Happy publication day to All Her Fault by Andrea Mara which is out today!

Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis:
When Marissa Irvin comes to collect her son Milo from an after school play date her world stops turning.
The address she got is all wrong. The woman answering the door is in no way related to Milo's friend Jacob and has know idea why Marissa shows up at her doorstep.
Apprehensive but sure that she has misunderstood she makes some urgent calls to get her facts straight.
But as time progresses and Marissa gets none the wiser about her son's whereabouts it's time to get the police involved.
It then becomes clear that Milo is purposely taken from his parents for a reason that's far more shocking then Marissa can ever imagine...

So to be honest, I have some mixed feelings about this one.
It was a gripping read but, I had some trouble getting through the middle part of the story. Basically, there was a lot going on and there were quite some characters who I felt didn't contribute much to the story.

The end of the book felt a bit like a whirlwind since secret after secret came out quite quickly.
Admittedly, the twist at the end is a good one and every thing fell into place.
All in all this was a 3,5 star read for me.

What a great book! I do like a crime thriller, and this one doesn’t fail to disappoint. Definitely a must read and I will be looking for more books from this author!

What a gripping psychological thriller. The kidnapping of preschooler Milo, son of a wealthy power couple by the nanny of another child in the class, raises so many questions. The reasons are certainly not straightforward. The novel reveals lots of exciting plot developments. Characterisation is strong and the boundaries between the characters we love and those we love to hate become quickly blurred and ever-changing. Every person surrounding Milo is thrown into question. The action is sustained until the end when more twists are revealed. A great summer thriller. Thank you @netgalley and @AndreaMara for this arc.

Marissa Irvine arrives at 14 Tudor Grove, expecting to pick up her young son Milo from his first playdate with a boy at his new school. But the woman who answers the door isn't a mother she recognises. She isn't the nanny. She doesn't have Milo. And so begins every parent's worst nightmare.
A thrillingly, scary narrative about trust. The story is well written and from four point of view. I was hooked from the start and really wanted Milo to be found safe and well. The twists and turns kept me reading late into the night to reach the conclusion of this story.

I have mixed feelings bout this one. I can’t seems to decide whether I liked a lot or it was not my thing. On that bases I will only give this book 3 stars. I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars. I did enjoy this book on the whole but I just felt it was missing something. It had an enjoyable storyline but it didn’t keep me hooked although I had to read it to the end to find out what happened. I got a bit confused in the middle when more characters were mentioned and I had no idea who they were. It had a good ending

It had seemed like one of those serendipitous events which sometimes happen. Marissa Irvine had been hoping that the opportunity would arise for her son, Milo, to go on a play date. She was concerned that he didn't have any friends at his new school. Milo would go home from Kerryglen National School in an affluent Dublin suburb with his classmate Jacob - and Marissa would pick him up from 14 Tudor Grove a little later. What could be better? Only, when Marissa arrived at the house, expecting to meet Jacob's mother, Jenny, the door was answered by Esther, who didn't know Jenny or Jacob. The phone number she'd been given for Jenny was not recognised. Milo had disappeared. And so had Jenny's nanny.

When something like this happens there are two stampedes. The first is to be part of the search for the missing child but the second - and far longer-lasting - is the rush to find someone to blame. It doesn't need to be the person who took the child - that can happen later. Right now blame can be loaded onto the mother 'who put her work before her child', Jacob's mother, who employed the person thought to have taken Milo and - of course, Milo's nanny. There's plenty of choice there, isn't there? First among the blamers is Adeline Furlong-Kennedy, Jenny's mother-in-law, who's never short of a barbed comment which might wound her daughter-in-law - and Jenny's husband is doing little to protect her.

As a reviewer, you sometimes wonder if you're being fair to a book when you review it under difficult circumstances. I can now confirm that 'moving house' comes firmly under the heading of difficult circumstances and I very nearly put the book down with the intention of picking it up later - but then I realised that it was actually taking my mind off what was going wrong elsewhere. I felt for Marissa - but it was Jenny who really grabbed my attention. She might have employed the nanny but she had to guts to go to Marissa and see how she could help - and then to continue to help.

I thought I knew how the story was going to go. I had it mapped out in my mind, only to find that I was completely wrong as the plot headed off down some completely unexpected pathways and I completely revised my opinion of various characters. The ending is stunning - and oh, so gloriously appropriate!

I'd like to thank the publishers for making a review copy available to the Bookbag.

This is a very good thriller with a killer twist at the end.
The plot had me gripped from the start and the characters drew me in.
Overall, it’s a 4 star read for me. I’d definitely recommend to anyone who likes this style of book.

Enjoyable thriller. Great characters, good plot twists, didn't see the end coming. Difficult to read as a parent at times. Every parents worse nightmare!

