One more Kerry Wilkinson proves he’s a true storyteller. This is totally different to his usual books. As usual the characters are complex, yet likeable; you learn a lot about them as the story unfolds. The settings are well described and I could easily visualise them. I really didn’t know where this story was going to finish and kept me guessing until the end. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good crime story and maybe those who don’t.

This is a very hard review to write and rate. I honestly feel this is just middle of the road for me. Nothing stands out with this book. It’s not suspenseful, nothing ever really happens, & my feelings are just meh.

I have read almost all of Kerry's books, especially the Jessica Daniel series and enjoyed them all.

This book got off to a good start but then seemed to go a bit flat and I lost interest. Although the book was well written I just felt as though some of the background to the characters was missing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This story had potential but fell a bit flat for me. It centers around Abi, who returns to the small town she grew up in upon the death of her father. Literally right when she gets there, she witnesses a hit and run accident that leaves an 8 year old boy fighting for his life. The boy happens to be the son of one of her closest friends from childhood and she gets pulled back in to the social circle she had left all of those years ago.

I felt like the character development in this book was weak- the author didn't give enough background on why Abi hadn't talked to her parents for so long, and I wish I had understood more about what she was really like. She also didn't seem to get riled up about anything- she just kind of did what anyone asked her to do and didn't even seem to show much emotion upon the appearance of a long-lost sister.

The mystery itself was pretty good- I didn't figure out who did it until the author wanted me to, and there were some good red herrings throughout.

Overall, I don't think I'll remember much about this book later- decent story but the characters just didn't do it for me. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest reivew.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected.

Abi Coyle returns to the town she grew up in after her father dies. Unfortunately, she immediately stumbles upon a terrible accident and is caught up in the mystery of the hit and run.

The story is nicely paced for the most part and the author keeps the story moving along nicely. The characters are well written and believable. I particularly enjoyed Holly’s snake oil boxes- I’ve seen that so many times!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Not one of her best ones but still a good read. It's true what they say, you can pick your friends but not your family. ABI Coyle has returned to the family home with mixed reservations. While walking to the family home she hears the sqealling of a car taking off at high speed.. ABI also finds a young boy badly hurt at the bottom of a ditch. As I said a good read but I really wanted to know more about Abi's childhood and why did she hate her father. All in all a good read but nothing in the story really grabbed me. Saying that I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

The book centres around a woman, Abi, who returns to her childhood home and town after her father passes away. As she is nearing her childhood home she witnesses an accident where an 8 year old boy is involved in a hit and run accident. The driver of the hit and run doesn’t come forward, and Abi becomes a sort of private investigator to find the driver. She bumps into old ghosts along the way of her investigating.

I really enjoyed this book. Abi was a great character, although I feel she could have been explored more. I’d like to have known more of her current life, and I didn’t really get much of her personality in the story, except that she’s really nosey. I enjoyed all the typical British references woven into the story, and I think everyone British can understand the weird things we do.

I didn’t really connect with the other characters, especially Holly, although Jo was quite relatable.

Overall, I really liked the book. It was a great mystery thriller book. It was page turning, especially towards the end. Would recommend.

I have enjoyed several of Kerry Wilkinson's Jessica Daniels books so when his name popped up I immediately asked to review this book from NetGalley. I found the first half of the book disappointing, slow and ponderous and none of the characters really memorable. The pace did pick up towards the end and I liked the fiesty and determined Megan but I didn't think it was one of the author's best novels.

Our protagonist is Abi, a woman who left the small town of Elwood behind and then had to return twenty years later forced by the death of her father. For her, every corner is a memory of a life from which she escaped.

The newcomer witnesses a terrible event, a child is run over, and the perpetrator of the crime simply runs away. The boy by coincidence is the son of his best friend from youth, so Abí is submerged in all the commotion from the front row. But maybe that is what puts her in danger, because she is somewhat observant, and the person who ran away does not want to be found.

It had potential. The synopsis sends you inside with a good dose of suspense and throughout the reading the atmosphere that is created keeps you imagining the scene in cold and intriguing tones. I always like to highlight the positive side and let me tell you that the narration leaves the author very paradoxical. It is agile and light, so light that although I wanted to finish the book because I was not liking it as well as the pages passed me very quickly and at no time did I stagnate.

Now, in a matter of what I don't like there is enough fabric to cut. The protagonist seemed quite flat to me, in fact all the characters are, but the fact that she has a marked disregard for her life makes this stand out even more in her. As for the others it is simply because we do not have much interaction, he describes his temperament to us but we do not have time to see them develop.

I feel that by introducing a history of family violence in Abi's past, the author wanted to appeal to the sensitive vein, but the fact is that this was not relevant and I know it as another floating element.

Another point that was against history is that he did not know how to use his extension; It goes around the same topic without having any element that will give excitement to the narration for several pages. On the cover, something that stood out was the phrase "Now someone is looking at you", with that I expected the protagonist to feel eyes on all sides to the point that both she and I began to feel anxious, but more than one or two Such episodes left me disappointed. As I said. I just kept reading it because it is extremely light.

