| Title | : | Girl Unknown |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0805098747 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780805098747 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 293 |
| Publication | : | First published January 16, 2016 |
When first-year student Zoë Barry walks into Professor David Connolly's office and tentatively says these words, he is left reeling. But it is the lives of his family - particularly his wife Caroline - which are turned upside down by the arrival of this stranger.
A daughter, a sister, a friend . . . an enemy?
Though no one knows quite who Zoë is, she is soon entangled in their lives. Yet her stories don't ring true and Caroline is determined to learn if the girl is the unlucky innocent she claims to be or someone with a far darker agenda.
A deadly cuckoo in the nest . . .Because by letting Zoë in, David and Caroline aren't just leaving themselves vulnerable. They're risking the most precious thing in the world - the lives of their children . . .
Girl Unknown Reviews
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3.25 stars
SLOW moving, tightly wound psychological thriller about a young woman who surprises her college professor by announcing she might be his daughter.
David, a 41-year-old history professor in Dublin, is shocked to the core when his student, Zoe, shares news that she might be his daughter. Her announcement brings David back to the time when he was in love with Zoe’s mother, causing him to realize certain things about his past. David’s interest in history is not a coincidence, as this novel is very much about skewing personal history. He quickly takes to his new “daughter,” unaware of how her presence will impact his family.
Caroline, David’s wife, views Zoe with distrust. She sees what David cannot and wonders at Zoe’s motives.Caroline and David’s marriage is in trouble, and Zoe’s presence unearths long-buried secrets and pain, threatening to tear their fragile family apart.
Told through David and Caroline’s alternating POV’s, I found the pacing to be a little frustrating. The first hundred pages are so are about David and Caroline’s rocky history--and while it is important to know about the defining events of their relationship, I really just wanted more of Zoe. She is the most intriguing character in this story, whereas David is stiff, oblivious and boring, and Caroline is sad and seemingly powerless. The ending felt tacked on (I can’t say much without spoiling) and I was left with a lot of questions about Zoe. Overall, this was just an o.k. read for me--the writing is solid, but the characters (minus Zoe) lacked the ability to fully draw me in. The premise was more interesting than the outcome.
I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway! -
I had never heard of these two authors writing under the pen name Karen Perry but was intrigued by the book description.
This psychological thriller was a page turner and I picked it up at every opportunity to find out what was going to happen next. I am sure we will hear a lot more of this book in the coming months.
The book opens with University student Zoë Barry walking into Professor David Connolly's office and pronouncing that he is her father. Together with his wife Caroline they try to take in this revelation and their world is turned upside down by the arrival of this stranger. It soon becomes apparent that parts of Zoë's story do not ring true and Caroline is determined to learn more about her and if there is a hidden agenda before her family is fully exposed to Zoë.
Each chapter alternates between David and Caroline, telling the story from their own individual view point. This book will really keep you guessing what is going to happen as it twists and turns to a culminating finish.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Penguin UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. -
Girl unknown by Karen Perry is the first book I've read by this author and Im looking forward to reading more
It's a slow start but soon you find your stride then your flying through it.
Each chapter is told by a different character so you get a different side and feeling for the story.
There are a few moments of 'oh my god' and disbelief also you get an uneasy feeling when reading this
There are a few twists,home truths and an ending which wasn't as predictable as I thought it was going to be.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers/ family dramas. -
UPDATE: ****GIVEAWAY**** I'm running a GIVEAWAY for this book on INSTA. @litwitwinedine Open to U.S. and Canadian residents. Entries close 11:59pm EST 1/7/18.
You can read this and all of my reviews at
Lit·Wit·Wine·Dine.
This book is unique in many ways. The first is that Karen Perry is actually a pen name for two writers collaborating on this book. This is the first book, to the best of my knowledge, that I've read penned by two authors and it definitely worked here.
Most of the book is told in the alternating first person points of view of Caroline and David. They're a long-married couple who have seen their share of marital difficulties but are currently cruising through a pretty good life in a relatively quiet and stable manner. Until SHE arrives. She being Zoe, a young blonde student of David's who claims to be his daughter from a relationship predating his marriage.
