Thanks Netgalley and Harper Perennial for the advanced reader copy!

Oh man this was good, I got sucked in right away and didn’t want to put it down. Tate is unreliable and as things unfold initially you are confused as to what’s really going on, but I loved that. I loved that I couldn’t quite predict most of the twists and turns. It does get heavy with some of the content (see warnings below) that may trigger some readers, but as the story progresses we are given a fuller picture from both Tate and the woman who died. Honestly, at like 70% I began feeling Whisper Network vibes, which I really liked (maybe I’ll reread soon).

Content and trigger warnings include suicide, light profanity, talk of infidelity, statutory rape including a scene when a character recounts what happened in detail, and terminal illness.

I genuinely really liked this one and thought it was done very well. If you like thrillers, mysteries, and stories that are told by unpredictable characters, give this one a try! It’s available now!

This book has given me trust issues! As soon as you think you have it figured out, something else unfolds and you're excitedly wondering again and turning pages to find out. I stayed up until my eyes crossed reading this.

This just felt really fresh and different. The format was unique, and it takes a second to figure out. The story is told in several parts, each original and more shocking than the last and in the last third of the book, it's just really satisfying to see it all coming together.

What started as an interesting mystery, a resounding "why?" to everything that is happening, turns into something actually pretty beautiful. This is going to stick with me.

I support women's rights but I also support women's wrongs. I like it when they do bad things.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

Tate is a failed actress who is working as a temp at a investment bank. At her company’s Christmas party, she steps outside to have a smoke and meets Helen who is sitting on the ledge, contemplating suicide. Tate talks her down and they go their separate ways. The next day Tate learns that a woman has fallen 25 feet to her death, and she is arrested for her murder. But did she do it? What really happened?

When nothing is as it seems, it won’t be solved until the very end.

This was the thriller that I had been waiting for. I was hooked with this story right from the start and it held my interest throughout. It was so multi-faceted and layered. This thriller was so twisty turny and so much fun. I loved so much about this one as it was so delicately crafted and nuanced.

The writing in this book was fantastic and had me guessing until the last twist was revealed and there were so many twists, I loved it. Just when I thought I had the whole story figured out, another twist was thrown my way. The pacing was very fast, almost too fast, but it was engaging.

I loved how unreliable Tate was as a character. I love a good unreliable character because you just love to hate them, and that was the case with Tate. Nothing is as what it seems, and that was proven over and over again.

I loved that this is one of those stories that I felt like I read but the more I got into it, the more I realized it was different. I also enjoyed the flashes back to the past, though I wish they would have been marked better in the chapter headings. It was a very complex read.

If you are looking for a fun and complex psychological thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end, then check this one out.

Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, Harper Paperbacks and Netgalley @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be featured on my blog, speedreadstagram.com during publication week.

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Prior to receiving a copy of this book, I had been hearing so much buzz about it, almost entirely favorable. I definitely wanted to get on board the hype-train, because in my life FOMO is a very real thing. If I see friends reading and enjoying something, I want it. I was super excited to check it out and see if I would love it as much as everyone else seemed to.

Y'all, I'm so happy to report, the hype is real with this one. I found it absolutely gripping from the very first pages. It was so intriguing and it actually felt different to me than other recent Psychological Thrillers. I'm not knocking other Psychological Thrillers, it's one of my favorite subgenres, but this one just had a unique feel to it that's hard for me to explain.

In this story, we meet Tate, who at the very beginning of the story is arrested for murder after a woman plunged to her death from the rooftop of the building Tate works in. We have police interviews, attorney-client consultations, flashbacks, all of these different components weaving together beautifully to build-out this narrative.

I loved watching the truth be revealed. As a Reader, you initially have no idea what is going on. You're getting a lot of the presentation of events from Tate, but how trustworthy is she? What is her motive and what is she hiding?

I've said it a million times, I am such a sucker for an unreliable narrator and Tate definitely fits the bill. Additionally, the pace with which Mancini reveals the truth at the heart of this story is exceptional.

There was a little bit of a lull for me somewhere around the 60% point, where some of the explorations of the issue this story mainly tackles got a bit, for my taste, repetitive and heavy-handed, but that is purely personal taste. Overall, I was quite impressed with the structure of this story, the character development and the constantly compelling story arc.

This is the first that I have read from Ruth Mancini, but I cannot wait to read more. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys an intense, twisted, thought-provoking and engaging Psychological Thriller.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Harper Paperbacks, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had such a fun time reading this and have been thinking about it ever since. This was a great way to kick off a new year of reading!

A very twisty legal thriller. Just when I thought I had the narrative figured out, Mancini would take it in an unexpected direction. This happened several times till the bigger picture of what was happening began to coalesce. A better title might have been "Women on the Edge" - without saying too much that would spoil the narrative turns that this novel takes, Mancini offers us a handful of brave and very angry women intent on righting a horrible wrong. For fans of suspense and domestic thrillers. Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the ARC.

WOWZA!

