I thought this book was interesting but also pretty forgettable. It kept me entertained while listening to it but looking back on it to write the review I realize that I do not remember very much about it.

Family Doctor had an intriguing setup, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The story felt a bit slow in places, and while the mystery had potential, it lacked that edge or urgency I was hoping for. The characters didn’t fully pull me in, but the narration was decent and helped keep me listening. Not a bad listen, just not the most memorable crime thriller I’ve come across.

The Family Doctor transports readers to a remote Scottish island, where Dr. Kelly juggles her responsibilities as a rural physician and single mother—all while hiding dark secrets she hoped were long buried. But when her daughter Lauren is kidnapped, Dr. Kelly faces an unthinkable ultimatum: kill one of her own patients within three days or lose her daughter forever. As the clock ticks, she must decide whether she can play god—or face devastating consequences.

Told from Dr. Kelly’s perspective, this gripping psychological thriller quickly escalates into a high-stakes, life-or-death game, with chilling glimpses into her haunted past. The remote setting adds a fresh twist to the “locked-room” genre, enhancing the story’s isolation and tension.

The audiobook narrator delivers a standout performance, immersing listeners in Dr. Kelly’s increasingly desperate mindset—I found myself audibly reacting to the many twists and turns while walking my dog.

Packed with suspense, emotional depth, and genuinely surprising reveals, The Family Doctor is a must-read for fans of dark psychological thrillers and atmospheric island settings.

Kelly is a GP on one of Scotlands remote islands, a place she has escaped to with her daughter following a harrowing life event a few years prior.

Kelly gets a message, someone has taken her daughter, she has 3 days to do what the kidnapper wants to get her daughter back. What does he want? He wants her to kill one of her patients! But she must follow his rules, she can't tell anyone and she can't get caught. What wouldn't you do for your kids?

The story is decent and the slow unveiling of Kelly's past opens your eyes to the possibility of who the kidnapper could be. It is a bit slow and repetitive in the first 2/3 of the book.

The end was good, it worked really well with the twists that unravel.

I gave this 3.5/5 rounded up to 4 as the ending won me over.

*Family Doctor* by J.M. Dalgliesh is a gripping psychological thriller set on a remote Scottish island. The story follows a single mother and doctor, who is forced into an unthinkable situation when her daughter is kidnapped. The kidnapper gives her a chilling ultimatum: she must kill one of her patients within three days, or her daughter will die. As the clock ticks, the protagonist navigates a web of secrets, moral dilemmas, and escalating tension. Dalgliesh masterfully crafts a suspenseful narrative filled with unexpected twists, making this novel a compelling exploration of love, sacrifice, and the lengths a parent will go to protect their child.

My first book from this author and if this is the standard of his stories I’ll enjoy reading more from him. This was an audiobook I listened to in one day, a gripping tale with a twist or 2 I didn’t see coming. It had a strong storyline, good characters, and the descriptions of the places the story was set were great. One of those plot lines that keeps you guessing!

Takes its time to get going despite its race-against-the-clock theme, very much a roller coaster of a listen emotionally and storywise, as not all turns enhance the plot.

2.5 stars
I have enjoyed the author’s procedural books. Domestic thrillers can be hit or miss and this one was a miss for me. I think I’ll stick to the procedurals from.now on.

A psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Finished this book in one day - would read more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for a review.

The family doctor left me absolutely disturbed. How are you supposed to trust anyone ever! This was wild.

Alright, so, the story itself? Eh, it was alright. Like, you know those twisty mind-game stories? This was one of those. You could kinda see the end coming, and it didn't take long to get through.

But the listening part? That was a no-go. The person reading the book? Their voice just... rubbed me the wrong way. They talked super slow, like they were explaining stuff to a little kid, which was really annoying. And they held onto words way too long. It was like they were stretching them out. I had to speed it up just to make it listenable, and even then, it wasn't great. If someone else had read it, I probably would have liked it more.

I didn't love the audiobook narration and it was kind of slow to get going. I found the interaction between characters annoying. I didn't finish it.

My heart was pounding. I was sweating. It was everything a psychological thriller should be.

A gobble-it-all-up-in-one-sitting kind of audiobook

I listened to the audio version of this book, and the narrators did an amazing job bringing this story to life. I really enjoyed reading this book. The author did an excellent job with both the characters and the story line. This was a fast paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my set. I was hooked early one, and I couldn't put it down. It was filled with twist and turns that I never saw coming. I really can't wait to read more from this author. I highly recommend this novel to other thriller readers.

Thank you Net Galley, Bookouture, and JM Dalgliesh

Kelly has three days to kill a patient. If she fails, her daughter Lauren will die…

This had such an intriguing synopsis I just had to read it, and I was definitely not disappointed! This book was packed with great character development, a solid story line, plenty of twists and turns (even a couple I didn't see coming!) and just the right amount of terror in this psychological thriller! This book kept me perched on the edge of my seat until the very last page!

Dr Kelly lives on a remote Scottish island with her daughter Lauren, moving there after an event that tore her family apart.
Lauren is due off the island to attend an interview when Kelly receives a call from Lauren's phone, 3 days to kill a patient or your daughter dies.

Switching between multiple timelines, present and past, where we delve into why they ended up on the island and whether or not this is linked.
The narrator did a good job with this story, and it was twisty enough to keep me guessing.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A big thanks to Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review this audio book.

The storyline was ok, a standard psychologic thriller, a bit predictable, and a quick read.

However I disliked the audio version as I really didn't like the voice of the narrator who I found to be very slow and had a patronising tone, which just annoyed me. Eilidh Beaton reallllllllly hung on to some of her words, which put me of the book. I sped the audio up to 1..25 speed to make it more bearable and found this speed a better pace. With a different narrator I would have enjoyed it more.

2.5 stars for the book, but brought down to 2 for narration

This one sounded right up my street but I found it a slow burn that really only got going for the last 1/4 of the listen. The storyline was a little out there for the setting. I didn’t really find it believable when it came to the main characters actions. I found the main character and the narrator irritating and both together didn’t really change my mind. This one just wasn’t my cup of tea.

2.5/5 🌟🌟/🌟

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to read and review #FamilyDoctor

I received an early release of this book in exchange for my review. This story had a twisted plot line that kept readers engaged. Although it didn’t leave a lasting impression on my favorite books of the year, it was definitely worth reading for fans of the genre.

This book actually made me mad. It started off full force with the “event” taking place right at the beginning. Then it trailed off into all kinds of stuff that was relevant but not really important. Some could have been shortened or so.
It then went on to things that happened years ago leading up to the “event”. So went back and forth a few times. What happened in the past was pretty predictable. I figured out where it was going pretty quickly.
The ending was a surprise.
That was enjoyable and I wasn’t expecting it.

Overall good quick read.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy.