Close to You

by Kerry Wilkinson

I pinch the screen to zoom until I’m staring at the face of a ghost. A man with very short hair, staring directly at the camera with piercing brown eyes.

He is as he was when I last saw him: wrinkles around the corners of the eyes and a knowing smirk. That’s the expression I see when I can’t sleep.

My body tenses. It can’t be him. It’s not my ex-husband. It’s not David.

I know that better than anyone because he didn’t walk out on me.

He didn’t disappear two years ago and he’s not a missing person.

I know that for a fact because I’m the one who killed him.

A brilliantly twisty thriller which will have fans of The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl absolutely gripped.

Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Book Club

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 17, 2019

About the author

Recent and upcoming UK releases:
24 October 2023: The Night Of The Sleepover
15 December 2023: After The Sleepover
2024: The Girl On The Side Of The Road
2024: The Missing Body

Kerry Wilkinson has sold more than two million books - and had No.1 crime bestsellers in the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Singapore. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States. His book, Ten Birthdays, won the RNA award for Young Adult Novel of the Year in 2018 and Close To You won the International Thriller Award for best ebook in 2020.

As well as his Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written a trilogy featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, the Whitecliff series, the Silver Blackthorn trilogy - a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults - plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.

Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry spent way too long living in the north of England, picking up words like 'barm' and 'ginnel'.

When he's short of ideas, he rides his bike, hikes up something, or bakes cakes. When he's not, he writes it all down.

Find out more at: http://kerrywilkinson.com or http://facebook.com/KerryWilkinsonBooks

Find out more at: his website or Facebook

Reviews

[Kaceey · Rating 4 out of 5]

After seeing Kerry Wilkinson had a new stand-alone release, I’m pretty sure I was first in line! I’ve been in need of a few good solid thrillers and Mr.Wilkinson has never been one to disappoint!

Morgan is attending an award ceremony with her friend Jane, who’s pre-occupied with snapping pictures of everyone (as most of us tend to do).
When Morgan asks to see the photos she suddenly catches a glimpse of her husband in the background of a group pic. But hold on here! It simply can’t be him! After all, he’s dead....right!?! So why does he mysteriously continue showing up?

Kerry Wilkinson has an exceptional talent for writing thrillers that will keep you guessing and captivated right to the end. No obvious hand-out hints to give the twist away. Equally as refreshing, he doesn’t just throw in a zinger that leaves you scratching your head saying, "well that came out of nowhere!”.

Once again I was led down the thriller path waiting for the twist to clutch me! And yes indeed, it most certainly did! You rattled my cage! I devoured this book in 2 sittings and am already sitting on the edge of my chair anxiously waiting to hear when his next book will be released! Toes tapping, Mr. Wilkinson!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kerry Wilkinson for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandysbookaday (on indefinite hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

EXCERPT: 'You can tell me anything...'

This is the moment when I can either let it out, or I'm going to have to hold on to it. Even with that, there is truth within truth. If I tell her that I think David was in the back of her photo from the hotel, then do I leave it at that? Do I say that David's dead? That I killed him? It's the problem with lying. It's like chocolate digestives with a cup of tea: one is never enough.


ABOUT THIS BOOK: I pinch the screen to zoom until I’m staring at the face of a ghost. A man with very short hair, staring directly at the camera with piercing brown eyes.

He is as he was when I last saw him: wrinkles around the corners of the eyes and a knowing smirk. That’s the expression I see when I can’t sleep.

My body tenses. It can’t be him. It’s not my ex-husband. It’s not David.

I know that better than anyone because he didn’t walk out on me.

He didn’t disappear two years ago and he’s not a missing person.

I know that for a fact because I’m the one who killed him.

MY THOUGHTS: There were things I liked about this book, and things I didn't.

It was an interesting premise....I killed my husband, but now he's back. I liked it. It has great possibilities. I admit I hadn't thought of the possibility that Kerry Wilkinson chose, but I did cotton on to it reasonably early in the book. There are a couple of little tells if you watch for them.

The book is told entirely from the view of Morgan (which makes a nice change), over two timelines, NOW and WHY. I can't say that I liked Morgan, who seems to have no real affection for anyone, but I liked David even less. Interesting characters. In fact, the book is full of interesting characters, even if they are mostly unlikeable.

