Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Close My Eyes: A Novel
    Close My Eyes: A Novel
    Close My Eyes: A Novel
    Audiobook14 hours

    Close My Eyes: A Novel

    Written by Sophie McKenzie

    Narrated by Marisa Calin

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    I wake with a start from a bad dream. Anxiety clutches at my chest. Something's gone . . . something's missing . . . Beth . . . Always Beth . . .


    When Geniver Loxley lost her daughter at birth eight years ago, her world stopped… and never fully started again. Mothers with strollers still make her flinch; her love of writing has turned into a half-hearted teaching career; and she and her husband, Art, have slipped into the kind of rut that seems inescapable. For Art, the solution is simple: Have another child to replace Beth. For Gen, the thought of replacing her first child feels cruel, nearly unbearable. A part of her will never let go of Beth, no matter how much she needs to move on.

    But then a stranger shows up on their doorstep, telling Gen the very thing she's always desperately longed to hear: that her daughter was not stillborn, but was taken away as a healthy infant. That Beth is still out there, somewhere, waiting to be found. A fissure suddenly opens up in Gen's carefully reconstructed life, letting in a flood of unanswerable questions. How could this possibly be true? Where is Beth? And why is Art so reluctant to get involved?

    As Gen delves into the darkest parts of her past, she starts to realize that finding the answers might open the door to something even worse, a truth that could steal everything she holds close. Even her own life.

    With Close My Eyes, Sophie McKenzie weaves a breathless thriller that digs in its hooks without mercy and twists without warning, confirming her place among today's most exciting new voices in psychological suspense.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateJul 9, 2013
    ISBN9781427232182
    Close My Eyes: A Novel
    Author

    Sophie McKenzie

     Sophie McKenzie was born and brought up in London, where she still lives with her teenage son. She has worked as a journalist and a magazine editor, and now writes full time. She has tallied up numerous award wins and has twice been longlisted for the Carnegie Medal.

    More audiobooks from Sophie Mc Kenzie

    Related to Close My Eyes

    Related audiobooks

    Thrillers For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time

      Dec 1, 2023

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Leather Coat

      Apr 4, 2024

      The Leather Coat
      6 min read

    • Article

      Come with Me

      Dec 1, 2022

      Come with Me
      12 min read

    • Article

      The Kill Registry

      Dec 10, 2022

      My sister chose to use her bullet years ago and ever since she has badgered me to liberate my own from its chamber. Beth leveled her pistol at her husband five years into their marriage, and she has no regrets, which is one of the things I admire abo

      14 min read

    • Article

      Siphons

      Feb 6, 2020

      Siphons
      6 min read

    • Article

      Blood And Water

      Nov 3, 2022

      Blood And Water
      7 min read

    • Article

      Finding Peace—and Briefly, Freedom—at My Grandfather’s Funeral

      Oct 11, 2019

      “Saying goodbye with the people who loved him—and me—I remember that I am not the tomb that imprisons me.”

      6 min read

    • Article

      Don’t Have A Bird

      Aug 2, 2020

      There are so many rites of passage you’ve already missed out on, and the school ball is destined to become another item on that ever-growing list. You try to delay the inevitable until every breath from your lungs sounds as if cystic fibrosis is cack

      12 min read

    • Article

      Playing Nurse

      Sep 1, 2018

      Playing Nurse
      9 min read

    • Article

      Suranne Jones

      May 22, 2023

      Suranne Jones
      5 min read

    • Article

      Coming To Terms

      May 25, 2021

      Coming To Terms
      14 min read

    • Article

      Deborah Meaden

      Jul 10, 2023

      Deborah Meaden
      6 min read

    • Article

      I Used to Give Men Mercy

      Feb 12, 2018

      I Used to Give Men Mercy
      12 min read

    • Article

      Thirteen

      Jan 30, 2020

      Thirteen
      21 min read

    • Article

      Daughters’ Bodies

      Dec 1, 2019

      WHEN I’M about to go away to college, my grandmother dies and my mother silently puts herself up for adoption. LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO ADOPT ME: Kind, lonely, beautiful woman in her 50s. Dead husband. No children. Cooks and cleans. 4’11 and 90 lbs. Gu

