Complex,unusual thriller with many twists and turns. As the story unfolds we go through Eves trauma with her and realise what connects these victims.

A fun, twisty thriller that really captured my attention from the first page until the last! Well written, fast paced, and fun! Great character development, with an amazing writing style gave an okay thriller much more! Would definitely highly recommend!

When journalist Eva is writing and interviewing women who had been kidnapped and then released ten days later the story is gaining a large following. Saying goodbye to her husband she wakes up being held. She knows what’s happened but who is doing this to her and why?
I love Mel’s books and this was a great standalone from her other series. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I wish I could give this book 5++++ - it got me from start to finish. this book was great! 4 women are abducted but apart from one they are freed 10 days later so that for a start is a different kind of story within a thriller. Eva who has reported on all of these women's awful experiences is suddenly taken herself. All she can hope for is that she will be released in the same way. The story is full of twists and turns. It has really explored how bad experiences during a young life can result in someone becoming desperate for the harshest revenge. If someone has a damaged mind then the smallest comment made can be stewed on for years. I loved it!

Mel Sherratts books just get better and better and this latest book called Invisible Victim now called Ten days
was a Brilliant addictive psychological thriller that's full of twists and turns throughout with a cracking ending.

So, Imagine yourself being abducted by someone you don't know or do you?
You wake up not know where you are but you are in a dark, very damp cold small room room in the middle of nowhere which maybe the cellar of the house, as there's no windows, only a big heavy door which is the only way in and the only way out. No one can hear you if you scream.
You are lying in a thin worn out mattress and your clothes have gone!!! OMG.........

Women are being abducted and drugged, held for only ten days and the released naked in the middle of nowhere, they don't know who took them and why? The abductor does not harm them.

Then the fourth woman who was taken has not yet appeared despite the ten days being up.
Where is she?
Is she alive?
Did he kill her?

Eva is a journalist and has interviewing the victims to try and understand why this is happening, until she’s the next victim and is being held in a cellar with little food and drink. Eva knows she is being drugged and knows she will be here for ten days! But Why her?
What has the captor got install for her?
Where is the fourth victim? is she here in the cellar next door?

WoW, This was a brilliant read and I was hooked before I knew it the birds were singing and it was time to get up! So don't start to read this book before you go to sleep! You won't sleep!

If you like a thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat then this (in my case in bed) is the one for you.

Big 5 stars from me!

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first I've read of Mel's books and I am completely hooked!
After writing about 4 other women who have been kidnapped and released after 10 days, Eva wakes to realize she has met the same fate. However, victim #4 never made it home. Describing the panic, mental breakdown, and trauma in great detail we learn just why each woman was chosen. Since Eva is the first woman to speak to her captor, will she still be set free or has she botched the plans?

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a fantastic read, well-written, gripping, disturbing. I seriously couldn't stop reading this one. I'm already looking forward to the next by this talented author.

Eva Farmer is a journalist who’s been interviewing women that have been abducted and held only to be released in ten days. Now Eva finds herself as the next victim. Will she be able to return home or will she go missing like her friend Jill not to return. I love Mel’s books, but did find this one rather slow paced to begin with.

I’ve been a fan of Mel Sherratt’s police procedural novels for some years so was intrigued by the premise of this standalone psychological thriller.


Eva is a reporter in Stoke on Trent who has been covering an unusual spate of abductions. The victims are locked away for ten days, sometimes beaten, given the absolute minimum of nourishment then released without explanation. Their captor remains silent through the ordeal.

Eva becomes the fifth woman to be abducted and thanks to her interviews realises immediately what has happened and what is in store for her. Her only comfort is knowing she will be released once the ten days are up but things take a turn when the kidnapper (Alex) speaks to Eva something that they have never done before.

There is obviously a link between the abducted women but this hasn’t yet been discovered by those covering the case. In revealing themselves it becomes apparent they all have a history with the abductor putting Eva’s thoughts of her release in limbo…


The story is told from the perspective of Eva and Alex. It was interesting to see that Alex’s version of events don’t quite match what actually happened but any doubt expressed could lead to erratic behaviour and violence.
Invisible Victim is a dark and chilling tale.

Another fantastic book from this author!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eva is a reporter who has been covering a string of strange disappearances - women who are abducted and released ten days later, battered, tattooed, with little memory of what’s happened. Then one day Eva wakes up inside a small basement room with the dawning realisation she’s the next victim.

This story flitted a lot through timelines and between narrators - primarily Eva and her abductor, but the other victims also had some time as well - so it was handy having date and narrator headings at the start of each chapter. The action was well paced and the chapters were fairly short which kept the action moving.

