i enjoyed reading this book, I enjoyed the previous book The Furies, this book was a really good suspenseful read. I liked the characters and the story.

I love a story with a good unreliable narrator. But, and thankfully since has been such a popular type of story the last couple of years, this was done in a delightfully unexpected way. This was almost like a novelized version of the Steven Avery case in part and a traumatized and confused protagonist who was the both victim and the guilty.
The last few of these I’ve read I guessed at least part of the twists but this one I really was off. The disappointing part was that it wasn’t who I thought and I REALLY wish that person had had more fault in the story. At the same time, I didn’t guess what was happening which is always a huge plus for me. The “disappointment” in the above is actually a plus too...because apparently I love being tricked. This was a great story and for fans of unreliable narrators, wrongly convicted persons, and eye-for-an-eye revenge stories this will surely be a huge hit. Thanks so much to the publisher for my copy, I am so glad I was able to confirm the good reviews I’ve been hearing!

3.5 stars

Less is More

Possession is a psychological thriller about a woman who slowly loses her mind when a buried crime from her past resurfaces as the focus of a podcast.

Hannah has no recollection of the night her husband Graham was brutally murdered 10 years ago. With a podcast questioning the events surrounding Graham’s death, Hannah finds herself in the spotlight slowly losing her sanity.

The first chapter is freaking amazing! Sadly, it is downhill from here. I had to fight myself to keep reading this. I wanted to DNF, but I wanted to know what really happened to Graham, so I kept on reading.

There are some good parts to this book: Hannah’s unraveling is well-done, and she is a solid unreliable narrator. I am bumping my rating up because of the way her character gradually devolves.

At the same time, as intriguing as I found Hannah’s character, she makes some stupid choices that make no sense. Delusion and mind games cover up some of her choices, but there are a few moments that had me shaking my head and rolling my eyes.

Unfortunately, there is just too much going on in this book. The timeline is confusing, the storyline is confusing, and some of the events just don’t make sense. In addition to the mystery of Graham's murder, mental illness, domestic violence, eating disorders, a weird insane asylum, a distorted family history, and the podcast all play a role. Eventually, all comes together with an ending that I wasn't expecting.

I am torn when it comes to this book. There are some intriguing aspects, and Hannah's character is well-crafted, but too many side stories and confusion earns this book a mixed bag rating for me!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Twisty and a bit of a jumble, Ten years after being suspected of killing her first husband, Hannah is again practicing psychology and is making the most of her new life with her daughter, and a new partner...Only to have a true crime podcast revisit the case and throw everything into question.

Possession is a tantalizing exploration of a woman coming apart at the seams and whose family history of mental illness has her questioning everything she thought she believed about the night her husband died. The podcast portions are the most interesting part of the story. It offers up some interesting commentary the Internet & social media's rush to judgment, but left me feeling the more compelling story here was untold. But maybe I'm just more in the mood for revenge thrillers these days.

3.5

Hannah Mclelland is a woman with a tragic past. When he daughter, Evie, was only 5, her husband Graham was murdered. Now, 10 years later, a podcast focused on wrongfully convictions is focused on her husband's case.

Hannah has moved on and away from that night long ago. She has a wonderful man in her life who has become a father figure to her Evie. She has a job she loves and a cottage tucked away out of the hustle and bustle. Then, Conviction comes along with their claims of her possible guilt in the death of her husband. She begins seeing and hearing Graham. She begins remembering their life together and wondering herself if she is truly guilty of killing him.

Did Hannah kill her husband that night long ago like the podcast host believes... or is the killer already behind bars?

This book has SO MANY twists! I swear my brain was going in circles at one point and I wanted to stop reading. I was a bit confused but I stuck with it. In that one final twist, when Hannah isn't sure of anything.... it all clicked. This is a brilliantly written thriller and I truly couldn't put it down.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC to be able to review this book.

Wow. My mind is spinning after finishing this book.

While most plots with perspectives that jump around tend to frustrate me, I thought Katie Lowe pulled it off really well. Rather than being distracted by the multiple storylines, I was hooked on *all* of them and wanted to see how it tied together. I also loved the slightly Gothic elements to the novel, although I think she could have picked a lane and really run with it.

Without revealing any spoilers, I'm not super excited with the portrayal of mental health. It felt more like a plot device for some characters than actual development. I also felt that as the tension built up at the end, the writing was so vague that it kept losing me rather than driving me to the conclusion.

