Behind Closed Doors

In this heart wrenching book, Stacey is forced to relive the darkest period of her life. It had been thirty years, but being kidnapped as a teen is something she could never forget. Things get all too real when she shockingly discovers that her former stepdaughter Lyra has been kidnapped. Although no longer married to Lyra's father Jack, the bond Stacey has with Lyra is as strong as ever.

A half million pounds as well as no contact with the police and Jack just might get Lyra back safely. This message was delivered via a video that Jack has shared with Stacey. Jack is determined to cooperate by not calling the police as instructed, so he begs for Stacey to help him to gather the ransom amount and to try and find Lyra. Jack is banking on Stacey's past traumatic experiences as a way to get her to help him. Reluctantly, Stacey agrees, despite having very little time to follow instructions.

What a thrilling story! Although the two kidnap situations were decades apart, Stacey's experiences seemed as tentative and as shocking as Lyra's. It was impossible not to feel for both of them as they were hoping for rescue. I read this standalone thriller by Carol Wyer with bated breath. The intensity of the story, as well as the experiences Stacey endured throughout her life left me filled with compassion. If you want a book that will keep you reading late into the night, and also to want to hold your loved ones a bit tighter, look no further than Behind Closed Doors.

Many thanks to Carol Wyer, Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I have been a fan of Carol's Natalie Ward series, so I thought I would give this a try. Stacy was kidnapped 30 years ago and now must relive that experience to try to help her ex-stepdaughter, Lyra. While there were some shocks to this book, I felt it was entirely way too long. I ended up jumping to different parts as it was just too slow moving for me.

this was a suspenseful atmosphere going on, it had a great start and did what was promised from the description. I enjoyed the way Carol Wyer wrote this and I loved the way she wrote her characters. It was my first book from the author and I want to read more from her.

‘They must have seen us together. They said on the phone “it was unfortunate”. You were told not to contact the police. Maybe they see my involvement as some sort of betrayal on your part. It could be another warning for us to toe the line.’ Her heart bashed against her ribcage as she spoke. She prayed she was right, that Lyra’s kidnapping was not her fault."

Thirty years ago Stacey endures a horrifying kidnapping and the criminals responsible are never caught. The experience leaves her with dissociative amnesia and just a few flickering and fleeting memories. What she does know with absolute certainty is that her father never pays a ransom. In the present day and now an investigative journalist in Lancaster, it seems history may repeat itself when her ex-husband Jack knocks on her door. His daughter Lyra, who Stacey really cares about, has also been kidnapped, the ransom demand is for half a million pounds and no police. Jack appeals for her help and she agrees which ultimately forces her to take a deep dive into her traumatic past in the search for clues.

This is yet another gripping and chilling read from Carol Wyer. I really like the way the author fuses the past with the present and the manner she chooses to tell of Stacey’s ordeal works well and is most effective. You wonder, just as Stacey does, if she can trust her ‘memories’ or if she is transposing given the current situation. Once her utterly shocking story emerges it’s little wonder she erases it from her memory.

There are plenty of discordant off notes with some behaviour that is strange and doesn’t entirely add up and your suspicion antenna twitches north, south, east and west. In addition there are some red herrings that put you off the scent. The characterisation is good, you grow to utterly admire Stacey and despise others. I love the setting in and around Morecambe Bay and the city of Lancaster and all locations are used really well to add atmosphere and moments of tension.

Although I figure out part of the plot, never fear the author has plenty of surprises to keep her readers of their toes! It’s an intense, compelling read with some bone chilling moments which amounts to a novel I find hard to put down.

Stacey survived a traumatic kidnapping as a young girl and it has haunted her since, remembering only scraps of the event. Now thirty years later her stepdaughter is going through almost exactly the same ordeal. Stacey needs to find her. Can it really be happening, is it a copy cat, is it a coincidence? This stand alone thriller, by one of my go-to authors, is tense, with several good twists and a great ending. Thanks for another great read!

This book single handedly kept me sane whilst stuck on a plane for an extra 2hrs before we even took off! This is definitely one of those that gets under yout skin and jusy makes you completely forget the outside world. The characters were so well smitten and wee rounded that you can picture them crystal clear and they do provoke that emotion response, whether is be empathy or just sheer frustration fro the delightful ex hubby!!! The twists and turns really made it so unexpected and i just loved every second

This was really not for me. I deeply wanted the characters to behave so differently. All of their choices just felt wrong, and I wanted to shake them.

Fast-paced crime thriller. I am giving this book 4 stars. I was invested in the story and couldn’t wait to see who the kidnappers were.

The main character Stacey is a strong woman and has awful luck with the men in her life. It was tough at times to read about the torture she was subjected to as a young girl. This has shaped who she is as an adult and her relationships.

If you enjoy thrillers and suspenseful books then give this one a try. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy to read and review.

Wow! So many crazy twists! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, and many twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have been a fan of Carol’s books for quite awhile and they never seem to disappoint. When Stacey’s ex husband Jack’s daughter is kidnapped, she is willing to do anything to help him, even if it means reliving her own kidnapping many decades ago. Are they past and present intertwining and what is Stacey missing that she just can’ seem to put her finger on. The clock is ticking to find his daughter before it’s too late, but at what cost? An interesting read from beginning to end with a twist I didn’t see coming.

Well written novel but I just couldn't get into the story. Did not finish the book but can see others loving this

A big fan of all the author’s three crime series, I expected this to be good, but this excelled all my expectations.
It starts with a bang that grabs you and doesn’t let you go as it hurtles along, a rollercoaster of suspense. I read this in one day and I definitely wasn’t putting it down until I’d got to the end.
When Stacey’s ex husband turns up on her doorstep distraught because his daughter Lyra has been kidnapped, in addition to fearing for Lyra, she’s transported back to her own kidnap some thirty years before. Surely the two cases couldn’t possibly be connected? As time runs out for Lyra, Stacey must get to the truth and to do so not only face her own demons but those of whom should have protected and loved her most. Is there anyone in her life that she can really trust?
A brilliant standalone from this oh so talented author

This book has so many twists and turns. Its the PERFECT thriller for a rainy day. I found myself needing a 2nd bowl of my snack because I couldn't put it down. I would def recommend!

Although I did enjoy this read and the ending did have a few surprise twists and turns for me it did feel a little too long in the middle but I'm guessing that without those slower, finding her truths pages, Stacey might not have stumbled upon the ending.
I thought the characters were interesting and their drives varied enough to not make it glaringly obvious from the start what is really happening. I had to kind of read between the lines to have an idea about how it would end and even then I'd only guessed a small part of the twisty finale!
This was an interesting read and so if you think you would enjoy it from the 'blurb' I'd say to give it a go, it's worth reading!

An OK read.

A journalist was kidnapped in her childhood and the experience has left her with amnesia, although, she does have flashbacks occasionally. The book begins with her ex husband turning up out of the blue and frantic with worry as his daughter has also been kidnapped. What follows is a mixed bag of family secrets and lies. I found it fantastical and frustrating as a whole, but, with some interesting elements.

Overall, an easy, OK read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to preview.

I received a free copy of, Behind Closed Doors, by Carol Wyer, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Stacey was kidnapped when she was younger, she never really got over it either. When her ex calls her to help her find a kidnapped child, it all comes back to Stacey. This book was way too disturbing for me, being sent Lyra's finger, was too over the top for me.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. From the beginning, the book was intriguing, if somewhat gory. That aspect did take away from the story…it was difficult reading after what happened to the character at the start. However, this book is an intriguing mystery with red herrings. Surprises…secrets…likable characters and some not so much.

Journalist Stacey O'Hara survived being kidnapped as a child - minus one finger taken by her captor. But amnesia means that most of the details are unknown to her. So when Stacey's ex-husband Jack seeks her help when his daughter goes missing, she is invested. And when a ransom note is delivered, she has to find young Lyra.

Stacey uses her investigative skills and some specialist contacts but finds little to help. But she becomes increasingly convinced that the kidnapping is somehow linked to her own experiences. So she undergoes hypnosis to try to free her buried memories.

Behind Closed Doors works well as a standalone thriller. A number of suspects are identified and then ruled out before the truth is revealed. But the investigation brings up many unpleasant truths for Stacey.

The narrative arc is sweeping, covering two time periods, and the character development is well written. Stacey is a sympathetic and engaging lead, and the reader is pulled into her story as she tries to find both her missing stepdaughter and her own past.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
The main subject of this book is the kidnapping of two young women, a subject I found quite disturbing because of the graphic descriptions. Plus, the book didn't pull me in, I got a bit bored early on and didn't finish the read. I had read several of the author's other books and liked them, but this one just didn't do it for me.

A great standard novel by one of my favourite authors.
A journalist had been the victim of a kidnapping when she was a child, a finger and part of an ear had been sent to her family but her father refused to pay the ransom, she’s never forgiven him.
30 years later and she answers a knock at the door, it’s her ex, his daughter, her step daughter has been kidnapped and the person that took her has said they’ll kill here if the police are informed.
Using her journalistic contacts she starts the search, but it’s bringing back repressed memories.
Is it a coincidence that her step daughter has been taken.
Is it a simple kidnapping.
This is a great thriller with lots of twists and turns

Thanks to netgalley for letting me review this book.. WHen Stacey's ex husband turns up on her doorstep and begs for her help in finding his daughter lyla. Stacey was kidnapped 30 years ago and her kidnapper was never found, she remembers enough about her kidnapping that her dad never paid the ransom to get her released. She wont let that happen to lyla.. Do they save lyla? Who has done this? Could it be the same person who took stacey?
Lots of twists and turns, i was on the edge of my seat. There were also the I DIDNT SEE THAT COMING moments. Highley recommend

The new Carol Wyer…oh, yes please! I do love a book by this author and will move my books around just to make space for one of hers! This book is a standalone read and we get to meet Stacey, a journalist. She is dragged into a tense and frightening situation when her ex-husband, Jack tells her that her stepdaughter, Lyra has been taken and held for ransom. He asks Stacey for help but doesn’t want to endanger Lyra any further by involving the police!

Straight away, this book had me hooked! I liked Stacey’s character but did find myself shouting at her to just call the police, let them deal with it!! Stacey has a lot of baggage from her childhood, having experienced the same fate that Lyra is currently facing. I’ve got to say though that she’s one gutsy character, facing her demons to help save another always deserves a big metaphorical pat on the back. I didn’t though like her ex-husband, Jack but gave him the benefit of the doubt throughout in the hope that he would redeem himself! I did feel for him at times, his daughter is missing and he’s having to find a huge amount of money, which he hasn’t got, to save her – I can really understand why he behaved like he did sometimes!