Straightaway, the reader gets the impression that something is not quite right with this young woman. Is she his daughter? Is she a psychopath? Is she both? Is she neither? So even though I thought I knew where this was going (I didn't), I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out. A+ in the pacing department!
With regard to the characters, I spent approximately 90% of the book wanting to beat David about the head. (Metaphorically speaking of course. I am not the violent type.) I don't often feel the compulsion to scream at a character in a book but I made an exception for David. Caroline was more likable though I can't say that I felt a deep affinity for her. I will withhold comments on Zoe so as not to influence anyone before they've read the book.
Girl Unknown really stood out for its representation of relationships. I'm not one for any romantic nonsense but I was totally on board with the way Caroline and David's marriage was portrayed. I found it to be very authentic in a way that must be difficult to accomplish. Their relationships with their other children, Robbie and Holly were also very realistic. I wonder if this is the product of this book having this book written by two writers - one male and one female. It many or may not - whatever it is, it worked - but I don't often feel about the way husband/wife relationships are depicted.
The plot provided lots of suspense throughout with several unexpected twists and turns right till the end.
4.25/5 stars
Many thanks to Henry Holt for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
A gripping story, smartly written and very believable by authors who know how to grab a reader's interest and never let it go.
Karen Perry is the pen name of crime writing duo Paul Perry and Karen Gillece who both live in Ireland. Their latest novel, Girl Unknown is my second novel by this team and it certainly didn't disappoint.
When Zoe Barry walks into Professor David Connolly's office and announces that she is his daughter, he is left reeling. Suddenly his family - imperfect, flawed but working, is trying to find space for someone new. But no one expected where it all would end, her stories don't add up and the whole family struggle to make sense of her.
I really liked the premise of this novel and characters were well drawn and both plot and characters were believable.
An enjoyable and suspenseful read with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. I especially enjoyed the twists and turns.
My thanks to Penguin Books for the opportunity to read this novel in return for an honest review. -
The Setup: David is a college professor, married to Caroline, two children. One of his students, Zoe, approaches him and declares that he is her father. A DNA test ensues.
This book is superbly well written and easy to read, and I got sucked right in immediately. The story is told by both David and Caroline in alternating chapters, and having two points of view helps build the suspense. As the story proceeds, past events reveal the cracks in the marriage. I suspect various readers will find their sympathies changing a few times while reading this book. I found I could empathize with both David and Caroline, but always I was suspicious of Zoe.
As the ending starts to unfold, I had some reservations. The suspense felt eased, there was little tension, and a calmness settled in. I was dismayed that there weren’t many pages left and things weren’t settled. Then the final monkey wrench got thrown into the mix.
Summary: A very character driven novel that was a pleasure to read. Take care of those you love, never betray a trust, and be aware of the hurts you may cause. -
Favorite Quotes:
There is an energy on campus during those first weeks of the new semester that is like nothing else. The air is charged with the frisson of possibility. A cheerful busyness takes hold, giving a new life and sheen to every faded surface, every jaded room… I felt it too— the beat of possibility, the urge to get a head start on the year. After seventeen years working at this university, I was still not immune to the buoyant lift of first-term energy.
We never had children because I didn’t want them. Any child I had with you might be born with a dorsal fin and several rows of teeth.
Mum had stepped toward the bed and was standing with one hand upon it, quietly contemplating it, when it occurred to me that the previous inhabitant had probably died in this room, in that very bed Mum was touching. And in all likelihood, my mother would die here too. A strange vertiginous thought. I felt like someone had punched me with it. I couldn’t escape the feeling that by moving her into this room I was somehow hastening her doom.
That night in the cold darkness at the top of the stairs, overhearing the conversation, that was the moment when things began to unravel for me… A pinched, mean voice inside me whispered: If you are not the love of his life, then what makes you so sure he is yours? … Like a stone dislodged deep inside me, I felt the structure of my being start to crumble.