The main baddie was thoroughly unlikeable, and it felt like there could have been some more in-depth explanations around the “whydunnit” and in particular victim #4 (without giving anything away). The ending didn’t feel particularly like there was a big comeuppance but everything was tied up fairly neatly.

A solid psychological thriller book, and worth picking up for fans.

CW: child abuse and murder, domestic abuse, mention of pregnancy/miscarriage

Mel Sherrat knows how to write psychological suspense! This novel is no different. When journalist Eva wakes up with a thriving headache, fuzzy memories in a dark dank cell with only a thin mattress and a bucket in the corner with one small window for light, she knows she has been on the serial abductor’s radar as all the previous 4 women she had interviewed over the past few months. The room is exactly the same as the other women had described. When we first read the prologue we are given a clue as to why they find themselves in solitude but it has never been clear why each woman has been taken. Eva who strives to write fair, balanced articles for the paper which she is employed but she never compromises her integrity by writing sensational accounts. So why she can understand why she was chosen as the abducted has obviously been following her accounts, what Eva doesn’t know if like all the others save one, if she will be released on the 10th day. And the isolation, her own thoughts for company and very little in the way of food or drink start to play on Eva’s very psyche early on. Who could be responsible for this nightmare and why? Until an unexpected act of defiance against her captor occurs and the story takes on an entirely new dimension. In a quid pro quo it is Eva’s story the abductor wants the public to know in exchange for her freedom. And can she be sure that her captor can even be believed.? Wonderful plot twist, fast paced and fraught with tension, this novel is sure to please both readers already familiar with Sherrat’s work and those who are new. Another massive success. Special thank you to Netgalley and Bookoutre for this hard to put down thriller!

I admit to being a rather big fan of Mel Sherratt's books having read several previously so was hoping this was going to be as good ... I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

Ten Days has got it all ... great characters, intriguing storyline, fast paced, twists, turns and a very satisfying ending.

Ten Days is one of those books that is so compelling that you can't stop reading and I found myself taking every opportunity to read just one more chapter which quickly became several!

I would certainly recommend this and any of Mel's previous books; she delivers every time.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Eva is a journalist. She had interviewed three women who had been locked away for 10 days then released without any explanation. The fourth victim is still missing when Eva is the fifth woman to be taken....

I really enjoyed this book. It's a great psychological thriller with many twists.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blog tour: https://lianareadshome.wordpress.com/?p=4827&preview=true

Ten days is such gripping story!

I’ve read a few other books by the author and this one, while is different in tone and plot, had me more invested than anything lately.

Being an investigation journalist is never easy and the dangers are always lurking around the corner, but it takes a strong heroine to pursue the path she unveiled the true and tell her actual story.

After four women gone missing, abducted and returned on the tenth day, it's Eva’s turn to live on her own skin after what the others have been through. I must admit that I was shocked by some scenes in here.

It's intense, suspenseful and very dark in so many great twisted ways.

4.5 stars
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy

Something strange is happening in Stoke. Women are being abducted & ten days later the reappear, malnourished, beaten, naked & with no idea of what happened to them. Eva is a journalist who has interviewed some of the women. When she wakes up & finds herself in a dark room with just a bucket & mattress for company she realises that she is going to find out far more of the story that she ever wanted to. She was also haunted by the thought of one victim who did not come back. She eventually strikes up a relationship of sorts with her captor but the more she hears of their story the more she fears she will not be getting away.

Told from Eva & the captor's perspective Mel Sherratt keeps the reader on their toes. I have enjoyed her crime books & this was equally as absorbing. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting e read & review this book.

“You thought you’d escaped your past”

Oh my goodness! Which middle earth cave have I just emerged from, that I have not heard about this author before?

When I first began reading, it became apparent that much of the premise was already known and being freely shared with me, so my initial reaction was how could this storyline provide enough oomph! as a thriller. Surely it would have been more suited being classified as a suspense novel? Then Bam! I was hit full force between the eyes and this full-throttle, psychological thriller took a grip of me body and soul, not letting go until the very last page, when I was spat out, a completely broken nervous wreck after being constantly kept on the edge of my seat and having my emotions played one way then another, by just about everyone involved in the telling of this story.

Those opening lines which had already taken my breath away, were only a brief teaser taster and held no real indication of what was to come once the palpable tension had really begun to be ratchetted up and the storyline gathered momentum. The ending was satisfying in that the body count had been kept to a minimum and the perpetrator was incarcerated in a suitable fashion, however everyone left alive and standing was traumatised and broken, each in their own way now being left to battle their own, long supressed, but reawakened demons. This was one outcome that I wouldn’t ever rely on as being ‘final’ and if I was Eva, I would always be looking over my shoulder – after all, Alex was not the only one with secrets to hide!