The author has again managed to produce a book which keeps the tension and suspense high right from the beginning. The writing had me not only trying to guess who was involved but also had me swapping and changing my mind as the storyline moved along! The timeline changes between present day and Stacey’s younger years, and this gives you a different perspective to Stacey’s character. The storyline is a little graphic at times and it does feature scenes of harm to a child, but it is all written in context with the story. This was a cracking read which I really enjoyed. There were lots of twists and turns, it kept me guessing and amazed me with the ending! Would I recommend?...hell, yeah!!

A past kidnapping and a current one. The similarities are eerie. Stacey has many buried memories from her abduction, but as they work their way to the surface can she believe them? When her stepdaughter, Lyra, is abducted and Stacey's ex pleads for her help to rescue his daughter, the past is thrown into the open.

Carol nailed it with this one. Yes, there are disturbing events. Yes, there are plot twists. A deep secret or two make for some interesting skeletons lurking in the closets.

If you plan on reading this one at night, I'd recommend leaving a light on.

Thanks to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for an advance copy of Behind Closed Doors in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed it and would give the book 3.5 stars. I loved the Detective Natalie Ward and the Detective Kate Young series, so I was excited to read this. It was a great mystery/thriller that kept me guessing until the end. From the start I was suspicious of Jack. Who wouldn't go to the police when their child is kidnapped? I questioned everything he did and he always seemed to be hiding something. Stacey constantly caught him in lies. Jack and Stacey's father were so much alike. Both were horrible people. Henry could have saved his daughter, but refused to pay the ransom. Stacey doesn't remember much from her kidnapping that occurred twenty years ago. With Lyra's disappearance, snippets are coming back to her. Therapy didn't work for her in the past, put with the help of the hypnotherapist, Stacey starts remembering her terrible ordeal. The ending was CRAZY and I wasn't expecting everything that was revealed!!! What is wrong with people??? The worst part is that people knew who kidnapped Stacey and did nothing to help her. Throughout the whole book I kept shouting (in my head)- just go to he police!!!! Stacey told so many people about Lyra being kidnapped. Why didn't they alert the authorities? Especially the therapist. All around it was a great book.

Definitely recommend the book. Enjoyed the characters, story and writing style. The lengths people will go to for money is scary. All the planning and scheming. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Hopefully there will be a new detective series!!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Amazon Publishing UK, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Stacey gets a desperate plea for help from her abusive ex husband. His daughter that she is close to has been kidnapped. She herself had been kidnapped as a child and has the scars from it but very little memory. In her attempts to save her step daughter, she forces herself to remember as she becomes convinced the two kidnappings are connected. Most of the book focused on the details of trying to find the money, trying to find the kidnappers and rescue her. There were some relationship secrets and family secrets to be revealed. This book wasn't my favorite of this author,

Well written with an engaging storyline that kept me gripped and well developed characters. The storyline had some moments that were utterly heart wreching and other moments that had me on the edge of my seat. Twisty and a good level of unpredictability. I enjoyed it.

Thirty years on from her own kidnapping of which no perpetrators were ever caught, Stacey finds herself reliving her situation when she discovers her Step Daughter has also been kidnapped. Her ex husband Jack has been sent video evidence of kidnapping but does not want to involve the Police. Taking on an investigative role Carol reaches into the depths of her mind to save Lyra but will it all be in vain and too late?
Whilst I enjoyed this novel and found it to be an interesting read I did feel that it could have been condensed slightly. In my opinion it seemed to drag in places and many of the conversations with Jack were repetitive.

Love Carol Wyer and follow her detective books, this release took me a while to get into but loved it, the storyline and the characters.

Wow!! Super enticing and thrilling!! Had me completely wrapped me up in the story! There were certain things I didn’t like about some of the characters but I guess that just added element to the book!

Stacey has just been blindsided by her ex-husband, Jack – his teenage daughter, Lyra, has been kidnapped and he’s begging for her assistance. Although she and Jack have not been together for a few years, she is still close to Lyra and wants to do whatever she can to get her back. While she has misgivings about working with Jack, he’s firmly against going to the police, per the instructions he has received. And she knows exactly how unhelpful the authorities can be, as they were of no use when she herself was kidnapped as a teenager. She becomes convinced that the two crimes must be related, even though everyone she confides in disagrees. But her kidnapper was never found, so to Stacey, it just makes sense.

As neither she nor Jack has anywhere near the ransom amount the kidnappers are demanding, she decides to track Lyra down herself before time is up. She’s a journalist, so she has all manner of contacts and favors owed to her, to assist in the search. It was a little too convenient for me, as any normal person wouldn’t have all these resources, like the hacker that can find anything at almost a drop of the hat. Her position as a senior reporter allows her to conveniently be away from her office most of the time, so work isn’t a hindrance, either.

The story is told in the present with flashbacks to the time around her kidnapping. She blocked out most of her memories about the experience, so she attempts to recover them however possible to uncover any connections with Lyra’s disappearance. What she discovers about her family is way beyond dysfunctional and cements her determination to locate Lyra. Just wait until you see how it turns out!

Another great storyline from one of my favourite authors. It had me gripped from the first page with plenty of twists and turns and I couldn't put it down. An excellent standalone book that I would recommend.

Stacey was kidnapped when she was a teenager. The kidnapper was never caught. Now, history is repeating itself. Her step daughter has been taken, and Stacey's ex husband is pleading for Stacey to help.

Stacey has very few memories of her abduction, the trauma has wiped her memory, and sees a therapist to help her remember. She feels that the person that kidnapped her has returned, but she cannot fathom out why her step daughter has been taken.

She has shady contacts who assist her to find links so that she can save Lyra before Lyra loses her life.


This is a gripping thriller, Carol Wyer's has a talent to tell a story and keep the reader on the edge of their seat.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

a great plot that keeps you guessing until the very end.

This is my first read of a Carol Wyer novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story got a grip of me early on and I struggled to put the book down.

Stacey’s ex husbands thirteen year old daughter is kidnapped and her ex turns to her for help. The ordeal is very poignant due to Stacey herself suffering the same crime thirty years ago. Stacey’s kidnapping was never solved and due to the trauma has suffered a severe case of amnesia. She is unable to recall the details of her own kidnapping.

In Stacey’s case her father never paid the ransom and the kidnappers removed one of her fingers as a result. Stacey was saved when the police received an anonymous tip off. Her ex step daughter Lyra’s kidnappers have made it clear the police must not be involved but Stacey knows she needs help. There are similarities between the two kidnaps and Stacey who has a journalist background is determined to use her contacts to investigate wherever she can.

This was an enjoyable read and left me wanting to read more of the authors books.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I have read books by this author before so was excited to read this one! It didn’t have me quite as gripped as the others but then the last 10% had me gasping out loud in shock! So glad I stuck with it..

Nearly 30 years ago Stacey was kidnapped. It's a trauma from which she has never fully recovered. Mainly her mind has blocked out details to protect herself.
Now her ex-husband is at the door. His daughter Lyra her beloved step daughter. There are many similarities. Jack doesn't want any police involvement. Can Stacey delve into the deep recesses of her mind to stir memories that could help Lyra.
This was an engaging read. Although I suspected early on who was involved I loved the way the story evolved. A very quick read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

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

30 years ago Stacey was kidnapped. She lost her finger and part of her ear, before a police officer stumbled across her by chance.

Now Lyra, Stacey’s step daughter by her ex husband Jack, has disappeared. Messages from the kidnappers are very familiar. Can Stacey unlock her past and find Lyra?

I really enjoyed this stand alone book. I had so many theories for who the kidnapper was and every one was proven wrong as this story twisted and turned. A true thriller keeping me guessing right until the end. Jack truly was an unlikeable character and I found myself really rooting for Stacey. Loved that we switched between present day and Stacey’s memories too. 5 stars!

I love all this authors previous books so was looking forward to this standalone, however, it just wasn't for me, was a bit repetitive and predictable, I wasn't a fan of the characters. However I will look forward to reading more from this author.

After really enjoying other books by Carol Wyer, I was looking forward to reading this advance copy but unfortunately, it wasn't for me.
The plot was predictable, the characters infuriating and the plot was just too slow for me but I kept reading expecting the story to pick up and take a turn.....unfortunately, for me, it just didn't.

A thrilling page-turner
Stacy is a brilliant character
A kidnapping that seems to mirror one from decades ago
Can Stacy save her stepdaughter before it's too late?
There are lots of twists to the plot throughout
Keeps you on the edge of your seat
Thrilling stuff
Carol Wyer is one of my favourite authors
Highly recommended!

Behind Closed Doors by Carol Wyer kept me up way too late last night!

Wyer has written a riveting novel. Its fast-paced plot was filled with it all... intrigue, suspense, and secrets.
The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
There were twists and turns throughout that had me holding my breath.
Carol Wyer skillfully ratchets up the suspense here.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Amazon Publishing UK,
Thank You for your generosity and approving this eARC!

I knew this book was going to be good I mean this is Carol Wyer right and as far as I’m concerned she is one of the best authors out there but wow with this book she excelled herself.
The story starts with Stacy’s ex husband turning up at her door in a state o panic his thirteen year old daughter Lyra from a previous marriage has been kidnapped and he begs tor Stacy’s help as she herself had been kidnapped some thirty years previous. With Stacy struggling with her deeply buried memories of horrific abuse at her kidnappers hands the book really gets off to rip roaring start and I raced through it eager to find out how it was all going to end.
Secrets, lies and long and memories coming to the surface this was one hell of a great read for me, the writing was brilliant I loved the characters and thought the plot line was so well thought out so many thanks to Carol for another fabulous read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. This is the first book I have read by this author.

We follow the protagonist, Stacey, as she is on a chase against time to save her daughter in law from her kidnapper, being forced to work together with her estranged ex-husband who continues to manipulate and take advantage of her.

As a child, Stacey herself was kidnapped and her father was blackmailed to pay a ransom to release her, which he reluctantly didn't pay. Living with the disappoint and lack of trust in her father, memories of her past come back to haunt her - is her childhood kidnapper back for more?

Stacey and her therapist try hypnotherapy to delve deeper into her locked memories to help find clues about the identity and whereabouts of the kidnapper. As we uncover her past, we learn of her mother and fathers tumultuous relationship and the disaster that came of their betrayel.

This book was fast paced, pulls you in from page 1, really keeps you guessing until the very end and ends with a punch! I particularly enjoyed reading about her ex-husband Jack and his narcissistic, abusive personality and how he plays on Stacey's emotions to manipulate her.

Would highly recommend if you're into crime fiction and books that really keep you guessing whodunnit!

