A harrowing tale of misogyny and toxic masculinity, this suspense thriller describes every woman's worst nightmare.

22-year old nurse, Nell Sweeney has been missing for four days and her parents, Marian and Stephen are beside themselves with worry. While the cops are doing everything they can to locate her, unbeknownst to them, Nell is caught in a psycopath's macabre power game, where she is merely an expendable pawn.

It takes amazing skill to turn such an agonising subject matter into an unputdownable plot, the way Claire Allan has done with 'The Nurse.' Her story-telling technique is unfaltering, be it in the tangible portrayal of Nell's sheer terror, Stephen's helplessness, Marian's alternating feelings of grief, dread and numbness, or in the characterization of the antagonist whose twisted POV invokes revulsion and outrage in the reader.

The events in the book do bring up unpleasant memories of situations of fear and harassment that women all over have endured because of the perverted view of certain men who try to find their own worth, in the pain of the women around them. The author's note at the end of the book provides a condensed insight into the 'incel' community, ensuring that it isn't simply fiction, but an existing and escalating movement of 'women-haters.'

Overall, an intensely dark read that is as compelling as it is uncomfortable. Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

If you like thrillers, you are very likely to find this book captivating. A very fast-moving story, with good character development and a scenario which is researched.

Stephen & Marian are like many married couples, leading a fairly routine life, though with some level of incompatibility & stress between them. Nell is their daughter, who wants to live an independent life, and works as a nurse. One day Marian receives a call from Nell’s room-mate that she has not been seen for the last 2-3 days. At first, since Nell has made some new friends, including a new boyfriend, they just expect she has stayed over with someone. As the cops get involved, they advise not to panic initially, but everyone fears the worst as more time elapses.

There is another track which alternates with this one – there is a man (referred to as only ‘Him’, ‘He’ for over half the book) who harbours resentment against what feminism is doing to the freedom men have enjoyed in the past. He, along with other Incels (Involuntary celibates) discuss such things on forums on the dark web. He has an idea to get power back for men, and with a camera follows women walking alone, filming the fear they feel, finally making a lame excuse for being behind them. As he posts this on the forums to adulation from others, his sense of self-worth grows. This triggers many others to think of more things they can do. It seems that one of this crowd could be involved with Nell’s disappearance.

The writing is very good, and the book is a page turner. ‘His’ philosophy to life and women is expressed very well, however disturbing it is to read. The author covers her research in the afterword and it is troubling, indicating that it is very easy today for many to harbour, discuss and amplify regressive views, and the true scenario is as bad or worse than what this book covers.

A couple of things could have been better:
- There is another victim besides Nell, whose story is brushed past too quickly (even she is not a primary character in the story).
- The ending is somewhat plain and simple, and could have been better. However, I much prefer this instead of a far-fetched twist.

My rating: 4.5 / 5.

This is my first novel by author Claire Allan and I did really enjoy it.

We meet Marian, Nell and "Him", each chapter is from a different characters perspective and I love this kind of theme when reading a novel.

Nell is a nurse who is mildly experimenting after being the good girl. Her room mate rings her mother, Marian, saying she has not seen Nell for a few days and is starting to get worried.

The Him chapters are of an anonymous male, we do find out later in the novel who he is though, which is a great twist, and this character is sick of women, he uses the dark web to meet others like himself. He starts to scare women and put his videos on this dark web page and starts a following.

Nell is missing and Marians chapters are of a heartbroken mother who desperately is searching for her child.

Nell's chapters were of her imprisonment and how helpless she is.

I did really enjoy this novel, for me I did find myself skim reading some pages, as I felt it was quite drawn out but nonetheless this is a good gripping novel and I really enjoyed Claire Allan's writing.

Thanks to NetGalley, Claire Allan and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my review.

From the premise of the book, I was eager to read it and I wasn’t disappointed. Nell Sweeney is a nurse. Every day she walks up and from the hospital believing no harm can come to her, until one day, she is taken. It seems someone is out there watching her, watching women, she’s one of the unlucky ones. If the police don’t find her soon, she may not be the only one who is taken. Gripping and thrilling, I found this book hard to put down. It’s well written and will keep you hooked to the end. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for the chance to review.

This book was excellent - as a thriller, and as a glimpse into a very real part of society. It was unsettling and eerie at times, shocking and horrifying at others. The characters were well drawn, particularly Nell's mother Marian. You'll figure the twist right before it's revealed, which works very well because you're thinking "no, it can't be, is it??!". And the author did a great job given the male side of the story and the type of thought process. I'm so glad I read it, even if it did leave me looking over my shoulder even more than usual!

The Nurse by Claire Allan
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I simply love Claire Allan. The Nurse is another creepy, dark and pretty disturbing story that is every woman's nightmare come true. A glimpse into the minds of some really messed up people and the powers of the dark web. You must read this. Be warned it is terryfying and realistic.
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Thanks @netgalley @avonbooksuk and @claireallan_author for my arc
Publication date 17th March 2022

This book was amazing!! The plot twist blew my mind and the suspense had me devouring every second of it. The part where Nell was reading about her parents in the paper was so heart wrenching. You felt the emotions of everyone in this book and it was really just a fantastic read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Woah.