The chapters are quite short and concise, although they do jot back and forth quite a lot between timelines and narrators. However as soon as I realised whose voice I was hearing and I worked out which timeline I was in, the signposting styling became clearer and the sequencing was relatively easy to follow, with some highly perceptive and punchy narrative and dialogue keeping the pace steady and the storyline fluid.

This multi-layered story, was well structured, highly textured, and ultra intense. Author Mell Sherratt, definitely had plans for how she wanted my journey to progress whilst I was reading, adroitly dropping in so many little bombshells and weaving so many devious twists and turns into the plot, which maintained the constant wow! factor, to ensure that I never deviated from that path. Although I have to come clean and admit that I had worked out one of the most important game-changing factors to emerge about a third of the way in, and only just before it was revealed – but they all count to my way of thinking!

A very difficult and disturbing subject, was treated with gripping and compelling realism, and told with assured authority, raw passion and complete confidence, by an author who never flinched when it came to telling things as they were in Alex’s broken, warped and damaged mind. That a system which was designed to protect, nurture and care for the most vulnerable in society, even and perhaps, especially when, such unspeakable things were happening behind closed doors, in that place which should provide a safe haven, went so horribly wrong, who is ultimately to accept responsibility for the damage caused and shoulder the blame?

Alex has had plenty of time to ponder that question over the intervening years and the decision is that everyone in the chain is equally to blame for the monster victim they have created. However the grip on reality is slowly losing the battle over a mind which has suffered so terribly, until fact and fiction, truth and lies, know no boundaries and victim becomes aggressor in the most awful of ways, as everyone involved becomes a target for their vengeful retribution.

A compulsive, devastating social commentary of our time and a richly crafted study of human behaviour, dominate this lugubrious storyline, where there are no winners, just invisible victims. So many secrets, even more lies and untruths and escaping with her sanity intact, is Eva’s best and only outcome!

The attention to detail when developing the complex characters and the loud and clear voice which they are given to tell their own story, are the defining factors in the story. When it transpires that perpetrator and captive share a similar secret, the circle is complete. How they individually choose to deal with that burden, is what separates them as victims. None of the characters are particularly likable and I found it difficult to invest in, or empathise with any of them. When it comes down to it, they all have emotional baggage, much of which has been heaped upon them by a broken, disjointed system, leaving them emotionally scarred and bruised by the battle.

They do say that ‘revenge is a dish best served cold’, although this story would probably argue a good case against that, and very much goes to prove the point that revenge is a dish that can be served up at any temperature!

Mel Sherratt needs to take a bow as I have been completely consumed by this unputdownable thriller. The characters are well-drawn, haunting, raw and in some cases unsettlingly believable. I definitely felt sorry for Eva and found her unfortunate and frightening experience completely unbelievable in some ways. However, Mel’s precise details and focused narrative ensures that you come to experience Eva’s captivity with her, which completely hooks you in and you begin to forget that this is a piece of fiction.

The character of Alex draws up lots of questions about what it means to be a victim, and the frustration of feeling ‘invisible’ compared to other more high profile or more damaged ‘victims’. The book as a whole raises questions about the label ‘victim’. Is it helpful or a hindrance? Are you always a victim, or can you change your life in order to become a ‘survivor’ or a success story? I really enjoyed exploring this element of the story.

Related to this, Mel also explores the issue of abuse and how it can impact your life. This is where the psychological element of the story becomes very strong. What effect does this have on your psychological state, your memories and your self-control? Unexpected parallels between Eva and Alex’s story come to light in order to allow us to explore this in more detail.

This has been an absolutely exceptional book that is another league within the genre as far as I am concerned. The title links well to the structure of the book, which provides an intricate and well formulated timeline, but also ensures that this will be a compulsive and intense read. I have absolutely loved this book from start to finish and cannot pick fault with it.

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚
⛔️ NAME CHANGE- Ten Days
By Mel Sherratt - Publication Date 28th June 2021.

I absolutely love Mel Sherratt’s books..... she is totally up there on my list!

Eva wakes up in a dark cell/room with just a mattress and a bucket. She realises quickly that she is now one of the women, who have been kidnapped, drugged and beaten! The other women got let free after day 10..... will Eva?

Mel always manages to keep me gripped with her books. I did live this book but the only thing I will say is that it was a
Bit more slow paced than others I have read. But then that would go with the storyline I think. Timeline was a bit jumpy at times but then you get used to that.
Definitely some twists I didn’t expect.

