I’ve really enjoyed J.S. Monroe’s previous books and so I turned to this one with some excitement and anticipation. I wasn’t disappointed. Monroe has a strong flair for capturing a distinctive crime that you won’t easily forget and then building a novel around it that has the reader questioning and second guessing the plot all the way down the line.

No Place to Hide is full of secrets. It is a dual timeline story, with the past informing the present as Monroe cleverly spools out the whole story of what went before to stun us with the rationale for what is happening in the present.

His use of current technology adds a real present danger threat to what is already a clever, twisty and suspenseful psychological thriller.

Adam Pound is a paediatrician. Married to Tania, he has two young children and his life feels solid and secure; his happiness complete. But there’s a shadow in his past and though he has done a lot to bury that shadow it has never quite disappeared.

He has a visceral fear of being filmed and is markedly uncomfortable when a CCTV camera appears at the bottom of his street.

Things escalate in Adam’s life when a lost love appears suddenly. Clio was at University with Adam and they acted together in a student production of Faustus. Adam thought he and Clio could have meant something to each other, but Clio was in tow with another guy named Louis. Louis was a keen filmmaker and despite being warned that he was not a good guy, Adam consented to being filmed for a series Louis was making around the theme of ‘A Day in the Life of…’

What happened and how it came about is threaded through the book and none of it makes a complete story until we get right to the end. But the theme of a Faustian pact and Mephistophilian behaviour leave us wondering whether Adam’s Faustus will end up more like Marlowe’s Faust than Goethe’s.

As Clio suddenly re-enters his life over 20 years later, so Adam’s life takes a decidedly darker tone. He starts to worry for the safety and security of his family and soon his life is entering a downward spiral from which it seems there is no escape. His work and his family seem to be under threat and he is growing increasingly paranoid, constantly feeling that he is under surveillance.

Adam doesn’t know who he can trust. Tania, sensing that he is holding back, has taken the children way and his sense of paranoia is growing exponentially. Monroe brings a real sense of darkness and claustrophobia to events and leaves the reader wondering if Adam is a reliable narrator, or if that strong sense of building dread is going to result in something truly catastrophic. There are some beautifully dramatic settings in this novel, including a beautifully played out scene at the open air Minack Theatre in Porthcurno, Cornwall.

As matters come to a head, Adam is in a battle for both his life and his soul without knowing who, if anyone, he can trust.

Verdict: No Place to Hide is an atmospheric and intelligent novel with a tangible sense of dread as this twisted and shocking book brings everything to a head. Nicely plotted and very twisty, Monroe weaves in the dangers of new technology together with the open sewer that is the dark web, to bring us a truly shocking, nightmarish novel that shows how easy it is to destroy lives at the press of a button. No Place to Hide starts out slowly and gains pace, building to a twisted crescendo that leaves the reader shocked and breathless.

A really great story full of tension and anticipation trying to work out what is going on, is Adam delusional or is this really happening....

No Place to Hide is my first read of J.S. Monroe and I am so impressed with this psychological thriller I need to read his backlist. This story demonstrates high anxiety and paranoia and had me terrified myself, I don't think that the blurb gives much away at all. It is very fast-paced with short chapters that will keep you hooked and unable to put the book down.
Until I started reading, I didn't realise the setting of the story would be sometimes in Cornwall. I purposefully don't read a lot of books based in Cornwall, but the Cornish references in this book were very funny at times. I think sometimes it went a little overboard, and there was a spelling mistake of a place name that hurt my Cornish soul. I couldn't find any reference online that the author has any connection to Cornwall, but I could be wrong.
The plot focuses heavily on technology, but I think the author does a great job of explaining devices and concepts to the general reader. I am also not personally familiar with Marlowe's play of Dr Faustus, but again this was well described by the author with context and explanation.
The characters in the book were well-developed, fully rounded, and dare I say, many were even likeable, for instance I enjoyed Ji's cool persona. I connected with both FMCs, feeling deep sympathy for them each.
There were some shocking twists that were completely unexpected and the ending is truly a triumph. I highly recommend this unique, fast-paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Aria & Aries and J.S. Monroe for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy.

