This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Boldwood Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Decent read, has a fair amount of suspense.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Unfortunately, I didn't find this as good as the previous reviewers. The first chapter was good, but then the middle was just too long. I skimmed chapters here and there to find out who the killer was, then didn't even finish it. Not sure on my thoughts other than the idea was good but could have been shorter.

I'm familiar with this author and a fan of her detective series so I was excited to see a new book. A standalone that's outstanding, a fantastic fast paced read, I wrongly guessed a few time who the killer was,i was unable to put this book down, I'll be sure to recommend it.

This was a great book full of suspense, twists and turns that had me so addicted. Will definitely read more by this author.

I’m familiar with reading Diane’s work and absolutely adore her DS Jenna Morgan series. When I saw she was writing a stand-alone, I was suitably thrilled.

My Little Brother is a fantastic read and I devoured it in two sittings. It’s a mysterious, domestic thriller set in a small welsh village- not too far from where I actually live so I can visualise it perfectly. Diane has clearly researched the local area and gained expertise into the language, as there are some brilliant welsh translations included.

The protagonist of the story, Caryn, comes back to her sleepy home village around the 20th anniversary of the disappearance of her little brother, Lloyd. Lloyd had been diagnosed with Aspergers, and the story beautifully illustrates some of the family dynamics surrounding that diagnosis.

The story has an air of mystery around it from page one, helped by the spot on imagery of the grey surroundings and weather. I was pleased that, unlike a lot of other thrillers, this was not predictable at all and I hadn’t guessed what had happened by about 20% in. You find yourself being suspicious of a few characters which I find is a perfect feeling for mystery thrillers.

The character of Caryn is a GP and it’s very clear that Diane has consulted professionals on the job, and with various other medical aspects such as anatomy & physiology and medications. I love it when an author goes into so much detail when if comes to their characters occupations. It makes it feel all the more real.

Overall, I am thoroughly pleased with the new standalone and I absolutely implore Diane to write another one!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I thought this was a very, very good read. Caryn receives anonymous notes regarding her brothers disappearance 20 years before and returns home after a long absence. Not everyone is happy to see her though. I loved the authors writing style, I was pulled into the story straightaway and found this to be a very absorbing and entertaining read. I really liked the main character Caryn, she was portrayed very well and I loved how the story timeline moved from past to present so effortlessly. There are lots of twists in the story to keep the reader guessing and I thought I knew who was responsible for Lloyds disappearance and was very wrong. This is a great book and it’s storyline shows all is not as it seems and you never know what really goes on in people’s lives behind closed doors. I was rooting for Caryn all the way through to find out what happened to her brother all those years ago. The book raced to a thrilling and satisfying conclusion with all loose ends tied up. Overall, this is a very enjoyable read with a good storyline, it was well written and held my attention from beginning to end, and I’d recommend it to readers who like books with a good mystery in the story line.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Diane Saxon for letting me read “My little Brother”in exchange for an honest review.

The cover is very decent. It shows a merry-go-round and a child running away. It’s mostly in green, with a few other Colours that grab your attention. It does not scream thriller to me, but nevertheless is cleanly done and caught my attention 3,5/5.

“Dewch adref. Mae’n amser i chi wybod y gwir. - Come home. It’s time you learned the truth.”

The book is told from third person’s perspective and tells the story of siblings Caryn and Lloyd. What caught my immediate attention was Lloyds Asperger’s diagnosis. The topic is close to my heart.

Lloyd (5ish) disappears from the playground under the watch of his sister Caryn(10). Caryn is sent off to boarding school. Then we are transported twenty years forward to the present, where Caryn, a doctor now, receives mysterious letters hinting, that her brother is alive. It brings her home to the tiny Welsh village, it’s inhabitants not making her feel very welcome.

The writing was fluent, I loved that the author threw in some Welsh. I just wished there were more translations as my kindle was disconnected from the internet.
I also liked the chapters about “the watcher”. I love the anonymity and mystery that comes with that. We did not only get Caryn POV but also some other side characters. I also liked that the timing of the book was almost perfect. Not too slow, not too rushed. Everything flowed together really well. We also get some glimpses from the past. I enjoyed the book a
lot. I really can’t find much negative about it/constructive criticism. It was a 5 star read for me.

Coming up to the 20th anniversary of her brothers disappearance Caryn starts receiving notes from a mysterious writer. When the latest one arrives saying the person knows where Lloyd is, Caryn doesn't hesitate to return to the small Welsh village. But as its 20 years since she left she doesn't get a very warm welcome from the villagers and when the local teacher is murdered, in some people's eyes she is the suspect. Can her family ever find out what happened to Lloyd all those years ago and finally have peace?
This was a very quick read for me, I enjoy Diane's writing style and the words and story just flowed of the page. Although I suspected,in part, what had happened it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book

This is a great book about a family torn apart via tragedy, then pulled back together unexpectedly. Even in a small town where everyone knows everyone else's secrets, you still don't know what happens behind closed doors. A word of caution for the squeamish. The scenes with the worst violence were dark. I'm not accustomed to having that type of content described or shown in such excruciating detail. You could absolutely visualize everything the characters went through.

I really enjoyed this story. The author did a great job laying out the setting, developing the characters and the story was solid. I can't say I was surprised by the ending, but I am also not the type of reader that tries to figure everything out on their own before the author gives us the answers and I was definitely not disappointed in the direction the author took things. The story wasn't overly complex, but the characters and the writing were engaging enough to keep me pulled in.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is a story of intrigue and mystery...family dynamics...friendship...secrets. time passing...mystery solved...surprises...the protagonist was sent away from home at an early age...for something she did not have control over...supposedly...family did not want her...friends deserted her...the angst of childhood multiplied over and over...sad...she comes back home after twenty years...it starts again...this is an author who is ingenious at weaving a story that is difficult to put down...This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review.

Wow!
When I saw this book was written by one of my favourite authors I just had to read it as I loved the series. But when I found it was a standalone I was blown away!
What an exciting, edge of your seat read!
I LOVED the short chapters and that just kept me hooked!
There’s a few red herrings which kept me totally engrossed but I did particularly like the ending how it was wrapped up so well.
Absolutely brilliant!

Good book! This book was a little different than I thought it would be! It had suspense, intrigue, and many twists and turns! And a great who done it that was difficult to figure out! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

#MyLittleBrother #NetGalley
Awesome.
Two siblings, both missing for 20 years turn up within one day of each other. One dead. One alive.It was an ordinary school day, the day I lost my little brother.
One moment he was on the roundabout and then was gone. Gone. Missing.
They all blamed me. I was in charge. Even though I was only ten years old. They sent me away. The hurt, the shame, the questions. The not knowing. I tried to move on. It’s been nineteen years in exile and now somebody wants me back.
Someone with a dark secret. They hold the keys, they know the truth.
So, I need to return to the Welsh village of my childhood to find out who, because I have a secret, too…I did something bad.
I loved it. The Ex was awesome. It's brilliant.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me an advance copy.