this is my 1st book buy this author and so enjoyed .Marissa was very young when her mother was murdered she witnessed it from under the bed she was then put in her mothers sisters care with her husband but they was so cruel to her and the uncle started to abuse her when her aunt died she saved enough money to flee her uncle but he got nasty and she stabbed him . she gets out of there and starts her life she meets a very kind stranger who she had Met before when she worked at a club . she offers Marissa a job as a insurance broker and she gets a flat where she feels life is getting better one of her new clients wants to meet her comes to the flat Ben she does not like or trust him he wants to date her , then she has a new neighbour Dan and he is not nice then her forever cottage is bought buy her uncle . but Marissa has a bigger problem she keeps blacking out and waking up not knowing whats happened and then her uncle is murdered wont say no more but so so good

This book has been one that has completely exceeded my expectations and shocked me in a good way.

I have to admit, this is my first read by this author and oh gosh, what a read this has been. I absolutely need more and cannot wait to get stuck into the series.

This book has been completely unpredictable and taken me on a rollercoaster journey. I have been completely pulled in and I adore how the author writes. This has captured my attention and been a book that has been utterly impossible to put down.

Marissa has been an interesting character, with a troubled background. I have found her likeable and believable throughout this book. Kovach takes us on a journey that gives insight into Marissa’s past and the events that have made her how she is.

There are a range of additional characters in this one that have made the plot intriguing. This is a completely unpredictable and well-paced novel, all loose ends are tied together and oh my- THAT ENDING.

I love the cover of this one, it catches the eye and really raises intrigue, making you want more. This book is just fantastic. A definite five star read and one that must be added to the TBR.

When one of your favourite authors changes to a different genre it always makes you a bit nervous.

It is no secret how obsessed I am with Carla and her D.I Gina Harte series, so I was apprehensive about a standalone. I have no idea why because turns out I had absolutely nothing to worry about!

This standalone by Carla has all of her signatures. A web of twists so intricate it's difficult to know how she got through them, a plot so carefully planned out that the pace if perfect all the way through, and an absolute banger of an ending and characters that are relatable.

As a survivor of childhood abuse, I found Marissa very relatable, and her feelings were spot on. The fear, the paranoia and the feeling your going crazy. This to me makes the book even better as it makes it all seem so realistic.

If this is Carla's start to standalone I will definitely be waiting on tenterhooks for the next one!

Marissa Baxter saw her mother being murdered while she hid under the bed.She was then sent to live with her aunt and uncle who both treat her badly,her aunt does nothing to stop the abuse she suffers from her uncle and her only friend is her cat.When her aunt dies she can't take it anymore so she leave and makes a new life for her self.
Years later she has her own flat and a good job.Things start to go wrong when a client makes her feel uncomfortable,a new neighbour moves in has late night parties and verbally abuses her and to add to her troubles someone is stalking her.
Her uncle and then the neighbour are both murdered and Marissa is sleepwalking and starts to believe she could be responsible.
If she can't trust herself who can she trust?
The twist at the end I really liked.
Told in then and now chapters this book was fast paced and kept me gripped.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC..

Marissa has had a tragic life. When she's five, her mother is killed by "the bad man" while she hides under the bed. After this horrific event, she is sent to live with her aunt and uncle, both of which are abusive.
Because Marissa doesn't know the identity of the killer, she has lived her whole life in fear that he'll come back and kill her as well. Twenty-three years later, Marissa is trying to forge a new path in life but is still haunted by the demon's of her past and plagued by bouts of sleepwalking. When her abusive uncle turns up dead, her life is turned upside down. Is "the bad man" back after all this time? Or, during her sleepwalking, did she commit this horrible crime? Marissa doesn't feel capable of doing something so horrific. But she starts doubting herself when her neighbor (who she had several altercations with) also turns up dead. What is happening to Marissa? Is she really capable of murder or is she the next victim?

This is a startling and well-written portrayal of the impact of childhood trauma into adulthood.
The characterization was so spot on. While some of Marissa's thoughts and feelings are repetitive, I didn't mind it because it was so realistic to the cyclic nature of PTSD. Marissa is a very damaged character who expresses a great deal of fear, anxiety and distrust in others. As a counselor, I've worked with people who suffer from PTSD and have suffered with it myself. I really appreciate the genuineness in which it was handled in this story.
Additionally, this was great storytelling. The plot was interesting and kept you guessing throughout. I kept going back and forth between thinking Marissa was innocent or guilty. There were some nice twists, especially at the end. That ending! I finished the book hours ago, and I'm still thinking about that ending.

The writing style reminds me of Alice Feeney. If you enjoy her books, I recommend this one.
But ***Trigger Warning*** this book does contain child abuse and it is pretty hard to read at times. If that is something that bothers you in literature, give this one a pass. Otherwise, definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this advanced copy from Bookouture via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Marissa lives alone and has a dark past. When she was a child she watched her mother being murdered. She experienced a horrific childhood at the hands of the aunt and uncle that fostered her. Now as an adult another relative has been murdered forcing her to look back on her past experiences.

