*4.5 Stars*

ARC kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a really interesting read, with great characters. It made me go "Wow, the goings on of some people and the cruelty and lies they spread". The ending surprised me and I enjoyed this book. Would recommend.

I really enjoyed the flashbacks and think the author managed the dual track past and present contexts very well. The characters were hard to like and, for me, that meant I was less invested in their fate. But there is no doubt this was a thrilling read with plenty to keep you interested and guessing.

Psychological family drama, set in current day and the past when Helen was a teenager. Helen is now married with a daughter and two step children. Everything seems to be moving along nicely or is that really true? Helen received a letter in the post - and soon you see that things aren’t as sweet and wholesome as they seem. There are secrets and undercurrents that indicate trouble ahead.
Helen’s stepson brings a new girlfriend Diana home and Helen instantly thinks she is trouble and is responsible for the mystery letter and the photo it contains but before Helen can find out more Diana is found dead.
Well written,, keeps you hooked and has a really good twist.
Highly recommended 4 Stars ⭐️
Thanks to #Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I felt this book had everything you would expect in a psychological thriller-- surprises that you don't see coming, secrets and lies and lots of intrigue to hook your attention! Loved everything about this book and can't wait to read more by this author!

What a read!!! I was kindly gifted an early e-copy in return of an honest review. I loved this! The cover immediately caught my attention & I couldn’t put it down! I would certainly recommend.

Split timelines - somewhat of a compelling mystery - but still.....just kind of a boring story.

Maybe I read too many thrillers. It's boring. Maybe I need to read something else for awhile and then come back to domestic thrillers and get excited again.

What I never told you by Dawn Goodwin.
How well do you know your children? And how well do they know you?
When Helen Whitmore's stepson brings home a new girlfriend one evening, her already imperfect family begins to tip towards breaking point. Diana is smart, beautiful, feisty and clearly out to cause trouble.
Then an old photograph resurfaces that threatens to uncover a long-buried secret, one that Helen has taken great care to keep hidden in the past. Only one person could have that photograph – and she is dead.
Helen immediately suspects that Diana is connected somehow, but before she can confront her, Diana is found dead and the entire family has motive.
A good read with good characters. Only thing then and now. I hate these sort of chapters. But otherwise a good book. Helen was my favourite. 4*.

Exactly what a mystery thriller should be, full of surprises that you just don't see coming, secrets and lies and lots of intrigue to hook your attention! I really enjoyed this one and loved the two timeline story aspect. I wasn't a fan of the majority of the characters, except for maybe Tracey, they were all self centred and mean, but they made for great reading!! Definitely worth picking up 😊

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Aria & Aries and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Exciting, thrilling, unputdownable.

10 Things I Liked About This Book

1. It is set in the past and the present and the past bit being the 80’s

2. Even though it is set in 2 date zones ( is that right 🤗 ) it is clear when it swops over and you dont have to wonder which era you are in

3. The story has a quirky house at it’s centrepiece

4. The characters describe themselves and their feelings with brutal honesty ( sometimes giving the reader a wry smile )

5. The writing is easy to access and tells a good, dark and secretive story

6. There is a housekeeper who makes yummy treats

7. It shows the evilness of bullying and whilst shocking is something many of us faced

8. The conclusion (s) are unexpected, fast and non negotiable

9. The title fits well with the book and

10. It is a really good ‘gets you thinking’ psychological family drama that pulls no punches

9/10
5 Stars

Enjoyed this. Good twists and turns. Some good characterisation. Enjoyed the flashbacks more than the current bits. Saw the final twist coming a mile off, so that was disappointing. Would have liked to have a few more chapters from the kids’ perspective. That was a bit throwaway. Though the Hugh character was a bit silly. Not sure why he’d get himself into debt over something he hadn’t done. And was slightly confused about that photograph. Was it a picture of Tracey or someone else? Basically thought it was fine. Not a full on page turner, I picked it up a few times and put down again, wasn’t totally gripped. Basically a decent average thriller. Probably wouldn’t read again.

For some reason I struggled with this book and couldnt get into it. I see there are a lot of great reviews so maybe I will try again at a later date

A riveting book I couldnt put down. An incident in Helen's past seems to be known by someone else. When poloroids start appearing she has to find out who is trying to get to her. I really enjoyed this book. I highly recomnend

A decent family drama told from different perspectives by way of timelines.

It's a well written tale about a dysfunctional family and secrets and lies. Helen is a grown woman; married with stepchildren and whose past haunts her in this domestic drama.

I found it a decent 3* Good Read and thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

What I ride this book was! By chapter 2, I was invested in trying to figure out the mystery of who was dead along with why and how it happened. What an interesting take on going between present and past your make us learn about why these characters are the way they are! Dawn Goodwin did a wonderful job painting such vivid characters and having us experience them growing up with bullying, trying to stand up for yourself and others, and trying to navigate finding out who you are as a person. Some characters I was driven to hate immensely while others I could actually relate to and felt their anxiety and pain. I was disappointed in the ending though. But, it wasn’t due to a poor ending or a lack of good story/writing. It was more so due to me wishing for a different outcome of life for some characters. Very well done!

Firstly I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an open and honest review. Sadly this book just wasn’t for me and I really struggled to get into it. I tried a couple of time but unfortunately it just wasn’t happening for me.

This story is told in two time lines of the past and the present of the main character Helen which shows the unravelling of her life as she knows it.

A domestic drama that shares the story of a dysfunctional family which I'm sure many readers can relate too.

The past has a way of catching up with you, secrets can't stay hidden forever a book full of deceit, suspicion, lies, conflict a suspenseful and enjoyable read.

This dual timeline domestic thriller is narrated by Helen. "Then" she is a teenager in school, from a privileged family and hung out with the "in" crowd. She and her friends are bullies. "Now" Helen is an adult who is married for the second time with a daughter, Mills, and two step kids, Matt and Lydia. All teenagers. Helen owns an independent bookstore and is an author. The house she has inherited seems to breathe and shudder, adding to the atmosphere. To some her life may look perfect but the truth is far from it.

Diana, Matt's new girlfriend, meets his family and shares meals with them. There is something about Diana that is disconcerting and unnerving but Matt is smitten. It is obvious she knows something. This story seamlessly melds the past and the present with layer upon layer of deception. Trite, but nothing is at it seems. Smiles are painted on, laughs are painfully insincere, eyes roll. Family members are suspicious of one another. I found myself practically gnawing on my arm as I neared the end, itching to find out what the heck was going on yet not wanting it to end. Spades of angst and distrust make for a compelling read.

The atmosphere is dark and tense. The suspense is nerve wracking and the surprises just kept coming! Love the original one liners, extremely clever and insightful. And the ending! If you are seeking something different and original with oomph, pick this up.

My sincere thank you to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this thrillery mystery!

This is the first book I've read by Dawn Goodwin and it certainly didn't disappoint.

Helen is a wife, mother, step mother and local business owner, who would think she was anything less than perfect. But Helen has a past she'd rather forget. That is until Diana her step sons new friend appears.
Who is Diana and what does she know about Helen?

I loved the twists in this book, kept me wanting to know more. Set across present day and Helens school years it was laid out clearly.

This is a good thriller. Definitely not one of the best that I have read but overall pretty interesting. It kept me engaged and delivered enough suspense.