However, I just didn't feel the tension, the suspense that I was expecting from this writer. I love his Jane Daniels series, and for me, this just didn't measure up to his usual standard.

I am not saying this is a bad book, because it isn't. It was an interesting read, but not a particularly gripping one. 3.5 stars

THE AUTHOR: Kerry Wilkinson has had No.1 crime bestsellers in the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Singapore. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States. His book, Ten Birthdays, won the RNA award for Young Adult Novel of the Year in 2018.

As well as his million-selling Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written the Silver Blackthorn trilogy - a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults - a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.

Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry has spent far too long living in the north of England, picking up words like 'barm' and 'ginnel'.

When he's short of ideas, he rides his bike or bakes cakes. When he's not, he writes it all down.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Close to You by Kerry Wilkinson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an interesting premise for a book. A friend snaps a picture of Morgan at an awards ceremony. Looking at the picture, Morgan is shocked to see her ex-husband in the background. Shocked, because she knows she killed him. And then things start going haywire.

The book is told in the Now and the Past (wonderfully labeled The Why). Wilkinson paints David as such an unappealing character, I had trouble seeing what Morgan ever saw in him. This also made it hard for me to relate to Morgan because I kept thinking “she can’t be that stupid”. And trust me, David is just one of her many stupid decisions. This book made me realize that while I don’t mind unreliable narrators, I really dislike stupid ones.

I am usually a big fan of Kerry Wilkinson. But this book wasn’t on par with his Jessica Daniels series.

I’ll give Wilkinson credit where due. It’s a fast paced book and I tore through it just to see how he’d finish it off. And no, I didn’t see that ending coming.

My thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of this book.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

CLOSE TO YOU was a good, twisty thriller by Kerry Wilkinson. Morgan’s husband disappeared 2 years ago. Only Morgan knows the truth—that she killed him… or did she? When strange things start happening and she thinks she sees him, is David back, or is she losing her mind? Told in dual timelines, this one had lots of twists and turns and was a clever, surprising read.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kerry Wilkinson is another author that I’ve read plenty of books from and haven’t been disappointed yet so I was happy to read this latest standalone psychological thriller. This book is told in two different timelines switching each chapter between the “now” and the “why” which takes readers back to the past.

Close to You begins the first chapter in the now as we meet the main character, Morgan, as she is attending an awards ceremony with a friend who is happily taking pictures of the event. When Morgan sees the pictures afterward a man in the background catches her eye and she is certain it looks just like her husband, but her husband David is dead.

Several years ago Morgan had reported David missing to the police but no trace of him had ever been found. Morgan however knows the truth about what happened that day she called in the police, Morgan had killed David herself so there is no way he could have returned, or could he?

Already going into a book knowing you have picked up a solid author is always a nice feeling, one that allows getting immersed in the story all that much sooner and I had that with this book. Oh the interest was certainly piqued knowing we had a killer on our hands and trying to figure out if the victim was back for revenge or what was happening. Definitely some twisting and turning in store that brought about a wrap up I never imagined.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading Kerry Wilkinson's books but this one really pulled me in from the write up. The main character Morgan is attending an awards dinner with her friend Jane and everything is fine. Until Jane sends a photo to Morgan of the night and she is immediately drawn to a man sitting in the background. Be enlarging the screen Morgan is convinced she is looking at her ex husband David. Only she knows he is dead because she’s the one who killed him.
This is one of those books when you are trying to race through the pages to learn more and need to keep re-assessing what is going to happen etc. Good book and an exciting read.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close to You is a standalone twisted thriller by best-selling crime author Kerry Wilkinson that will have you racing from the pages to see how it would end. The story centers around Morgan, a wife who murders her ex-husband, David…and gets away with it. But he is going to come back and haunt her!

I had to know more! I was glued to the book. Morgan is at an awards dinner with her best friend, Jane, where Morgan receives the “Personal Trainer of the Year Award.” When Jane later sends her friend a photo of the night, Morgan notices in the background her ex-husband David! How is this possible!

I pinch the screen to zoom until I’m staring at the face of a ghost. A man with very short hair, staring directly at the camera with piercing brown eyes.

He is as he was when I last saw him: wrinkles around the corners of the eyes and a knowing smirk.

My body tenses. It can’t be him. It’s not my ex-husband. It’s not David.