This novel honestly has me torn I loved the plot it was interesting with plenty of twist and turns. The flash backs to the main characters past were fantastic and allowed the reader to gain plenty of insight. I had the killer and why they were the killer figured out fairly fast but the twist in the final pages wow! I did not see that coming.


Now for the part that has me torn. Half way through the book it all became very repetitive and I absolutely loathed the main character. She was a complete contradiction she appeared very much a strong female with many capabilities which were proved in her back story and then in the present day she would cling for protection and reassurance to anyone who talked to her for more then five minutes. She was needy, made stupid decisions throughout and frankly irritated me.

Overall a 3 star read.

This is my second book by Carla Kovach and I thought it was ok. Main character is Marissa who has a really traumatic past, told through her perspective then and now. Bad things happen, it turns out she sleepwalks so she’s not sure if she is responsible for what happened since she can’t remember. Good quick read.

This book has a lot of what one would look for in a crime & suspense novel – progressing building the tension and holding the reveal till the end.

Marissa Baxter has had a rough life and is only now settling into a career. She was hiding under the bed as her mother was murdered. She was then raised by her uncle & aunt - Simon & Caroline. This is not a happy period either as Simon abuses her, Caroline does not support her and she is too terrified to bring this up with anyone else. She cannot wait to move on, her aunt also passes away and she finally does get away quite abruptly. She has some good fortune as an acquaintance Reggie helps her with a job and stands by her. She later moves on to work on her own as a financial advisor. She takes up residence near the cottage she and her mom used to live in, hoping some-day to be able to buy it. She finds one day shockingly that her uncle Simon has moved into the cottage, and she also has a pestering new client and a troublesome neighbour. She also feels someone is stalking her. The memories of her mother’s murder never go away, and this coupled with her sleepwalking problem keeps her on the edge most of the time. Glen, who is part of the housing complex is a source of support as her stress levels go up, but she is not sure how much she can confide in him. Her uncle is murdered and soon after, her neighbour as well. Marissa can only recall fragments of many of her activities in the night, feels she knows something of the murders and is fearful that someone may be after her as well.

I could sense which character holds the key to the story once I was past half-way, though I was not sure why. The story keeps you hooked, the incidents notch up the tension pretty well and Marissa’s mental state is very well portrayed. There is a big reveal at the end and as many times happens with stories which rely on this – the tie-up of threads and behaviours is not entirely credible. I tend to give greater credence to stories which keep things natural.

This is a very readable story for which it is worth a go.

I've read a few of the novels in Kovach's Gina Harte series and really enjoyed them, so I was interested to see how she would approach a standalone psychological thriller. What She Did is a wonderfully constructed novel where the beginning is creepy and the rest of the novel is creepier! I did wonder at one point whether the tension had peaked too soon as the beginning was so creepy but I was very wrong!

What She Did is split into chapters of "then" (with various timelines) and "now". This structure was really effective as it helped us to see how Marissa's past affects her behaviour in the present day. She has been through some horrific circumstances and this did help me to sympathise with her throughout the novel.

As the novel gathers pace, I had no idea who to trust in the same way that Marisa doesn't. I was suspicious of most of the characters at some point. There are lots of twists and turns as we begin to find some answers, and although I did guess parts of it, I was still royally entertained!

Usually I find a plot with an unreliable narrator quite intriguing. But in this case, I couldn't make a lick of sense of what the author was trying to convey. I found the story and the writing to be a jumbled mess - randomly jumping between timelines, how the protagonist Marissa creates a random link between Ben to her mother's murderer, from being an anxious mess of an introvert to suddenly clinging on to Glen as if he was a lifelong friend, Petula's ex-husband being her neighbour, Dan - and so many other things.. I am sorry, I tried to like this book, but I didn't enjoy it at all.

3.5 stars

Twenty three years ago Marissa Baxter is five, she’s drawing a picture for Mummy to make her happy but then terror strikes as there’s a ‘bad man’ at the door .... In the present day Marissa meets with a potential client Ben Forge which proves to be a disconcerting experience which is further added to when she meets her new neighbour in her apartment block. Are the people she encounters out to hurt her or does it go much deeper than that into events from the past.

Marissa’ portrayal is good, she’s a bag of nerves, very damaged, her background is heartbreaking so it’s little wonder she’s as she is. Her stress and anxiety manifests itself in various ways is conveyed well although it does get a bit repetitive towards the end. She’s not an easy character to relate to as some of her behaviour is odd and doesn’t equate with the image she’s trying to live up to which is interesting as you try to weigh it up. It’s fair to say that none of the characters are very likeable and some of the more unpleasant ones do feel a bit stereotypical which is evident in some dialogue. The plot is very unsettling and disturbing in places, there’s a dark element to the storytelling and a lot of questions about where the truth of present day events lies. The first half is really good and keeps you glued to the pages.

