DNF @ 37%

Tried as I might, I could not get into this one. I attempted in both e-book and audio formats.

As a fan of domestic thrillers I was very excited to read this book which is probably why I attempted to pick it up multiple times and read for much longer than I should have.

If a thriller doesn’t have you fully hooked and needing to know what happened within the first 30% of a book, it’s probably not doing its job.

The Woman Inside is an expertly written thriller/mystery, full of complicated characters and unknowns. Interspersed with the chapters are excerpts from police interrogations, press releases, news articles, and internet forum conversations, all working together to give us a full picture of the events that occurred here. All of it combining to ask how far would we go to protect ourselves and the ones we most care about? What are we willing to do, really?

This was super twisty! I really enjoyed MT Edvardsson's last book and this one was also a winner for me. Kept me turning the pages and the ending made my jaw drop.

This book gave me Verity vibes. I liked both books a lot! I can honestly say I had no clue where this was going, and I enjoyed every single minute of it!
Bill had to take on a lodger to help pay the bills. Karla needed to get out of the shitty housing situation she was in at the time. I couldn’t imagine taking on a lodger with a small child in the home. Male or female, I don’t and won’t trust anyone with my child. Their relationship was strange. It was like they were co-parenting the little girl, but they weren’t because Karla wasn’t her mom. I thought the little girl would have been a bit more traumatized as this was the first woman in her home since her mother died. But I understand that everyone deals with it in a different way.
Anyway, Karla is going to school and cleaning for a rich family, but the wife is basically bedbound as she has an illness that is basically a mystery. Karla and Bill are really struggling to pay the bills, so she makes a decision to take something from her employer’s home. Not her smartest move as it sets off a chain of events that I can’t really talk about or I’ll spoil the book.
I wasn’t aware that this was the author’s 2nd book that he wrote in English. I think that it is pretty cool! I haven’t read his first one, but I am going to find it at my library and give it a whirl.

Will be posted to IG ASAP!!

A twisty domestic thriller is always my fave and The Woman Inside was the perfect book to deliver. A wealthy couple is found dead and EVERYONE is a suspect. We get a POVs from Bill, a recent widow and single father who has taken in a renter, Kara, as well as their neighbor, Jennica. Engaging and keeps you guessing until the very end. Only critique is it could have been about 50 pages shorter (it was close to 400), but nevertheless, I very much enjoyed it.

This book was less of a thriller and more of a cozy murder-mystery to me. While there were some parts that had me at the edge of my seat, most of it just piqued my curiosity without getting my heart rate up!

The characters were just interesting enough to keep my attention but weren’t developed enough, I found myself not caring much for any of them. There were also so many characters, I found it difficult at some points to keep track, and most of them were so unlikeable, it pushed me to the point of frustration 😂 I liked how we learned about how the characters were connected slowly throughout the story, it was such a twist when all of the pieces started to click!

The ending of this book was a bit chaotic but it was definitely a reward for pushing through the rest of the book!

Read this if you:
- Are on a high from reading Verity
- Would be a nosey maid
- Enjoy a cast of interconnected characters

This was not for me. The story was kinda slow and I couldn't connect with the characters at all. I was hoping for something different.

Have you ever had a book where you were much more interested in the blurb than the actual book? This one did that for me. The pace was too slow, I found myself constantly getting distracted from the book, and the characters were mind-numbingly bland. HOWEVER, I will give this author props because English is not his first language. I’m hoping that’s the main reason why I couldn’t grasp my hands around this one.

All of the characters were majorly one-dimensional. I never got that substance I was searching for. The one character I enjoyed was Karla. Her back story was sad and I felt that. However, me liking her wasn’t enough to revive this book for me. I hate that it wasn’t a hit.

The pace moved like a snail. By the 40% mark, I couldn’t tell you one major thing that happened. The reasoning being because nothing was actually happening until the second half. I couldn’t focus reading this one. I found myself actually wanting to put the book down to do something else. Most of the time, you’d have to pry a book out of my hands before I’d put it down. I felt like I had to force myself to actually read this.

This was a halfway decent popcorn thriller. The characters were one-dimensional, the story was a bit predictable, but it was a quick read and it kept me turning the pages.

This was great but it dragged a bit in the storytelling aspects. I felt that the writing at times delved into details that were no relevant or entertaining to the plot in the way a red herring usually would be. But still, the thriller aspect was well done and the core of the story held up.

This was an okay thriller. Honestly, I wish that I wasn't able to predict the twist and it is unfortunate that I was. The twist too predictable and far fetched.

Book Review: The Woman Inside
Stars: 2.5 X 5
Author: M.T. Edvardsson
Publisher: Celadon Books @celadonbooks
Thank you @netgalley for this ARC

The Rytters are a wealthy couple with dark secrets how are murdered in their mansion. They hired a new maid, Karla who is a struggling law student who hopes to be a judge one day. Karla gets involve with Bill, a single father with a daughter named Sally. Bill has made some bad decisions but he knows his best ever was his daughter. Karla rents a room from Bill. She eventually takes pity on Bill and eventually starts helping with his daughter.