I know that better than anyone because he didn’t walk out on me.

He didn’t disappear two years ago and he’s not a missing person.

I know that for a fact because I’m the one who killed him.

This novel written in the first-person alternates between past and present. The reader scrambles to learn more about the killer and what caused her to act the way she did…and she got away with it. Everyone believes her husband disappeared two years ago, and she plays her part well.

Favorite Quote:
“Here’s the thing with being a killer: for the most part, it doesn’t change a person from appearing “normal.”
Everyone else has spent two years thinking David disappeared. What I did to him only changed me in the sense that I know murder is something of which I’m capable.”

This is a twisted thriller with an unexpected ending that I did not see coming, but tied all the loose pieces together. A novel that will keep you guessing right until the end!

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my digital copy.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of Close to You. I was attracted to the book because this psychological thriller had a great original premise. The narrator is a woman, Morgan, who thinks her husband who disappeared is stalking and tormenting her. However, she is confused about how this can be happening. She knows she killed him and disposed of his body and all his belongings two years before. She has seen his picture in the background of a recent photo taken at an awards ceremony, and her best friend claims she may have caught a glimpse of him lately.

Although I admired the plot, I became indifferent to the various flawed characters, and their motivations seemed unreasonable. I did not feel connected emotionally to any as I read and found them mostly unsympathetic. A lot of wrong choices were made by most of the cast, with many secrets and lies involved. I was not feeling the suspense because of my dislike of the characters. At the conclusion, Morgan seems quite proud of herself and comes off as a sociopath.
I did not anticipate the revelations at the ending, which was a plus, and explained much of the mystery, but not why the participants chose such disturbing behaviour. I feel this book will be popular among most readers of psychological suspense, and should not be dissuaded by my misgivings.

[Natalia R · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been two years since Morgan killed her husband David. No one knows her secret. To everyone else, she's just the poor wife whose husband has vanished without a trace. Morgan has moved on and doesn't have time to dwell on the past. But when she looks at a photograph of herself taken recently at an event, she sees none other than David standing behind her. But David is dead, isn't he? Close to You is a gripping, slow-burn psychological thriller. The plot is dark, compelling, and thoroughly entertaining. The story switches between the past and the present and is told from Morgan's own perspective. But can we really trust Morgan's version of events? After all, she's a self-confessed liar and has made it perfectly clear that she has no remorse for killing David. With each chapter, the mystery deepens, and the tension builds to the point where I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. It definitely kept me guessing as to how the story would end. The twist did manage to surprise me. It was not at all what I had been expecting but overall it was a great way to end the story. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dark, twisty thrillers. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Morgan met David, she knew he was the one and they married in a matter of months. But then things start to go wrong, so she kills him and disposes of his body. Years later she thinks she saw David in a photograph that had been taken that same day. Other strange thing start to happen and Morgan begins to wonder if she really did kill David.

This story moves back and forward from the present day to the past so that we get an idea of what happened before and after David was killed. The characters are complex. The storyline is intriguing. There are red herrings throughout the story. The pace is fast and the plotline gripping. I was hooked from the beginning of this suspenseful story. I was guessing all the way through the book. The ending was ot how I expected it to be. There were parts that didn't feel right to me, but apart from that, this is a great read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Kerry Wilkinson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Romancereadingaddict · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel follows the story of Morgan. She does personal training and decided to take her best friend to an award ceremony where she won a award. Her best friend was taking pictures of her and the others who won awards at the event. When she was looking through the pictures that were taken she notices her ex husband in the picture. She thought that this was strange as she knows he is dead. She has a scar on her neck to prove it. While others think he had disappeared 2 years prior. Morgan knew that this was not the case because she killed him. It was very suspenseful and just as you thought you knew what was going on another turn hits. Definitely recommend.

Merged review:

This novel follows the story of Morgan. She does personal training and decided to take her best friend to an award ceremony where she won a award. Her best friend was taking pictures of her and the others who won awards at the event. When she was looking through the pictures that were taken she notices her ex husband in the picture. She thought that this was strange as she knows he is dead. She has a scar on her neck to prove it. While others think he had disappeared 2 years prior. Morgan knew that this was not the case because she killed him. It was very suspenseful and just as you thought you knew what was going on another turn hits. Definitely recommend.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close To You is a story written in the first person that alternates between past and present.