Review posted to Goodreads and will be shared to Amazon on publication date.

This was an interesting story which takes a dark turn as it progresses. It did make be wonder if anyone is watching me.

Although slow at first I found this book quite the page turner. The paranoia of our hero, that he is being watched is strangely relatable! Would recommend to anyone looking for a slightly different thriller to read.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.
I'd not read any J S Monroe but love a good thriller. The novel did not disappoint. I did wonder where it was going at one point but, once the premise kicked in, the book just kept on giving. It was dark, menacing and gripping and the short chapters kept the action fast paced and made me want to find out more.
However, I did find the switch to first person and third person narrative from the same character point of view distracting and spoiled the flow.

Adam makes Tania do too much damn labor. "I am clean at work but messy at home and it makes Tania crazy."
Well maybe step it up you absolute jerk.
I love the way the stories unravels and reveals why Adam is paranoid about being filmed.
He goes on an on about his domestic failings but does nothing to fix it. Dude can't even put an ironing board away. Literally Tania is so exhausted she's falling asleep in the park.
This book gets really scary towards the end. I mean imagine. I don't want to spoil it.


I love that I read two books in a row with the Tate mentioned.
Bravo.

I just reviewed No Place to Hide by J.S. Monroe. #NoPlacetoHide #NetGalley

Psychological thriller which lays on peoples paranoia of being watched or followed by CCTV, mobile signals, road cameras - in fact, all areas of modern day society that is there to keep us safe and give the police an easier way to track criminal activity…… It could make a guilty person feel very paranoid indeed…..

This book will make you paranoid if you are not already and will increase your anxiety...Ok I love books like that. It was a bit slow in the beginning but my curiosity made me continue because I had to know what happened. I'm a psychological thriller addict and this is a good one.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy. #noplaceto hide #netgalley

Having read and enjoyed Forget My Name, I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read No Place to Hide.
Dr Adam Pound, a successful paediatrician, seems to be obsessed with security cameras - how they are everywhere, watching. With two young children, his wife is feeling the strain and their marriage is suffering,
Suddenly, a blast from the past, an old flame suddenly appears having found Freddie wandering alone in the park.
This is a slow burner which gathers pace. Adam's dislike of cameras becomes apparent as his past catches up with him. Gradually Tania, his wife, learns the secrets Adam has been keeping and begins to understand her husband more.
Big Brother is definitely watching!
Many thanks to Netgalley/J.S. Monroe/Aria & Aries for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Adam seems to have it all. A happy marriage, a wonderful young child and a career as a doctor on a promising upwards trajectory. Adam has a secret though. One that leaves him paranoid that the camera in the street down from their house is watching him. The CCTV in the hospital is tracking him, he is being recorded on strangers' phones, his every step monitored. Why is he so paranoid? Is it just paranoia? why is Adam so freaked out by technology? Something happened which was captured on a hidden camera at a house party 24 years ago, something which could destroy Adam's life and take away everything he loves. Adam made a Faustian pact with the filmmaker of the secret footage and then moved on with his life, but with an aversion to cameras.

When an old friend from his past suddenly reappears Adam’s life is thrown into turmoil. Suddenly his mild, mid-level paranoia seems very real and justified. Adam is not just at risk of losing his job, but his family, and his life. But no matter where he turns it seems like he is being watched, tracked, his every move known. How can he escape this nightmare?

At first, this book seemed almost far-fetched. Being tracked through CCTV, having your every move monitored, having nowhere you can escape a camera's eye. But the more you read, the more you get drawn in, and realise the reality of the situation is not too far off what life has become, with cameras and tracking everywhere. The story takes us through two timelines, jumping from the present day, and almost 24 years ago. This method gradually unveils the story and explains Adam’s seemingly unfound paranoia, which grows deeper and deeper.

