Her narrative at the start was a bit much and seemed more like a chaotic day in the life of rather than the mystery of Samantha Ellis. There were times that Mary’s questioning left me unsettled because her thoughts weren’t indicative of her career mindset. A lot of the story was more plot driven than character dynamic and character development but I think this made it a good book. One thing that did bother me a little was that Mary was a lawyer but did not seem to understand the law.

And as the pair are drawn into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, the culprit appears to be even closer to home than they thought.Reading about breast feeding, crying children, food being thrown, and dirty nappys always bores me to tears as a woman who is childless by choice. It was a cat and mouse driven piece as 2 women are both witness to a crime but are unsure if they can trust themselves.

I absolutely loved Claire McGowan's writing in I Know You and What You Did, so naturally I was pumped af to grab her latest off NetGalley. From the bestselling author of What You Did comes a chilling story about a missing girl and two potential witnesses. I was drawn into the lives of two primary characters, Mary and Tim, who have trouble sleeping at night and find themselves noticing odd happenings in the neighborhood. The final resolution to Sam’s disappearance and several other unsolved crimes is almost like pulling a rabbit out of a hat – fine for a magic show but not a very satisfactory ending for a mystery novel. Mary has 2 young children who are never quiet and keep her up all night (and an unsupportive jerk of a husband to boot).Mary is a mum of two young children who is totally exhausted with this role but unable to sleep so she escapes to the park. After getting skepticism and no help whatsoever from the police, these two barely functioning adults decide the best course of action is to amateur sleuth this thing in the most ill-advised ways possible that get them in trouble over and over again, because that's what intelligent adults do. The author did a really great job of setting the witching hour scene and anybody who finds themselves awake through the night will really empathise with the characters. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, and nothing about the storyline had me gripped, which is a shame as it started out so well. As someone who's struggled with sleep, I felt the first few chapters of this book did a great job of summing up how it sometimes feels.

taking a bite of the juiciest, cheesiest, creamiest mac n cheese but the aftertaste is kraft dinner dry ass powder. THE FALL is her first novel, which is followed by a series starring forensic psychologist Paula Maguire. The first half was more about Mary's chaotic life while the second half really picked up the pace and got down to the nitty gritty. The police don’t believe them, but when they hear of a potential link to an old murder and a string of disappearances from the area, pressure mounts to find her before it’s too late.Meanwhile hubby Jack snores his way through slumber and oblivion as his exhausted wife sees to the children without an ounce of sleep. Are You Awake follows Mary and Tim who both seemingly witness a violent act through a window across the street in the middle of the night. It didn’t deter my reading, but I wonder if other readers would’ve embraced the silliness a bit more if it was straightforward in the funny department.

After a degree in English and French from Oxford University she moved to London and worked in the charity sector. Claire published her first novel in 2012, and has followed it up with many others in the crime fiction genre and also in women’s fiction (writing as Eva Woods).With the waking world too harsh, too cold, and hard to navigate, Tim and Mary join forces at night and begin to look into a crime they aren't even certain they saw. I love reading about amateur sleuths, and it was fun to picture Mary and Tim bopping around town, trying to get information…only to find themselves in more trouble. I wasn't invested in any of the characters and didn't care what happened in that house, I just wanted them to find out something!