I’d like to thank Quercus Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘When She Fell’ by Karen Cole in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Two months after Avery Lewis’ novel ‘Falling’ is published she dies by falling from a cliff- top in Cornwall, and although her body has never been recovered the circumstances are strangely comparable to what happens to Rebecca, her book’s main character. Alex Georgiou is a journalist and when she receives a copy of ‘Falling’ in the post she wants to know more about Avery’s death and whether the similarities to the book are a strange coincidence or if it’s something more sinister.

‘When She Fell’ is a classic whodunnit that’s easy to read but doesn’t have edge-of-the-seat excitement. The plot is well thought-out, the characters nicely described with the setting in Cornwall, a lovely part of the country with its dark and atmospheric landscape. There’s suspense when Alex and her sister Athena spend a week in the cottage owned by Avery’s husband Joe and it’s evident someone doesn’t want them there. I guessed what was going to happen although Alex didn’t appear to so the conclusion didn’t come as a great surprise, but generally it’s an interesting book to read and perfect for losing yourself in.

When She Fell is a classic whodunnit thriller, and was a good autumnal read with plenty of clue-solving to keep the reader busy.

Read it if: you like your mysteries in a spooky coastal setting.

Don’t read it if: you’re scared of heights.

The premise of this book is very enticing and has a “life imitating art” theme. A novelist, Avery Lewis, falls from a cliff to her death, piquing a journalist’s interest when she is sent the latest novel from the deceased author. As the journalist explores the book, it becomes apparent that the novel’s protagonist to share some very spooky similarities with Avery’s life. I really enjoyed the unique experience of not only reading “When She Fell” but reading Avery’s novel too, and wondering how far coincidences can go.

The middle to second-half of the book moves very quickly, almost to the point of being unbelievable. Relationships develop at a rapid rate which seemed quite unrealistic and a little rushed. It gave me the same feeling that I get when I watch a horror film and watch the main character make a series of very far-fetched, unbearably bad decisions that you know will end badly.

Overall, the storyline is very gripping and the ending is very dramatic and satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When She Fell tells the story of journalist Alex who, on a hunch, investigated some alarming parallels between the recently deceased author, Avery Lewis, and her most recent book.
Sometimes you know there is something suspicious behind events. You don’t always find the evidence to back it up. For journalist Alex, the similarities between the writer’s death and the events of her most recent book were too much to be ignored.
We follow her down to Cornwall as she turns her life upside down trying to establish exactly what happened.
There’s twists and turns aplenty as we’re thrown off course. Eventually we get answers, which are rather incredible, but this was a great read. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this before publication.

Alex is a young journalist who is sent a novel in the mail about a woman who fell or was pushed from a cliff. When she researches the author she is startled to find out the author died in the same way. She decides to investigate and rents a property on the land owned by the author's late husband. This was an enjoyable, entertaining read which wasn't at all predictable.

This is a thoroughly well written, dark psychological thriller. I was gripped from the start and couldn't put it down

Alex receives a book to review, and on researching the author, finds that Avery has died in the same way as the book's ending. As a journalist, she sets out to Cornwall to re trace the author's steps. She becomes closely involved with husband Joe and his step daughter Lily. What really happened to Alex?
The twists keep coming as all is not as it appears, and I could not put it down! Excellent writing from an excellent author, edge of your seat read!

A fantastically dark psychological thriller with twists and turns a plenty.
A journalist is sent a copy of a book to read about the death of someone who fell or jumped off a cliff. The mystery deepens however, when she discovers that life maybe imitated art as this is exactly how the author appears to have died.
The characters in the book are excellently written and feel very real. The feeling of never quite knowing which of them to believe is a brilliant tactic and I was lead down several red herring trails of reality until arriving at the actual ending. The teenage angst is also brilliantly captured especially the trauma of those who have been through traumatic events such as domestic abuse. I thought this was sensitively and well handled,p.
The backdrop for the story is the rugged and beautiful Cornish coast, which also works really well and is very evocative so adds to the effect.
Overall a great read and kept me guessing all the way. Recommend.

When She Fell by Karen Cole is a fast-paced, well-written, immersive thriller. Alex, a journalist, is at odds with her career and relationships and is weary of the mundane. All of this suddenly changes when a book written by Avery appears at her doorstep. With a few clicks, Alex realises that the author has vanished in an identical way highlighted in her book. Talk about fiction meeting reality! One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed was how Karen seamlessly integrated parts of Avery's novel into the plot. While I knew who the culprit was, which reduced the shock factor, the execution was simply brilliant. The connection between the main and supporting characters was well developed and explored. Do not skip this read if you're a fan of domestic thrillers, investigations and suspense. A 4.5-star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

Well written about interesting people and a nice place in the country, but although there are many twists and turns right up to the end I found it quite predictable.