      20 min read

    • Article

      We Don't Talk About That Here

      Nov 4, 2021

      We Don't Talk About That Here
      4 min read

    • Article

      Love And Other (chemo) Drugs

      Apr 14, 2019

      Love And Other (chemo) Drugs
      12 min read

    • Article

      Side Gig

      Aug 8, 2019

      Side Gig
      6 min read

    • Article

      Philip Roth

      Jun 4, 2018

      Philip Roth
      25 min read

    • Article

      Now That I’ve Arrived

      Dec 30, 2020

      Now That I’ve Arrived
      5 min read

    • Article

      Love, Lust, and More

      Feb 12, 2020

      Fleetwood Mac was singing She is dancing away from you now, and I squirmed in my seat. Kabir was rubbing my thigh as he drove, a gesture I once thought was reserved for me. Bah! I also used to think he only took naked selfies in bed with me, but then

      11 min read

    • Article

      What We Are For

      Dec 1, 2023

      At the Stop and Shop I joke with the girl helping me find the star anise that it looks like someone left her a chicken bone on the shelf. Oh, isn't that nice, she laughs. They wanted you to have a fun surprise, I tell her, tell the checkout lady I lo

      1 min read

    • Article

      Summer Reads

      Dec 30, 2019

      Summer Reads
      7 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      Birthday Surprise

      Sep 17, 2021

      Birthday Surprise
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Close My Eyes

    4/5

    118 ratings28 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Eight years ago, Geniver gave birth to a stillborn baby, a girl she and her husband Art named "Beth." Since then, they have tried several failed rounds of IVF. Art is eager to try new procedures, but Gen is tired of the hope and the loss - she just wants her daughter. When a woman comes to Gen's door and says that Beth is still alive, Gen knows the story is too crazy to believe. But she believes, and she starts searching for answers. All I can say about this book is… Holy Crap. Can I give it TEN out of five stars? I finished it in several hours, couldn't put it down even though I thought my heart was going to beat right out of my chest. The twists and turns are excellent and the writing is top notch. Definitely seeking out more by this author.
    • 5/5
      This was so good, I literally could not put it down and I love when that happens!This book starts out rather simply but the ending will smack you sideways!Twists and turns with thrilling suspense and a story that will make every mother Who reads it rush to hug her children. Geniver is a happily married woman who one day answers her front door to find a woman who rocks Geniver’s world with the words…”It’s your baby Beth, She’s alive”Geniver is stunned, years of anguish and grief over the loss of her child and now this? Her little girl died 8 years ago, how could this possibly be, who would do something like this and why? Could it be true she wonders?And with those startling words she sets out to find out exactly what happened 8 years ago when she was told her baby was stillborn and with the help of Lorcan, one of her husbands friends they embark on a dangerous journey to find BethIf you love mystery's and thrillers this is the book to keep you up late into the night reading & wondering….
    • 4/5
      I truly enjoy psychological thrillers and so when I was given the chance to read Close My Eyes by Sophie McKenzie I could not wait. The premise of the book is a rather good one, if not a bit predictable, however McKenzie is able to pull it off by keeping the reader constantly wondering. The downside was I did not want to read this book in one sitting. An excellent psychological thriller will keep me thoroughly engrossed from beginning to end and unfortunately Close My Eyes did not do that. Again, I read a lot of psychological thrillers, so this one had a lot to live up to and simply could not. With that said, I do think Close My Eyes is an enjoyable summer read and look forward to what Sophie McKenzie writes next.
    • 5/5
      Crafted with delicate intricacy and fast-moving action, the only book I've ever read that caused my daughter to ask, "Do you love that book more than me?" because of its ability to keep my attention no matter what was going on around me.

      Gen thinks her only child was born dead, but eight years later a stranger appears at her doorstep to inform her the child was not only alive, but her husband was involved in fabricating the alleged death and whisking the baby away.

      For two intense weeks, Gen follows up on the lead with the help of her husband's former best friend, Lorcan. The closer the pair delve to the truth, the more their worlds unravel.

      With a haunting ending that you will always remember, this is definitely a book I wish I had written.
    • 5/5
      Eight years ago, Gen went for a check up at the hospital at 37 weeks pregnant only to be told that the baby no longer had a heartbeat and had passed away in utero. She was given an emergency C-section to deliver the baby, a little girl that she and her husband Art named Beth.

