This book was right up my alley from the get go. Short chapters that left the reader yearning for the next one. I really liked how even though this was a bit of a complex story line it was very easy to follow and there wasn't too much of unnecessary details before you are thrown right into the plot. Our main character Heather is out loving her life as a successful book seller when she is robbed by Felicity. However when she confronts Felicity she finds out that she only wanted her attention. Felicity confesses that she needs her help in order to help her old friend Amber who is currently serving a life sentence for Murder. Not only is this murder but the victim was a man named Jack who both Heather and her used to date before their falling out. The problem however is felicity confesses is that Jack is actually still alive and dangerous. I found this plot to be really interesting and nothing like I've read before. I was desperate to find out what was really going on with Amber and felt a strong connection with Heather.I loved the characters in this book. They were very well written and you really felt all of their emotions hurt anger confusion desperation. What I normally dislike in novels was the one thing I liked the most in this one, the point of view switch. This gave very important information to the reader and gave a sense of all knowning. This is the kind of book that you can't put down once you start and everytime you think you know what is happening you are thrown another bomb that shakes up everything you though you previously knew. As I mentioned in previous reviews how talented Jackie Kabler is she shines yet again with this one. I love her writing style and I believe that she is going to be a huge name and I'm so pleased that I will be able to say I read her work when. The only negative thing that I have to say about this book was I'm so upset that it took me as long as it did to finish it because this is one that really comes alive. I can't wait to read more of her work as the world needs more authors like her. Great read from start to finish and while the story keeps getting deeper and deeper it's hard to say all the amazing things without spoiling the story itself.

I wasn’t sure I was initially going to like the story as it was a bit difficult to believe it could happen, but as it progressed I got very much involved and needed to see what was going to happen.
It did keep me guessing, and I wasn’t sure who was the bad person until the reveal at the end.

What a thriller! The amount of tension and paranoia built by Kabler was phenomenal. I became suspicious of virtually every character in the book, including Nathan and Felicity.

I was a little sceptical when Heather agreed to date the loathsome Jack again in order to find emails, DVDs and jewellery that would free her former friend Amber from prison. It felt to me as if their friendship was unsalvageable. Plus how much did she really know about Nathan and his sister?

Anyway, doubts aside, I had to admire the way Heather threw herself into the task, sometimes taking additional risks. The tension was unbearable when she started snooping around, disabling cameras and looking for clues, with Jack asleep in the same house.

Felicity's fate was a big surprise, and the twists keep coming thick and fast towards the end. Jack remained a threat throughout and I always had an uneasy feeling something terrible was about to happen.

A highly addictive psychological thriller!

Another fab thriller from Jackie! As with all her books this is easy to follow without an overload of characters. Yet it still keeps you guessing with several twists towards the end!

3.5 stars, that I'm gonna have to round down because the plot of this is kind of absurd. However, that didn't stop me from flipping madly through the pages to see what was up and how it would all turn out. Even with the outlandish arc of this story, it was quite well thought out and well written. Definitely a page turner that once you are in it, you'll want to read it through to its conclusion.

So for all you readers who think you would be good at solving crimes then this is the book for you. In this read we meet Hannah who is happy with her life working in a bookshop but a random bag snatch turns her life upside down and she must decide if she wants to go back to a very dark place in order to help her friend who is currently locked up for a crime she didn’t commit. As she risks her life and sanity to find out the truth is she in too deep and will she get out of this love. This is dark and edge of your seats stuff which won’t disappoint.

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

This was a really great mystery book by Javkie Kabler have read her other books and they are all brilliant, thanks netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read it.
Amber was found guilty of murder and sent to prison for life,,but she is sure she never killed anyone so why was she found guilty.
Heather her friend from university got involved in trying to find her innocent, they had fallen out over Jack a boyfriend if heather who she had broken off with when she found out what sort of horrible person he was.
Then amber met him and started dating heather told her he was no good but she woukd not listen and they had an argument which broke off their relationship.
Heather got involved in trying to find that Amber had not killed anyone which put her in grave danger.
This was a great story and loved it.

A mysterious start to this book drew me in immediately. Heather decides to meet up with the woman who deliberately swapped bags with her. The story seemed so far fetched that I had to know what the outcome would be. It made for a tantalising gripping read

This was a book that I found challenging to rate fairly. The beginning was solid and intriguing. I was riveted to the pages, wondering what was going on. Later, it slowed down and wasn't making much sense. I was considering a rating of 2 or 3 Stars.

Amber is in prison with a life sentence. She is charged with a murder that never happened, but there is false, manufactured evidence against her. The life sentence seems bizarre on such flimsy proof.
Heather works in a bookstore. She used to be best friends with Amber, but they broke up. Amber was dating a man who had been Heather's former lover. Heather kept nagging Amber that her new romantic interest was utterly unsuitable. The next thing she knew was that Amber was in prison for murder.

It made even less sense that the assumed murder victim, Jack Shannon, was still living in his longtime residence. Heather is recruited by a brother and sister team to rekindle her previous romance with Jack and to enter his mansion to search for a paper trail and CDs to prove Amber's innocence. This puts Heather in a hazardous situation while the brother and sister remain safe and out of harm's way. Apparently, Jack kept proof of falsified crimes in his home and gloated over them. Jack was handsome, sexy, and rich but could not withstand a woman leaving him. He set up a previous girlfriend, Rose, as a thief and was responsible for her death. He also took revenge on Amber.