♥️ If you haven’t read any by this author yet -
Please do!!

#netgalley #tendays #bookouture #melsherratt

https://www.instagram.com/Bookstagramshaz

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Ten Days' by Mel Sherratt. This book was previously titled 'Invisible Victim'.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Mel Sherratt, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 28th June 2021.

This is the first book I have read by this author.

I was originally drawn to this book by its intriguing and colourful cover and gripping sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'An absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller with a truly brilliant twist, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, T.M. Logan and C.L. Taylor.' I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and C.L Taylor so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 82 chapters. The chapters are short in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in England, UK 🇬🇧 . I always enjoy when books are partly or fully set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited and gone on holiday in England on many occasions so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.

This book is written in a mix of first and third person perspective and the main protagonists are Eva and Alex. The benefits of having both first and third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out on anything.

OMG!!!! What a shocking, unpredictable page turner that was!!! Absolutely unputdownable!!! Extremely well written with vivid descriptions. The cover and synopsis fitted the storyline perfectly and the new name of 'Ten Days' was a great choice!!!

The storyline is unique and I was absolutely captivated from the very first sentence until the end. It is set over/includes multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture. I love the fact that we get to see it from the kidnappers perspective. I wasn't sure
whether to mention thay in my review as I don't want to use spoilers but you discover this at less than 10% so I decided to go ahead and include it. I enjoyed that it felt that Alex (the kidnapper) talks directly to reader about why they are doing it and what's going through his mind. It gives you a much bigger picture. It is very rare that the reader gets to see anything from the perp's point of view so I found this unique and extremely enjoyable. I enjoyed being able to read the newspaper articles as again it gives the bigger picture. Mel does a fantastic job of drip feeding the reader snippets so they can slowly put the "jigsaw" together.
OMG so many twists!!!!! I LOVE IT!!! Its very rare that a book can completely shock me but Mel managed it so many times I lost count! There were some major assumption in my part and I feel several other readers will do this too. I also enjoyed the fact that not only do you get to read things from Eva and Alex's perspectives but there are also chapters from Jill Ian, Nick, Alison, Maxine, Maria, Milly and Stephanie's perspectives. The storyline is absolutely rammed full of shocks, tension, suspense, twists, turns and much more, everything you could ask for in a psychological thriller!!!

I was extremely invested in the characters and I enjoyed learning not only about Eva and the other characters but it was also fascinating to learn about Alex. I actually had quite alot of sympathy for Alex on several occasions and what they went through is sadly something that happens on a daily basis. I won't say any further than that as I don't want to spoil it for future readers. I loved how Eva was such a fighter and a very strong female lead, I was absolutely devastated by a certain event, again I won't say more than that.

A MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS Mel on what is definitely a huge success. Such a heart racing, rollercoaster ride filled with suspense and tension. I cannot wait to read more of your previous and future books, especially any psychological thrillers you have coming up. Welcome to my top authour club!!!

Overall a heart stopping, unputdownable, page turning psychological thriller that will shock and surprise you throughout!!!


Genres covered in this book include Psychological Thriller and Psychological Suspense amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of C.L Taylor, Angela Marsons, Lisa Jewell and ANYONE looking for an epic page turner


284 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Ten Days by Mel Sherratt is her newest offering to us. I have always loved Mel's work I wasn't expecting it to be anything less than superb and I was correct! It's amazing.
Women in Stoke-On-Trent have been going missing from the streets but have been found ten days from the moment thet disappeared. The police themselves are unable to work out who the culprit is or if any other women will be taken. Eva is a journalist and is the latest victim of this kidnapper who has been the focus of her reporting since the women began going missing. Eva is certain she will be released after ten days, just as the other women where, but nothing is ever guaranteed. As the kidnapper speaks to her she realises she must revisit the past, an event from her childhood she never wanted to remember, in order to escape from this ordeal.
The story is told in present day with flash backs to 2006 and 2007. A compulsive and gritty thriller that contains several twists that keep you on your toes. Told from Eva and the kidnapper's viewpoint you are drawn into their worlds and Mel Sharrat has even managed to create a character in the kidnapper that, in a tiny part of your head, you find you can empathise with, even though they are the perpetrator. Her character development is superb always.
As the story unfolds the emotion, tension and suspense begins to crank up along with the drama. It left me dying to know how it would all work out. I finished this in a day It flowed so well and I needed to know that badly I just couldn't stop reading!
Another excellent book from the star that is Mel Sharratt, to me anyway.
Thanks to Bookouture and netgalley for the copy of the book to bring you my thoughts.