      Since they lost Beth, Gen has checked out. Art has worked at building his business, his reputation, making money. Gen, who had published three novels previously hasn’t written anything since Beth died. She teaches a few writing a week at a college but she can’t find any joy or satisfaction. They’ve been through 6 attempts at IVF and it’s failed every single time. It seems like Beth may have been her one and only chance to be a mother.

      Then a woman knocks on her door and tells her that her baby had been born alive. The delivering obstetrician, the anesthetist, the midwife present in the theatre were all in on it. Somewhere, her baby is out there… waiting for her. Why would anyone do this?

      Gen doesn’t know what to think, what to believe, who to trust. This woman sounds genuine and Gen is sure that she absolutely 100% believes what she is saying. She confides in Art, who immediately tells her that it couldn’t be possible, that he Then the woman tells Gen that Art was in on it, that her own husband is aware of what really happened that day and all of a sudden Gen feels like she can trust no one. Are they trying to make her believe she is crazy?

      But what if she’s not? What if it’s really true and her baby is really out there?

      I am not a writer but I think it must be really hard to write a great ending to a story. The ending here is pure genius!
    • 4/5
      This story of Geniver and the mystery surrounding the death of her baby 8 years before was impossible to put down. It was difficult tell if she was losing her mind or if someone close to her was deceiving her. The comparisons to Gone Girl and Before I go to Sleep are spot on.
    • 2/5
      Well, this book was a wild ride. It started out as an examination of a woman in the throes of grief and turned into one of the most implausible thriller plots I've ever read. The writing was very repetitive, really stretching out the first section of the book much longer than it needed to be. The audiobook reader, however, was excellent.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed this complex story, and got caught up in its many interesting characters. Would have to agree with other reviewers who complained about the narration as the book was quite wordy at times, especially in the beginning. All in all a very original story though, with new turns at every chapter and a very satisfying ending.
    • 4/5
      Sophie McKenzie is a well-known YA author who I first encountered when her teen thriller 'Blood Ties' was nominated for the Berkshire Book Award. (It was short listed for various other prizes and also won a fair few similar awards.) I was excited when I spotted this, her first thriller for an adult audience, and hoped it would live up to my expectations.What's it about?Geniver Loxley lost her daughter, Beth, eight years ago. Since then, she has struggled to move on, while her husband has built a business empire. One day a stranger appears on her doorstep and tells her what she longs to hear: her daughter is alive. Could this be true? Gen is determined to find out, even if it means doubting her husband, her friends and her own sanity.What's it like?Quietly engrossing, then increasingly dramatic. I was initially drawn-in by the portrait of a couple living their everyday lives, considering IVF, long married and no longer completely in tune with each other. Then - bam! The stranger arrives with her news at the end of chapter one. I like that McKenzie starts the action quickly (too many books seem to reveal half their plot in the blurb, so you're left itching to move beyond your expectations) and the way her protagonist, Gen, is subsequently unsettled, slowly reaching into the murky past.The characters are well-drawn and there's plenty of doubt. Is Gen being conned? Can she trust her husband, Art, who seems desperate to leave Beth behind them? Is Art's old friend Lorcan trying to cause mischief or does he really want to help Gen? And why is Gen's best friend, Hen, colluding with Gen's husband behind her back? I found the first