Overall, this was a great thriller that had many layers and twists that kept me guessing. I hope she writes more suspense like this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Possession.

I was intrigued by the mysterious blurb so I was excited when my request was approved.

When a podcast revives interest in the death of a murdered professor from a decade ago, his widow must come to terms with her own complicity of his death.

This is the not the first, and sadly not the last, book to use social media and podcasts as a plot device, which is fine in our contemporary age, but I'm getting tired of it.

There are very familiar and all too often used tropes in Possession; gaslighting, mental illness, assuming the main character is 'crazy' and the unreliable female main character.

Hannah is not a likable character; she's not detestable, but I didn't like or sympathize with her.

Character development isn't great, especially in regards to Hannah. Her domestic partner is a decent man, it's nice to read about a male character who is not a total meanie, and her daughter, Evie, wasn't bad.

The author spent far too much time ruminating on how little Hannah remembers of her first husband's death, over and over.

It dragged the narrative down, and made the story longer than necessary.

I guessed the identity of the killer right from the start, but it took so long to get there.

I also wasn't a fan of the author using mental illness as a plot device, Hannah's belief that she may have inherited a genetic trait for committing a violent crime.

This is a common misconception and used all too often in books and movies. Most people who are mentally ill are not violent.

I know some readers would really enjoy Possession, but this was just okay for me.

A powerfully written psychological thriller. Hannah's husband was murdered 10 years ago. There were two suspect's, a young man named Michael, and Hannah. Michael was charged and sent to prison. In Hannah's mind she's not sure if maybe she murdered her husband. In an array of twists and turns that gets the reader thinking, this Author has brought this character's story to life.
Compelling and intriguing!

This book had me hooked from the first page. It was unpredictable and offered enough suspense to make it hard to put down. Such a great read!

I enjoyed this book as a different spooky read, there was a lot going on but overall it was enjoyable.

There was a lot of going back and forth on Hannah and her life, this was compelling and held me till the end. While i didn't enjoy the ending as much as the rest of the book i would recommend this to others who like that mystery/spooky read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This presents as a decent spooky story, complete with voices from nowhere, chilly air, and a seemingly haunted old sanatorium. There are strangers, and people coming back from the past. There's a good mystery, and compelling characters.

While not completely unenjoyable, it read as a bit convoluted. It seemed to not know if it was a book about a haunted house, about an axe-wheelding monster, or amnesia. All of these things separately, even two combined, could be spooky, but all three in one book was a bit messy. Things appeared in one place that seemed to suit another storyline, and no clear connections were ever really made. I really wanted to get to the heart of the mystery, which turns out was quite interesting, but I had to wade through a lot og wasted words to get there.

This book is like a 5-course meal where only dessert is really enjoyable. Everything else feels superfluous.

Next time I think I'll have dessert first.

The story begins with the murder of Graham, husband of Hannah and father of Evie. Ten years later, a true crime podcast re-investigates the crime. I am a fan of true crime podcasts and the story intrigued me. It was a very good story, and I enjoyed the writing style. Recommended!

Victim or perp? Did she or didn't she? The mind is a terrible thing. Can you really trust what you think happened - everyone has their own agenda. Past and present mix together to shape a scary scenerio that sucks you in. All through this read I was going back and forth about Hannah. Is this what's it like for someone in the news? You get a front row seat to see what happens to someone. This is a psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge. Will check into other offerings from this author and certainly look forward to future ones.

I'm reviewing an advanced reader copy of this book given to me by Netgalley.

Possession is a roller coaster of a book! Hannah is a psychiatrist whose husband was murdered 10 years ago. She can't remember anything about that night and has since tried to move on with her life. But when a true crime podcast chooses her husband's murder as its next case, she worries that her life will be torn apart. After the man who was initially jailed for the murder is freed people begin to accuse Hannah of the crime. What really happened that night? Hannah tried to remember before her life falls apart again. This book was well-written with twists to keep the reader guessing until the end. I'll keep an eye out for more Katie Lowe books in the future.

This was an excellent dark thriller!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. I couldn’t put this one down... literally. I stayed up all night devouring this book.

It was very compelling! A roller coaster ride through Hannah’s life and trauma. She was well thought out and described. I especially loved that she was a psychiatrist.