A woman falls from a ledge, another woman is arrested, and this woman had no idea what was going to happen next! I thought I had things figured out. I thought I knew where things were going, but I wasn't even close to being right. Ruth Mancini has crafted and jaw dropping, gripping and twist filled read which kept me on my toes, turning the pages, and wanting more.

Tate is questioned after a woman, she only met the evening before, fell to her death from the building Tate had been working in as a temporary employee. Tate's story keeps changing and she doesn't appear to be innocent, but is she guilty?

Woohoo this proved to be a hard to put down read for me. I found this book to be addictive and well thought out. There are so many twists and turns that I almost got whiplash! There were so many times in this book that I thought I FINALLY had things figured out only to have another piece of the puzzle fall into place.

This is how you do it!!!! This psychological thriller was fantastic! I look forward to reading more of this author's books.

The Woman on the Ledge is great for fans of Kill for Me, Kill for You. Both books are expertly plotted thrillers with twists galore. Not deep characters necessarily but fast, engaging reads that keep you turning the pages.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. The book kept my attention until almost the end as I wanted to find out what had happened and how it had happened. I like the idea of someone facing consequences for their actions but I felt that this all got wrapped up too neatly. Jerry goes to jail and all these women move on in a positive way. I would recommend this book to others as I do like how it built and kept me guessing.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperPerennialAndPaperbacks for the book #TheWomanOnTheLedge by #RuthMancini. This book is about murder, revenge and abuse. It will keep you guessing until the very end.

WOW! Thriller fans do not pass on this!!

Synopsis: Tate Kinsella is arrested for murder after a woman falls off the terrace of her office building. Tate claims she’s innocent and is being framed, but as her story keeps changing, it becomes harder to believe her.

Thoughts: This is one of those thrillers where the less you know the better. I was captivated right away and amazed by how such a simple plot quickly turned so complex. Told in six parts, each section pulled the story in a different direction and as the pieces start to connect, I found myself rereading even the smallest details. While this was my first book by this author, it is clear that she is a brilliant and insightful writer.

Read if you like:
-British psychological thrillers
-Work setting
-Whodunit
-Lisa Jewell/ Liz Nugget

By now readers know that a book whose title includes the words ”The Girl” or “The Woman” is going to find a complex, twisty story where it is hard to know who to believe and exactly what happened. That is certainly the case in Mancini’s page turner. Mancini is a British criminal defense attorney so keep an eye on the lawyer in the story.

It starts with a holiday party. A woman who works as a temp goes to this party where, by the way, her married lover also works. When she goes out on the roof for some air, she finds said woman on the ledge. She is threatening to jump. Tate talks the woman, who says her name is Helen, down. Things get increasingly complicated when Helen seeks Tate’s help the very next day. She says that she lost an earring at the party and convinces Tate to return to the London high rise building.

Horrifically a woman dies. Tate is arrested. Helen can’t be found. Was she really named Helen? Stories come and go. As is the case in these novels, that the reader does not know what to make of events and who to believe. Pages turn as readers seek answers.

I first heard about this novel in a British magazine and knew that I wanted to read it. You might want to as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this title. All opinions are my own.

Are you ready for a book that will keep you guessing until the very end? Characters who come alive within the pages and will have you doubting everything you were once led to believe?

Someone has secrets they want to keep hidden but what happens when someone’s revenge goes a bit too far?

As the secrets begin to reveal themselves you’ll be left with your jaw on the ground.


Let me leave you with this little teaser :

Obsession. Intrigue. Revenge. Whose secrets are you keeping? And why?

A woman falls to her death from a London bank’s twenty-fifth-floor roof terrace.

You're arrested for her murder.

You tell the police that you had only met the victim the previous night at your office party. She was threatening to jump down from the roof, but you had talked her down.

You've got nothing to do with this tragedy. You're clearly being framed.

So why do the police keep picking holes in your story? Even your lawyer doesn't seem to believe you.

It soon becomes obvious that you're keeping secrets.

But who are you trying to protect? And why?

Obsession. Intrigue. Revenge.

Get ready for one of the most twisty-turny novels you will read this year.

This is a challenging review for me to write as I had read many five star reviews, and was very excited to have the opportunity to read an ARC of The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini. I must be honest: I have a fierce cold and very stuffy head, perhaps not feeling well adversely impacted my reaction to the
book. For me, it was just an OK read. The author tells the original story, and at that point I was following along well. It's when she retells it that I get a bit lost. It is a storyline with many winding roads and at times seemed somewhat far-reaching and convoluted to me; there are many red herrings along the way. I did like most of the characters and empathized with their feelings. I realize I have not shared comments related to the plot, and that is intentional as other reviewers have, and I don't want to discourage anyone from reading The Woman on the Ledge. It is the first Ruth Mancini book I have read; I inntend to explore a few more. Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this candid review opportunity.. 3 stars

Deception! Revenge! Obsession! Secrets! I cannot recommend THE WOMAN ON THE LEDGE enough—it made my toes curl with pleasure reading how it all unfolds.

Tate Kinsella is a struggling actress who is working in a temp role for a bank housed in a large office building.

