“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Couldn’t put this book down and had my heart in my mouth practically the whole time . . . loved it.” Hannelore C.

The woman who has it all

Heather has lucked out. She has a beautiful house, a happy marriage to James Jessop, with two sons, Ben and Harry — and she’s just won the lottery. £29 million!

The loyal best friend

Natalie has never quite kept up, but she’s finally in a relationship with a new boyfriend, Nick. She’s been best friends with Heather since they were bullied at school. But will her friend’s new fortune change their friendship?

A dream come true turns into a paranoid nightmare

he Jessops’ comfortable life dissolves into chaos. Heather starts receiving anonymous, hateful messages. She begs Natalie to escape with her to Spain, along with a few other close friends. But away from the spotlight in London, things go from bad to worse. Then the unthinkable happens and Heather realizes she can’t trust anyone. Not even her best friend.

Nothing will ever be the same again

Charged with menace, this unputdownable, edgy story of jealousy and suspicion by critically acclaimed author Susanna Beard redefines the depths of the psychological thriller.

Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, T.M. Logan, B.A. Paris, Liane Moriarty, Claire Dyer, Sam Carrington, Celeste Ng.

Gripping – with Plenty of Food for Thought!

This one will have your head in a spin – gripping to the very last!

Heather loves her family; they have a good life thanks to her hardworking husband, James, allowing her to be a stay at home mum caring for their two teenage boys. Then, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket and hits the jackpot! Determined to keep it quiet, they keep the news close, trusting only a few but someone, somewhere has blabbed as Heather starts to receive nasty, threatening text messages. Deciding to get away from it all for the summer, the family head to Spain, inviting only their nearest and dearest – but then the worst happens and they are plunged into a nightmare situation.

Most of us dream of winning the lottery at some point or other, but be careful what you wish for! Would you go public or keep it to yourselves? This must go through every reader’s mind as this story progresses. The author has carefully planned out this one; it’s a fascinating read and one with a huge learning curve for Heather, James and anyone lucky enough to have their numbers come up! I really empathised with Heather as she was definitely more of a worrier than her husband. When it came to the dirty deed, I mentally worked my way through all the potential suspects and still managed to get it wrong! An excellent read which gave my brain a bit or a workout with both highs and lows. This is my first novel by Susanna Beard and I’m delighted to have another waiting on my list for the future. Recommended, and well worth 4.5*.

My thanks to Joffe Books for my copy; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

Tags: psychological thriller

Thriller writer Susanna is fascinated by human relationships. She can be found people-watching wherever she goes, finding material for her writing. Despite the writer’s life, she has an adventurous streak and has swum with whale sharks in Australia, fallen down a crevasse in the French Alps and walked through the sewers of Brighton – not in that order.

Her passions include animals — particularly her dogs — walking in the countryside and tennis, which clears her brain of pretty much everything.

Susanna’s latest novel, The Perfect Life, was published on 21st December 2020 by Joffe Books.

She has two other published books, both about to be rereleased.

• Website: https://www.susannabeard.com/
• Twitter: @SusannaBeard25
• Facebook: @susannabeardauthor