However, whilst there is much that is good in the novel the pace drops off at times mostly due to repetition of Marissa's thoughts. I also think it becomes very obvious from about half way what is going on, so the finale isn’t a huge surprise. The final twist though is a really good one which leaves you wondering and I like that!

Overall, it’s an easy read with some good elements in the storytelling .

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Loved this stand alone by Carla Kovach! She’s a very talented author with a great knack for twists and turns. Add to that a couple of ‘mic drop’ moments and you’ve got What She Did. Never a dull moment or a lull in the storyline. All round great read!!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

First time reading a book by author Carla Kovach and i really enjoyed What she did. It has a perfect amount of suspense and thrill which i love in books. Character development was written really even though there were some character's i wasn't keen on. Very suspenseful with good amount of keeping you guessing and turning the page to see who was actually the murderer. I actually thought i knew who the murderer was but i was totally wrong and i liked that lol. The ending left me wondering about our lead character and that last twist i really liked. I would definitely recommend 5*

Marissa Baxter has dealt with a lot of trauma in her life- first from her mother’s murder, which she witnessed, then from living with an aunt and uncle who hurt her in various ways.

Her life is finally getting better, but then a strange new neighbor moves in and Marissa starts receiving letters in her letter box. Her estranged uncle is murdered and she can’t remember where she was that night. Is Marissa the killer?

I’ve seen this plot before, but the ending was unique. I enjoyed the writing style for the most part but I felt that Marissa’s thoughts of “I can’t trust anyone” were extremely repetitive. I also sometimes found the flashbacks a bit confusing. Overall, I did enjoy the story but felt that it’s missing something.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 17%. I couldn't connect with the main character or the writing style. Most of the other reviews are fantastic so this is clearly just personal preference.

Since this is the second book I have read by Carla Kovach I could not wait to dive into it. Well I was very surprised to be torn between loving the mystery and not quite sure what was really going on. As I said I love the mystery behind what is driving Marissa Baxter crazy. Or is she really going crazy? Marissa saw her own mother killed in cold blood by someone she could not identify. With no father in her life Marissa was shipped off to live with her Aunt Caroline and Uncle Simon. Hoping that her life would be better it is just the opposite. Marissa is abused by both her uncle and aunt even with the help of her social worker Petula Marissa barely survives. Years past and Marissa finally tries to get her life back together until she starts working with Ben Forge who seems to bring back many of Marissa's bad memories. What is going on? Is Ben the man Marissa keeps getting mysterious phone calls from. Or is her new horrible neighbor Dan Prichard the one leaving her terrible notes in her mailbox. Plus who is the man in the cottage that Marissa and her mom once lived in? So many horrifying things happen to Marissa and the worst part is she cannot remember anything. Then her friend Glen steps in to help her through
this horrible time, but things don't feel right when it comes to Glen. Marissa has no where to turn, even her best friend Justine is keeping her distance from Marissa. Everyone around Marssa is getting killed. Who is the murderer and why are they driving Marissa out of her mind? Ms Kovach writes a very thrilling and compelling mystery. Her characters are very dark and complicated. Marissa being the most complicated, Sine the story spans over many years, I sometimes had a hard time keeping up with what Marissa was doing and what part of her life we were at. The last few chapters were the most compelling and kept me glued to my kindle. I had to finish it and when I did I was truly surprised. Love a thriller and this sure was one. Thank you Carla Kovach for the thrills, NetGalley and Bookoture for the approval.

The book was excellent! It was so hard to put down and such a thriller! So
Many twists and turns kept me coming back for more! It kept me guessing And I loved the character development! I want more!

After reading all of Carla’s books in her Gina Harte series, I was extremely happy to see there was a new stand alone book by her too.
I love how Carla gets straight on with the story and hooks you in straight away, and manages to maintain the pace of the book throughout.
There are plenty of great twists and surprises through this book, and although I did work something out pretty early on, it did not affect the enjoyment of this book at all because the intrigue of what was fully going on was still there.
Another fabulous book by a fantastic writer.

I really enjoyed the mystery in this book. I loved the settings because I live in Staffordshire and have visited the places mentioned so I can visual me being there.

All the way through I wondered if it was really Marissa who did it or was it someone else. There are lots of brilliant unknowns in this book and they kept me totally engrossed and I was dying to find out who'd done it.

I seriously not see what happened coming, brilliant twist.

Wow! What an ending!! This book was creepy and dark from the start and kept you in suspense the entire ride. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters but this is the rare occasion where that doesn’t take away from how good the book is. There was no lull in the story or skimming pages that weren’t that important.. every second of this book was insane and I’ll be trying another of Carla Kovach’s books next!