At the company Christmas party, Tate goes up to the roof of the building for a cigarette and notices a woman sitting on the ledge. The woman introduces herself as Helen, and she says her life is so messed up that she can’t see a way forward.

Tate eventually talks Helen off the ledge. To help Helen feel less alone, Tate shares that things aren’t so great for her either. She is having an affair with her married boss, Tom. Tate knows he won't leave his wife for her, especially since they have a daughter.

Tate convinces Helen to split a cab home with her and exchanges numbers. When Helen calls the next day and asks her to let her back into the building to search for her lost earrings, Tate is hesitant. Soon after badging Helen in, the two split up to search. When Tate realizes Helen is nowhere to be found, she rushed back to the roof to look for her.

And on the roof she does find Helen… Looking down to the street, Tate sees a body lying on the ground.

Two weeks later Tate is arrested for murder. She tries to explain what really happened at the building. Until she learns one more shocking piece of news… the dead body isn’t Helen. In fact, no one can find any record that Helen even exists.

The dead body is Tom’s wife, Maddy.

This is not even the first 10% of the book. What transpires from there is the story of what really happened to Maddy. Is Tate responsible? Did Helen set her up? Or is there something much more twisted going on?

The first half of the book is full of jaw dropping twists. To say Tate can veer towards unreliable is an understatement. Her own lawyer repeatedly catches her in small lies during the interview at the police station, and each time Tate confesses a bit more to her about what really happened on the roof two weeks earlier.

But don’t let anything in this book lull you into a false sense of security about what is going on. I was shocked so many times in that first half that I can barely even describe how deliciously twisted it all is. The back half still has some twists in store, but it unfolds in a different way. The book goes back even further in time and also moves forward to what is happening with Tate after her arrest. There are more stories revealed than just Tate’s, and more twisted details for the reader to uncover.

The second half of this book takes a turn towards revenge and obsession, and every single page was so delightfully satisfying and gripping that I couldn’t tear myself away. This book had me a chokehold for the entire length of it. What starts as a twist-filled salacious popcorn read brings a surprising amount of depth in the second half. There is no easy way to describe this without spoiling it, so I’ll just say that the drive towards the conclusion is one that left me profoundly gratified with how the story came together.

The Woman on the Ledge is truly an all-time great story of secrets, deception, and revenge. A must-read thriller!

4.5 stars

The blurb and cover caught my attention, and the story did not disappoint! There are so many red herrings in this fast-paced book that Mancini keeps the reader guessing. Just when you think you have it figured out, you realize you're wrong. The story is divided into different parts, and each part, and chapter, reveals a bit more of the truth to be pieced together. It's a complex read with everything that's going on. It's difficult to separate the truth from the lies, but that's what makes it a deviously good read!

2024 has just started, and I can already tell this will be one of my favorite reads for the year!

“I, too, had been left with an open wound that I’d spent my life hiding in a corner licking like a frightened little mouse. But I was no longer a mouse; I was a lion. I was a ticking time bomb ready to explode.” 🦁

👉 tl;dr: THE WOMAN ON THE LEDGE is a unique, twisty tale of revenge, women’s strength, and lots of deceit. Don’t trust anything you think you know.

It’s told somewhat in reverse: at a basic level, we know what happened—a woman fell to her death—then we peel back the layers (and lies) to reveal so much more going on…🤫

It’s hard to say more without spoiling something, so you’ll just need to see for yourself!

I enjoyed the ride, but what’s holding me back from a higher rating? I read it ~two months ago and honestly, none of it really stayed with me. It was fun, but not all that memorable I guess. 🫣

This book was wild!! From the first page, I was hooked! I wanted to know who this Helen was! Then things took a turn and *mind blown*! I liked the flow of the story—from present to working backwards. I kept waiting for a slip, but I guess this was the perfect crime. I liked all the connections and the bonds of the characters. It had you thinking could they be trusted? And as such, you were on edge, which is a great suspense factor!

things are not what they seem at all in #thewomanontheledge. while the twist comes a little less than halfway, it's a really, really good one and the ride to get from here to there and back is really, really good! i found myself thinking about tate and helen and maddy when i wasn't reading, they felt like real people to me. excellent read, highly recommend. somewhat different from the normal psychological thrillers of late.

p.s. thanks to #netgalley and @this_is_edelweiss for the ARC.

Oh she's twisty, turny, and tangled, folks - I love to see it. The Woman on the Ledge is a really enjoyable page-turner that tackles some issues very much on the mind of contemporary women, and does so gracefully while also giving us, basically, the revenge fantasy. And I gotta say that is my favorite type of fantasy.

Knocking off a star because a couple of things just didn't add up for me in terms of character motivations, but the intricate plotting and likable characters overall made this an easy and enjoyable read to get lost in.

My thanks to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Women on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini. I went into this book blind. I had no idea what to expect from this book. WOW was it good! This book had so many twists and turns, literally until the end. This was my first book by this author but I will be reading more. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, Harper Paperbacks for the ARC!!