Karla becomes a person of interest in the murders just as Bill does because of his proximity to Karla. Jennifer is another character that finds herself in this investigation as Jennifer is a friend of Bill's deceased wife and is also connected to the Rytters. As the story unfolds the read gets three different perspectives.

There are so many subplots to this book that it gets confusing at times. Will the murderer be found and will it be one of the three, some other person or even a murder/suicide? I found the book to be a weak mystery and just an ok read.

#reading #booknerd #booksofinstagram #bookclub #readingtime #bookphoto #readabook #totalbooknerd #getlit #bookrecommendations #greatreads #iread #fortheloveofreading #booksaremagic #idratherbereading #currentreads #booksarelove #momswhoread #bookblog #goodreads #bookblogging #booknerdigans #booksofinsta #ireadbooks #bookstagram

I was not able to finish this book. The characters were impossible to care about! I also found there were too many characters, which made things hard to keep track of overall. Every single character was super selfish and entitled. The story really DRAGGED on. It could have been much more concise! I get the whole slow burn thing, but this did not pick up enough to make me want to keep reading.

The description for the Woman Inside was wayyyyy better than the actual book, unfortunately. The police interview excerpts did not work in this novel. I found all the back and forth disrupted the general flow of the novel. There was no suspense or mystery.

I loved this authors writing. It is like watching a movie. I love how these stories follow several story lines that all come together. I have found a new autobuy author.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

"The Woman Inside" had an intriguing premise and plot. While the book was a little on the long-side (it could have been a bit shorter) It was enough to draw you in to the story and make you want to find out what really happened.

This book is full of truly unlikeable people doing unlikeable things. A wealthy couple ends up murdered in the nicest part of town and all the characters come in contact with them in various ways. The young woman who is the house cleaner and the man she rents a room from, the woman involved with the husband and the couple themselves - they are all faced with crisis but not dealing with any of it in a positive way. I continued reading out of curiousity and to see it all play out but it certainly didn't make me like anyone any more.

"The Woman Inside" by M. T. Edvardsson is a captivating and intricately woven thriller that delves into the depths of human desperation and the lengths one will go to protect their loved ones. With a cast of complex characters and a suspenseful narrative, Edvardsson keeps readers guessing until the very end.

The story revolves around Bill Olsson, a widowed father struggling to make ends meet for his daughter, Sally. To alleviate their financial burdens, Bill takes in a lodger named Karla, a law student and aspiring judge who works as a housekeeper. Through Karla's profession, she becomes entangled with the Rytters, a wealthy couple harboring dark secrets behind closed doors.

Edvardsson masterfully builds tension and intrigue as the reader questions the true nature of the Rytters' relationship. Is the husband genuinely concerned for his ailing wife's well-being, or is there a more sinister motive at play? As Bill's circumstances worsen, Karla finds herself facing a difficult decision that ultimately leads to the Rytters' untimely demise. This catastrophic event forces Karla to confront her own haunting past, as she becomes entangled in a web of lies and deception.

What sets "The Woman Inside" apart is the author's ability to create multi-dimensional characters, each concealing their own secrets. Edvardsson flawlessly portrays the intricate layers of human nature and the capacity for both good and evil within us all. The characters' struggles with their pasts, desires, and vulnerabilities make them relatable and deeply engaging.

As the story progresses, Edvardsson expertly explores the motives of each character, leaving readers constantly questioning their innocence. The narrative is rife with twists and turns, ensuring that no one is above suspicion. The author's skillful pacing and well-placed revelations maintain an air of suspense throughout, making it difficult to put the book down.

"The Woman Inside" is a thought-provoking examination of the blurred lines between right and wrong, and the consequences of one's actions. Edvardsson's exploration of moral ambiguity keeps readers on edge, challenging their perceptions of justice and the lengths individuals will go to protect their loved ones.

In conclusion, "The Woman Inside" is a compelling and gripping thriller that will captivate fans of the genre. M. T. Edvardsson's ability to create complex characters and skillfully manipulate suspense makes this novel a must-read for anyone seeking a suspenseful and emotionally charged tale of secrets, desperation, and the depths of the human psyche. Prepare to be enthralled from the first page to the last.

I’m such a fan of Nordic crime. It took me a little while to become invested in the book, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down.

Bill is such an odd character. He is trying to take care of his little girl after his wife dies and he loses his job. He is not a good guy and has done questionable things, but I still wanted to like and root for him. I can understand why he does what he does but that doesn’t make his actions
acceptable

None of the other characters are all that likable either. I think the struggle for me in the beginning was there are multiple points of view and once I was able to figure everyone out, I was able to enjoy the story. Even though I didn’t like anyone, I was connected with the story.

There was a lot of tension and suspense as I tried to figure out everyone’s true intentions and tried to figure out where this one was heading.

It read like the other Nordic crime novels I read and kept me guessing until the end.

Terrific book! The characters are flawed but worth rooting for. Their dilemmas are understandable. The twists are great, and make sense. Five stars!