hannah is a queen of writing shocking endings!!!!

the first half was a tad slow for me, but the second half picked up

it was fun reading from the bad guy’s view and hannah did a great job writing the character

i liked this one but i still think sister dear is my favorite!

Hannah did it again! I could not put this one down. This was a fast paced psychological thriller. I didn’t know if I loved or hated a Lucas!
You think you have it figured out, but Hannah throws in a whopper at the end! This is a must read!
Pub date: May 24, 2022.

I can never seem to resist a story when it's told from the POV of the villain, so of course I knew that simply HAD to read Never Coming Home as soon as I read the blurb. I mean, having the story told by the supposedly grieving husband who is actually trying to get rid of his wife instead in order to inherit her fortune? How on earth was I going to be able to resist that?! I'm glad I didn't, because I ended up having an excellent time with Never Coming Home.

This story has everything I love in a story told through the eyes of a villain. It's a tricky POV to get right, because the bad guys aren't supossed to be all that likeable and thus are more difficult to relate too... But when done right, it can really take a thriller to the next level. This is definitely what happened with Never Coming Home. Lucas Forester is hands down one of my favorite villain main characters and he is surprisingly easy to grow attached to despite the fact he is actively trying to get rid of his wife and doesn't have a considerate bone in his body. Seeing everything go down through his eyes and him turning from hunter to victim was absolutely fascinating... And I loved every single minute spent inside his head.

Never Coming Home is psychological thriller at its best, with the suspense building up when Lucas receives a mysterious note after the disappearance of his wife. He KNOWS she won't be coming back because he ordered the hit himself and then covered all his tracks, but what if someone discovered what he did? The strange things happening to Lucas, the wondering if the hitman really kept up his part of the deal, the wife's family issues with addiction and cancer... This story isn't just about a husband-turned-villain and his missing wife, and the different elements brought more dept to the story.

The writing makes it really easy to keep turning those pages, and especially the first half of the story was very strong. I wasn't sure what to make of the flashbacks to Manchester and the past of Lucas though; they didn't flow as easily and kind of distracted from the rest of the plot. I think that I probably would have liked the story better without any part of the Manchester storyline including the characters... Although I do understand why it was incorporated. I also have to say that I guessed the big twist quite early on, which was a bit of a letdown for me. The ending was a bit over the top and I wasn't too sure if it was all that credible; after such a strong start I somehow expected something more of those final twists.

That said, Never Coming Home was still a very satisfying thriller and if you love stories told through the eyes of a villain you will be in for a real treat with this one. Lucas Forester is the man of the hour and the main reason this story works so well!

What isn't to love about a new Hannah Mary McKinnon book? Ever since I read her book The Neighbors I was an instant auto-buy reader! This book is nothing short of great and I overall really enjoyed reading it. I will definitely be recommending it to others. Cannot wait to see what HMM reads next! Thanks for the opportunity to read and review early!

Dare I say this is McKinnon's best yet? Told entirely from the perspective of a psychotic husband who targeted his wife solely for her money & arranges her disappearance through a hitman while simultaneously playing the grieving husband, this dark, salacious psychological thriller will keep you entertained from start to finish!

This psychological thriller gives readers a front row seat into the life of a manipulative, villain-of-a-husband. Lucas has spent years meticulously planning his wife's demise so he can inherit her money. Once the deed is done, he thinks he's in the clear and will be a very rich man. But when he receives a cryptic note, he's not so sure the murder went off as planned.

What stands out for me the most with this thriller is the unique POV of a killer. Lucas is a guy you'll love to hate, but he's got a dark sense of humour and a smidgen of good in him. Just a smidgen - he is a murderer after all. I enjoyed the detail McKinnon gives his backstory and while my initial suspicions of whodunnit were correct, I still felt like I was kept on my toes in the first part of the story.

But the middle of the story slowed down for me as we get stuck in Lucas' internal dialogue and things became more and more implausible. Unfortunately, I found the ending to be disappointing and contrived. I won't lie, it was kind of satisfying, but it was so unbelievable that it wasn't the strong finish I was expecting.

