Continuing with my Lisa Jewell backlist catch-up, I decided to go for Invisible Girl and this story is a showcase of Lisa Jewell doing what she does best! I was intrigued from Page 1 and as all of the different elements came into play I found myself hooked. The multiple POVs worked really well for this type of story and helped to build up more and more layers of the mystery before being broken back down again to reveal the truth. There were a lot of red herrings to pick your way through, and I was caught out several times having thought I'd worked out what was going on and who was involved, only to get it completely wrong. Something quite unusual for me was that I preferred one POV quite a lot more than the others, I know that the others were important to the plot but I really looked forward to coming back around to one particular character. A gripping psychological thriller with an interesting mix of characters. Some dark and uncomfortable topics are covered but I really loved the way that the multiple POVs allowed these topics to be explored from different perspectives.

I don't know how I missed this on my to be read pile. But I did, and I feel terrible about it, because I have really been missing out.

It's one of those books that you just can't put down, no matter what needs to be done, it's definitely a one sitting job. Lisa Jewell weaves a brilliant story and this one is no exception.

This book delves into the world of a missing girl, affairs, stalking, incels and relationships. Disturbing and upsetting but brilliantly told and with plenty of twists and turns.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I ended up not finishing this one, it just wasn't for me, thanks anyway for taking the time to accept my request.

I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and her writing. I certainly wasn’t disappointed with this one. A classic thriller book typical of what you’d expect from her. Wonderful writing , plot great, amazing

Invisible Girl, written by Lisa Jewell, is a gripping novel that takes us on a thrilling journey to uncover a truth shrouded in mystery. This story centers around Saffyre Maddox, a ten year old girl with a painful past, who has learnt to live in the shadows, where she can protect herself from the one she thought would help her. At the same time, we also meet Owen Pick, a man in his thirties who, like Saffyre, is often overlooked and taken for granted, who has never even had a friend.

As the story unfolds, we witness a journey of survival and courage, where Saffyre and Owen learn to rely on each other in order to battle the external forces that are set out to hurt them. The book captures a stark portrayal of what it is to feel like an “invisible girl” or man, as Jewell showcases both Saffyre and Owen’s plights through descriptive, raw writing that draws readers in with an intense understanding of the situations the two protagonists find themselves in.

We learn, through Jewell’s storytelling, that we must take time to pay attention to the invisible amongst us and really listen to their stories, and to their cries for help. Through her powerful writing, Jewell manages to move readers while showing that we can only find the real predators among us when we look in the right places. A compelling and powerful novel, Invisible Girl will have you at the edge of your seat as you witness the heartbreaking struggle of a young girl who is simply looking for someone to save her.

I sped through this book and was kept engaged by the very short chapters. I was intrigued by the different POVs and how they all linked in with each other. I think it was very cleverly written and really interesting to read and I felt the characters were very relatable. It's a very thought-provoking book about how society jumps to quick conclusions about individuals, particularly when we don't know them. It highlights the power the media has over people and I found this element of the book really interesting.

Classic Lisa Jewell - well-developed, believable characters and thoroughly modern and relatable scene-setting. Full of twists, the story is fast-paced and engaging. Contemporary themes of prejudice and class are expertly handled. Overall, a great read.

Another highly readable, compulsive thriller from Lisa Jewell that I found gripping and powerful, and highly engaging, with strong characterisation throughout!

Anchored by a gripping prologue and fast-paced chapters with clear narrations, Invisible Girl ticks all the requirements of an excellent, compelling, shocking psychological thriller. Do not be discouraged with a slow start that establishes a core foundation between family dynamics and relationships between the characters, for the ending makes it completely worth it. There are trigger warnings of self-harm, abuse and sexual violence; an important theme explored in this book. The narrative is dark, swirling around characters with deep-rooted secrets, brimming suspicions and brutal betrayals. I had my thinking cap on, and while I did decipher who was behind the crime, Lisa Jewell's execution was simply brilliant! The ending was something I read twice, with 'NO WAY" being verbally uttered. This is not my last book of Lisa Jewell's. A 5-star read! I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy dark, psychological thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

A great read, really enjoyed it. Good characters and a twisty plot that keeps you guessing about some of the main protaganists.