The blurb for this book jumped out at me. Knowing that the main character had killed her ex husband and got away with it, well I had to know more. Morgan isn’t the most likable protagonist, yet there was something about her that I kind of admired.

With the story flicking back and forth, we get to see the relationship between Morgan and her ex David as well as the build up of tension as Morgan’s world is in turmoil with strange things happening. Morgan is a woman who likes to be in control and it was intriguing to see how she handles this new situation she finds herself in.

Close To You is a story that will send you racing through the pages. The anticipation of how things were going to end both thrilled and excited me. I was certainly kept guessing as to who was behind it all. The ending was not what I had been expecting but it suited the rest of the story and was actually a great way to end it. A novel that will keep the reader on their toes.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm rating this one a 4.25 out of 5.
I had my suspicions of just about everyone in this story, but that twist at the end was GOOD!
I can't go into too many details for fear of spoilers, but even though there were hints here and there, I didn't put two and two completely together. I suspected who the real perpetrator was, but dismissed my suspicions as improbable.
This was a clever, quick read. Highly recommended!

[Inn Auni · Rating 2 out of 5]

The MC is a frustrating character who at the age of 30-ish, think that love is the top priority. Made me think she have low self esteem. And so, after a break-up, she 'threw' herself to the first man that show strong interest.

I couldn't connect with her on any level. No advice can persuade her that she's making the leap of faith way too far.

And then the present and past collided and I wasn't shock for the twist because I lost interest halfway.

However, I do have to agree that story is fast pace and the writing style is okay.

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★ 3.5 stars

I always thoroughly enjoy reading Kerry Wilkinson's standalone thrillers and he never fails to disappoint! This one drew me in with its premise.

A friend snaps a photo of Morgan at an awards night. When looking at the photos later, Morgan is shocked to see her ex-husband hidden in the background of a group shot. Primarily because she knows she killed him. And then things start to go a little helter-skelter.

Morgan Persephone (per-sef-oh-knee and not rhyming with telephone) is a personal trainer with a life seemingly going nowhere. She appears successful on the outside but inside her life is riddled with turmoil. Two years ago her husband David disappeared...but Morgan knows differently, because she killed him. Now she is in a relationship with Andy, seemingly happy, and about to move in with him. And yet, just a few days before the move she has yet to pack anything. To me, her heart just didn't seem to be in it. Or was it she was just distracted?

After the awards ceremony, Morgan had booked a room to stay the night but found she couldn't sleep....with thoughts of David filling her mind after seeing him in that photograph. So she decides to make the two hour drive home instead, arriving around 5am. As soon as she walked in she knew someone had been in her home. Things seemed out of place. Her Tigger jar David had bought her for £5 that always sat on the bench was now missing. Why that jar? Only she and David knew of its significance.

The next morning when she wakes, she discovers her car is missing. So she does what anyone would do in this situation - she calls the police to report it stolen. But then that afternoon when the police arrive at her flat, they are not there to take a statement regarding her stolen car; they are there to question her in regards to a road accident where an elderly pedestrian was critically injured...with her car, which was left abandoned at the scene. The police don't entirely believe her story, finding her claims of being stolen somewhat convenient. But Morgan knows she wasn't driving...so who was?

Things begin to unravel for Morgan and yet she confides in no one. Not even her lifelong friend Jane, whom she has known since primary school. Jane knows most of her secrets...but not this one. When David disappeared two years ago everyone believed it to be the case as he wasn't exactly reliable. Only Morgan knows the truth. So she was hardly going to confide in anyone her confusion and panic at the possibility of his return!

CLOSE TO YOU is told entirely from Morgan's perspective over two timelines, The Now and The Why. The story builds slowly, creating a tension that was palpable for a good portion of the book, but petered out into an anti-climax by the end. I am not saying that this is a bad book, as it isn't entirely as I did enjoy it for the most part, but it's not one of Kerry's best...largely because I could not connect with its main character.

The picture painted of David throughout the "why" chapters highlights him as such an unappealing person I fail to see what Morgan ever saw in him! Although I can't say that I liked Morgan either, who seemed more robotic in character with no real affection for anyone. This made her difficult to relate to...but not only that, I was also left wondering could anyone be so stupid? And trust me, David was just one of her many stupid decisions. But then, throughout the whole story, I wondered exactly why was she even with Andy she hardly seemed connected to him. The woman was an island I just failed to understand.