couple of hundred pages gripping as I strove to decipher the truth, but when the truth began to surface I was dubious.ReflectionsThe truth about Beth Loxley is far-fetched and there's a lot of talking required to even begin to explain it, though if you accept the personalities McKenzie has taken care to establish, it all does make perfect (albeit twisted) sense. I felt the ending was a little OTT too, but again, if you really consider what's at stake, it's probably not. I think when I was reading I became almost irritated by the solution McKenzie created, but on reflection I'm not sure why. Possibly I was irritated by other, mostly very minor, details.Why, oh why, is Gen incapable of moving forward without male support? (Why is this true of so many female protagonists? Why do none of them ever have real best friends they can rely on to help them solve their problems? Best friends who don't just assume they're mental? I assume the answer is partly that two women working co-operatively and sensibly to resolve issues wouldn't be as thrilling, but why not? Does there really always HAVE to be sexual tension involved?) Why is she called Gen? What kind of name is 'Art'? Or 'Hen'?Despite the minor irritations outlined above, I did enjoy this and thought it worked really well as a thriller. McKenzie makes effective use of red herrings and retains ambiguity over who can be trusted for a long time. She also effectively interweaves the main story with a few snippets of diary like text from a young child. It is unclear for a long time who the child is, but once the reader realises who it is, the diary voice helps provide a thoroughly chilling conclusion to the story.Final thoughtsThis novel is described as a 'nerve-jangling thriller for fans of Gillian Flynn and Sophie Hannah' on the back cover and I completely agree. However, the converse is also true. If you thought 'Gone Girl' implausible or that 'Little Face' involved too many long explanations of motives then this might not suit you.As for me, I enjoyed this sufficiently to keep an eye out for more by Sophie McKenzie and the blurb for her second adult thriller, 'Trust in Me', sounds intriguing. Hopefully next time I'll feel completely gripped throughout.
    • 3/5
      ** spoiler alert ** Geniver and Art's baby, Beth, was stillborn eight years ago, but one day a woman comes to the door and tells Gen that her sister was the nurse who assisted at the C-section and, before dying, she confided that the baby had been born alive and that Art knew this to be the case. I enjoyed the first half of this book very much, although it was a little slow to get going. While Gen is trying to work out how much to believe and does some amateur sleuthing with Lorcan, the story was a page-turner, but the last few chapters covering the last few hours and containing the "big reveal" were all a bit much. The body count alone was ridiculous, and don't get me started on the whole incestuous relationship/abortion/infertility storyline.The fact that it was Morgan who had the missing child I worked out just before it was revealed (always a good feeling!) but Art's motivations were unconvincing. The author left them intentionally murky, or perhaps mixed, but they never seemed compelling enough to me. Art's character was a mystery to me - his lies took Gen in so completely for so many years, when she questioned him about her growing suspicions he remained calm and maintained the story, and yet we are told that he loved Gen so much that he did all this for her to protect her from Morgan...? I could not work out where his allegiances truly lay. I also had issues with the basic premises - did Ed's school believe Morgan and Art to be his parents? I know the idea was that Morgan believed money could get you anything, but they must have some major document-forger criminal associates. The final pages from Ed's perspective were chilling and actually a lot more realistic than Gen's seeming belief that she can be a mother to him and that everything will be OK in the end.
    • 4/5
      I rated this a 3.5

