This was not the book for me. I really didn’t like it. I tried to persevere with it but I ended up DNFing at the halfway mark

I thought I would enjoy this book more than I did. It started great but soon lost my interest as the pace was quite slow. If it had been faster paced, I think I would have enjoyed it more.

Thank you Quercus Books and Netgalley - why did I wait to read this!
Slow start but then wow it takes off - great storyline and characters. I read Helen's previous book and this is well up there with that one. Please keep writing.

I felt disappointed reading this book. I had such high expectations. It started off well but I seemed to lose interest and that played a role in my rating.

I absolutely loved the author's previous novel The Therapist which was one of my favourite reads of last year. so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read The Lover.
Rikke and her husband Asmund live in an apartment block in Norway, when their upstairs neighbour Jorgen is murdered in the flat upstairs Rikke, Asmund and their neighbours are all questioned. We discover early on in the novel that Rikke had been having an affair with Jorgen and so fears that she may be a suspect- how can she find the killer and clear her name before she has to confess to her husband?
The Lover is a well written and gripping novel, although fairly slow paced.. The setting in the apartment block really adds to the tension and makes this an intense and compelling read. I was intrigued by the character of Rikke and the author drew me into her world. A recommended read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This was quite slow paced but I did end up enjoying the story and not feeling bored, there were a lot of unexpected parts and overall it was an interesting thriller

Unfortunately I’ve had to DNF this book at 23% as I’m really struggling with it. The chapters are really long so I find myself losing concentration, and so far the storyline is quite slow. I enjoyed The Therapist by Helene Flood, but unfortunately this one just isn’t for me.

I enjoyed this book, it was easy to read and held my attention. I will be reading more from this author :)

Great plot to get yourself lost in. This book has everything. Slow paced but not boring. Lots of suspense. Very well written. Highly recommend this book

Thank you for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of The Lover. Having previously read a The Therapist by Helene Flood, I was delighted to be approved to read her new offering. This is a good, well written book that I enjoyed. Rikke lives with her husband and children in a block of apartments. They live a seemingly idyllic life, but Rikke is having an affair with her neighbour Jorgen. What happens after Jorgen is found murdered is the beginning of a nightmare for Rikke. A great book, a little verbose at times, but enjoyable nevertheless.

Overall, I really enjoyed this dark, chilling, well-plotted story. It was intense and fast paced and I raced through this in a few hours, frantically turning the pages, desperate to find out how it was all going to be resolved. With that dramatic ending, I wasn’t disappointed! I’m already looking forward to the author’s next book.

I very much enjoyed this book despite a couple of niggles along the way.
The plot is intriguing with a very clever who done it element. I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book and the last maybe twenty per cent. The main characters I liked but a couple of the less important neighbours caused more chaos than clarity so this was my main complaint. My second problem with the book was that some of the time I found it difficult to work out who the POV was addressing. However take those two small negatives and balance the rest and it’s definitely a five star book. I think the plot is possibly one of the most well thought out I’ve ever read.

In this book we meet Rikke. Who is married and also having an affair with their neighbour Jorgen. Suddenly the police are on their doorstep to let them know that Jorgen is dead and that they are being questioned in r Gard's to his murder however Rikke is struggling to know what the best cause of action is. On the one hand she is a bit relieved to know that he is dead as then she doesn't have to admit to her husband that she was having an affair. But she is also upset because she actually had quite deep feelings for Jorgen but doesn't know how to tell the police about their relationship, without making her or her husband look more complicet in his murder. There is also the added complication that she has a spare key to Jorgens appartment and she used it to enter the apartment the morning after he was killed.

Rikke knows that the only way to clear her own name and to protect her family from the truth coming out is to find the killer herself. But can she put all the pieces together before the killer finds her.

This is a really well written physiological thriller, with many twist and turns along the way.

When Rikkie learns her lover has been murdered, her life begins to spin out of control. The police are certain someone in their building was the murderer - and Rikke had let herself into the apartment that final day. With the murderer being anyone close to Rikkie, she has to try and protect herself and her family - whilst trying to keep the truth of her affair hidden.