The pacing and the way the plot was measured out reminded me of Gone Girl. If you liked that, you will for sure like this.

When a podcast dedicated to solved crimes that seem not quite right, starts picking at the death of Hannah’s husband, her whole life unravels. Of course she looks like the one who did it, because who else could it have been?

I’m not sure if the author intended to or not, but there is a very good message about the dangers of social media, rabid fan bases and what people will do for clicks, for internet fame. It’s so beautifully spelled out in the book in the ugliest way and it definitely plays into the plot. Even though it’s not touched on specifically in the book, it should be a lesson to everyone not to believe everything just because someone spun it to look a certain way. Things in life are rarely so simple. There’s a very good Swiss cheese analogy in the book: when you stack slices it is unlikely that the holes will line up just so, but they could and then there’s a hole all the way to the bottom.

The plot and the characters and what is and isn’t going on isn’t too obvious, but isn’t too completely “out there” either; I think it lends credibility. There was one twist I was very surprised by, but will not mention as I don’t want to spoil it. The others kept me guessing but I was guessing. I wasn’t too far off. Yet that didn’t diminish the reading experience.

The only thing I disliked about the book was the ending; or rather the extra after section. I think it would have been better without building to a sequel and tying up the extra loose ends. This was so compelling as it was, I hope there isn’t a sequel. It’s beautiful as it is. Definitely pick this up!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: January 26, 2021.
Hannah Catton’s husband is murdered in their bed, while she is left with minor injuries and no recollection of that night. Although a local man sits in jail for the murder, many people believe Hannah to be responsible, her memory loss nothing more than an easy excuse. Now, ten years later, Hannah is happily remarried to Dan, and the two are raising Evie, Hannah’s daughter from her previous marriage. The trouble begins when a local crime podcast entitled “Conviction” makes claims that Hannah’s husband’s murderer is still out there, and that the wrong man sits in jail for his crime. As the podcast grows in popularity, attentions are soon put back on Hannah, and after years of trying to hide, her secrets will soon be made public.
“Possession” is the second novel by U.K novelist Katie Lowe. Her first novel, The Furies, came out last year and it piqued my interest, although I never had the chance to read it. “Possession” is about an unsolved murder, a family secret and an old, decrepit psychiatric hospital that may or may not have some paranormal secrets of its own.
Hannah is an interesting character; a psychiatrist with a troubled past, she is likable and immediately creates empathy and relatability with the reader. Hannah is desperate to protect her child and her family <i> (even if it means protecting them from herself) </i> and there is a vulnerability in her that most readers will find endearing and personable.
The twists and turns in this novel are quite complex. There is the murder plotline <i> (who really killed Hannah’s husband? Did she have something to do with it? Is her memory loss real or just an excuse?) </i>, then of course the potential haunted family history tied to Hawkwood House <i> (and the spirits that possibly reside therein) </i> and the separate storyline of Hannah’s grandmother and her supposed mental breakdown. This is definitely a novel that you need to pay attention to, as the twists and turns come fast, and they require some sorting through.
I liked the ending, although there was a bit of a predictable element to it <i> (I knew one of the characters was fishy, but I hadn’t figured out why until the end, when the author revealed it) </i>. The fact that a random character, mentioned only a few times in the story, could play such a large role was hard to swallow.
Overall, the novel was a good read, full of murder, intrigue and haunted family secrets. The ending was a bit out there, though, as if Ms. Lowe tried too hard to make the twist unpredictable. “Possession” started off hot, and kept my interest the whole way through, without flagging once, and this is difficult to do with a novel of this genre. Kudos to Ms. Lowe, and I look forward to reading what she comes up with next!

Ok, this definitely reminded me of a show on Netflix where they convict the wrong man and yrs later he/she is released. The story goes back to when Hannah’s husband was brutally murdered in their home while she was there. A man named Michael was charged for his murder although many believe that Hannah herself killed her husband or she had something to do with it. There is a podcast that delves into the murder mystery and because Hannah claims to not remember a thing that happened that day, there are many more questions than answers. As Hannah has moved on with her life and remarried with a child she starts getting threats and all eyes are on her now. The only problem I had with this book was that there were too many characters doing too many things at one time. It was somewhat hard to follow along. The premise is perfect as was most of the storyline. The writer fell short of getting some of the timeline correct. Overall, I would recommend it though.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

"I think of the crime shows I watch, in the early hours: the ones he says make me stupid. Cheap thrills for fat housewives, he calls her. But I find them riveting. They seem to make the hours pass more swiftly."