Aside from the unreliable characters, CLOSE TO YOU is an incredibly thrilling read which has the reader asking questions throughout. Did Morgan really kill David? Is he really dead? Is it someone else masquerading as David? And if so, why?

CLOSE TO YOU is a cleverly spun tale that will certainly keep readers on their toes and racing through the pages. It is a slow burn, so have patience as all will be revealed. It will certainly keep readers guessing. I only started putting the pieces together as it neared the end as I had no idea who was behind it all. But then the ending was not what I expected and while it failed to satisfy me it still seemed to be a fitting conclusion.

I must add that I love Kerry's humour and wit peppered throughout the pages that had me laughing...particularly those regarding little Norah's hilarious use of the English language and the comparisons made to it. Tree, duck, cow, the 45th President of the United States...all had me laughing till I cried.

Despite this not being my favourite of Kerry's books, nothing will stop me looking forward to more standalone thrillers in the near future!

I would like to thank #KerryWilkinson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #CloseToYou in exchange for an honest review.

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

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5 stars

I was a little disappointed with this story. Usually I'm giving 4/5 starts to Kerry's books but this one just fell flat to me. Don't get me wrong. The story moves along at a good pace and it had a good plot, but I don't think there was enough suspense to really hold my interest. I didn't really care for the main character, I thought her personality was bland. She just bored me. The ending wasn't very good. I could see it coming and a part me can see why that happened but at the same time, nothing really exciting or miserable really occurred throughout the book. I count Kerry as one of my favorite authors but this is my least favorite by him.


*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two years ago Morgan Persephone's` husband David disappeared,vanished,without a trace.

At least that's what their friends and family believe. Only Morgan knows that he didn't just disappear,he's not missing or ran off with another woman. David,is in fact dead and Morgan knows this because she killed him

At least she was certain that she had but now she's not so sure. Because to her shock and horror,she had just seen a man in the background of a photo who looks uncannily like her dead husband. A man who has the same very short hair,the same wrinkles around the corners of his eyes and knowing smirk.

Is David really still alive? If he is,then where has he been hiding for the last two years? Or does Morgan have an unknown enemy who is playing mind games with her for their own twisted amusement?

This utterly enthralling thriller is narrated entirely by Morgan and is written in short,snappy chapters that flip back and forth between Now and Then. (The then chapters starting three years,ten months in the past then progressing through time until they reach two years,one month) The chapters that were set in the past told the story of Morgan and David's relationship and the circumstances that resulted in his alleged death. In the chapters set in the present day, we follow Morgan as she struggles to figure out what is going on. She is pretty certain that David is dead but the image in the photo has planted a seed of doubt inside her head,and it doesn't take long before that seed takes root and begins to grow. I wouldn't say anyone in the small cast of characters was very likeable. From the very start of the story I didn't like Morgan very much and that opinion didn't change at all as the story unfolded.

As readers have come to expect from a book written by Kerry Wilkinson and one of the reasons why I love his books so much is that there is no faffing about or pages and pages of scene setting and character introductions. The reader is immediately launched into the action from the very first chapter,the story rockets along and keeps you hooked in and frantically turning the pages. The short snappy chapters give the reader a very bad case of just one more chapter syndrome. I love this extremely talented authors,tightly plotted,twisty thrillers and can't wait to discover what his vivid imagination will conjure up for his next book. Very very highly recommended.

Many thanks to Bookouture,Kerry Wilkinson and Sarah Hardy for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and for the opportunity to take part in the Blog tour

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had been a long time since I read Kerry Wilkinson's books. They are a hit or miss for me. But this one was a sure-fire hit.

The story started with an intriguing blurb and a cover which caught my eye. Morgan was a personal trainer, life washod, she was a relationship with Andy, she won an award. At the ceremony, a photo of a man hidden in the corner caught her eye. It was her ex-husband David, the one who was lost. But how could it be? He was dead. She had killed him.

The story went through a winding road where Morgan found things disturbed at home, her car was in a road accident hitting a pedestrian, and things started happening. The author created scenarios where I could see Morgan getting hassled. Was David alive. But she had killed him.