As a teen Stacey was kidnapped and held for ransom, losing a finger and part of her ear in the process. She always blamed her father for not paying the ransom, and police the police for suggesting he shouldn't. Thirty years later her ex-husband, Jack, asks for her help after his daughter is kidnapped for ransom. He thinks she can help because of her experience being kidnapped and because she is an investigative journalist.

Ugh, I so dislike writing bad reviews but this book just didn't do it for me. The fact that none of these fathers want to go to the police just didn't fly with me. I also found Stacey's amnesia hard to believe. And the flickering "cinema" images of her memory coming back was a little over the top. The book takes place over four days and the chapters are separated by each day. It is told in the present tense with "flashbacks" of Stay's lost memories. The storyline was really out there, I mean how many times can one person get away with kidnapping teenage girls!!?? I found this really slow-going, unbelievable, and repetitive. I am really sorry to the author who put so much into this work of fiction but it really wasn't my cup of tea.

I have read and loved so many Carol Wyer books but I just couldn't get on with this one so I have stopped.

The opening should have grabbed my attention but it was just super repetitive, frustrating and almost unbelievable. Despite the situation there was just no real emotion. It felt a bit clumsy.

I've read enough books to know when I won't enjoy one and I instinctively.knew that I wasn't going to be able to finish this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book by Carol Wyer.

This is the second book which I have read by Carol Wyer and it didn't disappoint!

I loved Stacey's character, she is so very strong and wanted to get to the bottom of the kidnapping but in doing so, she had to deal with lots of demons from her past, as well as events happening under her nose. She couldn't even rely on her ex husband - yes he is definitely an ex for a reason and also couldn't rely on her father.

This book had lots of twists and turns in it, all of which I didn't see coming, so thank you Carol Wyer for a great, gripping read!!!

Stacey's past abruptly comes back when her former stepdaughter is abducted and her ex husband asks for her help. She will have to live her trauma again and discover much more than she'd expected.

Carol built a solid plot based on how relationships evolve and work in real life, sometimes taking people to very dangerous situations. Stacey's story is a reminder of how callous people suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder (trigger warning!) can be.

What I appreciated most is Carol's ability to totally throw you off the scent with small psychological details that make your mind change quickly about who's the culprit.

Behind Closed Doors is the novel from Carol Wyer. Having enjoyed her previous books I was eager to read this standalone thriller and was not disappointed. I was hooked from the beginning and found it to be fast paced, gripping and unputdownable. Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author for the chance to review.

This was a DNF (did not finish) at the 30% mark. I struggled to connect to any of the characters, and Jack's straight out instance that there be no police involvement was very suspicious and grew frustrating really quickly. The plot was slow, alternating between flashbacks for Stacey and what was currently happening to Lyra. With no real forward movement in the plot, unlikeable and unreliable characters, I was unable to generate any interest in continuing to read to find out if there was any connection with Stacey's past and what was happening to Lyra.

A tense thriller that was great to read. However, it felt a little bit too long and dragged out for me towards the end.

Fantastic new book with new characters twisted to the new kept me on my toes. Well written as usual by Carol Wyer high you expect when reading her work.
A kidnapping gone wrong years ago springs up again with Lyra Stacey’s stepdaughter being kidnapped. But all along something is not quite right. Stacey is forced to bring back painful memories of her own ordeal 30 years ago but is it the same person?
Fantastic plot which kept me guessing right to the end.
Highly recommended read

I found the beginning of this book a bit slow to start, but it's worth reading once it gets going. There are plenty of twists. I partially guessed 'who did it' but that was mainly because the way the character was written made them seem 'off' (at least in my opinion), which was probably the intention. One to re-read to see if I missed any other clues

Two kidnappings, thirty years apart. Can Stacey face her own dark past in order to save her stepdaughter?
When Stacey’s ex-husband turns up on her doorstep begging her to help save his kidnapped thirteen-year-old daughter, Lyra, the terror is all too familiar. Stacey’s own violent kidnapping thirty years ago was never solved, and while a severe case of amnesia spares her from recalling the specific horrors, she remembers enough…
Stacey knows her father never paid the ransom she has the missing pinkie finger to prove it. She knows she was only saved because of an anonymous tip-off to the police. And she knows her captor was never apprehended.
Lyra’s kidnappers have made it clear the police must not get involved. But Stacey can’t shake the eerie similarities between the two cases, and she’ll use whatever she can, from her journalistic powers to her shady contacts, to save Lyra from the same nightmare. Desperate to find any link between Lyra’s abduction and her own, Stacey forces herself to revisit her forgotten, traumatic past for clues.
But can she make sense of the terrible secrets she unearths in time to save Lyra? And if she does, is she ready to face her own tormentor?
Really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing Uk
I just reviewed Behind Closed Doors by Carol Wyer. #BehindClosedDoors #NetGalley

For the most part I enjoyed this book. It took some dark turns that I loved. But it also held some things that felt . . . A bit too far fetched. I hated the dads. And the story dragged in so many places that I struggled to Gey through. In the end, an okay read.

I really do love Carol Wyers crime novels and characters. Behind Closed Doors is a standalone book, and yet again she had me turning those pages as fast I as I could, needing to know what would happen. I had some ideas of what was happening but as always, I was way off the mark on most of them! Another compulsive and clever story that I highly recommend.

30 years ago, Stacey was kidnapped. She was left traumatized and missing body parts. He father, a well-known and respected judge, refused to pay the ransom and she has never forgiven him for that. Her memories of what happened during that time are hazy, with small snippets coming back to her at random times. She is now working as an investigative journalist in Lancaster. When her ex-husband, Jake, knocks on her door frantic with worry, she isn't sure what to do. That is until she discovers that his daughter, Lyla, has been taken and the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of half a million pounds. Stacey and Lyla always had a close relationship, despite them not being blood relatives. Now Stacey must use all of her contacts and knowledge to find the girl before she is hurt...or worse. The situation feels far too close to her own experience, and she needs to remember in order to help Lyla.

An explosive ending will shock and disturb you. I was worried for Stacey and her mental health, but she was the kind of person who could not let it go. Another fantastic read from Carol Wyer.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy to read. Published on December 6th.

A reporter who was kidnapped thirty years ago finds herself racing against time to save her stepdaughter who seemingly was also just kidnapped for ransom. Is this coincidence or does her kidnapping from all those years ago relate to this?

I enjoyed this book but found myself kind of speed reading through it at times. The concept was good but the writing just didn't hold my attention. I found it a little obvious who was involved right off the bat. Overall I don't like giving negative reviews but this one was just "meh" for me. Two and a half rounded up to Three Stars because it wasn't terrible, just okay.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC.

Some thirty years ago, Stacey is kidnapped and the criminals responsible are never caught. Fast forward to present day, and Stacy receives a visit from her ex-husband, Jack, telling her that his daughter Lyra has also been kidnapped. What follows is a race against time to find out who has kidnapped Lyra, and what a thrilling race it is!

This is another absorbing (and chilling) read from Carol Wyer. The characters are well developed and believable - I took an instant dislike to Jack, who frequently displays conflicting behaviours which upped my suspicions that all is not what it seems… That said, even I didn’t guess the whole twisted story.

All in all, this novel is compelling and intense (with some graphic content), worthy of all five stars.

5 stars to Carol Wyer for this treat! 30 years ago, Stacey, a 13 year old at the time, was kidnapped and tortured by her capturer for her father, a judge, did not pay her ransom. Stacey was finally rescued by a passing member of the police.
Now 30 years later, her ex-husband, Jack asks for her help after his daughter, Lyra is also kidnapped and receives a ransom demand. Jack makes Stacey promise not to contact the police. As an investigative journalist, Stacey uses her skills and contacts to help locate Lyra. Previously regressed memories start coming back and a whole heap of secrets and unravelled from her past.
With a gripping plot, well developed characters and a mega twist, this book will make you want to consume this story in one sitting.

The concept of this book intrigued me from the start. A girl is kidnapped and tortured and her father does not pay the ransom demanded, the kidnapper was never caught. Many years later her step daughter Lyra is taken and the kidnapping very much resembles her own.

The book gripped me from the start, it deals with Stacey the woman who was originally kidnapped, Jack her ex and Lyras father a toxic manipulative character and various people Stacey calls to help with the search, along with Stacey's father Henry who suffers from dementia but holds answers to her past.

Although action packed the book develops the characters well and I enjoyed their interactions with each other. The plot was clever and the ending very unexpected but satisfying. I enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading more from this author. Highly recommend.

Carol Wyer is a phenomenal crime writer. its like magic when she writes and you just get pulled in.
i feel like i am sat having my own viewing of a film and watching the events unfold in front of me,
This book was great with all the investigating and piecing things together as secrets start to unfold.
fast paced page turner.

This was perfection! I wasn't sure about it at first but then I started to suspect someone and I was hooked. I love that. Right or wrong I love just hating a character and finding reasons to keep hating them.
This was great for that. It starts off in a terrifying way and then it gets weird.
Thank you for the ARC.

A good read although a bit drawn out in parts but it was a well written book with a good storyline and characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for this ARC.

When Stacy was a teenager, she was kidnapped as a child. Not only was she traumatised but she lost part of her ear and her finger in the process. Her father her judge refused to pay the ransom money and she only survived because the police found her.
Thirty years later now an investigative journalist still has nightmares of her time. But some of the memories are now hazy as her body has blocked some of the memories out after all she went through.
She gets a frantic knock on the door. It’s her ex-husband Jack. His daughter Lyra that he has had from a previous relationship, who also has a bond with Stacey has been kidnapped and they are asking for half a million pounds ransom. After what he was told with Stacey’s experience, he doesn’t want to involve the Police. So, he asks Stacey to help with her contacts she uses as a journalist. As Jack hasn’t got all the ransom money they are asking for. She even uses a hypnotherapist to reveal some of the events she went through to help jack finding Lyra. But things are still niggling at Stacy’s mind. What is Jack not saying and why does he not want the police involved?
Thanks, you Amazon for a copy of the standalone novel Behind closed doors by Carol Wyer. This is another compelling read from the author. A bit more gritty than other books from the author I have read. Although the author kept me engaged throughout. I found the ending a bit predictable and kind of guessed the ending. 4 stars from me.

I really enjoyed this book but it left me feeling frustrated throughout because I couldn’t work out who was behind everything, I kept trying to guess. My suspicions became clear at the end, although not for the reason I thought. The flashbacks to Stacey’s kidnappings felt so intense and left me with goosebumps, it was all described very well- to the point I could feel myself there with Stacey.

