I really enjoyed this one, and can't wait to get my hands on the next one. Ms Keogh is one my favorite authors, and a definite go to every time! Recommended.
TB

I loved this book about a writer with writers block for her 30th book and feeling the pressure of deadlines when she starts to receive threatening letters in the mail. As she starts to distrust everyone she knows her life starts to spiral and she looses faith in her own sanity. The only good thing to come out of it is that she now has a story to write but is this story dangerous to tell and why is someone out to get her! Don’t miss this exciting read!

I enjoyed this book. Found it well written and it held my attention throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

read a few of valerie keogh books and ive enjoyed them all.

she didnt disappoint with this either.

Another Valerie Keogh book read, another one that doesn't disappoint ! At one point, I thought it was the end, but what ?? No, it got better and more twisted than it already was.. I went through different emotions throughout reading this book, while reading the ''book'' the writer was writing.. and i wanted to cry at some point as well.. Can't say more without spoiling, but i really LOVED this book.

I hate giving poor reviews but have to be honest and on this occasion I feel justified. The premise of the book was very weak and nothing really happened I dragged myself through each chapter as I felt it would improve. In essence an author struggling to write her 30th book whilst she is stalked by a psycho who was seeking revenge as she refused a dance with him in her teens. Really strange and quite boring storyline

I absolutely loved Valérie Keogh’s latest suspense novel. Gripping from the first page to the last, it’s a true page-turner that kept me guessing all the way through.

I've enjoyed previous books by this author but felt this one was just a little too strange. Told in Him and Her sections, this is about Cara a writer who is about to write her 30th book. I found it odd that after writing and selling 29 thriller books, her agent and editor would not allow her some time to come up with a new story and were constantly applying pressure. Not all authors (or even most) write several books a year. The Him sections is about an unknown man who has held a 25 year grudge because he asked Cara to dance once and she said no. I found it hard to believe this man thinks only about this one isolated incident.

Cara begins receiving letters that seem to be threatening and she feels someone is following her. I liked that part of the book and the author does a good job of adding tension. Then we find out Cara has trouble figuring out what happenings are real life and what things are fiction from her books and this is where is took a bad turn for me. It is not at all common for a writer to have trouble distinguishing reality from fiction and I would think her husband would notice she needed help. As the story moves on she begins to suspect her husband, best friend, neighbor and everyone else she knows as being her stalker. The end wrapped up the story but I would have preferred Cara receive some sort of mental help. I notice that a lot of British thrillers have women main characters who are either mentally unwell or consume huge portions of wine and are unable to function and I would like to see more strong characters. Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC for review.

Loved the set up of this book, as the Authors 30th book, she writes about an author struggling to write their 30th book
I feel like there’s a lot of ‘art imitating life’ here with Valerie giving an insight into life as an author.
I did guess some of the twists/Red herrings as the story went on but certainly didn’t guess the ending

The Writer by Valerie Keogh is a tense, addictive psychological thriller that blurs the line between imagination and reality. Cara Jenkins, a bestselling novelist on the verge of burnout, begins receiving sinister letters just as her creativity dries up. As the threats escalate, so does Cara’s paranoia - forcing her to question whether she’s truly in danger or losing her grip on reality.

With sharp twists, creeping suspense, and an atmosphere thick with dread, Keogh keeps readers guessing right up to the chilling finale. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden and Lisa Jewell, this is domestic noir at its most unputdownable. I would definitely read more by this author.

Loved this book. A real rollercoaster ride, which had me gripped from start to finish. Would definitely recommend

I normally like this author's books, but I was not impressed with this one. I feel it might have been patterned after the author's real life. Cara is an author who is struggling to come up with ideas for her 30th published book (this is also Valerie's 30th book as well, according to the acknowledgments). It wasn't really about much more than that for a big chunk of the book. Her stalker decides that after 25 years, he wants revenge for quite possibly the most stupid reason I've ever heard. It wasn't very thrilling for me and left me wanting way more.