Top marks for a unique POV and a strong start but it faltered for me with its big but improbable reveal.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for my complimentary digital copy of this book given in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars. Interesting plot told through the eyes of the male antagonist which was a unique approach from the usual thriller reads. Some great scenes, good sleights of hand, and a satisfying ending. The pacing was slow at times and the male character’s inner thoughts were a bit too detailed. A different take on a thriller which I generally enjoyed.

Thanks to Harper Collins Canada and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Never Coming Home, Hannah Mary McKinnon
Pub Date: May 24/22 by Harper Collins & Mira Books

Hannah’s latest psychological thriller does not disappoint!

With an eerily realistic craftsmanship, Hannah has constructed a psychological thriller told in the antagonist’s voice that reads like a memorie of a sociopath who has waited, calculated and constructed the perfect murder for his wife who is set to inherit a fortune. A character you’ll love to hate and might even hate yourself for loving - even if just a little bit. He’s cheeky, shrewd and surprisingly funny. And while at first all seems to be going according to Lucas’s meticulous plan, bits begin to unravel leaving him grappling and desperately trying to regain control of his narrative and the millon’s that are slipping away.

Never coming Home is a well plotted and paced thriller with a good helping of twists and turns and just the right amount of deception. As with You Will Remember Me, Hannah once again delivers a delicious ending that has you rooting for the bad guy and then championing for the unexpected!

Thank you very much to Hannah and Harper Collins Canada and Mira Books and NetGalley for my advanced readers' copy. Can’t wait to read the next twisty thriller from one of my favourite authors.

I love Hannah Mary McKinnon’s books. I was hooked from Her Secret Son. Never Coming Home was told in a unique POV. I haven’t read a story like this before and I read a lot of thrillers. I really enjoyed this book. This is one I don’t want to give too many details because going into this blind will have you hooked and you will read this in a flash. I was intrigued right from the very beginning!

Oh Lucas… Always wanting to be the “good guy” except when it comes to wanting to kill his wife to inherent her millions.. POV from Lucas, who is hilarious & dark.. You want to root for him at some point, but should you? Who is the bad guy? 4.5 stars for a highly entertaining read!

I LOVED this book! Super twisty, hard to put down, and just enough suspense to keep me guessing. I really enjoy books from the killers perspective and this was no exception. This is my first from this author and I can't wait to read more!

I can’t say enough good things about Never Coming Home! The story is truly told from a villain’s point of view, and McKinnon writes him with a sardonic wit. The pressure is mounting all around Lucas as he struggles to keep all his balls in the air, and everything comes together at the end for a shocking but perfect ending.

This was a pretty good thriller of a ride and the main character was so perfectly well done I almost felt bad hating him at some points. We know right up front he is a bad guy and I was interested to know his demise and that is what the story centers on. Someone starts screwing with his head and they do a really excellent job. Very entertaining and definitely pulled me along as a reader. The ending though. I didn't hate it, but I was disappointed. The plotting seemed to wan through the middle a bit and then felt like it wrapped up too quickly and, honestly, in an almost unbelievable way. But the ending scene - perfection!

A digital ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. The opinions are my own and freely given.
This was just okay for me. It seemed like it took too long to setup the characters. I didn't really like any of them, to be honest. The plot was good, where the wife is abducted, and the husband gets anonymous picture and cryptic messages. It just fell a little flat for me because the ending didn't really wrap up.

Pulled me I'm right away...lost me a bit at the Bobby part in the middle. Kept reading and ended up being a great ending..

