Goodness gracious, what a twisted twisty thriller! Alice, her husband Jamie and their young daughter Martha lived in an upscale neighbourhood and by all appearances had a happy life. They even had a beloved nanny. However, we don't always know what goes on behind closed doors and can't control what happens on social media. The reverie was broken one evening when a male intruder brandished a knife with children in the house. Alice's maternal instinct leapt into action and she killed him in self defense. But that's just the beginning. Alice's guilt and fear prodded her every second but she knew something more sinister was at play. Why was her family the target? She began making inquiries and poor choices and inveigles her way into the male's family circle. What she finds took her breath away. Mine, too. The layers of deceit and drama were like an endless knotted ball of yarn. One skein led to another. And another. Even her dream job as an art restorer unraveled. A once-nice neighbourhood turned into suspicious cesspit.

The art restoration details are fascinating. I really liked the nonstop twists and the pacing which started out slowly but picked up and ended in a crescendo. The multiple perspectives are written well and the story itself is gripping. Most characters are despicable but a few had redeeming qualities. Sort of. Parts of the story are implausible and over the top but contribute to one really creepy crawly story which is sometimes exactly what we need!

The Break-In by Katherine Faulkner
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Chalk this up to the last book that kept me up way past my bedtime because I just had to know how it ended and who did what!

I’m definitely a fan of Katherine Faulkner. I’ve read all 3 of her novels and this one is definitely a contender for first place with Greenwich Park. She does a creepy British mystery/thriller so well. The end result is not always as clear cut as you might think early on. She pulls both sympathy and frustration from her readers to her female main characters and casts suspicion on every character involved. For fans of Lisa Jewell, this is definitely a book for you.

📖 After killing a deranged man breaking in to her home, Alice is left with more questions than answers. Who was this man and what was he doing at her home? Who was he looking for? What is his connection with her home and family? Is everyone in her life all she thought they were?

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for this addictive thriller in exchange for an honest review.

Cover to cover, one day read for me! I was invested from the first chapter. Katherine Faulkner’s writing style combined with short, POV identified chapters, despicable characters and lots of intrigue make The Break-In hard to put down.
I highly recommend it but clear your schedule - you won’t want to stop reading until you’ve finished the last sentence.
Thank You to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada,and Katherine Faulkner for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Just the mystery I needed. A twisty fast paced well thought out mystery that had me hooked by page one. Interesting characters, dysfunctional relationships, dark secrets, and a growing list of untrustworthy acquaintances.

Stunning. Another absolutely fantastic read from Katherine Faulkner!

Alice is an intriguing protagonist, and takes the reader along through the mysteries of why the break in occurred. I loved the difference of knowing the what and the who and needing to piece together why it happened.

Beautiful build of tension and suspense, and her usual gorgeous writing. The novel also felt real in a way many don’t. There wasn’t a need to suspend disbelief at characters actions, so much felt terrifyingly real.

I typically prefer a single POV, but the inclusion of the other voices at various times through the novel made perfect sense.

For once I didn’t have all the answers in the first half, and was racing to see predictions answered and for the final puzzle pieces to click together.

A beautifully satisfying ending as well! An easy 5 stars, and further proof Faulkner stays on my “instant must reads” list.

This was a very good story and I was engaged in reading it, though I found at times it was drawn out, but it was still an enjoyable read. Alice is having a get together with some friends one evening, her husband had just stepped out for some milk when a young man appears at the patio door, he starts yelling and banging, eventually getting into the house, he starts making garbled demands and starts towards the room where the children are, Alice picks up a stool and hits him over the head, inadvertently killing him, the police investigate and it's rule self defense. Alice is curious though as to why this young man, whom she feels incredibly guilty over killing, was at her house to begin with. She tracks down where he lived, and where his mother currently lives, and at first accidently, then purposely begins to insert herself into the lives of the family, aside from the mother, who has stage 4 cancer, and a sister, Jade, who is pregnant and due to give birth literally any day. The killing of the young man, Ezra, was popular news and comments on the articles are not always in Alice's favor, some are of a threatening nature. Alice also begins to notice little things missing around her house, her earrings, a camisole, some trinkets, nothing really expensive, but troubling. Alice lets the police know both of the online comments that she sees as threats and of the items missing. Alice also visits Jade several times, thinking maybe she was breaking in, though her husband had been updating their security. The story is told through multiple viewpoints, and overall I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Gallery/Scout Press for the ARC.

Pub date: 26 Aug 2025

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada/Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book.

I’ve read all of Katherine Faulkner’s books, and this is my favourite so far. The twists and plot devices were fantastic. That said, the novel felt overly long. Part Two, “The Day Of” could have been cut entirely as it mostly repeated what we already knew. A tighter, 300-page version would have been ideal.

The main character’s job as an art restorer is unique and compelling, but I wish it had played a bigger role in the story.

Content warning: Huntington’s disease features in the book. While I appreciate the inclusion of underrepresented illnesses, the portrayal here felt underdeveloped and perhaps unnecessary to the core plot.

This book took me a bit to get into. The first half is very slow but overall it was well written, had some decent twists and a great ending. I will definitely read more from Katherine Faulkner.

5⭐️ HANDS DOWN!!
This was my first book from Katherine and I need to read more!!! The twists are phenomenal and the end just left you saying WHAT!!! You’d never know!🫣

I really enjoyed the added new articles and comments throughout the book based on what was occurring for Alice and her family. It made the story even that more interesting and tied in so well!

I’m so grateful to receive an ARC from Simon and Schuster and Netgalley! I can’t wait to dive into another thriller by Katherine🔪

The Break-In is an incredibly suspenseful, immersive, heartbreaking, and delicious thriller. It’ll make you question the moral dilemma Alice is facing and think about what you would do in self defence? There are lies, deception, and a domestic side to the story that’s just as twisted. The twists in this book make the Break-In itself seem like child’s play.

I really enjoyed the “court of public opinion” angle we got in this book. Some of my favourite things in crime thrillers are news articles and comment threads that give you outside perspectives. Goes to show the world is harsh when they don’t know the full story.

📕 Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read this one ahead of its release on August 26, 2025!

The Break-In is gripping from start to finish.

It is a wealth of secrets, lies, murder, family and so much more.

Catherine and Jamie have a break in at their home and when Catherine defends the children by hitting the intruder over the head, their life is forever changed.

He dies.

Will the police charge her or is it self defense.

The public is not a forgiving one.

Katherine Faulkner weaves in a multitude of twists and turns, red herrings that will have you guessing to the end.

Everytime I got complacent and said I know where this is going, I was so very wrong.

The jaw dropping twists kept on coming to the very last page and the ending was perfect.

Don't miss The Break-In but I will warn you its so very hard to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada/Simon & Schuster for a heart pounding read.