Enjoyable

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Great book! The plot and characters were brilliant. Stoey was fast paced. A real page Turner. Highly recommended.

This is the first time I've heard of Karen Cole let alone read a book by her, and this is one of the best things I love about netgalley allowing readers to take a chance on a new author so they then can go down a rabbit hole of all the authors other books.
Can't wait to start Deceive Me.

Life Imitates Art..
When life begins to imitate art, specifically literature, things take an abrupt and menacing turn. Journalist Alex investigates when she is sent a book together with a newspaper clipping of an apparent accident involving the author of the book, Avery Lewis. Intensely disturbed, Alex seeks answers. She has no idea of the bizarre and distressing events that are about to follow. An immersive suspense with a well drawn cast of characters, well described backdrops and a tension fuelled and compelling plotline.

I found this a rather mixed book - I liked the story of a novel about the death of a writer in an abusive marriage then seemingly coming to life with the death of the author after apparently falling off a cliff - same place. It is told through the eyes of a journalist who had received the book in the first place and, needing to bolster her career, headed off to Cornwall to investigate. She stayed at the same cottage and became involved with the widower and his daughter, an intransigent teenager not to mention her equally intransigent younger sister who was also dragged along. There were enough similarities between the death in the novel and the apparent death of the author to keep the reader engaged but I couldn't associate with the main characters - I kept thinking you just know what's coming, and it did. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Although it took me a few chapters to fully get into this book I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was written in a very clever way- I love how the novel in the book itself was incorporated into the story line effortlessly blending in. it was a fast paced plot (hence why I was able to finish it in 24 hours!) at times I did get confused as to who was who and had to backtrack a little to make sure I wasn’t getting my wires crossed but that’s much more about my reading ability than the writing itself! I think it’s a book that reminds you of the lesson to ‘not judge a book by it’s cover’ when it comes to our perceptions of others - there’s a lot more under the surface than any of us can fully begin to comprehend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for graciously allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alex, a London journalist, mysteriously receives a copy of a new book on her doorstep. She starts reading it, then goes online to learn more about the author - only to find the author died in the exact same way as the protagonist in the book!

This book was a quick, fun read. It was easy to get into, and kept me entertained the whole way through. The ending is not predictable, which keeps the reader guessing throughout.

It's my first book by Karen Cole, and will definitely be reading others.

Great plot to get yourself lost in. This book has everything. A real fast paced thriller. Will get your heart racing on more than one occasion. Very well written. Highly recommend this book

I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this little gem of a book!it's a really quick and easy read and it draws you in from the start. The primise is original and one of the few books I've come across this year that doesn't feel like a rehashed version of a book I've read a million times over. The characters are well written and the book keeps up a good pace throughout. The perfect book to get lost in for an afternoon

A quick and easy read that was gripping right from the start. Well written with a compelling storyline with a good amount of twists and unpredictability. A really enjoyable read.

#WhenSheFell #NetGalley
Awesome 5 🌟
Alex Fokas, a young and ambitious journalist, is surprised when a book by an obscure author is sent to her in the post. Falling by Avery Lewis is a thriller about a woman who is murdered by being pushed off a cliff.
Along with the book Alex is sent a newspaper article about Avery's recent death by accidental drowning. She fell from the same cliff as the character in her book and her body still hasn't been found. Intrigued and disturbed, Alex travels to Cornwall to research the story for an article. She stays in a holiday cottage on the farm where Avery lived. Everything there is eerily similar to the book and Alex begins to suspect that not everything is quite as it seems. One question keeps playing on Alex's mind - did Avery fall or was she pushed?
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for giving me an advance copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alex is a young journalist who fears she could be on the chopping block at her newspaper, so when she received an copy of a book to review and learns that the author is dead and died in a similar manner as the main character, she thinks it could be her big story, and decides to investigate. She takes her younger sister with her and rents the cottage on the author's property, where her late husband still resides. Not long after she arrives it seems someone doesn't want her there.

This was a good quick read. It was nothing ground breaking or earth shattering, but it was good entertainment for a few hours. I like this author and wish she would go back to the Cyprus setting that I found so interesting in a previous book of hers. I will continue reading her next offerings.