Samantha Hayes

Sam Hayes is already on my list of favourite authors, so although I was excited to get hold of an early copy of her latest book, I was nervous as to whether it would live up to expectations.

Thankfully it did. Sam’s books are probably best described as emotional thrillers – she says herself that she takes her characters and puts them in terrifying circumstances, and Someone Else’s Son certainly lives up to this.

Carrie Kent has built an extremely successful career hosting a morning chat show more show which puts people under the microscope, and under pressure. All the dysfunctional families she looks down on are on her show, as well as victims of crime. What she doesn’t expect though, is that instead of someone else, it becomes her experiencing tragedy.

Max and Dayna are two teenagers who don’t fit in. They live in a world of bullying and knife crime, and on Friday 29th April, Carrie’s world falls apart, as she’s informed her son, Max, has been stabbed, and is dead.

Throughout the course of the book, we are taken back and forth, experiencing life both before and after the stabbing. Max and Dayna’s relationship is explored, as well as the harsh world they live in. We also find out about the relationship Max’s parents had, and how it fell apart, as well as the lives they live now.

At the heart is the issue of the stabbing, how it happened, and who was involved. But surrounding this is the depth of the book – the various relationships and issues involved. It is a book of suspense, with the expected twists, but the key is the way Sam builds her characters. They are so believable, and I cared about each and every one by the end – which makes the suspense and thriller aspects mean more.

The first half of this book may be a little slower than thriller readers might expect, but it’s an important part as it allows Sam to introduce and explore her characters. It kept me reading because I wanted to know what would happen next, and by the end it was hard to put down.

Another highly recommended book from someone who remains on my favourite author list. :) show less

This was a really good psychological thriller. It was really creepy at times and I found that I was becoming suspicious of everyone, even the police. I could feel the tension building with every page turn and when Felix was introduced my suspicious mind went into overdrive!

This was the first Samantha Hayes book I have read but it is the third containing the character DCI Lorraine Fisher. I didn't feel like I needed to have read the two earlier books as I immediately liked Lorraine. We are show more introduced to her as she is being treated for stress, which shows her as a normal person rather than a superwoman police officer. I think she is a great character, a strong woman who lives and breathes each case she is given, to the point that she continues to work a case when she is supposed to be off work relaxing!

It's quite difficult to review this one without giving away any spoilers. There are some nice twists in the book, some I did see coming and others I didn't, but even though I guessed some things I still enjoyed the book immensely. The writing was excellent as I really couldn't put the book down, I didn't know what was real or who was crazy, and my interest was held from start to finish. So much so that I'll definitely be looking to read more books by Samantha Hayes.

I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

"The Marriage Rules" by Samantha Hayes is a twisted 4-star read! Fiona and Jason are newlyweds who have both given up their careers in the medical field to start a new life together with Jason’s two daughters. To help ensure their happiness, they agree on a set of marriage rules designed to keep their relationship on track. But when those rules are broken, the consequences can be serious.

The story is told from both Fiona and Jason’s perspectives, shifting between the past and the show more present. It starts off at a great pace that had me hooked from the beginning. The middle does slow down a bit, but if you stick with it, the tension builds and things pick up toward the end.

While the twists weren’t entirely shocking—since the author drops hints along the way—the final twist completely caught me off guard! That one really took me by surprise.

Thanks to Bookouture, Samantha Hayes, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review. show less

My thoughts
”The Liar’s Wife” is a well-written thriller with vivid details and loads of secrets! It was like watching a scary movie...I wanted to yell at the characters on screen—mainly Ella. She’s quiet, keeps to herself and has a predictable life, just the way she likes it.

”Work, home, sleep.”

An incident in her past has forced her to live a reclusive lifestyle, cut off from family and friends. Ella is a very likable and smart character, who does some stupid things. Her show more husband Jacob, on the other hand, is a detestable character who you hate from the time he’s introduced. I got chills every time he called Ella by her pet name—Ella-bella. It was so easy to picture his creepy voice and the sneer on his face as he taunted her.

It became very intense and detailed as the story unfolded, which made for a gripping read. Psychological thrillers are my main reading genre, so I found the story slightly predictable at times—and I was left with a few questions. But it was well-written, with enough twists and surprises to make it an interesting and worth-while read. Samantha Hayes is a new author to me and I’ll be watching for upcoming books. My Rating: 3.5 ⭐️’s.

Thank you to NetGalley / Bookouture / Samantha Hayes for this digital ARC / in exchange for my honest review!
#NetGalley #TheLiarsWife

Book Description
Loving husband? Or total stranger?

When Ella wakes up in a hospital following a hit-and-run incident, she is scared and confused. Close to tears, her eyes fall on a get-well-soon card on the window sill and the nurse reassures her that her loving husband will be back soon...

But Ella has never been married.

In fact, she has lived alone her whole adult life; working hard, rarely socialising, quietly harbouring a terrible secret from her past.

Fear sweeps through Ella when she instantly recognises the man who enters the ward. He is not her husband, but she knows that she must do as he says and play the part of dutiful wife. What choice does she have? He was there the night of the fire, he knows her secret too…

Do you absolutely love twisty and unputdownable psychological thrillers like Girl on the Train, The Wife Between Us and Gone Girl? Then you will be totally hooked by this jaw-dropping novel about the dangerous secrets behind a perfect marriage. show less