The story started slow with each incident trying to rattle her calm composure. I found her to be a cool dudette, she did seem capable. The tension arose gradually when Morgan tried to investigate. Was David back from dead? But she had killed him.

The author's writing was strong with story undulating between past and present. I was shown how circumstances changed in the second half which caused my pulse to spike. It made me wonder if David was really dead. But she had killed him.

All things rose to a fevered pitch, when errors in their ways were shown. Mistakes lead to bigger ones and the ending was an unexpected explosion, quite varied from what I had plotted. Ah, the author was one-up on me.

Had David risen from his death? But she had killed him.... Had she? Read the book... Have patience, stick with it. All would be revealed.

[Julie Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Kerry Wilkinson’s books and this is no exception.
Morgan is at a fitness awards ceremony and when she looks at the photo taken of her with the winners she sees someone who can’t possibly be there.
Morgan thinks she sees her husband, David, but can’t get her head round it, as he’s dead.
Everyone else thinks David is just missing so it’s impossible for Morgan to talk about this with anyone.
Morgan thinks someone has been in her flat and when she’s accused of something she didn’t do, she becomes more and more worried.
I did work out what was happening about three quarters the way through the book, but I still enjoyed how it all came together at the end.
This is a gripping psychological thriller that will have you hooked from the first few pages.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, fast paced mystery about Morgan, who after winning an award is looking through the evening's pictures when she sees her husband in the background of one. This can't be possible however, she's killed him and dumped his body. Was he not dead or is someone making her think that he's still alive. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Kat (Books are Comfort Food) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not even close to gripping

This is a dull monologue. Nothing scary, gripping, interesting. I guessed the ending fairly soon. The writing is dry and monotonous. By the time I was 30% of the way through I wanted to jump off a bridge. This is the 2nd book I’ve read by this author and it’s the last.

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το ότι η αφήγηση μοιράζεται ανάμεσα στο παρελθόν και στο παρόν μάς επιτρέπει να έχουμε μια ολοκληρωμένη εικόνα της ιστορίας, μα και των λόγων που οδήγησαν την Μόργκαν να πράξει όπως έπραξε. Βέβαια, αυτό δε σημαίνει πως έχουμε να κάνουμε με μια αξιόπιστη αφήγηση, γεγονός που εντείνει τις αμφιβολίες μας όσο περισσότερο διαβάζουμε, χωρίς να είμαστε σίγουροι τι πρέπει να πιστέψουμε και τι όχι, κάτι που αυτόματα εντείνει και το μυστήριο γύρω από τα πραγματικά γεγονότα -και που τα καθιστά πιο ενδιαφέροντα.

Συμπληρωματικά με τα παραπάνω, το γεγονός πως η αφήγηση είναι σε πρώτο πρόσωπο, αλλά όχι από τη μεριά του θύματος, αλλά του θύτη, μας επιτρέπει να ταυτιστούμε, κατά μία έννοια, με το πρόσωπο εκείνο που θεωρητικά θα έπρεπε να απαξιώνουμε, πράγμα που αποδεικνύεται διεστραμμένα απολαυστικό.

Η ροή της αφήγησης είναι πάρα πολύ καλή, χωρίς η ιστορία να κάνει “κοιλιές” ή να μας κάνει να βαριόμαστε, μένει σταθερά on truck, με τον ρυθμό και την ένταση να κορυφώνονται σταδιακά, οδηγώντας μας σε ένα σημείο όπου η μία σελίδα φεύγει μετά την άλλη χωρίς καν να το καταλαβαίνουμε.

Όσον αφορά τη γραφή, είναι σταθερά καλή, όπως και στα άλλα βιβλία του συγγραφέα που μου έχεις στείλει, έχοντας την χαρακτηριστική του σφραγίδα -πράγμα πολύ καλό για όσους τον διαβάζουν και τον ακολουθούν, γιατί αυτό φανερώνει μια συνέπεια, ενώ ταυτόχρονα δεν πέφτει στην λούπα να χρησιμοποιήσει παρόμοιες εξελιχτικές ροές με τα άλλα του μυθιστορήματα.

