Nicci French returns with a book that will challenge the reader to believe the mother who thinks her daughter witnessed the murder of an unknown woman. Tess, has a delightful preschool daughter with whom she shares custody with the father. When Poppy’s behavior changes dramatically both in actions and in words, Tess begins to suspect the father of abuse. Poppy’s crayon drawings have turned menacing. She shows a woman falling from an apartment and says “He did kill her.” She contacts the police over and over, but like many see her as an overprotective mother. Nearly every man with whom Poppy has come in contact is seen as a threat. Moving at a fast pace, the conclusion proves Tess right, but someone she would least expect is the murderer.

Sadly, this was a big whomp for me. I have enjoyed Nicci French books in the past, but this does not fit in that category. This just did not work for me. It was completely unbelievable and ridiculous. I will however read more from this author duo. This was just a miss.

Tess and her ex-husband share custody of their daughter, Poppy. She is overprotective and does not appreciate sending her daughter for time with her ex and his new wife, but she owes it to Poppy to make it work. When Poppy returns from her weekend away, she gives her mother a crayon drawing and states, "He did kill her." Jason, her ex-husband insists that the weekend went off without a hitch, but is certain that something is very wrong. Doctors tell her that Poppy may just be reacting to the separation of her parents. What follows is a tense and suspenseful unraveling story.

This is my first book from the Nicci French (husband and wife duo, Nicci Gerard and Sean French). I enjoyed it so much, I could not put it down and had to know how it ended. There were so many twists and turns throughout! It got me hooked in the beginning and kept me guessing the entire time - which is exactly what you want with a psychological thriller!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is a husband and wife writing team that I have never read before. And I would have said I am not interested in reading again, however after looking at a number of different reviews I have read many saying “This is not the normal writings of Nicci French” so I may be willing to try again.

One of my biggest issues is the fact that this seemed like the same old all over again. Distressed mom who is no longer in love with her husband but they stay together because of the kids. It just seems that that storyline is the soup du jour right now. Every suspense has a young mom in trouble.

I never really connected with the characters and I prefer a book where I do not have a chance of figuring out the answer and this is not one of them.

I will try the French duo again just to be sure.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Nicci French is back with another thrilling tale – The Unheard. Does anyone else get chills just for reading that title? I know I did. That, combined with that stunning cover, was more than enough reason for me to give this book a try.

Tess has always been protective of her daughter – but especially when it comes time to drop her daughter off with her father and his new wife. That never sat right with Tess. Before now, she never had a reason to reconsider doing so.

Now, her daughter is back home, and something isn't right. Tess is convinced that Poppy saw something she shouldn't have. Something brutal and traumatic, and she doesn't know what to do with that information.

"Memory is a lie, a creative act, a flimsy shield against the truth."

The Unheard was a dark and fascinating read, one that was difficult to turn away from. Especially because, and I'm not sure why I thought this – but I went into it expecting Poppy (the daughter) to be a bit older than she was. That certainly added to the horror of it all.

The idea of a young child witnessing something so horrible – and not having the ability to convey what she saw... it's almost too real, you know? But I'll admit that it made a solid foundation for this story.

The frustration in this book is palpable, particularly because the whole situation is horrifyingly relatable on some level. Overall, I would say that this element was the crowning achievement of the novel.

The Unheard is a solid read – not the best thriller I've read, as there are some plot holes. But it is still very much a worthwhile read.

Loved this story! It was dark, spooky and complex. It was a true page turner for me although at times, I might have wanted to scream at our main character, Tess, for her actions, but what would any of us do to protect our dearest person? Tess’s daughter, Poppy, has drawn a disturbing picture and it really rattles her. She has to determine what is going on so that she can comfort and help her daughter. Her ex-partner has no empathy for Tess’s concerns, but Tess keeps chasing the truth. It seems she will stop at nothing to figure out what is going on as she believes that Poppy has seen or heard something that led to a tragic event. She escalates her efforts and it may cost her everything.

This writing team does it again! A nail-biting, page turning who done it is their forte and they do not disappoint with The Unheard. A newly single mom tries to discover why her young daughter is acting out and what it can mean to their safety. Twists and turns abound and will keep you on your toes.

The Unheard is an adult domestic thriller about a mother whose three year old daughter suddenly shows signs of having seen something disturbing and despite no one believing her she will do whatever it takes to protect her child.
When Tess collects her daughter from a visit with her former partner Poppy starts to exhibit signs that she was exposed to something frightening and possibly deadly. With only her pre-schoolers artwork and a dismembered doll as evidence she can’t seem to find anyone else as equally alarmed and by starting her own investigation she alienates both the police and her ex.
This was a difficult book to review because although it keep my interest and I was very invested in the whodunnit I didn’t enjoy either Tess’s unraveling or Poppy’s “threenager” attitude. And when the truth is revealed about who the perpetrator is I’m not sure I truly bought the how or the why which made the last 20% of the book disappointing.
Final thoughts: This was a fast paced adult mystery but I didn’t enjoy the main character (or her offspring) and wasn’t satisfied with way the villain was revealed.