Well what do I say about this other than it scared the absolute crap out of me. I REALLY couldn't connect to one of the viewpoints we are following but the others I was hooked on. This was my first Claire Allan book and I dont think it will be my last! Full review will be on Books and Bargains youtube channel (December 2021 Wrap Up due towards the end of the month)

I absorbed this book in a weekend. Very fast paced and the unknown male chapters made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Very chilling and gripping. Didn't want it to end but I couldn't stop reading. One of the best of this genre that I've read this year.

I LOVED this book!! The story was quite intriguing and quite the psychological thriller. Claire Allan does an excellent job of weaving a good, page-turning story that keeps you guessing until the shocking reveal. I had to go back to make sure I read it right on who was involved. I learned what an incel was and how radicalized people can get with online forums and the dark web.

I have to find more books by this author!

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five

Nell Sweeny has disappeared. She was a young woman just starting out: recently graduated from nursing school, working in the local hospital, rooming with her best friend, meeting new people, dating. She and her roommate worked different shifts, so Nell had already been missing a few days before anyone noticed. When the police become involved, they discover her cell phone and her credit cards haven’t been used since she left work, days before. Her friends and family insist that she is a responsible young woman and would not take off on holiday without telling someone.
Her mother Marian knows that something is deeply wrong. She can only wait. Her husband, Nell’s father, is with her. A family liaison is ever by her side. Detectives come and go. But Marian is alone as only a mother, who had once shared her body with her now missing only child, can be, waiting for the telephone call that her daughter has been found, one way or another.
Claire Allan, a former journalist, has a gift for writing point-of-view so precisely that the reader feels like she is in the room with the character, seeing everything, hearing everything, feeling the terror that envelops Marian, as Marian slowly detaches from the everyday life she had before Nell disappeared which now seems surreal and foreign. This story, something that could happen to anyone, is harrowing. It’s the kind of story that will stay with you long after you have closed the book.

This was a really compelling story and dark story. It gives an insight into the dark and depraved world of the Incel.
The book is about Nell a young nurse who has disappeared, and a man who feels he is unseen by women.
This is a really fast paced and gripping read.

I had to stop reading this party way through. Not because it wasn’t good, but because it was SO good. Such an incredibly tough yet relevant subject matter and tackled from multiple points of view. Not much scares me in fiction, but this truly did a number on me! Sinister, because it’s so realistic. Sometimes what we fear most is right under our noses

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
Nell is a nurse who walks to work every day never worrying for her safety - - but someone is watching her!
And then she disappears - Has she run off? Has someone taken her? But what is really going on will shock you!

A scarily well written and timely book with complex, engaging characters and a plot that grabs you from the first chapter and refuses to let go!
I found the part of Him particularly interesting; like like every young woman today I can relate to the fear and actions of all of the female characters but have never thought of the situation from a male perspective..
A really outstanding read, my only criticism is that the title doesn't do justice to the content.

As soon as I heard the premise for this book, I knew I had to read it. "The Nurse" is a captivating psychological thriller which thoroughly engaged me. I couldn't put it down! Claire Allan has really pulled out all the stops with this one. She cleverly, subtly, challenges our perceptions around who is a victim worthy of public sympathy. She also shows us how easily people can become radicalised online.

"The Nurse" explores the very real, very dangerous, culture of Incels. If you don't know what that means, you're in for the shock of your life. I urge you to read the Author's Note at the end for context, and I also highly recommend Laura Bates's work of non-fiction on the subject, entitled "Men Who Hate Women". Allan has used fiction to explore a hugely important (and little understood) issue in a way that is engaging and gripping. I hope this book is a massive bestseller. It deserves to be.

This book is really good. The incel movement is so terrifying to me, and the way it was brought to life so realistically in this novel was both brilliant and scary to read about.

There are a lot of books about missing people and I often find that the reactions of the parents don't quite ring true but I think Marian was spot on. You could really feel her terror and devastation and I felt dreadfully sorry for her.

This isn't a particularly twisty novel, it's more character-driven, but having said that there was one part that I really didn't see coming.

Just an editing note - there are a few inconsistencies. At the beginning Marian describes Nell as her 'eldest child' which is a bit of a strange phrase when it turns out that Nell is an only child. Also Heather states at the beginning that she has no children but has plans to have them soon, but by the end she has acquired two teenage sons. DI Bradley is also demoted to DS on at least one occasion. I imagine these issues will be ironed out prior to publication.

I have read all of Claire’s books. I thought that her previous book ‘Forget Me Not’ was excellent and the ending fantastic.
This book is not one with a plot twist though. It is one that is fast paced and exciting. I read it in two days!
This book focuses on the deep and dark world of incels (involuntarily celibate). This might be a relatively new term for some and it makes for some uncomfortable reading at times. This group of men are against women, they hate them for wanting power and control, seeing it as an emasculation.
We hear from an anonymous male as he starts a viral moment of following lone women walking home at night.
We also hear from a distraught mother, as she learns that her daughter is missing.
The two timelines run at slightly different times, so you never quite know what’s going to pop up next.
Who has her daughter and will she see her alive ever again?
This is a very tense and gripping story. If you want a great crime read then this one is for you.

Thank you for this advanced copy. While I do not think this was Clarie's best book, this was a good book. I really enjoyed the different character viewpoints. This is a scary topic if you consider all that can happen on the dark web. I did find parts to be long winded, but overall pretty good.