Εκτός όλων των άλλων, το βιβλίο εμπεριέχει και κάποιες πού ωραίες και ενδιαφέρουσες παρατηρήσεις και αναλύσεις πάνω στη σύγχρονη ζωή και τις προεκτάσεις αυτής, μα και το πως αυτές μπορούν να επηρεάσουν, θετική ή αρνητικά, τη ζωή καθενός από εμάς, προβληματίζοντάς μας σε επίπεδα που δεν θα περιμέναμε.

Το φινάλε είναι αρκετά ανατρεπτικό -και σίγουρα διαφορετικό απ' αυτό που θα περίμενε η πλειοψηφία-, όχι συγκλονιστικό -τόσο που να σε αφήσει με το στόμα ανοιχτό με την ευφυία του συγγραφέα-, αλλά τόσο ικανοποιητικό όσο απαιτείται ώστε να κλείσει όμορφα και σωστά η ιστορία.

(Αναλυτικό review αν τελικά κυκλοφορήσει...)

[Janice Lombardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read! I highly recommend. Of course, Kerry Wilkinson does not need this great intro, as we all know.

Back and forth through time we travel as the story begins with Morgan attending an awards ceremony with her best friend, Jane. Morgan thinks she sees her (she thought, dead) husband in a picture taken that evening. Although Morgan had originally reported David (her husband) as having disappeared. This, being 2 years ago.

We are given the intertwining background of Morgan and David's relationship along Morgan's relationship with Andy, today. Also, Jane features throughout both relationships - as does Morgan's mum.

A portrait of David is painted as a freeloader who pretends his flea market-type job and international traveling for things to resell is, or can be, lucrative. Although she remains quiet, Morgan pays most of the bills with her money as a personal trainer.

This suspenseful story grips the reader from the start. It is hard to put the book down. The characters are defined extremely well as is the plot. This read has you changing your mind about the characters throughout until it comes to its sterling end!

Many Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a superb read.

[Andrea Pole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Close to You by Kerry Wilkinson is another gripping thriller from an author who has very quickly become a must read for me. This one will grab you immediately and will not let go until the final heart-stopping twist.

Morgan is a fitness instructor who is attending an industry awards dinner with her longtime friend, Jane. Following the presentations, Jane takes a photo of the assembled winners and when Morgan later studies the photo, she is chilled to see among the group a man she knows very well. It is her ex-husband, David, a man she has not laid eyes on in over two years. But how can it possibly be David when she is certain she has killed him?

This is a twisty, edge of your seat thriller that kept me guessing. Told from the alternating timelines of 'The Now' and 'The Why', we follow Morgan's story from her own perspective but as a self-confessed killer, how reliable, in fact, is our narrator in providing an accurate account of events?

I have only recently discovered the writing of Kerry Wilkinson, but now consider myself to be a bonafide fan.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

[Susan (on hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“There’s nothing quite like a good hypocrite.”

Well hello. After reading this top line opening the story, how could I put it down?

Morgan’s husband seems to have come back from the dead. She knows he died because she killed him. So, what is going on?

In the discovery process, the book explores friendships and romantic relationships. Although I liked Morgan, I didn’t care for the other cast members too much. That aspect didn’t stop me from enjoying it though.

This was a fun book and I breezed through it more quickly than usual.

[Yvonne (It's All About Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars.

Look out for my review of Close To You during my stop of the blog tour this October 18th!

P.S. Find more of my reviews here.

[The Book Gawdess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a free advance readers' copy in exchange for my honest review.

Imagine killing someone. Then one day, two years later, your murder victim starts appearing in random places. There are either two reasons this can happen. Either he/she was not dead in the first place or the stress has gotten to you and you have started imagining things.

In Close To You, Morgan Persephone finds herself in that quandary. She is randomly going through some pictures of an awards dinner, when, in a photo her best friend, Jane, took, she sees her ex-husband, David. She knows it cannot be him because, while everyone else thinks he disappeared, she knows he is dead. She knows this because she was the one who killed him. Strange things start happening, however, and Morgan finds herself wondering if he found some way to escape death.

This book was thrilling. I found myself unwilling to put it down unless absolutely necessary. Somehow, Kerry Wilkinson was able to make me sympathetic to a murderer. I found myself actually halfway hoping she was able to get away with her deeds. I think what made me feel the most sorry for her was seeing the relationship she had with her mother. However, due to a major surprise in the book, my feelings towards her changed drastically.