This is the very first Lisa Jewell book I've read, but it definitely won't be the last! I can see why her books are so popular, well written but a real page turner and at some point you suspect most of the characters to be responsible for the disappearance of the Invisible Girl. The dynamics of Cate and Roan's marriage, plus Owen's complicated character in particular stood out for me. The plot kept me hooked the whole way through, and I can't wait to read some more of Lisa's books!

Dark and twisty, gripping and intense. People are never what they seem. its disturbing reality makes it a gripping read with charachters like you and me. It could happen in your street. Thats part of what makes it so readable, and you wont be able to rest until you know.

This is a well-paced novel that was very thought-provoking. Twisty and shocking on occasion it was a good read.

Ah, if ever there was a stereotypical geography teacher, then Jewell has nailed it! Maybe that's a bit harsh on geography teachers but lets be honest, they're never the hot guy with loads of dates are they?
Anyhooo, I enjoyed this. I can't say there were any characters I really liked in it, except maybe Josh (he reminded me of an older version of my son). I think this lack of relatable "nice" characters may be why I didn't rate it higher, there was nobody you were rooting for. Yes, Owen got the short straw but he didn't exactly help himself, Roan was one of those characters where you wondered why he hadn't lost his job and Saffyre was just annoying.
There was a point where it reminded me of the news a few months ago about the guy who went on a murder spree because he couldn't get a girlfriend. And then there was another where it reminded me of the tv show "A Mother's Son" with Hermione Norris. There was so many ways that this could go. I won't ruin it by telling you how it did end but it was satisfying.

Despite it's gripping prologue that leaves you on the precipice of wanting more, what then played out I wasn't sure if I would enjoy INVISIBLE GIRL as much as Lisa Jewell's previous thrillers. But I should not have doubted because while I initially thought it a slow start the beginning was actually laying the foundations for a solid thriller that left readers questioning just what the hell was going on. I mean, seriously? And then just when you think you know what is going on, the shift changes again leaving your head spinning going...what the...?

While it is not my favourite that Lisa Jewell has penned - "Then She Was Gone" topped that list - it is a good solid thriller that will keep you guessing...even when you think you know how it is going to play out. But besides being a thriller, it is also a thought-provoking story of abuse, misogyny and sexual assault. The main players being: a suspicious wife, a dodgy husband, a creepy neighbour and a 17 year old girl who has thus gone missing. So what happened on that Valentine's night? Who is responsible for the missing girl's disappearance? Someone saw something, surely. Or someone isn't telling the truth.

Saffyre Maddox is not your typical teenager. She has no real friends, is not interested in boys and spends most of her time roaming the streets of a Hampstead village predominantly at night. She's the invisible girl no one sees. But when she was 10 years old she suffered something so traumatic it altered her perspective on life, on people, on everything. And so she self harms as a consequence. She received therapy from child psychologist Roan Fours for three years before he deemed her progress to be so improved she no longer needed him. But Roan had barely scratched the surface and Saffyre's issues were so deep-seated they remained unresolved. And in a bid to heal herself, she begins to stalk Roan and uncovers something she never expected to find. And then she disappears...

Cat Fours is a middle-aged middle class wife married to Roan with two teenage children - Georgia (15) and Josh (14). They are currently renting a flat in Hampstead while their own house in Kilburn is being restored. But despite her smiles, Cat isn't at all happy and, not for the first time, suspects Roan of having an affair. In fact, it's not even the first time he's had an affair. His behaviour is a little off coupled with the late nights and early starts and endless amounts of running he does, something just doesn't sit right. She thought, when looking for temporary premises, that Hampstead would be a nice quiet and exclusive place to live for the duration...until she hear the news of sexual assaults on women nearby. And when Georgia calls her one night on her way home from the Tube, scared that someone is following her, Cate fears for her daughter's safety whilst someone is out there targeting women.

