This picks up around the halfway point, but it's a chore to get through until then. Also, I'm getting tired of these books where people don't say things to each other, instead marinating in their secrets. Or these books where people let their kids talk to them any kinda way. Once again, I am too Southern for that.

Thank you, St. Martin's, for this copy.

10 years after her first husband’s murder a podcast starts bringing suspission back to Hannah. Hannah is a psychiatrist with her life perfectly together with her daughter Evie and live in boyfriend Dan. She has no memory of her husband’s murder but is also unconviced of her own inocence since she knows she did pick up the knife that night since she was done with the abuse. As the story progresses Hannah’s mental health disintegrates. Could Hannah be following in her murderous grandmother’s footsteps and is she being haunted by her husband’s malicious ghost?
Possession is a tale that is non stop from the beginning. It grabbed my attention right away and held it all the way through. I honestly was kept guessing until the end. Though I had a theory of “who done it” I wasn’t sure as it was only one of a few. I really liked this book!

Possession is certainly the correct title for this book because it certainly possessed me. Hannah thinks she has put the past behind her until a crime podcast re-visits what happened when her husband was murdered. Most of the book I was convinced that Hannah was guilty. The author than starts putting together this story of revenge and the lengths that people go to. You may feel a little adrift at first but soldier through because the pay off is worth it. Dark, terrifying and thrilling read.
Thanks Martin Press and Netgalley for an ARC.

Holy heck, this book. It is a crime thriller that swaps back and forth between present day and a past portion of Hannah's life. The author had me guessing whether or not Hannah did what she's accused of nearly the entire book. I'm normally good at figuring out the whodunnit, and I was not successful here at all. The twists and turns, as well as the slow leak of pertinent information to the case at hand, made this book a gripping read for me.

Wow. Possession was extremely dark and twisty, this psychological thriller had me all over the place. She did it she didn’t do it she did and back to she didn’t did she. An amazing ride. This was hard to put down. Possession had me trapped for hours.

"Katie Lowe's Possession is a psychological thriller novel about a woman whose husband was murdered ten years ago, and the true crime podcast that digs up all the secrets from her past she'd tried to keep buried..." I was intrigued by this short blurb for this book. I love murder mysteries, and I LOVE true crime podcasts, so I knew this would be a perfect story for me. And holy cow, it was.

Hannah's husband was murdered ten years ago, and though Hannah has limited (and unreliable) memories of that night, she is fairly certain that the man who was put away for the crime may not actually be guilty. Unfortunately, a popular true-crime podcaster shares the same gut feeling and decides to focus the next season of her podcast on Hannah's husband's murder. Hannah suddenly finds her life totally upended by the podcast and what it reveals.

WOW. This story has really stuck with me ever since I read it. Like I said, I love true crime podcasts, but I have never considered how the other people discussed in the podcast (i.e. anyone except the victim and the guilty party) are affected by them. I also really enjoyed that all the little storylines throughout the book tied together in the end - I was curious about why these side stories were being discussed at all, but it all made sense in the final chapters. I also never saw the ending coming; it was abrupt and a shock, but that's part of what makes me continue to think about this book! I very much enjoyed it, recommend 100% to anyone else who enjoys murder mysteries and true crime podcasts, and look forward to reading more from Katie Lowe.

This is just like a scary movie playing in my head. I absolutely loved this one perfect time of year to read it.

Who's got two thumbs and loves when all the storylines come together at the end of a book? This girl.

I was really excited about the premise of this book — a true crime podcast digging into a 10-year-old murder and absolutely uprooting a woman's life? Sign me up. Love to see it. The book opens on a woman discovering her husband's body — totally gruesome and just *chef's kiss* moment. You find out that Hannah, the wife, wasn't tried and it becomes and open-and-shut case —it's a burglary gone wrong and a young guy with a record is put awa. Enter: a nosy wannabe journalist who starts digging, and suddenly, all eyes are on Hannah, who, at this point has a 16-year-old daughter, a live-in boyfriend (slash soon-to-be fiance), steady job as a doctor at a facility for girls with eating disorders, and a weird fascination with a nearby closed down mental facility (as well as the new owner of said nearby facility). All these ingredients add up to a perfect whodunnit situation.

I do feel like it didn't completely live up to my expectations and the character development felt a little rushed, but it absolutely culminated into a killer ending (pun intended?) that was both satisfying and unsettling all rolled into one.

The main narrator's husband was killed ten years ago. Now a podcaster is discussing this crime, stating the person put in jail didn't do it.
Several twists and good characterizations. Unusual ending.

This was amazing!!! When I saw Katie Lowe had written another book I was alllll over it. I loved 2019’s The Furies. This one blew it out of the water though!
Possession is everything I love in a thriller: dual timeline, unreliable narrator done really well, and a nuanced, perfectly paced mystery. I could not put it down!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Ahhhh! I never saw the ending for this book coming.

Hannah’s husband was murdered years and years ago, leaving her and their daughter, Evie, behind. Hannah now lives with Dan, and together they make a very happy family of three.

