I both started and finished this book in one day. That's important, because I don't do that. On average it takes about a week for me to finish a book-which is good with 4 kids. But this book? That wasn't going to be an option. I sat down to read a couple of chapters, maybe check out what all the Lucinda Berry hype was about...I then stayed up until 3am so I could finish this book long after my kids had been in bed and I should've been too. But I couldn't not finish! From the very first page readers will be gripped to know what happens next. Is Jules really that insane? It wouldn't be unfathomable after losing a child, her only child, in the way in which she did especially. Where is Isaac? There's a serial killer on the loose, is he the next victim? Did he finally give into the depression that has plagued him ever since the accident? Or is it something even more sinister? I was full of so many questions while reading this-but I definitely did not see the outcome coming. I cried with the parents, feeling the emotional pain that comes with not only experiencing the loss of a child but also with a missing child; all the unknown of that situation. I had GOOSEBUMPS when some parts of the story were revealed. But that ending though? W-O-W! I'm going to recommend this book to anyone who asks. Also, this may have been my first Lucinda Berry book but it's not going to be my last!

The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me I think was just the overall relationship between the characters. I think that if the initial familial relationships had been more intimate to begin with it would've made for a much more emotional story, albeit a much more twisted story however after the accident as well, all things considered-you'll see!

This was I think my first Lucinda Berry book. I did like all the suspense and drama of off the deep end. A mother losing her only child definitely would push someone over the edge. There are some trigger warnings with this for some sensitive groups

This is my first book by Lucinda Berry and I really enjoyed it. This is has two POV and while it’s a thriller does have a big back story to it. I actually enjoyed it, which sometimes that’s the hardest part for me to get through. It kept me interested because the mystery was up front and then the twist came towards the end making me want to keep reading.

Jules, her son Gabe, and teenage neighbor Issac were on their way home from a basketball game when a deer jumped out in front of them causing Jules to lose control and go into the icy lake. Jules and Issac survive while Gabe does not.
Jules blames herself for the accident and doesn’t want to live without her only child.
Amber Issac mother fights hard for Issac to heal from the trauma but he almost seems like a lost cause.
When Issac goes missing the police believe it’s a man that has been snatching adolescent teenage boys. Amber thinks Jules has something to do with it because the loss of her son has made her mental state questionable.
What Happened to Issac? What secrets are uncovered?

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the third book I've read of Berry's, and of course I really enjoyed it! Off the Deep End is a twisty psychological thriller with a complex plot and well-written characters. This book is told from two POV, which I love hearing from two different characters! It definitely adds to the suspense! The ending was not what I expected, and the twists kept me guessing throughout.

Highly recommend!

Thank you for NetGalley for providing me with this book for review. A very interesting storyline not what I was expecting. Highly recommended, somewhat of a twist at the end.

This book had a solid premise ... and could have been great! For me, I felt I had to suspend belief a little too much, there was a lot of repetition and what I felt, unrealistic plot twists. It's a tough subject matter and it did hold my attention at times and felt a wide range of emotions. Be prepared, there are many trigger warnings. Over all a good read and one I would recommend.

This was such a well written and twisty, psychological thriller! I love it when I think I know which direction a story is headed in, only to find out that I was way off track!

I liked the dual POVs between Amber and Jules, and as a mom, I empathized with them both. My favorite parts were Jules sessions with the psychologist. Since she was a licensed therapist, he had a bit of a challenge on his hands!

This book was pretty dark, so if you would like to know the TWs, make sure to look them up before reading this one.

Thank you, @netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and @lucindaberryauthor, for the e-arc of this book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

• page turning thriller
• dual POVs ("crazy" mothers)
• fun twists

My first Lucinda Berry book and certainly won't be my last! I found myself totally invested in this story. It was fun getting inside the minds of these two women. This is a dark book that took an even darker turn in the end. I really enjoyed it!

🗣️ Thank you to @netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC widget! All opinions are honest and my own.

Holy balls this was good. This was my first Lucinda Berry book and definitely won’t be my last! It has dual POVs, I LOVED the “case study” aspect of it. It’s kind of a slow burner, but once you’re hooked you’re in. I felt like I was holding my breath the good time while quickly trying to finish it to find out what happens next. Would’ve loved the ending to have a little bit more but all in all, great read.

This is the second book I have read by this author and I found it thoroughly enjoyable, The plot was very original and interesting, I don't think I've read anything like it before. There were some great twists and it had a surprising ending,

Quite a thought provoking book. How would you react if your child died and you saved someone else's child instead of your own.
It wasn't my favourite Lucinda Berry book but it was very intriguing.
Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher Thomas & Mercer and Lucinda Berry for an ARC in return for an honest review

Fifteen year old Issac Greer goes missing one night while out walking the family dog. Could he be the next unfortunate victim of The Dog Snatcher, a serial killer in the area targeting young boys out with their dogs? Or could Isaac's disappearance be orchestrated by their unhinged neighbor, Jules Hart, who lost her own 15 year old son months earlier in a tragic car accident?