I have been an avid fan of Carol's work for a few years and I loved her Natalie Ward series. So I jumped at the chance to read her latest work. The main character Stacy was kidnapped 30 years ago and has never been able to recall exactly what she endured. Now she she must try to relive this event as her ex stepdaughter is in the same position she was 30 years ago. This book was good, don't get me wrong, there are some shocks and a few surprises, but for me it was too long and in places slow. Not one of her best books. I will not stop reading this very talented and favourite authors just because this book did not live upto MY Expectations.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I kept picking this up and putting it back down for months because I was struggling with it so bad. Finally I pushed myself through and it was just so hard for me. It was a little unbelievable and I just couldn't take the flashbacks seriously.

I'm so sorry to the author who worked so hard on this, it just clearly wasn't for me.

Behind Closed Doors is another page turner by Carol Wyer who never fails to entertain with twists and turns and always an ending I never see coming.

Behind Closed doors is no exception.

Stacey's ex-husband Jack (most unlikeable man) asks for her help in the kidnapping of his daughter.

This takes Stacey back in time with memories that she has blocked as she too was a victim of kidnapping.

Her dad did not pay the ransom. Hard to fathom

The pages turn quickly as you race to see what happened to Stacey and can she find her step daughter in time.

Can't wait to see what adventure Carol Wyer will take us on next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for a gripping read that keeps you reading.

I've been a fan of Carol Wyer for a while now and knew Behind Closed Doors would not disappoint! Stacey was kidnapped and tortured over 30 years ago and, quite by accident, she was spared from a worse fate by the kidnappers, who were never apprehended. Now her stepdaughter Lyra has been kidnapped and Stacey is sure that the same person is behind it. But is she reading too much into the situation, seeing links that aren't really connected? Or could it be someone entirely different, someone who has a grudge against Lyra or her father?
Very well written and full of suspense, this book kept me glued to the pages! Highly recommend!

Behind Closed Doors is an intense thriller. It’s a bit predictable but still held many surprises. There are a lot of hints about who is involved but then in the end things twisted and I loved it. The pace is great, and I wanted to keep reading well past my bedtime.

Carol Wyer is a new to me author with a backlist I will be checking out.

Disappointed with this book. Loved the robin/Natalie series of books. Wasn't so keen on the Kate series so had high hopes that this standalone would be back on par. The outcome was obvious from the start, it was quite boring and a little repetitive. Not for me unfortunately.

Stacey O’Hara was kidnapped when she was just thirteen-years-old. She was taken to a bleak place and treated cruelly; she was frightened, her mind played tricks on her, sat there waiting to be sent back home. Her father refused to pay the ransom and so her kidnappers cut off her pinkie finger and sent it to Judge Henry O’Hara, but he was still determined not to pay the money and so it remained, and it was not paid. Then one day an anonymous phone call was made to the local police station and Stacy was duly rescued. She was acutely traumatised and gradually the atrocities she suffered became deeply buried, as a way of protecting herself. She could never truly lose track of what had happened during the time with her blackmailers because her physical injuries were there every time she looked in a mirror and saw her deformed ear and her severed finger. That evidence would never go away. Her incarcerator was never brought to justice and Stacey always wondered why her rich father did not protect her and pay her ransom. Didn’t he love her?
Thirty years later her ex-husband Jack was at her house frantically rattling on her front door. As soon as she saw Jack she knew something was terribly wrong. He was emotional and upset so she asked him to explain the emergency. He told her that Lyra, her beloved thirteen-years-old step daughter, had been abducted and the kidnappers had set a ransom of half a million pounds. They also told him he must not involve the police. He begged her to use her skills as an investigative journalist to help him find his daughter. She has unscrupulous contacts who may know something. He eventually confessed he couldn’t pay the ransom because he simply hadn’t got enough money. Stacey’s blood ran cold. The similarity of Lyra’s kidnapping and hers was all too obvious. She would do anything to save Lyra from what she, herself went through: the nightmares, the demons of the past, the uncertainty and maybe even the physical pain. No, she couldn’t even think about that without shuddering. What she could do though, first of all, is go to her therapist to see if she could help to unlock her memories and find forgotten clues from her own experience. She can search for properties that are unused and could be hiding places for Lyra’s captors. So begins her investigations, but as she knows only too well, the clock is ticking and the kidnappers are after their pound of flesh. She loves Lyra to the moon and back. She must do her very best.
I was intrigued about and invested in this novel from the first moment I started to read it. It is a standalone thriller with plenty of suspense and some really exciting twists as well as red herrings and curious alleyways. I enjoyed reading it and found it a compelling story. This author is well known for her series of thrilling crimes starring tough and driven females i.e. Detective Natalie Ward, Detective Inspector Kate Young, and Detective Inspector Robyn Carter. I believe the fourth series is in the early days too. I’m a great fan of this author and this story has really pulled out all of the stops. The storytelling is wonderful and the storyboard overflowing with activity, interesting happenings, and some devious clues! This story brought with it a cast of fantastic characters. Stacey was my favourite character because she was so selfless, brave, determined and loving. I disliked her father Henry and her ex-husband Jack. Henry was truly horrible all over. I couldn’t believe he left his young daughter to be treated as she was, and Jack was manipulative, narcissistic, jealous and abusive. The story closely examined the consequences of damaging secrets and lies. It was emotional, poignant and thought provoking. When the last twist in the story was revealed I was so shocked. I was certainly impressed because I did not see that happening.
I was so excited when I saw this new novel and requested it for review. I quickly received a complimentary copy from publisher by Thomas & Mercer, through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest review. It’s a 4.5* review from me, and a recommendation that this is a harrowing but readable crime story that will keep you turning the pages.

What first drew me in was the cover because it reminded me of another book I really loved. This book is full of suspense and lots of uncomfortable suppressed memories that have to be brought up in order to solve the mystery. I really liked it. It was a total rollercoaster ride with an unexpected twist at the end which is always what you are looking forward to when reading a mystery/thriller. The author wrote it really well and kept me guessing and wanting to know what came next. I really had no complaints when reading this. I would love to check out other work from this author and I definitely recommend giving this one a read!

Thank you for this ARC that was generously provided by the publisher and author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

- The story is a psychological crime thriller. As is mentioned, Stacy is disturbed by the kidnap of her teen step-daughter, Lyra. Is it the same person(s) who kidnapped her thirty years ago? Is it a copy cat criminal? Or a new criminal who happens to have a similar modus operandi? Read on to know.
- The other characters include Jack, her ex-husband and Lyra's father, Ashraf the private detective, Freya the mother of Lyra and Henry, Stacey's father.
- The story is an interesting family crime where close relations have strong motives and dark secrets to pit against each other. It offers you a lot to think about who and why. You'll keep guessing based on the hints so in that way, the book is exciting. I finished it in one go.
- Fully recommended for people who enjoy slow suspense and crime among a close-knit family. Also, this one doesn't have police or court procedural. It has been a while since I read a good crime investigation without the police or court.
- The reason I reduced a star is because I had strong suspicion on someone and it turned out to be the same person. The author dropped some real big hints. Or it could be because I read scores of books in the crime genre till now.
- Everything except the point I mentioned above is appreciable. The narration, the language and vocabulary, all of it is perfect.
- Lastly, the characters. I am a fan of the lead characters and am impressed with the grey ones.
- I received a review copy and I am posting my review voluntarily.

This book has so many twists and turns than a labyrinth. No sooner has one suspect been cleared than half a dozen more turn up. Some of the characters are pretty twisted too. The reasons behind Stacey's abduction were pretty horrific but the reason for Lyra's is truly evil. This is a book to be read in one sitting so don't take it to bed if you have an early start the next day. Carol Wyer is well known for her police procedurals but she has proved here that her more psychological one offs are just as good.

Thirty years ago, Stacey was kidnapped. Her father never paid the ransom and Stacey lost her pinkie finger. She was rescued thanks to a tip-off to the police just in time.

Thirty years on and Stacey’s ex husband’s daughter, Lyra, has been kidnapped. He can’t go to the police and needs Stacey’s help.

Stacey has had amnesia since her kidnapping but she now starts to have flashbacks. Are they real or because of Lyra’s kidnapping?

This is a standalone by the author and I was engrossed from the moment I started reading the prologue, as well as feeling disturbed by it!

The author has been incredibly sneaky with this story and I was left gobsmacked by the turn of events. A tale full of lies and distrust that leave you wondering what will happen next. A superb whodunit full of twists to keep you guessing.

My thanks to Thomas and Mercer & NetGalley for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

A great and quick read is Behind Closed Doors by Carol Wyer from Amazon Publishing UK via Netgalley. It will be out on 6 December.

Thirty years ago Stacey was kidnapped and tortured. Now, her ex-husband arrived at her doorstep saying his daughter Lyra has been kidnapped. Is it happening all over again? Can Stacey help even though she blocked her memories of it? Will they manage without the police? Stacey needs to go back into her past to help her ex find Lyra before it's too late.

The plot itself was not difficult and I guessed it pretty quickly, but the way it has been written makes for an awesome story. The characters were great; especially Stacey with her troubled past. The way this is described with the hypnotherapy involved makes it all the more interesting. If you're into psychological thrillers, you should definitely check this one out.

Fascinating thriller with lots of possibilities of whodunnit! Although we suspect early on who it is, the rest unfolds like a runaway freight train!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!

I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Behind Closed Doors’ by Carol Wyer in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Thirty years ago Stacey was sixteen when she was abducted and held for ransom and although her memories of the event are patchy she can still remember parts of what happened. So when Stacey’s ex-husband Jack turns up asking for her to use her experience as a crime reporter to help save his daughter Lyra she agrees as she’s always had a close relationship with her step-daughter. But Stacey is worried as Lyra’s kidnapping bears startling similarities to that of her own.

‘Behind Closed Doors’ is as action-packed standalone thriller by an author better known for her enjoyable Detective Natalie Ward series. The storyline is well thought-out, the plot involving, and there’s lots of tension and twists and turns with the odd red herring thrown in to confuse. I like the characters of Stacey and her past colleague/lover Ashraf, as well as Danni the police officer who she was rescued by thirty years ago. Carol Wyer really does know how to weave excitement and suspense into a novel and despite feeling that the middle of the story was slightly too long, the dramatic conclusion more than compensated for it.