I liked Wilkinson's pen. Would I read any of your other books? Yes, I would definitely do it because I saw that it has a series that resembles a pretty good thriller, I would just hope not to run into the same problems this one had.

The story of Abi who witnesses a hit and run as she returns to her home town, and newly inherited house, to arrange her fathers funeral.

Firstly, I may be marking this harshly as i have read a LOT of thrillers back to back recently. Perhaps, I am a little genre-weary. I struggled with this book though.

I cared very little about any of the characters in this story and everything seemed just a bit flat. I felt I was reading about what people were doing, etc but never really identifying their personalities. It just didn't quite hit the spot for me.

Wonderful book, I absolutely loved it! I am a big Kerry Wilkinson fan and this did not disappoint, it was excellent. Full of breath holding and tense moments, and enough to keep me engaged right the way through the book. Kerry is a masterful storyteller and this did not disappoint. And omg that ending! Love love loved it, a big fat 5 stars. Highly recommend this book.

This book was very disjointed and confusing for me. It seemed to jump around quite a bit and it was difficult to keep the characters straight. I didn't have it figured out when the culprit was revealed but by the time it got to that point I was just trying to get to the end of the book. I was never really invested in the victim or the victims family and the main character was unlikable. It was an easy read but overall just not my favorite.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the arc The child across the street by Kerry Wilkinson.

After the death of her dad Abigail Coyne returns to her hometown Elwood in which she left 2 decades years ago. She has inherited the house in which was her fathers and following his death and returns to Elwood to deal with the sale of the house but also she has a gut feeling in which that there are other things that need to be addressed while she is here....

When she gets to Elwood she ends up witnesses an accident to do with an 8 year old boy whom is terrifyingly thrown off his bike when a car whom is out of control hits him.... She is first one at the scene and finds the severely injured boy and calls the local emergency departments. The 8 year old boy is who in which was then identified and she then discovers that he is actually the son of her childhood friend!! Following the accident she ends up feeling that she is being watched and stalked in which makes her feel uneasy and unsettled... Is her past coming back to give her a fright? is she under threat? or someone messing with her?....

This was my first book by Kerry Wilkinson and to say I am not disappointed she is such a beautiful writer in which structures her work really well and makes you want more, it leaves you on the edge of your seat... you really delve into the character of Abi and you become to be fond of her it is told from her POV.

5 Stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Definitely recommend

Brought back to get childhood home by her father's death,the main character witnesses a hit and run. Old friends, twists and turns and a few surprises. A tough story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this Arc.
I have read or should I say devoured all of Kerry Wilkinson's books. And I have loved every one of them.
This one, while being extremely good didn't grip me as much as the others.
BUT having said that I still cannot wait for his next one!!

Ethan is an eight year old boy riding his bicycle down the road. He is struck by a car that leaves the scene. Ethan is in a coma, in intensive care.
A young woman returning to her home town witnessed the accident and called for help. She is in her hometown because her father recently passed away and she needs to set his house in order.
She has immersed herself in something that she didn't expect. There is a hit and run driver in her hometown. And the chances of her knowing the person is extremely high. She grew up there. Everyone knows each other.
Soon persons are beginning to feel threatened by the knowledge they believe she has.
A mystery with a twist. A veritable whodunit!

As usual Kerry Wilkinson does it again and delivers another great stand alone read. The book deals with so many dark issues and personal struggles for Abi who, returning to her small town home on the death of her estranged father, witnesses a hit and run where a young boy is knocked off his bike and left for dead. Cue a journey where she confronts old memories, feelings and many skeletons from her past, while she also contemplates what her future might hold and if you can ever return home or indeed what home is. While all this soul searching is taking place there is the little matter of who the driver is. Lots of believable candidates are offered but never did I guess who it was nor the tangled web that is unravelled in their revel..

Abigail left home and never went back to her home town .but her father dies and leaves everything to her .she goes back but when she arrives a young boy is knocked down on his bike hit and run the boys mother is an old school friend . but someone from Beverley close did it and Abigail starts looking at the people who live there but there so many twist and turns in this book this author is brilliant so enjoyed

Abi returns to her childhood town to deal with her father’s death and the house he left her. She hasn’t been back “home” over twenty years and wants to get everything over with and then not look back. Before she even makes it to the house she finds a young boy left in a ditch after being hit by a car. A car that she realizes she saw but can’t describe. The little boy happens to be her childhood best friend’s son. Abi is torn between wanting to help and wanting to escape the tiny town that holds painful memories. I found this book to be a quick read and not too heavy. I liked how it could’ve been a number of characters that left the scene. It wasn’t one of those great books you can’t stop thinking about but overall it was decent.

"You've witnessed something terrible. Now someone is watching you". For me this book had so much potential as a thriller but for me it was just a story that seemed to drag.

Walking back to her family home, following the death of her estranged father, Abi witnesses a hit and run. People want to know what she has seen (which wasnt much). She reunites with old school friends she hasn't seen in 20 years and regrets coming home. The story is more of a revisiting of how a place has stood still in time rather than a whodunnit.