Owen Pick is a non-descript man with no friends and is a 33 year old virgin. He has something of a sad family background, leaving him feeling awkward and out of step in social situations, and has lived with his aunt in Hampstead since he was eighteen. Things get even worse for him when his drink is spiked at a school disco he is chaperoning and he makes untoward advances and inappropriate comments to some of the students, and is thus suspended. Everyone thinks Owen is strange, weird, creepy even - the girls at school, the neighbours, a woman he inadvertently bumped into on his way home, even his aunt. And the girl across the road keeps giving him strange looks whilst he just stares blankly at her, wondering what it is he has done. And then things go from bad to worse for poor Owen when Saffyre goes missing and she was last seen outside his house.

How these people's lives intersect in this dark and somewhat disturbing tale unfolds through the eyes of Saffyre, Cate and Owen both before and after Valentine's night around which this story revolves. The narrative is dark and it is chilling and I had no idea who would come out of it unbroken...if at all. What is essentially highlighted in this book is not only the obvious but the vulnerability of people like Owen and how susceptible they are to predators of a different kind. I especially sympathised with Owen because he was so incredibly awkward around people, he even admitted that women terrified him, and yet he was in the frame for Saffyre's disappearance. But is he guilty? Or is it the work of the serial predator around the neighbourhood who has been assaulting women? Or something more sinister?

The other characters all have their redeeming and even less redeeming qualities but they each played a part in this disturbing thriller where no one is who they appear to be. Cate was a protective mother hen, suspicious of hubby Roan, who himself was decidedly dodgy anyway. Then there is son Josh who appears to be sweeter that sweet son but what is he really hiding? And Georgia's friend Tilly who claimed she was assaulted as she left their house and then retracted her assertion...is she telling the truth or hiding something? Everyone in this book, pretty much, is hiding something. Nobody is who they appear to be.

And then there is that ending...BAM! What the...?

Upon re-reading the last lines, I was like...Lisa Jewell, you have redeemed yourself with that ending!! And best of all, those short snappy chapters keep the pace moving along nicely even when it starts off slow.

Perfect for fans of dark and twisted thrillers.

I would like to thank #LisaJewell, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #InvisibleGirl in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent story that explores how well we know the depths of the people around us or even ourselves. Although there is a large cast of characters each person was distinct and unique. I never had a problem telling them apart or wondering who was who. Although this started of quite slowly I had immediate sympathy for the family at the centre of the story. Having had to live in accommodation paid for by an insurance company while my house was rebuilt I know how disorienting it can be and so I identified with Cate and very much wanted to follow her story even if at times I wasn’t sure I liked her.

Claustrophobic. Nail biting. Absolutely brilliant! Another excellent Lisa Jewell. I will always pick up her next as they just get better and better.

I guessed a couple of the reveals long before they appeared - including one of the biggest - and yet it did not take away my enjoyment of this book. Lisa Jewell is wonderful at creating the dark atmosphere in her novels and this is no different. The characters were great and explored subjects that are not commonplace even in the crime world. When I finished this I had to carry on reading more of Jewell's books as I usually do when I read one of them!

I was really disappointed with Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell. Usually I love Lisa’s books but unfortunately I did not enjoy this one. I found it really slow and boring and I did not finish it. Sorry not for me.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars

So I got this out from the library a few weeks ago, forgetting that I also had a copy of this from Netgalley. Yes, I have a problem and no, I will not do anything about it.

The story revolves around three points of view, Cate Fours, Saffyre Maddox and Owen Pick.

Cate is a stay at home mum who is trying to make the move back into work. She's married to Roan, a child psychologist. Their marriage is on the rocks. Cate is convinced he's hiding something.
Owen has never had a girlfriend. He lives a lonely existence with his elderly aunt. He's seen as an oddball by everyone.

Saffyre is a troubled 17-year-old, holding onto the hurt in her past. When she goes missing, it sets off a chain of events that no-one could predict.

When I started reading this I was kind of like, what's going on here? Who are these three people and what have they got to do with each other? It ended up taking me a while to actually get into the story, but once I did, I was hooked.

I have to be honest; I found Owen entirely unlikeable to begin with, but as the story carried on, just kind of ending up feeling sorry for him. By the end, he felt like a completely different person and ended up having the best character arc of all three of them.

Invisible Girl ended up surprising me, in a good way, and I will recommend it if you love character driven psychological thrillers.