This starts off really intriguing and disturbing as we see the atrocities that Stacy is enduring during being kidnapped.
When we jump forward 30 years, the story starts to fall relatively flat. What appears to be a copycat abducting of Stacey’s stepdaughter takes a very sinister turn. However, we take a prolonged journey through the book to get to that turn. The actions of the characters are very sleepy compared to the dire situation, and the decisions Stacey makes are frustrating. The main thing that annoyed me was why the mother wasn’t told. Yes, she was in the hospital, but her daughter was missing. It just made no sense and would have raised massive alarm bells for me, but it didn’t for Stacey.
Jack’s actions were too embellished. They needed to be more subtle; he was just too over the top, which again set alarm bells off.
The story plods through the middle to get to the big reveal, but by then, I’d lost a lot of interest in the book and found myself not really caring what Stacey would uncover about her abduction and what had happened to her stepdaughter.
Stacey was too weak a character for my liking. Way too passive. She had let her father get away with not protecting or saving her. She just accepts the situation and moves on. It was all bizarre behaviour.
So, I’m afraid I didn’t really enjoy this book. It started off well, and I thought I would be reading a blinder, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I'm just going to come out and say that I didn't enjoy this one. I thought it was slowly paced and there wasn't enough emotional tension. I also knew what was going to happen well before it occurred in the book and waiting for it to pan out was frustrating. I found the main character, Stacey, to be far too trusting for someone that had been kidnapped and mutilated as a teenager. She blindly believes what people are telling her throughout the novel, even though she's supposed to be this incredible journalist who always gets the scoop. Not only that but the metaphor of a vintage movie theatre and film whenever she recovered a memory from her kidnapping was grating. It felt too hokey to be genuine.

I am a big Carol Wyer fan and have avidly read her previous books. This is a standalone, so not part of a previous series. I loved everything about it! It made me remember how much I like Morecambe and I’m planning on going soon to discover the cafe that’s mentioned. The plot is fabulous and you really root for the main character, who is brave and determined despite her previous experiences. Brilliant read!

Well Carol Wyer has done it again. Created a novel that is packed with suspense, mystery and a constant sense of threat and foreboding. From the harrowing opening scenes in which we readers are given a very clear picture of what is to come, to the way on which she slow builds up a very complex and tangled tale of kidnapping and revenge, it is the kind of story that grabs you attention from the very beginning and, by the end, has the heart thumping at quite the pace.

While this is billed as a stand alone novel, the central protagonist, Stacey, is the kind of character I could see putting in a repeat appearance. As a journalist, even one whose whole life centres around Morecambe, there is a lot for her character to give, and although not necessarily known as a hotbed of crime, I’m sure that Morecambe could be nursing more than one of two dark and twisted secrets. Between her and her friends, Investigator Ashraf and former Police Officer, Penny, I can just see them battling for the sake of good all over again. Stacey was a brilliant character, one I enjoyed spending time with and despite some awkward moments where hers and Ashraf’s past came to the fore, they work really well together. Stacey is damaged, not your typical have a go hero, for reasons that become very apparent in the first few chapters, but she is also determined and not one to back down from a challenge. Just as well given what comes to pass.

This is a story of a kidnapping, that of Stacey’s step-daughter Lyra. Her ex-husband, Jack, begs Stacey for help in finding his daughter, and with the kidnappers demanding no police involvement and an eye-watering sum of money as a ransom, it really feels as though the pair might be out of their depth. Now there are many reasons why I didn’t quite trust Jack, and some of the decisions he makes are definite eyebrow raising moments. There is that sense of desperation in him, understandably given the circumstances, but Carol Wyer has done a great job in creating a kind of uncertainty around him, making me want, and by extension Stacey, to keep him at arms length.

This is a dual timeline story, the action moving seamlessly between Stacey’s future, and her past, which may well hold the key to what is happening and how to find Lyra. Her mind is like a locked room, and we join her as she tries to break down the door that is preventing her from accessing all important memories. The author keeps us all in suspense, holding back all important details until just the right moment to make the most impact, and the revelations from Stacey’s past, particularly surrounding her relationship with her father are both heartbreaking and jaw-dropping in equal measure. The pacing ebbs and flows, but there is always that underlying sense of urgency - the literal ticking clock that could be the difference between life and death for poor Lyra.

Another cracking, high stakes, high tension thriller from Carol Wyer that will keep you turning those pages quickly, right to the very last, gobsmacking revelation. Prepare yourselves for one heck of a a ride.

The first stand-alone I’ve read from this author and it was a good one. Well written with a great plot this was a very addictive read. The prologue, set in 1992, was gripping and we soon find out that the victim was Stacey O’Hara. The remaining story is set in April 2022, largely over a four day period. It is tense and full of suspense with some disturbing reveals when Stacey starts getting flashbacks to her own kidnap.

Briefly, when her ex husband, Jack, begs her to help find his daughter Lyra, who has been kidnapped, Stacey is horrified, recalling her own kidnap 30 years earlier. Her kidnapper was never found and with her father refused to pay a ransom her rescue was just pure luck. After the dreadful treatment she received she has selective amnesia but although no one believes her she is convinced the same person has Lyra as took her. She needs to remember…

Great characterisations, good and bad characters - I found Henry particularly odious. I read this very quickly as I wanted to see if Lyra was rescued in time. A good, well paced psychological drama with plenty of red herrings to keep you on your toes, very enjoyable.
4.5⭐️

Another great book from Carol Wyer.
This is a standalone book and will definitely have you racing through the pages.
Stacey was kidnapped 30 years ago but struggles to remember what happened during this traumatic time.
Her ex, Jack, contacts her out of the blue and is desparate for help as his teenage daughter has now been taken.
Stacey thinks a lot of Lyra and tells Jack she’ll do all she can to help.
They’ve been told not to go to the Police or else Lyra will be harmed, and there is a demand for money to contend with.
Stacey asks an old friend who is a PI to help but they struggle to work out where Lyra is being held.
With time ticking away Stacey sees a therapist to unlock some of the memories of her abduction and this is key to this situation.
This is a great read and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a brilliant psychological thriller that is full of drama and twists to keep you hooked til the very end.

When Stacey's ex husband turns up on her doorstep he is the very last person she wants to see. But realising something is wrong she let's him in. When he begs for help after explaining his daughter has been kidnapped Stacey's blood runs cold. She herself was the victim of a kidnapping 30 years ago. Can history really be repeating itself?

I loved this book and I loved Stacey. I really hope we get to read more about her in future books.

A cracking 5 star thriller.

Carol Wyer is back with a stand-alone thriller - Behind Closed Doors.

"Stacey's ex-husband shows up on her door begging for help to get his teenage daughter,Lyra, back from a kidnapper. Stacey's own kidnapping 30-years-ago was never solved and she knows the terror that Lyra is going through. Stacey can't shake the similiarities between the two cases but she'll do what ever she can to get Lyra back. Something is off though - if only she could put her finger on it."

Wyer starts off with a tense story and never lets up. If you have never read a Wyer story, there's something you need to know about her characters. None of them are safe - not a one. So you never know who will make it.
You will not like Jack - both old Jack and new Jack. And you want to yell at Stacey about him.

Stacey races to find Lyra hoping to solve her own kidnapping as well. A few red herrings and an explosive final scene.

Wyer sets this novel in a little known place in the UK and her descriptions make you want to go visit.

A great stand-alone thriller from Wyer.

Thirty years ago, Stacy was kidnapped, losing her finger and a part of her ear in the process. Now when her ex-husband, comes to her, asking for help, that his daughter Lyra was kidnapped, Stacy was forced to relive those past traumatic memories.

I do like the plot line but the story wasn't really my type. It was interesting in the beginning and I do like the snippets of the parts when Stacy was being held as a cpative and how she blamed her father for not paying the ransom. I did enjoy the story but I didn't seem fo enjoy much. This was a slow burn, not much of twists and turns you would expect in a thriller but neverthless, it was an OK thriller. However, even though I didn't enjoy this book much, I cannot wait to read more books from this author.

Worth 3.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Really enjoyed this book, kept me guessing right until the end. A gripping read that I could not put down. Carol Wyer books never disappoint!

When I started reading this I thought I could never get past the fact that Jack did not contact police when her daughter was kidnapped. Fortunately the story is good and kept me reading. I did need to suspend belief, though. Everything about this story is totally unbelievable, but also totally absorbing.
Stacey's ex Jack comes to visit and wants her help saving his daughter Lyra from kidnappers. He does not want to involve police as per kidnappers wishes. Stacey herself was kidnapped thirty years ago and Jack thinks that's why she would be excellent help. Stacey starts seeing resemblances to her own kidnapping and suspects the kidnapper is the one who took her also. Stacey does not remember anything about her abduction or abductor. Now she's starting to see flashbacks and has to decide if they are real or not.
There is a lot of investigating and twists going on in this book. I enjoyed the story, even though I did not really like any of the characters. The ending was a total blast.

I'm such an avid fan of Carol's crime thriller series that I couldn't wait to dive into her new psychological thriller BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. From the very first page we are thrown headfirst into the chilling fragmented memories of the past before landing in the present, faced with something of a similar dilemma.

Thirsty years ago, Stacey endured five long torturous days tied up, beaten, battered and bruised in a horrifying kidnapping before being rescued by a police officer answering a routine call. The people responsible for her kidnapping have never been identified or apprehended. The experience was so harrowing for the then 16 year old Stacey that she is left with dissociative amnesia and a few fragmented pieces that flicker in her memory. The lasting reminders being her amputated finger and her ear having also been cut off. The only thing she knows without a doubt is that her father never paid the ransom...and Stacey has never understood why. Even stranger was that as soon as she was discharged from hospital, her father packed up their belongings and moved them from Staffordshire to Lancashire...where she knew no one. He said it was for a new start...but was that really the truth?

Now Stacey is four years shy of the big five-oh and is an investigative journalist for a Lancaster paper where she is the senior reporter. She lives in a quaint little cottage in the seaside town of Hornby, living the quiet life she now appreciates. But when her ex-husband Jack comes knocking on her door one evening, it seems history is repeating itself. His daughter Lyra, who Stacey adores, has been kidnapped and the ransom demand is for £500,000 - the same amount as the ransom for Stacey 30 years before. Coincidence? Jack appeals to her for help but states in no uncertain terms that there is to be no police, as per the kidnapper's instructions. But can Stacey go down that rabbit hole and come face to face with her traumatic past? If it means saving Lyra, then yes.

Unfortunately, Jack doesn't the money - nothing even close to that amount - so Stacey uses all her skills as an investigative journalist to delve for clues as how to find Lyra...and who has her. But she cannot escape the similarities to her own kidnapping, right down to the last detail. But after thirty years? It doesn't seem feasible. But Stacey is sure her kidnapping holds the clues to finding Lyra before it's too late. But can she trust her memories or are they false narratives her mind is conjuring up?