      Gen Loxley has tried holding together both her marriage and her life since the sudden loss of her newborn daughter eight years earlier. Unfortunately, she hasn't been too successful at overcoming her grief. Her friends and family's concern escalates after a stranger convinces Gen that her daughter is alive and Gen heads off on what they worry is a wild goose chase.

      I enjoyed Close My Eyes and did find myself drawn to read it. I had many different theories on the story's conclusion: Was Gen crazy? Was her baby really alive? Did the stranger just want money? Sophie McKenzie did a good job at keeping my interest throughout the story and had me fairly surprised with the ending.

      If you are a fan of psychological thrillers with a somewhat slower pace, I would recommend giving Close My Eyes a try.

      *I received a complimentary copy of this digital ARC from the publishers and netgalley.com My review is my honest opinion.
    • 4/5
      More twists and turns than a mountain road! Geniver is still mourning the death of her daughter eight years ago when she receives a message that Beth is really still alive. From that moment on her sanity and trust are threatened as she searches for the truth.
    • 3/5
      Geniver Loxley has never recovered from the stillborn birth of her daughter eight years prior. Her husband, Art, is anxious to have another child and to move on with their lives, but Geniver is still grieving. Then a woman shows up claiming that Gen's baby had been born alive and was taken away by the doctor and given to someone else, and that her husband was in on the scheme. Reeling from the shocking news and unsure of whether she can trust her husband, she turns to free-spirited Lorcan, an old colleague of Art's who is now a successful actor and is extremely empathetic. As the two investigate, they discover some shocking secrets that put their lives in jeopardy.Summary Booklist ReviewsAs I read Sophie McKenzie's debut novel for adults, I could feel her trying to transition from the YA format. She didn't quite make it but CLOSE MY EYES is a good read nonetheless. There's an old fashioned quality to the plot and prose reminiscent of Phyllis A Whitney or Victoria Holt. I am puzzled by the title though. Is it a reference to a 1991 British movie of the same name? Knowing the plot of the movie (I didn't before I read the book) makes for a big SPOILER. I am struggling with the book title's connection to the story....7 out of 10 Recommended to mystery fans and readers of YA fiction.
    • 4/5
      Okay, I thought I had the plot figured out 1/3 of the way through. I didn't. I actually really enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful and exciting. It reminded me of Sister by Rosamund Lupton and Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson--in the best way possible. Yes, it had a few plot-holes and yes parts were unbelievable but it's a fun ride.
    • 4/5
      Liked it, still thinking about what I think about it...
    • 5/5
      Close My EyesbySophie McKenzieMy"in a nutshell" summary...Gen is trying to learn what happened to Beth...the baby she and her husband believed died at birth! Scary, sinister stuff!My thoughts after reading this book...I don't think that I can take any more of these unputdownable books. You also have to bear with me because I mostly will not be telling you what happened. It's a mystery, after all!But...briefly...Gen and Art once had a baby who died...named Beth. Gen never saw her because Art whisked the baby away. Suddenly 8 years later a woman comes out of nowhere to tell Gen she knows her baby was born alive. This steamrolls a series of events that has Gen believing all kinds of unbelievable things...but are they really that unbelievable...A serious series of fast paced events leads to a chilling ending...that may or may not be an ending at all!That's it! That's all I can tell you! This book can't be spoiled!What I loved about this amazing book...The action and suspense never stopped in this book. From Art's birthday party to talking to one of Gen's weird students after class...in my mind and perhaps Gen's...everyone was a suspect. No one was off limits...work friends, business friends, new friends! Strangers, too! What I did not love about this book...Just the fact that I could not put it down was annoying and when I was able to stop reading it...I thought about it...I am still thinking about it mostly due to the fact that the ending was just a teensy bit of a shocker! Did I say shocker! Whew!I am thinking, though, that some readers might say that it is just a tad bit predictable with a few over the top characters and situations but...I still loved it! My absolute and final thoughts...Readers who want a really deliciously written intense story that will shock them to their bones...will love this book. I did!
    • 4/5
      *I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads*

      This book is a psychological thriller that centers on one woman's heartbreaking loss that when faced with a glint of hope will stop at nothing to fix the past.

      One of the reasons I wanted to read Close My Eyes was because it was being compared to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl. While they have similar ideas, I don't think it's fair to compare the two. Gone Girl had a much stronger plot and I felt the characters were fleshed out better.

      During the first half of the novel Gen spends a lot of her time thinking and worrying about her stillborn baby while wondering if her friends and family could have lied to her this whole time. Everyone around her thinks she's obsessed with the traumatic event since it has been eight years and they think it's time for her to finally let go. I found the second half much more enjoyable because Gen finally takes action instead of continuously dwelling on the past. It was nice for Gen to interact with the other characters instead of everything being one-sided.

      One problem I had was the characters were predictable and at times too dramatic to be believable. Another issue was that Gen tended to get lost in her thoughts a lot to the point that it was becoming distracting.
      There was one twist that I wasn't expecting while reading the book. While I won't go into detail about it, it didn't feel like it meshed well with the rest of the book. It felt as if McKenzie was trying too hard to impress or shock the reader.

      Despite it being over the top at times, it was still a page turner. Whether it was because I merely wanted to see if I was right about the plot or simply because I was deep into the story, I'm not sure.