She had the cool beauty of a glassy lake on a cold day— you wanted to stare at it, to take it all in, though you wouldn’t want to touch it. A coldness that seemed biting.
My Review:
Girl Unknown was a gripping and enthralling read that steadily built and maintained an intriguing and inescapable level of tension and suspense as well as an unmistakable sense of impending doom from the very first word of the bewitching prologue to its devastating conclusion. I gasped in disbelief, cringed, flinched, held my breath, clenched my fist, and even growled in frustration at the annoyingly dense David, yet I was mesmerized by the storyline, transfixed by the narrative, embedded and engaged with the characters, and physically unable or unwilling to put my Kindle down any longer than necessary. The characters were as hypnotically intriguing as they were repellent and fractured. I loathed/loved/despised/pitied them in equal measure. Adulting did not happen yesterday. The storyline was cleverly well-crafted, alluring, and maddeningly fascinating while the writing was keenly honed, insightfully observant, well detailed, emotive, and infuriatingly well-paced. I must stalk these talented wordsmiths at every opportunity! -
4.5 stars for this Psychological thriller. I was roped in just from reading the first few pages.
Main characters are The Connolley family; David, husband, father and professor, Caroline, wife and mother, their two children, Robbie and Holly and another possible? Daughter named Zoe. Zoe is supposedly? the result of a previous affair David had with his “passionate, one true love,” Linda, while in school and in between an off/on relationship with his current wife, Caroline.
David and Linda had parted ways; David never knew there was a pregnancy/child, until a young woman shows up to his teaching class and then comes to his office at the university telling him she’s his daughter. Her delivery of the message and lacking proof and odd speak and body language (he describes her as shy, waif-like) leave a lot to be desired/believed, so at first she is not taken seriously. Get ready as once the word gets out, this turns not only David’s world upside down, but also the rest of their family and friends, and his position at the University ends up at stake, Caroline’s position at her employer starts to show stress cracks and also her relationship with David suffers so much more so. Holly starts to withdraw, and Robbie becomes aggressive at school.
David has many ongoing flashbacks of his relationship with the departed Linda. At times, he confuses Zoe with Linda. He’s really in a la la land state of mind as he relives in his mind his and Linda’s young love. It’s the connection he had with Linda of this “true, passionate love” that makes it easy for Zoe to be fully accepted by him. I wanted to smack him in the head for so easily falling into her trap without fully confirming questionable details from her. He really was a weak, confused man, however, without his weakness, this story would not get on. We wonder why he got back together with Caroline a 2nd time and then married her - supposedly because it was “safe.”
Caroline, David’s wife, thinks from the get go, that something is way off with all this and she is not happy with the surprise announcement, Zoe’s presence and the upheaval it brings into their lives. But Caroline is no angel either, and everyone has lies they are telling, past secrets they are hiding.
David brings Zoe into their house and into their family and little by little, Zoe neatly and firmly entrenches herself into their lives. As for the Connolley kids, Robbie has some sort of attraction for Zoe and Holly has a big dislike and distrust for Zoe and detests her for showing up and being in their home.
David was so easily manipulated by Zoe. He seems overly infatuated that she is “his daughter.” Caroline, however, is the one who starts checking even further into Zoe’s background and her distrust continues to grow with proof. Her relationship with her husband continues to shatter. David and Caroline continue to see and experience behavioral issues in their children and between themselves since this hot mess of Zoe began. There also are DNA tests to prove/disprove David is Zoe’s father, but with different results. How can this be? Keep on reading...
We are teased psychologically and constantly throughout the story. There are many twists and turns as you try to figure things out, but nonetheless, each page reveals more and more and before you know it, you are coming on to the end of the book. And the surprises just keep on coming. You just have to read it. This was a really good story about an off base, manipulative young woman and the sheer destruction she caused, not just for this particular family, but her adoptive parents, her stepfather, and anyone else who crossed her path. -
'I think you might be my father . . .'