This is an intriguing thriller from the very first page and I was eager to find out who was behind it all, and just how it related back to Stacey's own kidnapping. But I must admit to being bogged down by the lengthy chapters of which I am not a fan and for me that does slow down the pace a little. But boy, were there twists!! Just when you think you know who it could be, something shifts and it changes direction. But I did have one or two niggles at the back of my mind, both of which proved to be the case, although I wasn't sure of the exact details or anything else. Just a couple of niggles is all they were that didn't sit right. Trust your gut, follow your instinct. But it seemed Stacey wasn't listening...lol But then if she did, there wouldn't be much of a story...lol

Although Stacey was a strong lead I wasn't really a fan of her too much. Too stubborn and didn't listen to those who actually knew best. But she was the best of a bad bunch, believe me. Her father Henry and her ex Jack were two of the most despicable narcissistic and manipulative characters. I couldn't believe Henry wouldn't pay the ransom for his daughter and his reasoning was just ludicrous. And Jack? Well, we know why Stacey left him...had he really changed?

I loved the setting around Morecombe and could really picture it after seeing Carol's numerous posts of the area leading up to publication. Of course, I also remember it from the TV crime series "The Bay". And I just have to say, that cover ROCKS!!!

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS is a taut and tense thriller with plenty of twists and red herrings to keep you guessing throughout. My only complaint is that the chapters were just a bit too long which slowed down the pace.

Overall, an intense and intriguing read sure to delight thriller fans.

I would like to thank #CarolWyer, #Netgalley, #AmazonPub and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #BehindClosedDoors in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Another great read from Carol Wyer.

This is a standalone thriller, easy to read with twists and turns.

A little different as the main character is Stacey who is a journalist rather than a dectective, who has to relive the kidnapping she went through as a child to help her step daughter.

Original story.

Loved it

A fabulous standalone thriller.
I loved the setting, in and around Morecambe. A place I’ve never been to but would like to after reading this.
A steady-paced interesting story which kept me hooked. Some good twists and a great ending.
Carol Wyer is one of my favourite authors and this comes highly recommended by me.
Many thanks to the author and publisher for the early copy in which I give my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this story eventually but found it a little slow going during the first half of the book. I found it difficult to relate to some of the characters especially Lyra who we had no previous knowledge of prior to her abduction. Therefore it was quite hard to feel empathy towards her. As for Stacey’s relationship with Jack I felt that at times she would have been more forceful with her suggestions of how to find Lyra. However, the story developed in many ways I didn’t see coming, although suspicions were rife. It was definitely worth persevering with and by the end I felt a satisfaction with how it had all played out. A complicated situation that mirrored Stacey’s past was well told with twists that led to a dramatic climax.

Thank you to Carol Wymer, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy. This is my honest review.

Publishing December 6th

Carol is a new to me author, and I can not wait to check out her other books!

A nice amount of surprise, greed, lies and suspense. Some of it was far fetched and hard to believe (don't want to give it away), but for the most part I liked the book.

So many questions, so many possibilities of who the kidnapper could be.

Stacey was a victim of a kidnapping for ransom when she was a teen. Daughter of a prominent judge, the kidnapper for sure figured they'd get paid what they asked. Stacey is missing a finger to show they were wrong. After an anonymous tip to the police, Stacey was found but her kidnapper was never apprehended.

Now 30 years later, Stacey's ex-husband, Jake shows up at her house, frantic because his daughter, Lyra, was kidnapped and they are asking for a ransom, and specifically no police involvement.

Stacey can't help but think it's the same person. Too many similarities to her liking.

Could this really be the same person who kidnapped Stacey all of those years ago? If so, why come back now after all of this time?

Grab a copy to find out!

Behind closed doors by Carol Wyer.

Two kidnappings, thirty years apart. Can Stacey face her own dark past in order to save her stepdaughter?

What a read. Brilliant. Twisty and shocking. Loved it. 5*.

I was hooked from the first chapter, with its terrifying tale of Stacey’s kidnapping thirty years ago. Since her ordeal, Stacey has suffered from dissociative amnesia, whereby she has almost no memory of her experience. When her ex-husband, Jack, contacts her after his teenage daughter, Lyra, is kidnapped she fears that history is repeating itself. Desperate to find Lyra, Stacey soon realises she must face the horrors of the past and actively try to remember details of her own kidnapping.

The storyline switches between present day and flashbacks to Stacey’s ordeal. This is a excellent thriller, fast paced, with multiple layers within the story and enough suspense to keep you guessing right until the very end.
I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it. Perfect for readers of thriller fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the review copy.

Fast-paced, tense and emotional, Behind Closed Doors is a nail-biting mystery. I loved it and suspected nearly everyone! Another winner from the very talented Carol Wyer.
An absolute must read for all psychological thriller fans.

I was very excited for this book because of the synopsis and some of the reviews I saw...but I just couldn't get into it. I know some people had issues with the content which just wasn't the case for me. Really it was just that I couldn't get engaged

Behind Closed Doors is another great story from Carol Wyer. It is a fast paced pager turner that kept me hooked so much that I read it in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

First of all, I love books where characters share your name! Stacey herself was kidnapped as a child, and now, her ex husband comes to beg her for help to find his own daughter found wrapped up in the same position. Kidnapped. What are the odds? She becomes convinced the happenings are connected and will do everything possible to find that girl!

This book is full of surprises. I love thrillers and dual timelines, and I enjoy trying to piece the puzzles together. Some chapters might be considered longer which can feel like the book slows down, but it was still a great read! This was my first by this author and I'm looking forward to what else I can find by her! I'd like to thank Netgalley and the author, publishers, for the advanced copy in return for my honest review!

“Stacey couldn’t shake the ominous feeling surrounding her. The hair. The dingy room. The scissors. This had to be an echo of her past.”

When Stacey’s ex-husband, Jack, turns up on her doorstep one afternoon, Stacey O’Hara is unprepared for the nightmare she’s about to be plunged into. Her thirteen-year-old stepdaughter, Lyra, has been kidnapped, and he wants Stacey’s help to rescue her from a terror she is all too familiar with after her own violent kidnapping thirty years ago.

As they race against the clock to save Lyra, Stacey can’t shake the strange similarities with her own abduction that keep cropping up. Could the two be linked? Forced to face the past she’s run from for decades, can Stacey make sense of the secrets she’s unearthed before it is too late?

"The room was dimly lit by a small lamp. Shadows, like demons, danced on the wall."

Wow! This book certainly packs a punch, grabbing me from the forbidding opening pages. I didn’t want to put this book down! It showcases why Carol Wyer has become one of my favourite thriller authors, her ability to hypnotise the reader and keep them guessing as she weaves her tangled web of dark secrets keeping me on the edge of my seat as I read. As the secrets are slowly revealed, the intricate puzzle begins to come together. But would it look like I imagined? Or something completely different?

"A hazy vision floated from the recesses of her mind. She saw herself as a terrified teenager, tied to a chair, a hood over her head. Her heartbeat increased. She didn't want to remember."

I loved that this book was essentially two mysteries in one as we uncover the truth not only about Lyra’s abduction, but Stacey’s too. While Lyra is never on the page as anything other than a character being discussed, her presence is felt over every sentence, along with the urgency to save her. And while trying to do so, Stacey begins to discover things she never knew about her abduction thirty years ago. Because of her profound dissociative amnesia Stacey has never processed the trauma of being abducted. The memories were buried so deep that she can’t reach them. But after Lyra’s abduction, she is assailed by flashes of the long-repressed memories that she isn’t always sure she can trust. It is so evocatively written that we feel every bit of her confusion, torment and fear as she faces the truth of her abduction for the first time while desperately trying to rescue Lyra. She is a likeable protagonist and was easy to root for, unlike her ex-husband, Jack.
In Jack we see Wyer’s skill for writing morally dubious and complex characters that you aren’t sure you can trust. Did I dislike and suspect him because he reminded me of my own abusive ex-husband? Or was he really involved in this somehow? I could never make up my mind but also couldn’t shake my suspicions of him no matter how much Stacey was adamant he wasn’t involved.

Dripping with suspense, charged with adrenalin and fraught with malice, Behind Closed Doors is a heart-pounding thriller that fans of the genre will love.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Behind Closed Doors' by Carol Wyer.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Carol Wyer, Zooloos Book Tours and Thomas & Mercer publishers.

Publication date 6th December 2022.

This is the seventh book I have read by this author. I have also previously Carol's 'Detective Natalie Ward' series and her 'Detective Kate Young' series which I would also highly recommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its gorgeous eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I am also a huge fan of Carol and if this is half as good as any of her previous books it is sure to be a fantastic read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Thomas & Mercer. I have yet to read a book published by Thomas & Mercer that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 22 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


This book is based in Lancashire, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited holidayed in Lancashire this year so am looking forward to see if I recognise anywhere

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Stacey O'Hara. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

OMG!!!! ANOTHER ABSOLUTE PAGE TURNER!!! What are you doing to me!!!!! Seriously!!!!! I hope you are writing your next book as I write this!!! I'm talking to you Mrs Wyer!!!!! Right, yes, well anyway let's give you my review....


Carol Wyer does it Yet again!!! ABSOLUTELY Fantastically written as always ensuring a smooth and easy read that sucks you straight into the pages. Vivid descriptions put me in the middle of the action looking at everything going on in High definition. The cover and synopsis works perfectly with the storyline.


This is the first standalone I have read by the fantastic Carol so was excited to see if it would be just as good as her 'Detective Natalie Ward' and 'Detective Kate Young' series. Well... Mof course it bl00dy well was!!! This is Carol Wyer we are talking about here!!! A woman full of talents and surprise who can write psychological thrillers, comedy's, romance, series and standalones and each one will completely suck you in from the beginning to the end!!!

The storyline itself was very fast paced, rammed full of action, murder, mystery, suspense, tension and twists and turns. OMG the bombshells and unexpected twists which I was not expecting (a rarity to surprise me after the amount of crime books I've read but Carol does it without fail every time!!!) and WHAT AN EXPLOSIVE ONE at the end!!! I CANNOT WAIT for the next book this queen of crime comes out with next!! The storyline was realistic so easily imagined and the events themselves were unique which is definitely a positive when you have read the same ones over and over again!! An absolutely addictive and compelling page turner!!! If your going to start reading this then clear your schedules because it is absolutely unputdownable!!!! It is filled with crime, loss, romance, bribery, corruption, lies, deceit, excitement, tension, suspense and so so much more!! I mean it literally ticks every single box that you could ask for when looking for THE BOOK. You could NOT get any better than this. This is the best book I have read this year. I have loved all Carol's books but she just keeps getting better and better!! How do you do it?!?! The research Carol has put in absolutely shines through as does all her trips to Morecambe. I loved the photos which she posted online which made it even more realistic plus recognising some names of places I've visited and I was completely sucked in. There were so many times I looked up and had no idea where I was as I was just so lost in the storyline. The descriptions are perfect as is the atmosphere. The ending just completely blew me away!! One minute I thought I knew what was going on and the next I thought I was on the wrong track completely. I didn't know who to trust or who to believe. It is so rare to find a unique storyline when it comes to crime as there are so many out there but yet again Carol has absolutely blown my mind and slamdunked it. The ending was just WHAT THE HELL SHUT THE THE FRONT DOOR!!! I literally shouted when I read it which earned a few strange looks from my partner lol.

