I think there was a better point the story could have ended on. So while I enjoyed The Woman on the Pier, I personally needed more substance for the book to leave a lasting impression.

A woman loses her daughter in a terrorist attack by ISIS. She discovers that her daughter was not where she said she was staying but had gone to this area targeted by ISIS to meet a boy who did not turn up. The mother blames the boy for her daughter’s death and sets out to find and confront him.

I have read one of BP Walter’s books before and really enjoyed it so looked forward to reading this one. It did draw me in but it’s one of those books where the protagonist continues to make dumb choices which I find really annoying. Even the book’s premise is annoying to me. Who blames a death caused by a terrorist on a teenage boy that stood up a girl? Yes I accept that grief does strange things to our thinking processes but this character died because of a terrorist attack which are known to be unpredictable and kill innocent people so it could have happened to her wherever she had been.

I don’t want to give away the plot but there are plenty of other unbelievable decisions that this character makes during the course of this book. Not only decisions either but behaviour that is contradictory to the established moral values of the protagonist. Disappointing.

In addition to the suspense that will have you reading well into the night, The Woman on the Pier is a heartbreaking book, full of characters who turn out to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jessica comes from a well-to-do family but has become rebellious lately. Is it teenage angst or is she hiding a secret? And where was she headed when she was killed in a terrorist attack? We also have the story of Caroline and Alec, the parents whose grief is driving them apart. And then two young boys, living in unimaginable circumstances, who may or may not have known Jessica. This is also the story of a mother's perseverance in her quest to find answers to her daughter's life, and death. Trust me when I say, this story will stick with you long after you finish.

Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an advance reader's copy for review.

Caroline has lost her daughter, Jessica, to a terrorist attack. But Jessica shouldn't have been there. Caroline finds out Jessica was on social media with a boy named Michael. They had plans to meet. She finds out where Michael lives and goes to confront him. He stood Jessica up. He caused her death.
Caroline's downhill spiral is not surprising. Her marriage is broken. She can't work. Her relationship with her mother is nonexistent. Michael must pay.
On her quest for vengeance, we learn more secrets. Everyone has them. I was surprised about some of them. Michael has a horrible life. Jessica bonded with him. It left me with so many questions. I'm not sure how I feel about Caroline at the end.

Than you, Netgalley.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Caroline’s teen age daughter is supposed to be visiting a friend but it turns out she was on a pier when a terrorist attack occurred and she was killed. Caroline then tries to find out why she was on the pier and realizes she was there to meet a boy.

Having really liked The Dinner Guest by this author, I was excited to read this one. As far as books go, it was fine, but the I feel like it was incorrectly classified. I didn’t find it to be a mystery or a thriller. It was more of a family drama. There was surprise at the end but it didn’t redeem this one for me. It was really just a novel about grief and mourning which was not what I was expecting.

I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn’t get into it. I think this may be due to the fact that it’s being marketed as a thriller/murder mystery. This book definitely does not belong in that category.

I rarely DNF a book and this book fell into the rare category. I read more than half of the book but I couldn’t follow it. The Woman on the Pier is about parents who are grieving the death of their daughter in a terrorist attack. Although the blurb indicated a mystery thriller, this was more than that. And also the title of the book isn’t very much related to its plot. I wish there were some trigger warnings so the reader would be on alert for some sensitive and deeply emotional content.

Wow…first off, The Woman on the Pier was nothing like I expected from reading the blurb. I was expecting it to be a thriller about a mother tracking down her daughter’s killer. (and in a way it kind of is...and yet really isn't. lol) It didn’t take long for me to realize that wasn’t quite what this book was. And while I must admit to being a little disappointed when I discovered this (in my mind I'd been picturing a kind of female Liam Neeson out for revenge, lol) I still must admit the story was quite gripping. Spoiler here: (though it’s learned early on so I hope you’ll forgive me) Caroline’s daughter Jessica was supposed to be away for the weekend, but for reasons unknown to her mother at the time she isn’t where her mother expected her to be, and she ends up being killed in a terrorist attack. This book takes in depth look at Caroline’s (and others’) struggle with grief and her search to discover why her daughter was where she was when the attacks happen. BP Walter does an excellent job of making us feel the anger/depression/grief that Caroline struggles with in her search for the truth. He also does an exceptional job of getting us to know and sympathize with a number of the other characters (being rather vague here to prevent any further spoilers). Just a fair warning: The Woman on the Pier is an intense and often dark exploration of loss, grief, and abuse. And given that, it kind of feels wrong to say I ‘enjoyed’ it, not sure what the right adjective to use would be. This book may not be for everyone, but I will say I found the story quite gripping, often heartbreaking, and well worth my time. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
I’d like to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Woman on the Pier.

