Before Her Eyes: The irresistible new psychological crime thriller

You don't have to suspend disbelief to read this book, you have to completely forget everything you know about how the world works and how people generally behave - not just one person but every single one. The premise is a good one to be honest - murders are being committed in a sleepy town and the murderer appears to be taunting the one witness that cannot identify them; Naomi Hannah who just so happens to be blind. Unfortunately the good stops at the basic idea and the story rapidly devolves in to unbelievability. Every member of the local Police Force is displayed as at best incompetent and at worst downright corrupt. They are dismissive of everyone and if something doesn't fit their preconceived notions then it is actively ignored. There is only one ray of light and that is Marcus Campbell but he appears to have anger management issues, but at least he listens to the evidence and is led by that. This is in no way a spoiler as the first time we meet members of the local plod we are treated to the winsome Lisa and that sets the benchmark for the rest of the team. One of my biggest issues is the treatment of the lead character Naomi. She is a mess of contradictions which I suppose is fairly realistic. However, we are constantly reminded of her ethnicity which has no bearing whatsoever on the story and seems a pointless inclusion. Even worse is that the author seems to have no idea about life as a blind person. The tale starts off so promisingly with descriptions of how Naomi senses her surroundings but soon deteriorates into complete and utter tosh. The character is clearly profoundly blind and yet works as a waitress in a local greasy spoon? She answers the door even when she doesn't recognise the knock of her caller; she continues to do this even after her first taunting run in with the murderer. In certain sections of the book the author seems to have forgotten that Naomi is blind as she achieves feats that even the sighted would struggle with. I did manage to complete the book through sheer force of will but it was completely unbelievable with no redeeming traits. My best advice is to avoid this book if you like a little reality with your thriller - if you like a more fantastical world view then you may get more from this than I. THIS IS AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW OF A FREE BOOK RECEIVED VIA THE PIGEONHOLE.

This book stands out as a hugely perceptive novel with commendable sensitivity and empathy. I was intrigued by how well the writer could "get into people's heads" and those extra touches he used (like mannerisms, thoughts and people's behaviour) which revealed excellent observational skills. Naomi Hannah lives alone - a divorcee. She is blind and relies heavily on her other senses to compensate and make sense of her dark world. It's something I knew but the stark reality of it as portrayed in the book adds a higher dimension of understanding. Immediately you are plunged into her dark world where all her senses are on high alert through touch, sound and smell. This scenario is superbly and authentically drawn. The bond with her dog Max is touching. The main plot is hugely gruesome and perfectly enacted. For the detective team unlocking the well-hidden dark secrets of the case, it is a hefty task. The Boss, Lisa is officious and the team don't get on well. Even testosterone has a turn for the worse. There are so many intriguing sub-plots in this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Thank you to NetGalley and Corvus.

Wow! What an amazing, edge of seat book. I can't believe how fantastically written this book is. 5* from me