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: May 24, 2022
Lucas Forester knew as soon as he saw beautiful, young Michelle at an art gallery event, he wanted to make her his wife- but not for the reasons everyone expected. Lucas’ father, permanently disabled as a result of a stroke, requires constant care, and although that care is growing exceedingly expensive, Lucas is willing to do anything to continue providing the best possible life for his father, and for himself. If that means he must wine and dine wealthy, (sometimes) single women than so be it. But Michelle may be his last “mark”, and he finally sees a secure future for himself and his father when he convinces Michelle to marry him. But with an ironclad pre-nup, the only way Lucas can benefit from Michelle’s fortune is if she were to “disappear”, and Lucas is determined to do all he can to ensure this happens, and also to ensure that he can, in no way, be blamed for it.
Hannah Mary McKinnon introduces a deliciously evil and seriously sly sociopath as her protagonist in her sixth novel, “Never Coming Home”. As Lucas narrates his tale, and we see his devious plans to eliminate his wife and take her wealth, the sick inner workings of his mind are revealed, and I was immediately fascinated. Right from the get-go, it is obvious Lucas is an unlikable character (McKinnon does not sugar coat Lucas’ disgusting nature) and yet, even with such a protagonist, I enjoyed every page.
When Lucas starts receiving threatening notes, indicating the sender is aware of Lucas’ dirty deeds, McKinnon leaves readers with a plethora of possibilities as who the culprit could be, yet there is enough suspicion to keep the secret until the final chapters. In “Home”, everyone has secrets and no one can be trusted, which leads to pulse-pounding twists and turns that lead to one heck of an ending! The haunting conclusion is unexpected yet also satisfying, bringing readers the resolution they didn’t know they wanted.
McKinnon is a UK-born author, but as she now lives in Canada, I think the Great White North can take credit for her creativity and talent. “Never Coming Home” is so much more than a “psychological domestic suspense” novel, and I eagerly anticipate McKinnon’s future works.

Never Coming Home was a wonderful read, one that kept me trying to figure out what was going on until the end.

The main character, Lucas, wasn't very likeable, but the story is so engrossing that I purely did not care. I kept hoping something terrible would happen to him and truly, his back story as a child did help me realize why he was who he was. Well, partially.

If you enjoy mysteries and family suspense, then this is a must read. It is one that will keep you wondering and wanting to know what's going to happen.

And there's a wonderful dog! This isn't a long review, nor does it have much "meat" to it, but it's far too easy to spoil this story and I want to make sure my review doesn't spoil it for anyone.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

Lucas. Well,,,he’s not a good guy, and you know that…almost from the start. This book started out a little slow for me, but I pushed through, and I’m glad I did. The ending was nothing like any other book I’ve read! Wow!

Ok I really really liked the way this one started... I feel like I'm saying that a lot lately, particularly with domestic thrillers. I may well be over this genre - at least for now. So keep that caveat in mind when you read the rest of this.

This one started like a house afire - in a good dramatic, emotionally charged way. It started feeling a little over the top and then gradually devolved into an eye rolling monstrosity - and while I was determined to see it though to the bitter end, and never seriously considered walking away, it was in a train-wreck way rather than a positive one... I'm not exactly sure where it jumped the shark for me, but suffice to say that the current trend of layering red herrings with jaw-dropping left-field revelations into a parfait of craziness is getting old for me right fast.

If I read less of these I might not have minded. McKinnon is a talented enough writer that the pages turned easily, and her characters were morally bankrupt in a fun, rather than distasteful, way. But the Big Reveal felt like a feminist fantasy rather than a cohesive finale, and that's where it really, finally lost me. It was fun right up until it felt like it was delivering a political message - and that's not why I read thrillers.l like this. The conclusion felt forced and while not entirely unexpected, at least in part, it didn't deliver on the promise of the opening gambits in a way I found at all satisfying...

Have you ever read a thriller and wished you had the bad guy's POV? Well, look no further because this one is unique romp into the twisted mind of a greedy psychopath - and it's a lot of fun!

Lucas has the perfect marriage. He and Michelle are so very happy and in love and are insanely wealthy, and everything seems, well - perfect. But here's the thing... Lucas has been meticulously planning Michelle's death for years. And once he inherits all her money, he will finally be free to live the way he's always wanted and deserved. He's covered all his tracks - both in the past and the future - and everything has gone perfectly to plan.

Until the note comes.

It's hard not to root for Thomas because as unlikeable and sinister as he is, we learn all about where he's come from and what he has been though. And he's pretty damn smart and devious - you kinda want to see what he gets away with.

But someone is on to him... will he actually get away with anything??

Fans of Gone Girl will love this one. And if you've read McKinnon's books before - you know to expect something fun and twisted at the end of the story - and this one does not disappoint!