      This is a quick read that is predictable at times but still enjoyable in the end.
    • 3/5
      Close My Eyes is the first adult psychological thriller by Sophie McKenzie who is better known as a YA author.When a stranger appears on Geniver Loxley's doorstep claiming that Geniver's baby did not die at birth eight years ago but was instead kidnapped by the obstetrician that delivered her, Geniver's husband, Art, and best friend, Hen, dismiss the woman's claims as a cruel hoax. Geniver knows it is unlikely the story is true but the seed of doubt proves impossible for her to ignore and she begins to question the events she edges closer to discovering a devastating betrayal.I was expecting to be caught up in this thriller only to find myself largely unmoved. I'm not entirely sure why, given Close My Eyes has a great premise and all the elements of an intriguing mystery.The slow start doesn't help but the pace does pick up and though there is a little in the way of red herrings there are a few twists that managed to surprise me, especially in regards of the antagonists motivation.I think in large part my interest was affected by my indifference to Geniver. Though she inspires compassion I never really warmed to her, frustrated by her self doubt and some of the poor decisions she makes. I also disliked that she abdicated so much responsibility to Lorcan during their investigation, neither did I feel the romantic developments between Geniver and Lorcan was appropriate.That it is impossible to rely on any of the characters in Close My Eyes, is both a strength and weakness of the novel. Geniver's sanity, is questionable, Hen is definitely hiding something and Lorcan's motivation is tainted, not being able to trust any single perception supports the tension that mounts as the story progresses but in my view also prevents any real character development.I didn't dislike Close My Eyes but neither did I find it an engrossing mystery. If the premise tempts you I recommend you give it a try but I do think this novel would be best suited to a reader who doesn't often delve into the psychological thriller genre.
    • 3/5
      It’s strange. I loved this book, but hated the main character. Gen is whiny. Maybe it’s because I’ve never lost a child, nor do I want them at all… I couldn’t connect with her. Gen is also the least developed character in the story. Even though the narrator constantly annoyed me, I had trouble putting down this book.Some of the twists are oblivious and you can see them coming from a mile away. Some come out of nowhere and knock you off your ass.
    • 4/5
      What a suspenseful psychological thriller author, Sophie McKenzie, has spun! We find Geniver Loxley still stuck and despondent eight years after the stillbirth of her daughter, Beth. Her husband Art, is wildly successful and thrilled to be brought into the Prime Minister's inner circle. He's a bit of a celebrity, garnering lots of attention and showing little to his wife. He pushes Gen to try again for a child of their own and go for IVF treatments in order to help her move forward of "stuck". Gen's unsure. Beth haunts her dreams; Gen is consumed by thoughts of her - the wonderful young eight year old girl she could have become. Then a knock at the door is heard. Lucy O'Donnell tells Gen that her baby was born alive and whisked away. Furthermore, Gen's husband was in on it. This Lucy had learned from her sister, upon her sister's deathbed - the sister who, as a nurse, attended Beth's birth. Lucy's motives are not pure. She and her husband, who recently lost his job, are short on funds to support their family. Lucy thinks that this revelation is worth some money. Surely Gen and her celebrity husband have plenty of it to spare. This news sends Gen reeling. She doesn't know what to to believe, whom to trust and where to turn. But it appears to be her wake-up call as she starts pursuing clues wherever they will take her. Gen wonders whether this news could be true. She wants it to be true. Or is she just going mad?! This read was a thrill a minute and I just couldn't put the book down.
    • 5/5
      Great characters, we follow them through a superbly written veil of mystery and misadventure. McKenzie's descriptions are so vivid and colorful she really brings her characters and surroundings to life. The twists and turns are completely unexpected and by the time I got half way through the book I felt like I'd lived there and knew Geniver Loxley and knew all the other people. It was captivating and I just didn't want it to end. McKenzie has a great gift of blending mystery and suspense. I would recommend this book if you like twists and mystery throughout your read.
    • 4/5
      Fast paced with numerous twists and turns and a few red herrings thrown in, made this book the kind of book you regret having to put down. It was difficult to know who you could trust and what was real and what wasn’t. Through most of it I was ready to give this story a 5 star rating until I got to the ending that is. I figured out who the big baddie was and a few other things in the story, but that didn’t bother me. What did trouble me was the melodramatic conclusion so many crime fictions seem to fall into. I don’t know why so many mysteries need to close with these over-the-top endings and destroy what credible storyline there is at the beginning, but they do. As I was reading up to toward the last page, I was thinking a generous 3 star rating seeing that I did enjoy most of the story – this was until I got to the very last entry of the book. The last few paragraphs were chilling, and quite clever in my mind. I certainly didn’t expect it. The author left an opening for a continuation of the story if she so pleases and I for one will be curious to see if she does.