I did not care much for David. From the beginning, I found him to be completely insincere. Many of what he said was obviously lies or half-truths. Many times, I found myself wondering how desperate Morgan was to stay in that sham of a relationship. As a matter of fact, I found it quite unbelievable how dense Morgan seemed at times.

Dialog and conversations were well illustrated. I even liked the internal dialog Morgan had with herself during the book. The friendship between her and Jane seemed close enough, but the author was able to show some hostile undertones in some of the conversations.

There was no sexual content or profanities in the book. However, there were some adult themes. Older teenagers can try this book but I suggest parents read it first before deciding if they would allow them to.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's an author that surprises me every time..........His Books are just brilliantly written. So when Close to You by Kerry Wilkinson came out I had to find a quiet corner and open my Kindle! WoW..........I was not disappointed!
What a fantastic book this was especially as it was a new stand-alone book.

You will find this book written that alternates between the past and the present. It's an easy read with lots of twists and turns with an OMG ending to "Close to you"

Morgan is a personal trainer at her local gym, she has been asked to attend an awards dinner as she has been nominated for a big award. Morgan has asked her close friend Jane to go with her, everything is fine especially as she has won the main award, until her friend shows her some photo's she has taken of the advent.
To Morgan's surprise she see's an old face in the photo's of her ex husband David who is in one of the photo's picture, he vanished two years ago no one knows where he went. But, Morgan knows different!

How can that be............as Morgan is hiding a big secret of where David is.

What is the big secret Morgan is hiding?

Morgan has a scar on her neck.........how did she get that scar?

Is Morgan safe?

Are her close friends safe around her?......

Only You can find out of you read this brilliant book........I just loved it and read it in two sittings.

I highly recommend Close to You by Kerry Wilkinson and all his other books he has written. He is a wonderful author that will have you Hook reading his books within the first few pages!!!

Big Thank You to Netgalley, the author Kerry Wilkinson and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believe it or not this is my first book by Kerry Wilkinson, though I have no idea why I have never chosen to read any of his books before now. I'm delighted to have rectified this and I thoroughly enjoyed Close to You, an engrossing tale of mystery, chills and suspense.

The book is narrated by Morgan, who thinks her absent husband is stalking and tormenting her. She is confused by this as she killed him and disposed of his body and all his belongings two years before. She has seen his picture in the background of a recent photo taken at an awards ceremony and her best friend claims she may have caught sight of him.

Kerry Wilkinson has a very appealing style of writing and the characters he created though not hugely likeable, were very believable, giving me a great sense of apprehensiveness and foreboding. I liked the fluidity between past and present and I found Close to You very readable, the various unfoldings and revelations making this book very gripping. The story-line was absolutely fantastic and the action and suspense was kept at a maximum level as was the pacing. In this tale of eeriness, tension and murder, Kerry Wilkinson wrapped everything up very neatly in a thrilling, unexpected ending which was rather satisfying.

This was an absolute pleasure to read and even if the plot had been less stimulating I would have devoured these pages with equal gusto and enthusiasm. I’ll certainly be looking out for Kerry Wilkinson’s next book, as well as discovering this author's repertoire of previous novels.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Everyone might be the hero of their own stories and, whatever others may think, I'm the hero of mine."

Morgan Persephone has had a bad couple of years but things are finally looking up for her when she receives a "Personal Trainer of the Year" award at the annual UK Fitness Professional Awards dinner. She's attending with her BFF, Jane, who innocently snaps a picture of the winners. Later, when Morgan looks at the photo, she's stunned to see what looks like a picture of her ex-husband, David. The thing is, it can't be David, because he's dead. Morgan knows this because she's the one who killed him. NO SPOILERS.

The narrative unfolds with chapters that alternate between " THE WHY" and "THE NOW." As the reader learns about Morgan and David, it's not hard to see how she's ended up in her situation. I was caught between admiration and dismay as the story reveals the truth about events that led up to David's death and Morgan's subsequent cover-up (he just went missing). Morgan is a complex character and she definitely has a talent for telling lies. The pace is fast and the plot is interesting so held my interest enough to keep me reading cover to over in a single sitting. There were a couple of surprises along the way and it ended up being a fun story. I do prefer detective novels and the Jessica Daniel series is quite good, but this was entertaining as a standalone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.