This is the first I've read by this author, and it has a lot of fantastic parts! It had parts that were gripping and tense, and I absolutely loved how the story came together with such an incredible ending.

My only small negative with the story is that I personally felt there was a lot of detail and parts not really necessary to the story. Parts that didn't really feel needed as they didn't get explored as much as they could - such as the cats. The cats could have been a whole different story by itself.

Aside from that, it is a very good book that is worth a read!

Is it worse to lie to your husband or the police?
Rikke is deceiving them both. When their upstairs neighbour Jørgen is found dead, she's questioned alongside her husband Åsmund.
How can Rikke admit in front of Åsmund that Jørgen and her were having an affair? Or explain to the police the complexity of her feelings for Jørgen? The hint of relief that he's dead. And, as the investigation closes in on the neighbourhood, how long can she conceal the affair from her neighbours, her husband and her teenage daughter?
Rikke knows she can't hide the phone calls, emails and messages from the police. So she cuts herself a deal. In return for a few days' grace to tell Åsmund before anyone else does, she'll share everything about the affair.
But before she can summon the courage to confess, Rikke is struck by a chilling revelation. Jørgen can only have been killed by someone living in their small apartment building.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

This is another good read by author Helene Flood. The blurb reads -

Is it worse to deceive to your husband or the police?

"Rikke is lying to them both.

When her upstairs neighbour Jørgen is found murdered, she's questioned alongside her husband. How can she admit that she and Jørgen were having an affair? Or explain to the police the complexity of her feelings? The hint of relief that he's dead. And what would they say if they knew she used a spare key to enter his apartment the morning after he was killed?

Rikke knows she can't hide the evidence of the affair from the police. And if she's caught in her lie, suspicion will turn to her.

With her perfect family life threatening to unravel, Rikke realises that finding the killer is the only way to put herself in the clear. So long as the killer doesn't get to her first."


Rikke is a woman who has a loving family consisting of two children and her husband, Asmund. Rikke starts an affair with her neighbour and when he is found killed then the police come asking lots of questions. Rikke can not bring herself to admit the affair and cause major disruption within her family so she sets out to find the murdered.

I felt Rikke was very confused with her life but I did enjoy reading about her. With it being set in a different country, I did find some of the words quite difficult to read, but this is only a small issue for me personally as it has been translated.

A good domestic/thriller that grips you. Thanks to NetGalley, Helene Flood and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.

I just read and reviewed The Lover on Netgalley. I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review.
I like the location of this book, the story is set in Norway. Most of the story takes place in an apartment building and studies a few families, their lives and relationships together. It is also a who did it story, and I must say that I was surprised and would have never guessed what happens in this novel.
I gave it 4 stars as the book held my interest throughout, from first page to the last and I like this about the book. The characters were interesting and the plot action packed. It is a good read, and I like to travel to different locations via books.

This is exactly what all domestic thrillers aspire to be. There is such a dark and menacing undertone right from the start and it keeps you guessing the whole way through. It's not a completely original concept but it is so well written ad to make it a cut above other similar plots. This does an amazing job of making you wonder about everyone and everything. Absolute pleasure to just get lost in

Great book which blends complex relationships with a strong mystery which genuinely keeps you guessing. It was fascinating to unpick the roles and perspectives of the various characters and their potential motivation and links to the crime. I really liked the writing style and it’s clean, clear descriptive language.

Dark, Domestic Noir..
A place of secrets and a place of lies but how long can they remain hidden away. When neighbour Jorgan is found murdered Rikke finds herself being questioned by the police along with her husband. Rikke is keeping secrets but to clear her own name she needs to come clean - unless someone else gets to her first because one thing is for sure, someone in this place is a killer. A perfectly translated, dark domestic noir with an undercurrent of menace from the off which continues throughout the tension fuelled narrative and with a well crafted, credible cast of characters. Chilling and compulsive.