This is an author that I never hesitatate to pick up. I enjoyed the suspense and being pulled into the story from the beginning. This book is no different, it is one of my favorites yet. This is a well written story about a young girl who has witnessed something horrible. It comes out in one of her drawings but now the truth could cost her everything. The characters are connectable and I enjoyed what they brought to the story. They kept the story engaging and hard to put down. The twists and turns had me sitting on the edge of my seat just waiting to see what would happen next. I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.

I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn't work for me. It is a slow burn, maybe slower than slow. I lost interest quickly. I would try another book by this author before calling it quits.

The Unheard by Nicci French is a suspenseful read that will keep you guessing. Tess is a single mom raising Poppy with her ex- partner Jason. Oddly enough, after returning from a stay with her dad and his new wife, Emily, Poppy begins to have nightmares and saying the oddest things. What has happened to this child almost overnight? The nightmares never seem to end and it is clear to Tess that Poppy has definitely witnessed someone being killed. Tess goes to the police but no one seems to believe her. So Tess begins her own investigation, despite warnings from the detective. Is she actually making any real discoveries or just making more enemies?
Tess knows her child better than anyone and she isn't giving up.
Overall The Unheard was an enjoyable read. I know I shouldn't go on other reviews but I was expecting more scare factor here and it lacks in that department for me. But does maintain a suspenseful read with lots of guessing who done it. I have read others works by Nicci French and will continue to look for others works by this husband/ wife team. I will also be recommending this book to others. Special thanks to NetGalley, Nicci French, and William Morrow and Custom House Publishing for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 4 stars for me.
#TheUnheard #NetGalley

I wanted to grab Tess, the good ol' unreliable narrator, by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. Her decisions, statements and actions were, to say the least, quite questionable. Though I was slightly annoyed by her, I still read on as the story was well written and intriguing. I thought I had figured out whodunnit and was pleasantly surprised when I found out one of the people I thought was involved was the killer, but not in the way I imagined. This is all very cryptic as I do not want to give any spoilers. Overall, this was an entertaining read and despite figure out whodunnit, I was intensely reading along to see how it all played out.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

"The Unheard" by Nicci French is available now.

Single mom, Tess, is recently separated from her long term partner and trying to move on with her life. She has a new love interest, a new apartment, a job she enjoys, and a supportive best friend. When her 4 year old daughter, Poppy, starts acting strangely she begins to suspect that she was witness to a crime. She quickly suspects everyone she knows and becomes obsessed with searching for answers to this mystery.

This book had a lot of positives. I suspected every single person at one point and the authors did a good job of making each character feel creepy at times. Poppy's behavior was erratic and unpredictable. I can't rate this one higher because Tess seemed to be a bit off-kilter and went above and beyond to look for a killer that may or may not have existed. As a reader I couldn't understand why she was so motivated to prove her point that wasn't very solid to begin with. It was just a little to far fetched for me.

Thanks NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This story had me questioning so many different characters. The daughter, Poppy, begins to show disturbing new traits that Tess begins to question. At first I wasn't sure how the daughter tied into this, but it had a great ending!

Nick French has outdone herself with this creepy book. Tess is sure her daughter Poppy has seen someone murdered. Why does no one believe her?

This is well-paced and suspenseful. I highly recommend it.

Tess is worried about her young daughter after she comes home from a weekend with her father. All of a sudden, Poppy is using inappropriate words and drawing scary pictures. When Tess tries to bring it up to her ex, he acts like she is crazy. Is she? Is he? All Tess knows is that she must find out what has happened to her daughter.
The Unheard by Nikki French is an eerie story, one that is every parent’s nightmare. I was impressed with the doubt French was able to plant through out the book, not allowing me to trust anyone. This was an easy read that flowed seamlessly.

A good, fast-paced story with a unique plot twist that was unpredictable. Enjoyed the unreliable narration of the main character, as she navigates a potential murder linked to her young daughter.

THE UNHEARD is another of Nicci French’s creepy stand alone thrillers, the ones that remind you this author (or team, actually) can find scary stuff to write no matter what the topic. In this book, a young child draws a picture and her mother is determined to find the source for all the fear dripping from its dark contents. As the mother becomes increasingly worried, more parts of her life under scrutiny, the creepy factor increases exponentially. If she thought she had a pleasant enough life, she is in for a very rude surprise. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I thought it was suspenseful and interesting mystery that kept me guessing. Received an ARC from NetGalley and Scene of the Crime Early Read. The book lead in so many directions. Why is Poppy the 3 year old acting out, what did she see and hear? Is it some sort of paranormal experience is she clairvoyant. What is going on with Tess, Poppy's mom? Now that she is no longer with Poppy's dad who never married her and went on an married someone else never liked by her friends Tess is just realizing. The authors took this book all over the place and to me what was revealed at the end just doesn't add up. It left me still so many questions that need to be explained. How did they come to this conclusion.

From the beginning, Nicci French sucks the reader into story. A common story of parents who split up and are raising a child. The story is told through the eyes of the mother, Tess, let’s us know that Jason and she have a very civil relationship in order to assure little Poppy’s life. Jason has a new wife, Emily, who is expecting their first child, and Tess has a serious relationship with Adrian. From a visit to Jason’s, Poppy comes home and is quite disturbed and starts acting out. The story starts spiraling with lots of characters being introduced and a mystery that Tess is determined to get the answers. The ending was great. It just took too long to get there! My thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.