    • 4/5
      "Of course, what I didn't realise then is that grief, like the seasons, is cyclical. I would just start to feel open to life again, then find myself thrust back under the water, drowning in loss."Geniver Loxley lost her daughter Beth in a stillbirth eight years ago, and has been struggling ever since. When a stranger turns up on her doorstep, claiming that Beth is still alive and that there was a huge conspiracy to have Geniver believe that Beth is dead, and then that stranger is killed in a hit-and-run, Gen can't help but cling to the thread of hope, and, terrified of the violence seeking to catch up with her, she starts to try to track down her daughter.This is a very tightly written thriller; McKenzie steers Geniver neatly down the line between compulsion and madness, between paranoia and reasonable fear. Like Geniver, the reader never knows whether her husband is involved or not, whose information she can trust, or whether Geniver is actually mad. The voice of a child weaves through the story, popping up intermittently, and remains a mystery until the end - enough to keep the reader looking for the next interruption. It reminded me a lot of Louise Douglas' The Secrets Between Us, although the characterisation is tighter and the mystery/madness angle more delicate than in TSBU.In a sense, there is a little too much background information on the main characters: so much time and so many words are spent on Art's background, his rise to money and fame - it's clear that he is desperate to succeed at all costs. Similarly, we spend just a bit too time in Geniver's reproductive doldrums; as if a stillbirth wasn't traumatic enough, she hasn't fallen pregnant since and remains single-mindedly focussed on Beth, excluded from her friends' worlds of muddy football kit and birthday parties. In some ways, her exclusion from the world of a mother calls into question her suitability to take charge of a child, should Beth be found alive.I'd figured out that the villain must be one of three people, given the assortment of red herrings, and was gratified to discover that one of them was the main villain, with a lot of help from a second one! There's a really chilling ending to this one, after the big climax/shoot-out/confrontation which we all knew was coming, which I didn't expect and which ends the reading experience with quite a cold, brutal feeling - as if the rest of the book wasn't brutal enough!A well-paced, enthralling debut - I look forward to more of McKenzie's work.
    • 5/5
      Read from May 12 to 13, 2013About a third of the way in, I couldn't put this book down. I felt like I was becoming crazy paranoid right along with Gen (the main character). The ending was fantastic and the book went to places I REALLY didn't see coming. Definitely a read-alike for fans of Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson and Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes.
    • 5/5
      Wow, read this in one sitting! Won in a First Reads contest and very thankful that I did. It will be published in July 2013. Be sure to make a note to get it as soon as it becomes available. Geniver is still suffering from the loss of her baby even after eight years. When a woman appears at her door and tells her that her baby girl is alive, she doesn't know who or what to believe anymore. She starts investigating and it's a wild ride until the very end. You won't be sorry you chose this book, that's a promise!
    • 5/5
      This was so good, I literally could not put it down and I love when that happens!This book starts out rather simply but the ending will smack you sideways!Twists and turns with thrilling suspense and a story that will make every mother Who reads it rush to hug her children. Geniver is a happily married woman who one day answers her front door to find a woman who rocks Geniver’s world with the words…”It’s your baby Beth, She’s alive”Geniver is stunned, years of anguish and grief over the loss of her child and now this? Her little girl died 8 years ago, how could this possibly be, who would do something like this and why? Could it be true she wonders?And with those startling words she sets out to find out exactly what happened 8 years ago when she was told her baby was stillborn and with the help of Lorcan, one of her husbands friends they embark on a dangerous journey to find BethIf you love mystery's and thrillers this is the book to keep you up late into the night reading & wondering….
    • 4/5
      Close Your Eyes for me was very reminiscent of a Laura Lippman novel, not only in the writing style but in the story itself. Just the right amount of suspense in this character driven story about a woman who believes after a visit from another woman that her daughter, who she believed was stillborn, is alive. At first she finds it hard to believe but with more and more proof that this is so, she enlists a friend of her husbands,to continue investigating the source and other leads. What she learns horrifies her.. does her husband know and what is he hiding. With a surprise ending this is the kind of book that holds the readers interest until the final page is turned..I highly recommend it.
    • 5/5
      What an amazing read. I have to say that I didn't really get into during my first, rather harried read, but I took my time during the re-read and WOW! I think that the phrase "psychological suspense thriller" should be added to the categorization as this is somewhat of a dark, psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the end. The re-read provided slightly better understanding of all of the characters and the plot twists and turns.