Monday, September 16, 2019

BLOG TOUR - The Woman Upstairs


Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for The Woman Upsstairs by Ruth Heald.

DESCRIPTION:

You’d be lost without her…

She’s the shoulder you cry on when the father of your children disappears.
She’s the person you turn to when he comes back, begging for forgiveness.
She’s by your side when you discover his guilty secrets.
She helps rock your babies to sleep when they cry.
She’s your friend when you have no one else.
She’s the woman upstairs, whose feet you hear treading around as you drift off at night, thankful you aren’t alone.

But what if you’re about to lose everything because of her?

One of the most twisted, shocking, heart-stopping psychological thrillers you’ll ever read! Fans of K.L. Slater, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train, prepared to be kept up way past your bedtime as you race through this addictive page-turner.


BUY LINKS:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B07T176QHHSoc
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2IkjTz8
Kobo: http://bit.ly/31zLUdT
Googleplay: http://bit.ly/2ImYYvq


MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   The Woman Upstairs
Author:  Ruth Heald
Genre:   Psychological Thriller
Publisher:  Bookouture
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   359 
Date of Publication:  September 10, 2019
My Rating:  4 Stars

Katie and Ian are going be parents of twins. They are not quite ready but they make all the right moves to get ready for their babies. For starters, Ian moves them into a new home. Katie knows that they are not financially ready, but Ian's job makes this possible, and so she goes along with it.

However, when Katie arrives, things are not quite right. They are not right at all, and Ian is nowhere to be found. Fortunately for Katie - at least she thinks so - she meets a woman named Paula who happens to be a doula and proves to be instrumental when Katie gives birth.

But, suddenly, Ian disappears and Katie has to have the babies on her own. She is only too glad to be able to call upon Paula for help. The problem: Ian never shows and Paula never leaves. At first this seems to be a blessing for Katie is she appears to be all alone and Paula does just about everything for her - but especially for the babies.

Ian suddenly shows up again and - simply put - all hell breaks through ... albeit in stages. One of the babies is not thriving, Ian is not what he seems and Paula is overbearing. Katie doesn't know what to do and has a very difficult time relying on her own instincts.

Sounds like a family drama, doesn't it? Yet it is listed as a psychological thriller. The reason for this is that The Woman Upstairs is a multi-layered, multi-faceted story. There are secrets, lies hints of a terrible past affecting at least one of the characters and a terrifying conclusion.

I found this book to be quite thrilling and I was very drawn to it, especially the intrigue that enveloped it. However, as a mother, I was shocked with Katie's pliant behavior. I guess this is because, even though all of my children are adults with children of their own, I remain very protective. I would have liked to see Katie take better control of her life.

I read Ms. Heald's debut novel, A Mother's Mistake, so I was quite eager to read something by her again. She does a fine job of weaving an intriguing story that kept my attention throughout. I will definitely be back for more.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ruth Heald is a psychological thriller writer from a suburban Buckinghamshire town. She studied Economics at Oxford and then worked in an eclectic mix of sectors from nuclear decommissioning to management consulting.

Seeking a more creative environment, she found a role at the BBC and worked there for nine years before leaving to write full time. Ruth is fascinated by psychology and finding out what drives people to violence, destruction and revenge. She’s married with one daughter and her novels explore our greatest fears in otherwise ordinary, domestic lives.

10 comments:

  1. Lovely review. Sounds like a difficult book to read, emotionally speaking.

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  2. You have intrigued me - as always - you make me want to stop and look at everything you review

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  3. I may have to read this one. Lovely review!

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  4. Not my cup of coffee but I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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  5. This sounds like a good read, if I ever find the time for my TBR

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  6. Great review. I love these types of books.

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  7. Great review, now I am intrigued this book looks and sounds absolutely fantastic. I'm really glad you fully enjoyed reading this book, thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.

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