Until a podcaster begins digging into the conviction of Mike Phillips, who supposedly murdered Hannah’s husband, Graham. As the podcast spins a different story- Hannah was the only person in the house that night, besides Evie- people start backing away from Hannah and she begins to feel like she’s losing her mind. Worse than that, she begins to fear the truth getting out.

The characters are superbly written. I love Dan. The flashbacks are well-written. I loved the whole book and could barely put it down!

Oh I loved this! Books about podcasts have always been intriguing to me. This psychological thriller was great and perfect for spooky season!

I was not a fan of Ms. Lowe’s debut, The Furies, but decided to still give this one a try. Unfortunately, I just don’t jive with her style.

Ten years ago, Hannah had woken up next to her husband - Graham -he had been murdered. Although a suspect was convicted, the events of that night are still haunting Hannah. . Did she murder Graham? Or...

Later - 10 years - Hannah is working as a psychiatrist and living with Dan (her partner of 5 years) and her daughter, Evie.

The Podcast: "Conviction" is to focus on Graham's death and the following conviction of the murderer. Millions watch this, and Hannah is extremely worried about what may unfold...

A gripping story with many facets. Sure to engage...

Many Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a good, solid read!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katie Lowe for this ARC. There was a ton going on this book, but I really enjoyed the use of a podcast as a setting off point. For readers who enjoy twists and turns, this is one to take in. I would caution those who are on the squeamish side as this one is pretty violent.

This is the darkest, most disturbing, distressing and heart pounding book I have read this year. I had to keep putting it down and work through what I just read. I had to continue it in the daylight, afraid that it would infiltrate my dreams if I picked it up before bed. Really, that’s how much it affected me. This is the third book I’ve recently reviewed that revolves around a true crime podcast. It’s also so much more, mental illness, domestic abuse, family secrets, unreliable narrators, tricky friendships, trust and love. Oh, and did she murder her husband and let s young man go to jails and is she planning another one? Sick Stunning and smart author I can’t wait to read again.

The very best kind of psychological thriller that grabs you by the throat from page one and never lets go. Did that sound a little macabre? Well, so is this book, and I LOVED it.

The book is about Hannah, whose husband was murdered a decade before. Hannah was there, knocked unconscious, and can’t remember anything about it. Or...can she? Although an errant burglar was arrested for the crime....now, years later, a Serial-like podcast is on the scene, and its host has determined that Hannah is the killer who got away, and another man was framed for the murder. Oh also did I mention the title of this book is VERY relevant, in more ways than one? (Yes Ms. Lowe, I see what you did there, clever one!) There are a whole bunch of cool themes I could tell you about but I think it’s much more fun to go in a bit blind, like I did, and enjoy watching them unfold.

First and foremost - I must say that there were ZERO (0) boring pages in this entire book. Possibly even no boring sentences. It was pulse-pounding, smart, sick suspense the whole time. When my heart wasn’t in my throat, my jaw was dropped. When my jaw wasn’t dropped, I was wondering how I would sleep at night or get any work done till I could get back to the book.

But equally worth mentioning — this book is beautifully written from the start, with a much more literary tone than a lot of today’s thrillers. It’s incredibly complex, has fantastic characters and amazing twists, and has an incredibly fascinating main character. And it does all this whole being a cut above (WAY above) most current thrillers on the writing front. I will be surprised if this book does not get nominated for an Edgar. Possession (though different in many ways) reminded me in some ways of Sara Gran’s gorgeous book Come Closer, which is also one of my favorites.

I absolutely loved all the many directions this book went. You will question everything - every motivation, every statement, every character...and yet, there are no real red herrings here, as everything ties together in a great way at the end. Yes friends, this book has the very best kind of satisfying thriller ending — one that is different than what you expect but also somehow exactly what you are looking for. This is also one of those rare great thrillers that you immediately want to read again to see what else you notice now that you know how it ends.

As you may have gathered, I absolutely loved being terrified by this book, and there’s no way this book won’t be on my top ten list at the end of the year. This book was an experience. For my psychological thriller fan friends — get in on this one right away. It’s awesome, and it’s going to be a big hit.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Katie Lowe (whose backlist I am checking out immediately) for the ARC of this exceptional thriller.

This was a very intriguing and gripping book! It’s many twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat! It will keep you guessing throughout!

Did she or didn’t she? So many twists in this one, I never knew what to think.... but in a good way. Is Hannah imagining things? Or is someone out to get her?
When a podcast brings new scrutiny into her husbands murder, Hannah’s life is turned inside out. A surprise ending I did not see coming.

I love a creepy book that incorporates a podcast, and this one did not disappoint. I was hooked almost immediately, wondering what really happened the night of the murder and I thought the present day storylines were well-woven into the narrative. There was a lot going on and a lot of threads and characters to keep track of, but I didn't have too much trouble tracking and following. This may be because I read this in two sittings.

I thought certain elements of the climax and big reveal were a bit rushed, and I thought certain characters could have had a bit more development/motivation to explain their actions. I also was thrown off by the suggestion of something supernatural happening when it was clear it wasn't that kind of book. But, overall, a fast read and twisty read!