Jack is far from normal. He takes vengeance on women who break up with him and cannot abide daylight. He sleeps during the day and works running an international company at night.
Heather has returned to Jack's good graces and finds she is still attracted to him. This ends when she learns he is more warped and dangerous than anticipated. Because of his odd sleeping habits, she can search the house but needs to be very cautious. She learns there are hidden cameras everywhere. The creepy live-in housekeeper is always lurking and watching her. She is exhausted while working at the bookstore because Jack demands that she keep him company while watching movies and dining at night.

We get Amber's thoughts while she is in prison. She hopes Heather will save her. Heather wanders through the house in search of any evidence. She is terrorized by the ever-watching housekeeper and the dread that Jack may discover her. I found these parts repetitive and boring. The motives of some characters were difficult to discern. I felt sure I knew where the plot was heading at various times, but I was rarely correct.

Heather is assisted in her search by a retired detective who gives her advice. She also contacts Jack's former worker and learns what has been happening, but without the hidden CDs and emails, there is not enough to free Amber. There is another murder. She must find the secret documents and get them to the police.

Heather is well on her way to free Amber when all hell breaks loose. The ending contains intense action and heart-pounding suspense, with twists and surprises I hadn't expected. Are the charges against Amber dropped? Does Jack go to prison? An unexpected source arranges two more deaths.

I recommend this book to anyone willing to suspend disbelief and be entertained. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The date of publication is May 9th.

Amber Ryan is innocent and she is going to prove it
But all she has is to go back to the dark place
It was brilliant
I had an ARC

Not a favourite read this year so far…..
Plot caused raised eyebrows right from the start re handbag stolen and so so annoying that when characters had a story to tell ie the guy in Spain Nathan he was then too busy to tell it fully
Disappointing she fell back into bed with him on their remeet after being petrified at the thought of him and what he had done for a few years
Just not believable or enjoyable

I liked the premise of this book, but for some reason the storytelling never quite engaged me, although I did enjoy it more as it went on. Amber's in prison for a crime she says she didn't commit; her ex-friend Heather is approached (in what seems like an unnecessarily cloak-and-dagger way) by a mysterious woman with a remarkable story to tell about Heather's ex-boyfriend Jack and the real reason Amber's in prison. Before she knows it, bookshop worker Heather is up to her neck in danger.

Not everything rings true - I'm not at all convinced Amber would have been given a life sentence for the crime of which she was convicted. That really doesn't seem likely and it undermines the believability of the whole thing. And I felt the whole time I was waiting for a twist that never really came. Jack is certainly a weird character but I never totally felt like I got a grip on why he was the way he was. Nevertheless, it was a reasonably entertaining read.

We hear from both Heather and Amber, but Amber's sections are really just mostly "I hope I get out of prison" and seem a bit pointless, as nothing whatsoever happens to her other than sitting in prison wishing she was out.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

The Life Sentence
This novel felt like a life sentence to read. If my purse is stolen with my keys, credit cards, and driver's license, I am not going to the local coffee shop to meet the thief. I'm not going to order a latte and hear what they have to say. On top of that, why am I helping the long-lost friend serving a life sentence? If she's innocent hire a lawyer or non-profit. I couldn't get my head around the characters or the reason why it was much trouble to bring a con artist to justice.
Not on my list of recommendations this month!

*spoilers ahead* I really enjoyed The Life Sentence for the first 3 chapters and I was intent on making predictions on what was going on - who is Heather and how is she involved? What crime did Amber commit? Who can we really trust in this story?

As the story went on however, I became confused by the “explanations” as to what was going on in the story and the reasoning behind the strange behavior and decisions characters were making.

I ultimately DNF’d the book when I still had no idea what crime was but “wasn’t” committed after reading for almost 7 chapters. This book just wasn’t fast paced enough for me and let the unknown plot linger too long for me to be invested in what was going to happen.

Story by Jackie Kabler ⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you are looking for a good read with lots of twist and turns definitely do yourself and favour and grab yourself a copy of this book. It will be a binge read.

This is my first time trying this author and I would gladly buy more of her books.

This was a really good read with plenty of twists and turns throughout with a great ending. The characters were intriguing, the story itself was enjoyable with enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat and the style of writing was perfect. I have read other books by this author and gav enjoyed them all, I would recommend this to anyone who likes reading psychological thrillers.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

This is an awesome book that kept me enthralled the entire way through! Heather is a bookseller when Felicity "steals" her purse but really just wants to engage with her to ask for help. Heather's friend, Amber is in prison for murdering Jack Shannon, and as Heather used to date him, she hasn't spoken to Amber since she was arrested. But now after meeting Felicity and her brother Nathan, there is more to the story that's even more heinous than one could imagine. Apparently Jack "punished" his women and when Heather agrees to meet with Amber in prison, she gets an earful of information she wasn't aware of and finds herself willing to help as even Jack's death is called into question. Lots of action, red herrings, and false claims litter this novel that kept me gasping until the end!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

The Life Sentence is a psychologist thriller with an intriguing premise that draws you slowly in.

Heather sets out to try and prove her friend Amber's innocence who is currently serving time for a crime she vehemently states never did occur.

Heather gets back with Jack in order to find proof that Amber really did not try and murder Jack.

Jack kept things interesting though at times I was scratching my head and I wasn't sure who to trust.

Having said that, I still wanted to keep reading and following the twists and turns.

The Life Sentence is certainly worth picking up and reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK One More Chapter for the opportunity to read and review .

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for an early copy of The Life Sentence. Jacks lifestyle was sooooooooo weird, how did the author think of something like that? I was soooooo confused why Nathan and Felicity were soooo interested in what happened and why they wanted to help but it all made sense. There were many heart pounding parts but also much time was spent on Heather trying to find what she needed to find. That took away from the plot a little bit. All in All a FANTASTIC READ, UNBELIEVABLE STORY!!!! Another Great book from Jackie Kabler.