When first year student Zoë Barry walks into Professor David Connolly's office and tentatively says these words, he is left reeling. But it is the lives of his family - particularly his wife Caroline - which are turned upside down by the arrival of this stranger.
A daughter, a sister, a friend . . . an enemy?
Though no one knows quite who Zoë is, she is soon entangled in their lives. Yet her stories don't ring true and Caroline is determined to learn if the girl is the unlucky innocent she claims to be or someone with a far darker agenda.
A deadly cuckoo in the nest . . .Because by letting Zoë in, David and Caroline aren't just leaving themselves vulnerable. They're risking the most precious thing in the world - the lives of their children.
I honestly don't know where to start with this one. It is without a doubt very tense, dark and an extreme psychological rollercoaster. When Zoë arrives in David's and Carolines lives, it unearths a tremendous amount of turmoil on all the family. Zoë is a troubled and complicated character who finds it very easy to hoodwink and manipulate people for her own benefits and needs, but you are never sure whether she is genuine or simply playing a sinister game.
It makes for a very interesting and curious read. I found the whole story very interesting and tremendously intriguing, but it developed at such a slow pace; always eager for something to happen earlier in the story, which, unfortunately, didn't happen for me and the ending wasn't what I was expecting. Neither in a good or a bad way.
Overall, It kept my interest throughout and the book is very well written with some outstanding dialogue. I really believe, though, it could've given so much more.
Definitely worth a read. The authors writing is exceptional.
3.5/5* -
Imagine you’re already going through a difficult time in your marriage, a trying time that is putting your relationship to the test and then a teenaged girl shows up and announces that she’s your husbands daughter. That’s exactly what happens to Caroline and Zoe’s arrival is just the beginning of a series of events that no one saw coming, I sure didn’t!
While this was most definitely a mystery, it had a strong literary feel to it, the prose used by the authors had a sophisticated subtlety to it that gave it strong edge. I’m always fascinated by writing duos, I wonder how they actually wrote the book. This is told from dual perspectives, that of David and Caroline and I pondered whether each author wrote each distinct voice, but whatever method they used it worked excellently. You would never know it’s co authored, there is nothing disjointed, it’s actually incredibly smooth and the writing style is top notch.
The plot takes several unexpected turns but the twists weren’t the big, shocking gasp worthy type but rather the kind that unnerve you and get under your skin. They are still surprising, but there’s an air of refinement to how they’re executed that worked really well for me. I’m definitely a fan of the style and will be reading more from the author(s) in the future.
Girl Unknown in three words: Unsettling, Polished and Penetrating. -
Zoe Barry walks into David Connelly's office and declares that she is his daughter, wow not something you hear every day and immediately life has changed in a big way. From the beginning David wants Zoe to be his daughter, her mother who David had a relationship with before he was married still remains very much in David's mind and he is more than happy (after the initial shock) to welcome her into his home. But how will David's wife Caroline and two children Robbie and Holly feel about this? Is Zoey who she says she is and why has she come into David's life at this particular time, what are her intentions in regards to his family? As the story progresses cracks appear as Zoey spends more time with the family, family dynamics are changed and relationships are tested. The story is told in alternating chapters between David and Caroline which worked very well in this book. I really enjoyed how the layers of the story were slowly unravelled and the twist at the end was well done.
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Ugh...this is what I get for waiting so long to get my reviews done.
I'm having to dig deep here to find enough things to remember about this book to do it justice. While not a huge fan of this book, I am a big fan of this author.
The beginning certainly grabbed my attention: Shy college student (Zoe) catches the eye of her professor, only to reveal that she believes him to be her father. She unfolds her evidence as to why she thinks this, and the story starts to go downhill from there IMO.
I found David's character (the potential father) to be very annoying and self centered. How could this man be the same loving family man as described in the beginning by his wife Caroline? (whose character I really DID like) As Zoe inserts herself further and further into their lives, it becomes abundantly clear that something doesn't add up, and it's this secret that is what kept me turning those pages until the end. Some things I was able to anticipate, but there was one killer reveal that got at least one fist pump out of me!