The recap
ONE MISSING BOY.

Marissa Irvine arrives at 14 Tudor Grove, expecting to pick up her young son Milo from his first playdate with a boy at his new school. But the woman who answers the door isn't a mother she recognises. She isn't the nanny. She doesn't have Milo. And so begins every parent's worst nightmare.

FOUR GUILTY WOMEN.

As news of the disappearance filters through the quiet Dublin suburb and an unexpected suspect is named, whispers start to spread about the women most closely connected to the shocking event. Because only one of them may have taken Milo - but they could all be blamed . . .

IN A COMMUNITY FULL OF SECRETS, WHO IS REALLY AT FAULT?

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

A missing child instantly signals that this is a book that will hit your emotions hard, but I'm pleased to say this isn't a book that trades on emotions alone, it is a cleverly plotted novel that had me engrossed.

Marissa;s son had been invited to a playdate with a new mother to the school, Jenny, and her son Jacob. The trouble was when she went to collect him, it wasn't Jenny's house and Milo was nowhere to be seen.

The story is told from both Jenny and Marissa's perspectives and the book explores how the meaning of true friendship, loyalty and the judgement we all throw out from time to time without having the full facts.

There is plenty of observational moments and every reader will recognise some of the characters, I'm sure, especially those from the school gates!

The combination of plotting and characters is backed up with a totally engaging writing style that means this book was an absolute winner from start until finish.

In reality 3.5 star read for me which is disappointing as I was expecting to give this 5 stars.
Most of the book is engaging, drawing the reader into the investigation of a young child's disappearance. He was meant to be on a playdate, but he isn't there when his mother goes to pick him up and the address she turns up to is wrong. Frightening!
Why was Milo taken and who took him? Marissa and Peter Irvine are distraught and the book captures the nightmarish quality of life after a traumatic event, the uncertainty and fear snowballing to strike terror into their hearts every time the doorbell goes and the phone rings. Everyday life becomes impossible for Marissa, a local solicitor, her business partner Colin, Marissa's brother-in-law Brian, and another school mum Jenny, whose Nanny seems to be at the heart of this bizarre unfolding Irish drama.
It is a well written novel, a real page turner, and suspicion falls upon many. The cast of characters means there are numerous possible suspects and of course everyone is doing and saying things which appear odd.
The author constantly adds to the trail of clues, which gets longer and becomes rather convoluted. Clearly there are individuals up to no good but why, how are they connected and what do they hope to achieve?
Some of the storyline appears not to make sense until the final twist which is unexpected, clever and subtle. However the plausibility of some actions and events leading up to the reveal meant that I personally couldn't totally embrace the ingenuity of the twist.
I might remember this book because of how confused I became, or it might sadly die with the setting sun; a pleasant way to spend some reading time and I am glad I did read it - thanks to Pigeonhole - but possibly rather forgettable.

Since retiring some 8 years ago I have read and reviewed (many) some 300 books and only a few of these really hit me as absolutely superb.
All Her Fault must be in the top 5 or so books I have read.
It is a brilliant read and just gets better and better. The chapters primarily run in time sequence starting at the time that Marissus goes to the house where he is playing with Jenny's son. From that point the chapters mainly alternate between Marissus and Jenny whose nanny is blamed for the disappearance. There are a few chapters centred on Irene, the nanny's estranged. mother.
You know the disappearance must involve others closer to Marissus but who, how and why do not become apparent until much later on.
After such a good book the ending can disappoint but this one doesn't and it provides a very clever last couple of pages.
I thought All Her Fault would be unique in being set in Ireland AND the word 'Eejit' is not used!. However at 83% there it is. Still hardly a major criticism

wow this book had so much anticipation, it really kept me sitting on the edge of my seat. Love the characters, loved the twists and turns, Great ending.

My first book by this author, but not my last. Every parent's nightmare!! Marissa arrives to collect Milo, her 4 year old son, from a playdate only to find he is not where she thought he was. I was grabbed from the first page - a mistake, a misunderstanding - I felt the tension immediately. This tale has so many twists and turns, threats and suspicions, it is fascinating and edge of the seat tension right up to the final pages.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Andrea Mara/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wow I loved All Her Fault!
This was a story of every parent's worst nightmare - you go to pick your child up and they aren't there. The plot had me gripped and on the edge of my seat throughout and I stayed up well past my bedtime to get this finished with the twist at the end totally catching me off guard.
I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Overall a real thriller of a book and enjoyed it although especially as the book went on and more characters introduced did have to stop a few times and take stock in my mind on who was who etc
Well written

On long summer days, I love nothing more than racing through a complex, mind-blowing thriller and that’s exactly what I got with this incredibly plotted book.