While I'd read this author before, I was not prepared for the level of dark content delivered by this book. I learned through the Author's Note that Berry is a former psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma. Oh yes, I can see that. It goes on to say "She enjoys taking her readers on a journey through the dark recesses of the human psyche". I'm hear to tell you that one quite singularly and accurately depicts this book. It was very well crafted and kept me hooked from page 1. It's interesting how the story is told through the POV of each of the two moms only. Part of me REALLY wanted to hear from a few of the other characters, noteably the psychologist interviewing Jules or Isaac himself.

Couple things:
1. Please take note of a mixed bag of triggers found in this book: suicide, grooming, mass shootings, injury to minors, statutory rape, extreme mental illness, violence....this list isn't even exhaustive. If you've read Lucinda Berry before, these should be no surprise.
2. The Sandy Hook school shooting happened in Newtown, not Newton. This is more of an FYI to the publisher. I'm not one to typically point out errors in books but as a CT resident, I wanted to put that out there. I realize at the point of writing this that the book was published about a week ago, so hopefully someone else caught it while reading this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review, this was a dark and sinister one. I loved it but am gonna need something to make me laugh after that one!

I absolutely devoured this suspenseful, page-turning psychological thriller. I stumbled upon this book randomly on NetGalley Read Now and went in pretty blind but boy, was it a wild ride! It was tense, dark, creepy, and a total page-turner. I flew through this book and would highly recommend to someone looking for a good psychological thriller. I will definitely be picking up more by this author!

This wasn't my favorite Lucinda Berry pick, and I feel the ending kind of came out of nowhere - in some ways, I felt like I was reading two different stories. However, it was entertaining enough and I look forward to her next book.

This was my first Lucinda Berry book and I will say that it will NOT be my last one! The MC was definitely "off the deep end" and I loved every bit of this wild ride. It really shows how far gone your brain goes when tragedy strikes. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who like family drama and psychological thrillers!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I initially was really into this story, but then it abruptly changed directions. I feel like a lot of story lines were thrown in and the characters were hard to support. The ending was really just too dark and disturbing for me. I think she’s a great writer though and I’ll continue to read her books!

When a tragic accident leaves Jules son dead, she goes off the deep end. Suddenly the only person she feels connected to is the other passenger, fifteen year old Isaac Greer, that also survived the crash. Isaac’s family isn’t too keen on the relationship and end up getting a restraining order. When Isaac goes missing there’s much speculation that Jules knows where he is, but with her questionable mental health she must be handled with kid gloves. There’s also a serial killer at large and while everything points to Isaac being the next victim, his mother is sure Jules knows more than she’s telling. As the days go by more questions arise. Are Isaac’s family hiding information as well?? This book took some twisty turns with the main one being easy to figure out if you are really looking for it! Jules and Amber and Mark were frustrating characters, ones you’d like to give a good shake, and ones that if they would have just talked it wouldn’t have had such a devastating ending, but it was a compelling book from start to finish. Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This was a dark book that just got more disturbing until it became the "everything but the kitchen sink" plotline. The pacing was good and it was a fast read which I liked. The two mothers who were the alternating perspectives were the most hideous people ever. I didn't like them, couldn't relate to them and didn't care about them. The story had some interesting threads, but things were thrown in that didn't make sense and other storylines just petered out with out resolution. I have read this author before and really enjoyed her, but this one was not my favorite. I will read her again in the future though.

3-3.5 stars

I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book, and while it kept my attention for the most part, it fell a little flat at the end for me.

Jules Hart was a therapist turned stay-at-home mom whose life turned upside down after crashing her car into a lake. Her teenage son and another boy from school were passengers in the car, but she was only able to save one of them…and it wasn’t her son. The loss overwhelmed her, taking a toll on Jules mental health, but she and Isaac, the boy she saved, develop a bond over their survivor’s guilt. But month’s later, Isaac is taken, presumably by a dangerous killer who’s been targeting boys in the area. Jules is adamant she had nothing to do with it, but Isaac’s mother is convinced Jules knows what really happened to him.

Overall I thought this was a pretty good book with some interesting twists. As the story progressed, though, I did find Jules’ relationship with Isaac a bit worrisome. It made sense that they would become attached to one another after such a traumatic experience and having saved one anothers’ lives. But with Jules being an adult, a mother, and a therapist, you would think she’d know better and not misconstrue her feelings for Isaac. The end of the book was a little too bizarre but I get it really did live up to the title.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing a copy of this book to review.*

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Holy smokes! This book is about a car accident that changes the course of the people’s lives involved and affects their families. I had no idea what to expect and never had any idea of what would happen next, which I absolutely love! I thoroughly enjoyed the whole story but it may be triggering for some as there are themes of death, suicide, and inappropriate relationships. I will definitely be recommending to friends and family and if you’re into psychological thrillers, make sure to read this!