BP Walter is one of the most exciting authors on the scene at the moment. His previous books were exceptionally well written, sharply intelligent, disturbing and gripping, and his latest is no exception. I was drawn in from page one, on the edge of my seat throughout, and shocked by the ending!!! Highly recommended.

I enjoyed the first book written by this author and this one was just as well written! It’s a hard subject to tackle but well written! Loved all the intrigue and mystery surrounding it too.

A true page turner I got caught up in the authors web and could not put the book down.So many twists and turns so many surprises.I highly recommend the book the author.#netgalley #harpercollinsukonemorechapter

Caroline's teenage daughter Jessica was killed in a terrorist attack, at a train station where she had no apparent reason to be. Caroline is a successful TV writer, but her life and her marriage are now in freefall. She's looking for someone - apart from the terrorists - to blame, and when she finds correspondence with an unknown boy on Jessica's phone, it looks like she's found him.

We hear Caroline's narrative and also, less often, that of the boy (there's a twist here which wasn't entirely surprising).

There are some dark themes going on here - loss and grief, terrorism, sexual abuse, for starters. It's a good read, but there's not a lot of light in the darkness and don't expect a happy ending. Speaking of the ending, it felt a little abrupt. The title is perhaps not the most fitting - the scene on the pier, while its consequences are devastating, is over in a flash, and I'm not sure what the point was of the sudden switch to Australia at the end.

However it's an engaging read which kept my interest throughout. Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review.

As a fan of B.P. Walter and the description of this book I was ready to settle in for a good mystery. However this book was not quite what I was expecting. And unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. There should definitely be some trigger warnings for people before they read this. *Terrorist Activity *Sexual Abuse. I did read this quickly but because of the triggers it was not an enjoyable read for me. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins, One More Chapter for the ARC.

This is a well structured and fast-paced book. However, I disliked all of the characters and this affected the rating I've given it. The story hares along and is full of twists and turns so I'm sure some people will love it. However, for me the lack of empathy I felt for the characters spoiled the ride.

After loving The Dinner Guest, I was desperate to read what B P Walter wrote next. This had the same level of intrigue and kept me hooked right up until the last page. This is a great page turner that I certainly will be recommending, just as I did with The Dinner Guest.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Wow… This book is going to stay with me for a long, long time. Such a heartbreaking story covering many devastating topics, mixed with a bucketload of suspense.
It had me completely gripped throughout.

After reading and loving The Dinner Guest earlier this year, I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this book. B.P. Walter has fast become one of my favourite authors and I know I’ll read everything he writes from now on. I love his style of writing and that he tackles real life, uncomfortable issues with sad and thought provoking endings.

This book is absolutely a 5 star read, I’ll be recommending it to everyone!

I loved The Dinner Guest and was so excited to get the chance to read the author's next book.
Caroline and Alex's teenage daughter Jessica was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was supposed to be spending the weekend with a friend, or at least that is what she told her parents. She was actually at a London train station and was killed in a terrorist attack. Why she was there will become apparent as Caroline tries to overcome her grief by finding out the truth.
The story is told from Carline's point of view. She and Alex are not grieving together, in fact, it seems their relationship has been problematic for a long time. When Caroline finds the boy Jessica was supposed to meet, she plans her revenge as clearly he was responsible for her death. Barely keeping her grip on reality, she goes down an increasingly dark path. In the end, Caroline makes some truly awful and life-altering decisions. If you think this mother has hit rock bottom, she still manages to take quite a fall.
This was a story that kept me flipping pages. You would never think that the repercussions from seemingly small personal decisions would be able to harm so many people. Of course, the terrorist attacks are something that unfortunately mirrors real life and how everyone reacts to such senseless death cannot be anything but heartbreaking. A tragic tale from beginning to end and I just wish it had ended differently for Caroline.

“Grief does not change you…it reveals you…”

After reading and loving the author’s previous book "The Dinner Guest", I was thrilled to dive into "The Woman on the Pier". What I wasn’t expecting was a story of grief-stricken parents whose daughter was killed in a terrorist attack. Sad and somewhat disturbing, this story left me emotionally drained and in dire need of a drink.

Honestly, I’m not sure how to rate nor how to recommend. Did I enjoy the story? No. Did I think the author did a good job of depicting the heartbreaking loss of a child, and a mother’s fierce desire to get revenge? Yes. So, if that’s your jam, by all means pick up your own copy and read.


**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

Having read and loved BP Walters The Dinner Guest last year I thought for sure this would be a slam dunk. Jokes on me.

The synopsis led me to believe this was a murder mystery with a side dish of revenge but that's not this. I also didn't realize this was about a terrorist attack. With the 20th anniversary of 9/11 just happening I was not in the mood for this type of book right now.

A roller coaster of a novel!
This book is gripping form page 1, a book that once you start you just can’t put down.
Gripping stuff!
Easily worthy of 4 stars ✨