The storytelling is excellent, with the characters well-developed, and the twists skillfully plotted. I couldn’t stop reading, needing to know what was going to happen next. Very much an edge-of-the-seat thriller. You won’t want to put this one down. When you eventually do, you may find yourself looking around for all the cameras around you and wondering, just who are they watching…

*I received this copy for review from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

Epic dark brilliance, absolutely terrifying and sinister beyond belief. I love the way that classical prose mingles with contemporary dark web and technology and human psyche is explored with themes of good and evil. The characters are very real and easy to love / fear and this makes the terrifying pace and drama unfolding even more compelling. The level of detail portraying student life in Cambridge is brilliant as are the dilemmas and balances of study versus partying and relationships. The premise and unfolding of the tales, alongside the twists is genius. A very satisfying read overall and pretty much unmissable.

Thank you to Aria and Aries for this Arc copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was wonderful! I loved the very different plot and concept, the settings (although I may be biased on that front) and the characters.

I found the use of cameras and feeling like you’re being watched very creepy and tense, especially in a world where everything nowadays has a camera on it and can connect to the wifi, it reminded me a lot of a tv show I saw recently called Red Rose, this was very different but had a similar idea.

Living in Cornwall I found it very interesting to see my own hometown and places that I know and have been to mentioned regularly throughout the book, it made it so much more captivating to me.

I loved the plot twists and I felt gripped the entire way through the book, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I gave this book a 4.5 ⭐️ rating and will definitely recommend it!

An interesting psychological thriller with the play Doctor Faustus at its heart. A young medical student gets involved in the play basically to get close to the girl playing the female lead and this then leads to a dark tale of murders described as suicides and blackmail with a promise to give his soul to the blackmailer 24 years hence. The actions at university and then 24 years later are cleverly described and the tense build up to the final scenes is excellent. All in all beware of surveillance cameras as the hero here would testify!

Im still quite undecided about this book and whether I enjoyed it or not. The premise was an interesting one, but I felt it never really quite fulfilled the original promise. I found it quite confusing at times with the author throwing in various, mainly medical, facts and statistics almost textbook style, and I'm not sure I needed reminding quite so often that Adam was a first generation medic who'd been to Cambridge.
Having said all that, the plot was clever and although a bit farfetched at the end did make me want to keep reading to find out what happened.
Thank you to netgalley and Head of Zeus for an advance copy of this book

This is one of those tense and gripping book that keeps you hooked even if you hate the characters. I think this means the author is an excellent storyteller and keeps you attention alive.
Well plotted and well knitted.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

"Thriller" is a genre that promises to keep readers on the edge of their seats, and this definitely delivers. From the very first page, the tension is palpable, and the plot twists and turns in unexpected ways, making it difficult to put the book down. The characters are well-developed and the author does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing as to who can be trusted and who is hiding something. The pacing is spot-on, with just the right amount of action and suspense to keep the reader engaged. The writing style is gripping and evocative, making it easy to visualise the scenes and feel the emotions of the characters. The author's attention to detail and ability to create a believable world adds to the overall experience of the book.

Overall, this is an excellent example of the thriller genre. It's a page-turner that will keep readers guessing until the very end and is sure to satisfy fans of the genre. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good suspenseful read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Overall an enjoyable read. I liked the build up of the story but then thought it became too far fetched. It did redeem itself at the end though and I would recommend it. It was a bit different from the normal psychological thriller and I liked that.

A Faustian bargain when he was a student comes barreling back at Adam 24 years later, And he spins out. For good reason, This updates the old story (which might be unfamiliar to some readers and which, to be honest, was a bit hazy to me) with modern details such as cameras and the altering of pictures, It moves between the two time periods but,, of course,, the more compelling story is in the present as Adam scrambles. No spoiler from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, A good read.

4/5 stars

This was a most enjoyable book. Admitedly I skimmed the last 5% or so because I don't have much time for bad guy speeches and I think I would have liked a bit more action before, or as part of, the final confrontation.

That being said I would definitely recommend this book. The story is original and well written and I enjoyed the time I spent reading it. It jumps around just enough to keep you interested and guessing about what is going to be revealed.and there is an extra added twist/revelation at the end that I didn't see coming, which is well worth discovering.