The Writer by Valerie Keogh is the story of Cara, the writer who is now experiencing a writer’s block on her next book, it will be her 30th published book. Her editor and her agent both want to make a big event of her 30th publication.
Then Cara becomes the victim of anonymous letters being posted through her door and she has no idea who is posting them or why. She is also being stalked by a man, named the grey man, because of his grey tracksuits. The grey man wants to punish Cara for what she did r to him 25 years ago.
Her best friend is stabbed and murdered and the police trace the grey man as the killer. He denies sending the letters though. The first time he identifies the correct person, but in the second interview he identifies her best friend as the culprit. Events follow that cannot be deleted like the draft novel she has written and then deleted.
I preferred other novels by the author and didn’t enjoy this storyline as much, but that is my preference and I am sure other readers will enjoy the novel.

Successful thriller writer Claire has writer's block and spends her days staring at a blank computer screen, desperate for inspiration. Her thirtieth book is eagerly anticipated by her publisher and expectations are high. Once her life begins to unravel, she sees therapeutic resolution and decides to write her story using fictional characters. Her material is plentiful. There are threatening notes, distrust in her marriage, unease, and a man obsessed with revenge.

Of course, characters in domestic thrillers like The Writer have skeletons in their closets and this is no exception. Valerie Keough has a special way with words with suspenseful twistiness. While the premise is sound, there are aspects of the story I didn't love such as the disturbing actions of one character in particular. But the apt analogy of hammering a nail into the wall pressed on me throughout. The twists are compelling and the character list short (most unlikeable) and therefore easy to keep track of. I enjoyed the ending, too. Well played!

Another gripping read from Valerie Keogh. The story is told in chapters relating to author Cara who is struggling to write her 30th novel, and "Him" who turns out to be a man from Cora's past (25 years ago ) This is a book I definitely recommend

The Writer is a tense, psychological thriller that keeps you questioning what’s real and what’s imagined. Valerie Keogh masterfully builds suspense as Cara’s paranoia and fear seep into every page. The blend of obsession, danger, and blurred reality makes for a truly chilling read. Gripping, unsettling, and impossible to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Cara Jenkins is a successful writer. She’s about to start her 30th book, but has no idea what she will write. When she begins to receive threatening letters, her grasp of reality and her fictional world begins to break.

This was told from Cara’s point of view with interspersed chapters from ‘him’ , a mysterious character determined to mess with Cara’s life. This worked really well, as did the snippets from the book Cara was writing.

I enjoyed the suspense, and the way the suspicion kept switching to different characters. The ending when it came was abrupt and unexpected , but it worked really well and its similarity to how Cara ended her own book worked really well.

This was an easy read, everything flowed well and I would recommend it.

“Cara Jenkins is a successful author about to embark on her thirtieth novel. But she’s struggling with writer’s block. Then the letters start. At first, they seem harmless. But as the messages grow darker, Cara becomes convinced that someone is watching her, waiting for their moment to strike. Her husband, Artie, dismisses the notes as stupid pranks, but Cara feels them pulling her back to a past she can't escape. With no easy answers, Cara does what she does best and begins to write. But the more words that come, the more fantasy and reality begin to blur and soon her imagination, and her accusations, begin to run wild. With reality blurring into fiction, Cara struggles to see the truth. Is someone really watching her, or is her unravelling mind feeding her paranoia?”

I think this is the last Valerie Keogh book for me. The very first one I read was great but it just went downhill from there. I found a lot of moments in this book I had my eyebrow raised. And not in a good way. It just wasn’t doing it for me. I didn’t really like the characters, the plot twists weren’t as twisty, and the ending…what the heck was that ending?

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a DRC. The Writer is available now.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Writer by Valerie Keogh.

To be honest, the plot would have held more strongly if the reason that "he" wanted revenge made more sense. But maybe that was the point, he was so crazy that his reasons didn't need to hold up?

This is a story about revenge, and how far a person will go in order to get it. It's also the story of how fantasy and reality can collide, especially if you're actively being driven to the brink of madness.

The Writer is very readable, not difficult to follow, but it just didn't hold weight. Not to mention, I wasn't very bought into any of the characters. I feel good about a rating of 3.5.

This is an author who I have read before and loved. Unfortunately, this one didn't gel with me. I found it to be disappointing, repetitive and unbelievable. I wanted to like it but I didn't unfortunately.