IF YOU LOVE A GOOD BOOK THEN THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST!!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GRAB YOUR COPY NOW!!!!

I absolutely loved meeting all the characters!! Stacey is just amazing, an extremely strong female lead who didn't hold back the punches while going through hell herself after the trauma she had been through. I always love it when an author brings in strong women. I also liked Stacey's personality and really felt for her on several occasions. I love the fact that she refused to back down in what she believed was going on although there were times when I thought maybe she should consider other options more. It is hard to write what I want to about the rest of the characters without giving too much away. It is clear that Carol has done her research on hypnotherapy and police procedures among all the other topics that she covers in this explosive storyline. Regardless of who I did or didn't like they were all very strong and well defined characters. As always Carol brings her characters to life ensuring they jump out at the reader and drag them deep into the storyline with them.


I am really looking forward to the next book that this amazing lady comes out with and would LOVE to see this made into a movie!!! It would definitely be a best seller along with this amazing novel which kept me up late at night (early in the morning) as I just could not put it down!!!!

Congratulations Carol on another absolutely blooming page turning success!! This is exactly why you are my favourite crime author and because you lady have talent!!! Keep up the amazing work and here is to your next success 🥂

Overall a not to be missed, must read, addictive and explosive page turner with a BOMBSHELL ending!!!

Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Fiction, Thriller, Women Sleuths, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense and Crime Fiction amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as Angela Marsons, Tess Gerritsen, anyone looking for a good book and YOU, your friends, your neighbours, just everyone!!


335 pages.

This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle and £4.99 in paperback via Amazon (during time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews

#BehindClosedDoors #Thomas&Mercer #CarolWyer #ZooLoosBookTours #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #Goodreads

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After writing some of my favorite crime series, Carol Wyer is back with Behind Closed Doors, her first stand alone crime novel, a story of psychological suspense as gripping as those of her fantastic police procedurals.

Thirty years ago Stacey was kidnapped. She was only found after the police received an anonymous tip-off, but the culprit was never caught. The experience left her with several physical scars, dissociate amnesia and a estranged relationship with her father, whom refused to pay the ransom. Now, she’s an investigative journalist and still trying to find some answers. When her ex-husband Jack knocks on her door telling her his daughter Lyra has been kidnapped, Stacey feels there’re too many similarities with her own abduction. Is it a copycat or is history repeating itself? Stacey will have to delve into her past to try and save Lyra before is too late.

Carol certainly knows how to grab her readers’ attention and the story takes off with a very shocking scene that immediately had me on its grip. Stacey joins Carol’s group of strong female characters that are not afraid to upturn every stone necessary to find out the truth. Her past trauma and her inability to remember what really happened to her make her such an interesting lead. The reader can’t help but wonder if the memories she’s slowly starting to get back are real or if she’s projecting what she’s learning about Lyra’s abduction. You could say she’s an unreliable narrator, but not in an annoying way as it’s sometimes the case. The more we learn about her ordeal, the more we want her to succeed in her endeavor.

With a small cast of characters and a not so big pool of suspects, you’ll try to wrap your mind around what really happened to Lyra. Slow building tension will unveil the full picture of what happened thirty years ago, through several twists and turns that will lead to an explosive ending that offered some jaw dropping revelations. Although not a complete surprise, as some weird behaviors were grating on me right from the start, it was absolutely satisfying.

I liked how, even with the characters you don’t fully trust, Carol managed to give them that sense of despair that makes the reader wanna give them the benefit of the doubt, asking themselves “but what if they’re telling the truth?”

The atmosphere was good and the underlying sense of foreboding, of a ticking bomb that could go off at any time, was present all throughout the story.

With Behind Closed Doors, Carol Wyer has another winner on her hands, with this story of suspense, family secrets and revenge.

Thanks to Carol Wyer, Thomas & Mercer and Zooloo’s Book Tours for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review and my spot on the tour.

I’ve read all three books of her previous series and I loved them. So I knew what I was getting myself into when I got this new story. 

Same fast paced, suspenseful and intriguing twists. 

What I didn’t expect was that ending. I really didn’t expect the villain to be that person. 

Yes, I had my theories about her father and all the one and off moments of lucidity, but I wasn’t expecting that. I think the author has incorporate do many important topics in here that really makes us more aware that life is never as easy as it may seem from outside.

And I’m happy to say that this story is taking its place in my favourite of the year. 

📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

I have said this once and will say it again…Having read both genres by the author. I am loving Carol’s darker side. Once again she brings us a story that will have you hooked from start to finish.

The more I read the more I wanted to know. I literally could’nt tear myself away. The build up of suspense is absolutely brilliant. When we meet Stacey…a character that I loved and would love to read more of. Although this is a standalone I feel that this book is going places and would make a great start to a new series!

In this book we follow a story that alternatives between two kidnappings. One which happens to Stacey 30 years ago and the other is her step daughter which happens in the present when Stacey’s ex husband begs for her help. Can she face her past and find the link to both the kidnappings is the question?

Behind Closed Doors will have you guessing until the end with plenty of twists and turns. Not forgetting the OMG ending….I wasn’t expecting that!

Behind Closed Doors is Carol Wyer's first standalone thriller after novels in three different amazing series, so I was interested to see how she would handle this new project with completely new characters. The characters are absolutely brilliant and the author has observed them so well. Stacey could easily front a series of her own and I loved her tenacity and intelligence, despite having problems of her own. Jack was a character who really got under my skin. Having been in a relationship with someone like Jack, I know just how authentic his narcissistic behaviour was and he really got under my skin.

Carol Wyer is an exceptionally talented writer and I was taken to every scene and was able to see it play out in front of me as though I was actually there. She has researched the location immaculately and this really helped to build up a picture of the setting.

Stacey has her own back story which the author weaves into the main story really well. I loved the flashback scenes as I felt they added an extra layer to Stacey's character, but also gave the reader clarity in some aspects of the plot as well as being incredibly tense.

The plotting in Behind Closed Doors is off the scale. I kept changing my mind about who was responsible for Lyra's kidnap right up until the final reveal. I loved the feeling that Stacey was against the clock to find the answers and this made it very difficult to tear myself away. I read the whole novel in just one day!

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

Behind Closed Doors is a gripping story that has you guessing and questioning everyone and everything from start to finish. We follow Stacey who suffered a traumatic kidnapping thirty years previously and still doesn't know what is fact or fiction from the flashbacks she gets. When her ex-husband Jack appears on her doorstep, Stacey's lpresent ife is thrust back into this traumatic past event as her step-daughter Lyra has been taken and similarities unfold from the kidnapper. Stacey frantically tries to remember what happened to her and filter through her memories as to what really happened to her and what was real and what her mind has made up. Stacey's father didn't pay the ransom thirty years ago and Stacey was punished for this physically - Stacey fears for Lyra as every second ticks by. Can she remember enough to stop thie same events happening to Lyra and find the kidnapper before it's too late? This book gripped me from chapter one and I couldn't put it down. I thought the author did a great job of blending the dual timelines and keeping the reader on their toes with the clever twists written into the plot. I enjoyed the characters and the team of support Stacey has around her. The book is set in Morecombe which is only an hour away from me so I loved this element too!

Behind Closed Doors by Carol Wyer
I give this book 4.25 stars

Two kidnappings, thirty years apart. Can Stacey face her own dark past in order to save her stepdaughter?
Can she make sense of the terrible secrets she unearths in time to save Lyra? And if she does, is she ready to face her own tormentor?

This is a standalone by this author.
A well written plot and tense story line this book really deserves the title…….page turner!
Told between Stacey’s flashbacks to her own kidnapping which slowly come back to her and present day with her frantically trying to find her stepdaughter.There was the perfect amount of suspense and twists throughout to keep me turning the pages and 2nd guessing all the way to the end.
With thanks to Netgalley,Carol Wyer and Amazon Publishing for my chance to read and review this book.

This book was crazy! I couldn’t put it down wondering what was going on! Copy Cat kidnappings…Greedy people. This book definitely keeps you on your toes!

Who doesn't love a good kidnapping novel? This book is full of dark and twisty turns. I kept thinking I knew exactly what was going to happen then I would be thrown for a loop! What is really going on here? Where is Lyra? Why is this so familiar to Stacey?

You may think you know who has kidnapped Lyra or what is really going on but you don't. It's so similar to Stacey's own experience, can she figure it out?

A smashing novel by Carol Wyer. You won't want to stop reading! I will be seeing what other novels she has for me!!

Thank you to netgalley and Amazon publishing UK for this ARC

I meant to have this up for publication week - last week 🤦‍♀️ No matter, here I finally am with this wonderful new stand alone by Carol Wyer. She has very quickly become an auto buy/read author for me, her books are always fast paced, clever plots and thoroughly entertaining - Behind Closed Doors is no exception.

Two kidnappings, thirty years apart. Can Stacey face her own dark past in order to save her stepdaughter?

When Stacey’s ex-husband turns up on her doorstep begging her to help save his kidnapped thirteen-year-old daughter, Lyra, the terror is all too familiar. Stacey’s own violent kidnapping thirty years ago was never solved, and while a severe case of amnesia spares her from recalling the specific horrors, she remembers enough…

This propulsive novel will have you questioning and second guessing everyone! In usual Wyer fashion, she has created a creepy landscape that draws you in from the onset. Another thing I’ve come to expect from this author, is she doesn’t hold back - there are some pretty graphic kidnapping scenes that had me cringing - and yet wanting more. I love a dual timeline, this one is shared with current times and flashbacks to Stacy's own kidnapping, where she begins to unlock memories that have been too traumatic for her to unlock. There’s a clever moral dilemma twist, which I thought was pure genius!

Another brilliant psychological thriller, I highly recommend.

Many thanks to @Negalley @amazonpublishing and @carolwyer for an advanced reading copy.

A good standalone book from Carol Wyer. I have read and loved all her books. This is a really good thriller too. Two kidnaps with one person who seems to have a connection to both but it seems incomprehensible due to timelines. A great read discovering the culprit and connection.

This was a first for me - I got about 20% into this book and just could not continue. The storyline felt so off to me and while I can suspend disbelief while reading I just could not get past the stumbling blocks in the particular book. The synopsis definitely intrigued me which is why I requested this book.