-
I read this in one day on and off nursing my baby. Maybe it's because I watch and read a lot of true crime, but the crime podcast part of the story was the most believable and interesting part. Basically, a true crime podcast has decided to do a season on Hannah's husband's murder and the host is convinced Hannah was the murderer. Hannah doesn't actually remember that night...so that's the murder mystery.
There's also a ghost storyline, a catfish storyline and a bunch of mentions of disordered eating because Hannah works a clinic for teenagers with eating disorders.
Oh, and there's a whole domestic abuse plot.


There's a whole lot going on and it doesn't all work together. It feels like the author had a few separate stories and tried to unsuccessfully combine them all. I wanted the true crime podcast to be the main plot and I was let down.

The twists were predictable and I was left annoyed I spent a whole day reading this.

Ok, I'm officially on the Katie Lowe train! I loved The Furies and now this. I am a fan, So, the story itself is engaging and gripping the entire time- which makes a great thriller- BUT can we discuss her writing??? This book is so much more well-crafted and literary than your everyday thriller. It is complex, with beautifully developed characters with an emphasis on the fascinating main character. Very similar to how Ottessa Moshfegh words things, but not exact- just reminiscent, in my opinion. I love Ottessa as well and also think she is a beautiful writer.
The story is ultimately about Hannah, whose husband was murdered a decade before. Hannah was there, knocked unconscious, and can’t remember anything about it. She had always maintained her innocence, and someone else was arrested and convicted for the murder...filed away as a botched burglary. FORWARD TO THE PRESENT: Hannah and her daughter live with her fiancé. When a popular podcast called “Conviction” decides to focus on the decade-old murder of Hannah's husband, we learn that there are quite a few people who think Hannah knows more than she shared. I am going to zip my lips at that because there are some great twisty moments throughout and I hate spoilers. This book was fantastic. Katie Lowe is amazing. Thank you for the opportunity to read this early!

*Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katie Lowe for an ARC of this book!*

NEXT UP ON Conviction...The brutal murder of Graham in his London home put home invader Michael in jail. But Graham's wife Hannah was at the scene, and claims not to remember a thing. Has the wrong suspect taken the fall for this grisly crime?

This is the dilemma Hannah faces, as Anna Byers' wildly popular crime podcast Conviction has chosen her case to explore and exploit, and the digging begins. Hannah has moved on now, 10 years later, to a quiet home in the countryside with new husband Dan and her daughter Evie. She has left her old profession and the terrible night she can't quite remember far behind, but the past can't stay buried forever. As the threats start coming her way and all eyes are cast in her direction, Hannah reconnects with a former colleague Darcy who has come into ownership of the mysterious Harkwood House, a haunting place that has mysterious ties to Hannah's grandmother and a terrifying incident from the past. Can Hannah muddle through her own memories to discover the truth about the night in question before she ends up behind bars and convicted for good?

I had such sky high expectations coming into this book due to what seemed like a fascinating premise. Possession's eye-catching, terrifying cover really helped to set the tone and I think may have given me some ideas from the beginning as far as what this book might be like. Unfortunately, the longer the story went on, the more convoluted it became, and I often felt like I was losing focus on the 'main' theme of the book. This is a book that tries to be a murder-mystery, a psychological thriller AND a ghost story...and suffers because of it. There were several interesting plot threads brought in throughout, which normally would lead to a big payoff or an "aha" moment at the end of the book...but for me, this one didn't have it. There is a 'fakeout' type twist towards the end, and I actually would have preferred the other ending because I think it fit the characters better and did the story justice. Since the timeline jumps around quite a bit and felt a bit messy, I think that the story would have benefited immensely from either a second narrator or simply first person narration. I never fully felt like I was in Hannah's mind, and I think for this story to work, that is essential.

Possession as a concept fits right in with the hot trend popping up in crime fiction recently: a podcast that blasts open the past and leaves the reader and 'listeners' questioning everything they thought they knew. There were some really interesting ideas here, but I wish Lowe had chosen one underlying theme for Hannah and just run with it. This was a unique read, however, and I am curious to see where Lowe's imagination will take her next!