When Marissa Irvine arrives to pick up her 4-year-old son Milo from his playdate with a boy in his class, she is surprised to find that she has been given the wrong address. The woman who answers the door doesn’t have Milo and the number she has been texting is suddenly out of service. Soon, Milo and the person who picked him up from school that day is reported as missing and the disapperance is the talk of Dublin surburbia. When a suspect is named, gossip starts to spread about the women closest to the case. Who has taken Milo and why?

'I don't know where my son is,' she whispered, and slipped to the stranger's floor.'

This is how the first chapter ends. I can’t remember the last time a book hooked me like this from the very beginning and yet the excitement just keeps coming. I was thinking about this story every time I was away from it and when I was in it, I just had to keep turning the pages.

It is set in a very wealthy, conservative part of Dublin and therefore class and race issues circulate amongst the parents’at Milo’s school. This helps to fuel the rumour mill and suspect people based on no factual evidence at all. I think this is the author making a comment on how it is always the poor, non-white people who are the first to be in the firing line when a crime like this happens. The resolution proves that these accusations and attitudes are incredibly dangerous and should never be taken seriously when there is very little evidence to go on.

Jenny is the mother of Jacob, who Milo was supposed to be on a playdate with. Her mother-in-law Adeline despises her for working while having a young son and does everything she can to stir trouble in Jenny’s marriage. Although I know that this is a real struggle for Jenny, I couldn’t help but smile slightly at Adeline’s digs. She is very much the typical dragon-like matriarch who simply can’t fathom why Jenny would want to have a life away from her family. The story could easily have been told in the same way without Adeline in the book at all but her presence adds a touch of relatable eccentricity and actually a bit of light relief compared to the subject matter of the rest of the book.

The gossip crew, known as The Coven, are a group of parents of children in Milo’s class who love nothing more than to spread misinformation and speculate on the lives of other people. Despite not being a parent myself, I know that these people exist. They exist in most social settings and everybody knows exactly who these people are. The things they say are rarely true but of course, they do originate from pieces of the truth. Therefore, in a thriller, their conversations are a great place to look for hints as to what is really going on. This is something that Andrea Mara does brilliantly and these snippets of conversation take on a new meaning once you’ve finished the book.

There is also another story going on behind the scenes of the investigation involving the suspect’s mother. We are treated to a very unique perspective on what this mysterious person’s childhood was like and their relationship with their own family. I don’t think I’ve ever read a thriller where we get this slightly disturbing but fascinating insight alongside the horrors of the main plot but it was very cleverly done.

I think I suspected almost every character to have something to do with Milo’s disappearance at some point. There seemed to be a lot of people just hanging around the case and that’s always suspicious to me. However, I still didn’t see the full extent of the ending playing out and I’m not sure anyone could have done. Andrea Mara may well have achieved that Holy Grail of thrillers -a literally unguessable ending.

All Her Fault is a very well-plotted, intricate novel with characters that you will love to hate. It keeps up a very fast pace all the way through and even when things seem to have calmed down, there’s a constant threat in the air that you feel the need to run from. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I think that makes this a very special thriller indeed.

I thought this was a great read; difficult to read sometimes as a Parent, and is definitely every Parent's worst nightmare.

Marissa thinks that her son Milo is at a playdate with Jenny's son Jacob and as she goes to collect him, the door is answered by a total stranger. Thus the nightmare unfolds with blame on all sides.

The story shares perspectives from both Marissa and Jenny, who both feel judged and guilty and scared which is only intensified by the catty and hypocritical school gate crowd.

There are some fantastic twists which I didn't see coming, my favourite element and personal tell tale for a great thriller. The suspense was maintained throughout incredibly well.

I will certainly be reading the next thriller from Andrea Mara.

Brilliant thriller book. Thanks to net galley and the publisher for allowing me a copy of this. I would 100% read more from this author in the future as really enjoyed the story!

All her fault by Andrea Mara
I give this book 4 stars


ONE MISSING BOY.
Marissa Irvine arrives expecting to pick up her young son Milo from his first playdate.But the woman who answers the door isn't a mother and she doesn't have Milo. And so begins every parent's worst nightmare.
FOUR GUILTY WOMEN.
Whispers start to spread about the women most closely connected to the shocking event. Because only one of them may have taken Milo - but they could all be blamed . . .
IN A COMMUNITY FULL OF SECRETS, WHO IS REALLY AT FAULT?

Set in lreland a story about every parents worst nightmare.This addictive read had my attention held right from the start with a terrific pace and clever flow.A fantastic set of characters who all play their own part towards bringing the storyline together to get you totally involved.Intense and twisty and Oohh what an ending..... loved it!
With thanks to Netgalley,Andrea Mara and Random House UK Transworld Publishers.