mandylovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book thanks to Pigeonhole. What a tangled mess of lies all these very unlikeable characters had created. Not knowing who to believe was all part of the fun but I kind of figured it out by the end.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
Finished reading: March 29th 2020
"The truth is, Cleo, that however close we are to someone, we never truly know what's in their heart."
Spoiler
I've been meaning to try one of her books for ages now, and the blog tour for the Stephanie King sequel this month was a perfect excuse to finally do so. There is no doubt that I enjoyed my first experience with Rachel Abbott's writing, and And So It Begins was a more than satisfying thriller read. While I do confess I was surprised to find a story that was more dark psychological thriller than detective thriller (then again, I went in blind and didn't check the blurb first), it was a most pleasant surprise and I wasn't disappointed at all. And So It Begins is the first time we meet main character Stephanie King, and although we don't get to learn all that much about her background in the first book, references are made that will make you more than curious to find out more in the sequel. Like I said before, And So It Begins can mostly be classified as a dark psychological thriller, and the focus is mainly on the victim and those close to him rather than Stephanie herself. Both Chloe, Evie and Mark are in the spotlight, and it is our task to slowly unravel the truth about both past and present as all three seem to have more than one secret to hide... The story is well written and the use of suspense and plot twists simply spot on. It's a highly entertaining as well as suspenseful read, and I'll definitely be looking forward to the sequel now.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
carlotamoreira7's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bibliobethreads's review against another edition
4.0
First of all, thank you so much to Becky Hunter and Wildfire Publishers for sending me a copy of Rachel Abbott's latest stand-alone novel in exchange for an honest review. The aim of the new imprint from Headline according to publishing director Alex Clarke is to publish books that "spread like wildfire," and with an objective like that, it definitely sounds like something I want to be part of! I was lucky enough to be part of the blog tour for Rachel's previous novel (the seventh book in her DC Tom Douglas series), Come A Little Closer and really enjoyed my first experience of reading the author's work so jumped at the chance to try something new, especially when the initial rave reviews from my fellow bloggers came flooding in. Ultimately, I was delighted to find And So It Begins to be an even more enjoyable experience than Come A Little Closer and really believe the author has found a very special niche within the psychological thriller genre.
As with most novels in the genre, it really helps for future readers if I'm as annoyingly vague as possible because with this particular book, believe me, I'm going to have to be. It's a fascinating and compelling story of a couple, Evie and Mark who fall in love, have a baby and move in together relatively quickly. To anyone on the outside, they appear to be the picture of matrimonial bliss with Mark's high-flying career as a talented, sought after photographer, a gorgeous baby girl and a stunning, opulent house with sea views. The thorn in their side initially appears to be Mark's sister Cleo whom for many years had taken on the role of care-giver with her younger brother Mark and is incredibly protective of him, including his relationship with women which so far has been demonstrably shaky over the past few years. Then one night, Sergeant Stephanie King is called to the extravagant house and finds two bodies on a bed, covered in blood. What has happened? Furthermore, can people on the outside ever know what really goes on between a couple in the privacy of their own home?
Well. What can I say? Since Come A Little Closer, I feel Abbott's writing has got a whole lot murkier - in a good way! I was immediately entranced by the synopsis and the promise of a mystery that would take the entire novel to unravel - this is obviously the best kind of course and I wasn't disappointed. Instantly, I needed to know what on earth happened to this couple where we find them in such a horrendous situation and piece by piece, the answers are gradually revealed with more surprises than you could have ever imagined. I think what really sold this book to me however was the inclusion of the courtroom drama, adding a different dimension and layer to the author's style and it had me captivated throughout, right to that final, tantalising moment where the jury pronounce their verdict.
As with all my favourite thrillers, And So It Begins focuses on a multitude of characters - Evie, Mark, his sister Cleo and Sergeant Stephanie King and each individual brings something fresh and intriguing to the narrative, making you wonder exactly what is going on and who exactly you can trust. Everyone has their part to play and story to tell and it's certainly a book that you might find difficult to put down once you become invested. This was definitely the case for me and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
As with most novels in the genre, it really helps for future readers if I'm as annoyingly vague as possible because with this particular book, believe me, I'm going to have to be. It's a fascinating and compelling story of a couple, Evie and Mark who fall in love, have a baby and move in together relatively quickly. To anyone on the outside, they appear to be the picture of matrimonial bliss with Mark's high-flying career as a talented, sought after photographer, a gorgeous baby girl and a stunning, opulent house with sea views. The thorn in their side initially appears to be Mark's sister Cleo whom for many years had taken on the role of care-giver with her younger brother Mark and is incredibly protective of him, including his relationship with women which so far has been demonstrably shaky over the past few years. Then one night, Sergeant Stephanie King is called to the extravagant house and finds two bodies on a bed, covered in blood. What has happened? Furthermore, can people on the outside ever know what really goes on between a couple in the privacy of their own home?
Well. What can I say? Since Come A Little Closer, I feel Abbott's writing has got a whole lot murkier - in a good way! I was immediately entranced by the synopsis and the promise of a mystery that would take the entire novel to unravel - this is obviously the best kind of course and I wasn't disappointed. Instantly, I needed to know what on earth happened to this couple where we find them in such a horrendous situation and piece by piece, the answers are gradually revealed with more surprises than you could have ever imagined. I think what really sold this book to me however was the inclusion of the courtroom drama, adding a different dimension and layer to the author's style and it had me captivated throughout, right to that final, tantalising moment where the jury pronounce their verdict.
As with all my favourite thrillers, And So It Begins focuses on a multitude of characters - Evie, Mark, his sister Cleo and Sergeant Stephanie King and each individual brings something fresh and intriguing to the narrative, making you wonder exactly what is going on and who exactly you can trust. Everyone has their part to play and story to tell and it's certainly a book that you might find difficult to put down once you become invested. This was definitely the case for me and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
coutures1513's review against another edition
4.0
Un coup de coeur ! Premier roman que je lis de cette auteur et je n’ai pas été déçue! Malgré le fait que les personnages ne sont pas particulièrement développés, j’ai trouvé l’histoire fascinante! J’ai eu de la difficulté à le déposer tellement je voulais lire la suite ! Je n’ai pas vu la fin venir, l’auteure a été capable de me faire changer d’avis plusieurs fois à mesure que ma lecture avançait. Même si la policière joue un rôle peu important, je vais certainement lire les autres tomes de la série.
lottie_c's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
egribben's review against another edition
3.0
I feel indifferent after reading this book. The twists were good and the different view points made the story flow nicely but I don’t know. To me it ended before it even began and I feel like I saw all the twists and the ending coming even at like 5% through the book. It was good but I don’t know if I’d recommend it
eggasshi's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse