of the most horrifying experiences of my life. After a few weeks of it, I had to pull back and ask to only be phoned by the dominant person in my relative’s body, the one that I, like the rest of the family, was acquainted with. And so, once I decided to continue reading this book, I listened closely for inaccuracies in its telling, using my relative as a baseline (a sample size of one, which I’ll admit is sketchy,) and I found none. Most readers won’t have this experience for comparison.

Although the mental condition is revealed, bit by bit, fairly early in the story, there are still surprises aplenty, particularly with regard to the stalker. The climax is a bit far-fetched, but nevertheless this is a solid job, and Bolton gets big props from me for dealing with a difficult premise accurately and fairly.

I flipped back and forth between the printed review copy and the audio version I scooped from Seattle Bibliocommons. Both versions are well done and easy to follow, so you can’t go wrong. Recommended to those that love a good psychological thriller, and that have no triggers that might conflict with your enjoyment.

This is why Sharon J. Bolton is an auto-read for me. She surprises me with her clever stories, with twists that surprise me even though I think I have it all figured out. I read this one in one day, basically doing nothing else until I finished it. Felicity Lloyd has some major problems. She is experiencing fugue states, has a stalker, is undergoing some psychiatric care and is afraid of Freddie, her husband who has recently been released from prison. She takes a job in Antarctica, a place so remote that once the last boat with tourists leaves the island at the end of the summer, she will be safe.

I do not want to ruin this story for anyone who has not read it, so I will just tell you how it made me feel and some of my thoughts while reading. I knew something bad must have happened to Felicity when she was young due to her break with reality. I thought I had it all figured out. As an amateur psychologist (I got a minor in psychology at University), I pieced together the clues, to determine what was going on. Well, I was partly right, but also wrong. The suspense in this one was well done and the creepiness I felt was palpable. The doctor Felicity was meeting with, Joe, had issues of his own that left me worried about him treating her. Throw in some homeless, or people sleeping rough, some murders, a missing person and you have a very interesting story. It might sound like it was confusing, but it wasn't. The setting goes from the streets in England to the desolate glaciers of Antarctica and I felt like I was there with Felicity. Who is Freddie? Why is he looking for Felicity? What is Felicity hiding? Who is the killer stalking the homeless? A lot of great questions, and the answers will blow you away. I loved this one and definitely recommend it.