Stacey is kidnapped as a child and held for ransom but has blocked out most of what happened to her. She does know her father refused to pay the ransom and that her rescue was a fluke thanks to a stranger. Thirty years later Staceys ex husband shows up at his door telling her that his daughter, Staceys former stepdaughter, has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom but he refuses to go to the police.

For me the storyline was just so incredible outrageous with Stacey being kidnapped and her father not paying but then the same thing happening to her step daughter. The story almost seemed too perfect with the similarities and it just was not intriguing enough for me to finish. I'm rating this book a 2 star because while I did not finish it would be unfair to give it a 1.

Drum Roll! .................Carol Wyer's back with a new Brilliant book called Behind Closed Doors and what a brilliant Book this was. Carol never disappoints! This latest book has so many great twists and turns. I found this a perfect book for your holiday or just to find a comfy chair, open your kindle and close the world around you - just for a few hours. It was a book I could not put down which I find with all her books.

With two kidnappings, and all of thirty years apart. Stacey needs to face her own dark past in order to save her stepdaughter?

When Stacey’s ex-husband turns up on her doorstep begging her to help save his kidnapped thirteen-year-old daughter, Lyra, However, the terror is all too familiar. Stacey’s own violent kidnapping thirty years ago and was never solved. She has a severe case of amnesia spares her from recalling the specific horrors, she remembers enough…

Stacey knows her father never paid the ransom, she has the missing pinkie finger to prove it, and she knows she was only saved because of an anonymous tip-off to the police. She also knows her captor was never caught.

Now, Lyra’s kidnappers have made it clear the police must not get involved. But Stacey can’t shake the eerie similarities between the two cases, Now, she will use whatever she can, from her journalistic powers to all her shady contacts, to save Lyra from the same nightmare she had all those years ago..

But, will she do it on time to save Lyra?

Why is this kidnap so familiar? and why now what are they after?

This book was so good and I highly recommend it and all of Carol's books. Especially as they have been 5 star reads. I am looking forward to her next book

Big thank you to Carol Wyer, Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for this ARC for review.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

This is my first read by author Carol Wyer and I really enjoyed reading this novel.

We meet main character Stacey who 30 years ago had a really horrific experience of being kidnapped. Her ex-husband turns up one day in panic as his daughter, Lyra, has been kidnapped and wants Stacey to help save her.. This kidnapping brings up memories for Stacey and she really wants to help and find Lyra. Stacey sets out to find out what has happened and where Lyra actually is.

The story consists of both past and present and we really get to learn about what happened to Stacey when she younger. This story has lots of hidden twists and turns and will keep you invested in the story until the very end.

Really well written and great story telling by author Carol Wyer. I enjoyed reading about Stacey and would love to read more about her.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and Carol Wyer for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

OK what did I just read? I was kept guessing until the very end. I couldn’t decide if Stacey was seeing patterns where there weren’t because her kidnapping was never solved or if the similarities were more than coincidence. Everything takes place over 4 days, so while there is a lot of character development, and the characters are doozies, things move both quickly and slowly. This isn’t fast paced as it is really a chess match between the kidnapper and Stacey and Jack trying to find his daughter.

I find it an interesting choice to have a reporter and lawyer trying to solve the case for the most part. A little twist on the traditional crime novel. And there are a few twists along the way.

I enjoyed the cat and mouse game. I think this will appeal to both traditional and nontraditional crime lovers.

Is history repeating itself? Or is this one HUGE coincidence?

Those are the questions Stacey is asking herself, after her ex -husband desperately begs for her help!

She thinks this better be good…and it is. His daughter was just kidnapped and he felt the only person he could turn to was Stacey! Strange right!?

The fact is, Stacey has a great deal of experience in this department! She too was kidnapped at a young age. So hopefully she can find a way to bring her step-daughter back home safely.

But as her step-daughters’ kidnapping eerily begins to mirror her own, Stacey fears the original kidnappers have returned with a vengeance.

This was a speedy thriller with a bounty of shocking moments that kept me firmly glued to the pages.

I’ve been wanting to read a book by Carol Wyer for years and so glad I finally jumped at the chance with her latest here. I look forward to more from this talented author! And may need to take a look at her backlog until her next release!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

two kidnappings 30 years apart but involving the same family

staceys first kidnapping occured as a young girl and the perp has never been found...she suffered horrendous injuries and has flash backs for years for those 5 days she was held captive

but its when her step daughter goes missing and her ex husband asks for her help that brings it more to the foreground, as the similarities rock stacey world

could it be the same perp who kidnapped her all those years ago..is he after revenge for the lack of money he never received

as the deadline slowly comes closer can stacey unlock her memories to help bring her stepdaughter home

oh my word what a tangle of emotions this was reading it...the horror of everything and the revelation when it comes

brilliantly written

Really enjoyed this and it kept me guessing from the beginning to the end.
It throws you straight into the action and you do question if it is someone from years ago after all the similarities.

Two kidnappings with similar parallel methods. Could it be the same kidnapper? Carol Wyer creates this premise in her latest thriller, Behind Closed Doors.

Stacey’s ex-husband Jack calls on her to help him find his daughter Lyra, who was recently kidnapped. But the similarities are too familiar as Stacey must deal with her past when she was abducted 30 years ago. Her father never paid the ransom, but a detective miraculously found her, or she would have been killed. With Jack’s persuasion, she finds clues, calls upon old friends and unravels her past through hypnosis and memories. But history reveals painful secrets and discoveries.

Wow--first time reading Carol Wyer, and I thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful psychological thriller. Excellent pacing, troubling relationships, revenge, and a surprise ending make this novel a fast-moving read. I thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review it. #NetGalley # Behind Closed Doors #psychologicalthriller

Based on the description, I thought I was going to love this book. Sadly, I didn't. I found there to be way too much going on and those things were too sporadic to easily follow. The timeline frequently jumped without clear indications that you were jumping. It was unclear whether you were in Lyra's head or Stacey's or if any of those scenes were even real. There were also other sections that would repeat but from another character's point of view. Again, at least in the NetGalley copy, without any warning or page break to indicate that you are going back to that memory. It was very confusing.

Generally, I am getting used to not trusting characters and expecting them to not be who they say they are, but there is always one you want to root for. I honestly didn't feel that way about any of the characters. I thought Stacey was a little too full of herself with she treated others. She seemed to use people as opposed to befriending them. Her father was despicable. How can you behave in such a manor when your wife is sick, and your daughter gets kidnapped? Or to know that you are the reason and still refuse to pay the ransom? However, despite everything, he did not deserve to die the way that he did. Tom was yet another horrible excuse for a human. He is clearly abusive and controlling and it was also very easy to catch on to his involvement in the storyline. Bella was unneeded. I did like Danni, but her section was far too small. The only other person I kind of liked was Ashraf and him being a "superhero" didn't hurt. However, he almost behaved in the same way as Stacey's dad did. If you are married, you should be wholly in love with that person, not clearly in love with someone else. I do not know how his life will be beyond this book, but I think him stepping away from Stacey was a good start.

I am glad everything worked out and was tied up nicely at the end, but the entirety of the plot made me lose a lot of faith in humanity and the goodness of people. I do think I want to give Carol Wyer another try though and since it looks like some of her books are available on Kindle Unlimited, I might see if I like one her series better.

My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for a copy of “ Behind Closed Doors “ for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of Carol Wyer’s D I Kate Young series of books , and I’ve recommended them to several library users, and I’m eagerly awaiting the release of No. 4 “ A Truth For A Truth “.
Unfortunately this stand alone, for me, wasn’t as gripping as the other books.
It was a very dark story, which I was expecting, but although I thought the characters were well written the story seemed to drag and become more implausible. I’d sort of guessed the outcome , and sadly this book won’t really stay long in my memory , as her others have.

Carol Wyer's writing style really works for me; Behind Closed Doors is a standalone tale, and yet again she had me turning those pages so quickly, needing to know what would happen. There are some red herrings strategically placed to throw you off course. The characterisation is good and the setting in the locale around Morecambe Bay, Lancashire and the city of Lancaster are used to great effect adding atmosphere and tension. Well worth a look.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Amazon Publishing UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Stacey has not exactly had an easy life. A few weeks after her mother dies from committing suicide, Stacey is kidnapped. A ransom is asked from her father, who is a young judge, but he has refused to pay it. Eventually Stacey is returned but not without some physical and emotional trauma. Stacey has had a finger removed and inflicted other physical harm. Stacey has decided to block out the entire situation and does not talk about it. Years later Stacey is an adult with a career in writing and has been divorced. Stacey ex-husband ends up coming to her in a full blown panic saying that his daughter has been kidnapped. This brings up memories of her own trauma and kidnapping and she starts to wonder if this is all connected to what happened to her.

this book started out strong but it flopped in the middle and in ways of the writing. There were moments that felt extremely repetitive and that made it hard to want to keep reading. There were topics and events in the book that were discussed so much that by the time it can to the topic you already knew what was going to happen. Don't get me wrong there was definitely suspense in the book but not nearly as much as I wanted. I enjoyed it as a quick read and I think it is was good.

I have been a fan of Carol's work for a while now. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed every single book that she has written to date. I must say that I had a particular fondness for her series featuring DI Robyn Carter. When I heard that Carol was due to release a standalone book, I knew that I had to read it as soon as I could. Well I managed to get a copy of 'Behind Closed Doors' and it is absolutely brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Behind Closed Doors' but more about that in a bit.

Just seeing Carol's name on a book that I knew I hadn't yet read was enough to grab my attention and draw me in. From the moment I opened the book for the first time, I fell under this book's spell. It was as if the book had developed a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn't willing to break. I started reading and found that I couldn't stop. The book wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn't bear to miss a single second of the story. I can't say that I took to the character of Jack, who is the ex-husband of Stacey, at all and I was rather suspicious of him and his behaviour. There was just something about him that set off little alarm bells. I developed my own theories as to what was going to happen so of course I had to keep reading to see if I was anywhere near the truth or if I had wandered in the opposite direction. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'Behind Closed Doors' and I had to say goodbye to Stacey and the rest of the characters. I found 'Behind Closed Doors' to be a gripping, gritty, tense and dramatic read, which certainly kept me guessing and also kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

'Behind Closed Doors' is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Carol Wyer. Carol has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. For me the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout. This is a dual timeline story - one timeline focuses on past events and describes what happened to Stacey when she was kidnapped. The other timeline focuses on the present and describes what happens when Lyra, Stacey's step daughter, is kidnapped. The timelines interlink well and the story flows seamlessly as a result. Carol describes her characters so realistically and vividly that they seem just as real as you and I. Reading 'Behind Closed Doors' felt like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Behind Closed Doors' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will most definitely be reading more of Carol's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*