They all can't be 5 stars, so I eagerly look forward to my next Perry read. -
Meet David Connolly. A married, father of two, university lecturer working at the University of Dublin. He seems a man you'd want to befriend. His only worries are the decline in his mother's mental state, and whether he should go for promotion at work.
Meet Caroline Connolly. Wife of David, she has just recently returned to the workforce after spending years at home being a full-time mother. Life is hectic, but good.
The Connolly's marriage of seventeen years is fragile. A few years ago, Caroline had overheard her husband talking to his best friend after having had a few too many drinks. She heard him say that Linda (a former girlfriend) was the 'love of his life'. Never able to completely forget his words, Caroline had a brief, unconsummated affair with a parent from her son's school. David has forgiven her, but they have not completely recaptured their previous ease with one another. Doubt and suspicion are rampant.
Then, one day after his lecture on Irish history, a student approaches David saying "I think you might be my father". Zoë Barry is her name. Her story shocks and astounds David, yet there is that element of plausibility that he cannot ignore. She says her mother was Linda Barry (whom David loved when he was a university student himself). Her statement will forever change the Connolly family dynamic.
After a DNA test, David makes overtures to Zoë. He invites her for Sunday lunch to meet the family. As the months pass, she becomes a frequent visitor. Though Robbie, the Connolly's teenage son seems okay with her, Caroline and eleven-year-old Holly are not. Caroline doesn't trust Zoë. The reader gets a sense of pervading dread. What havoc will Zoë wreck upon this family? For Zoë is not what she seems at first. On the surface, and in front of David, the waif-like Zoë is polite and charming. In front of Caroline she is taciturn and hostile. The reader realizes that she is manipulative, capricious, and cunning.
"The first time I felt the ripples of a new presence within my home, like a dye entering water, already changing the chemistry."
When Zoë doesn't turn up for Christmas dinner, the Connolly's find out that she has tried to commit suicide. When David visits her in hospital he invites her to live in their home... It is then that the reader feels unnerved, alarmed, waiting to see how Zoë will further rend the family apart. You know it is coming... just not how, and when... You just know it will be insidious and corrosive.
"It's a funny thing - trust. It was like someone had taken a hammer to that block of trust and began pounding at it, causing cracks to run through it like veins."
With events reaching a crescendo, the final chapters hold plot twists that will please the most devout of thriller fans.
This is a story of guilt, forgiveness, regret, betrayal and manipulative behavior. Expertly written to evoke a sense of deep unease in the reader, the authors have created a subtle tension that pervades the entire novel. A domestic thriller that I highly recommend.
One thing's for sure. I will be looking out for other books authored by this writing team. -
Imagine dating a woman for a few years, then break up for a few years in which time you date another woman for a few months. Move forward to marrying the first woman, having two kids and leading a life where you've worked hard at your marriage and things are good... then this girl/woman shows up in your class, and at your office, and claims you are her father from your in between girlfriend. Boom, your world explodes.
As expected Caroline, the wife, doesn't take kindly to this news. Not only does she see a different side of Zoe than David does, she seems to be the only one concerned with how Zoe's introduction to their lives are affecting their other children.
This is a great book for those who are more into the characters and the drama that envelops them. I felt this was a bit of a gray read - nothing happy within it, but I tend to like these types of books. Unfortunately I think I was expecting more thriller... something more with a punch. Instead, what I got was a book that took you into David and Caroline's heads while they look at this "opportunity" in different lights.
What I did like was that while some parts were a bit far fetched, it was nice to see that David wasn't completely blind to everything and did have some doubts like a normal person would. The manipulation set forth was well done... however, rather than the book being just about Zoe and what she brought to the table, we saw the reality in David and Caroline's own making that made them so easy TO manipulate. Just one person can't make your life that difficult if your relationship wasn't already fraying... right?
The lead up to the ending, while could be shocking to some, kept well within the story line and the build up that the author(s) created. Great for those who love the lighter thriller reads such as The Twilight Wife and My Husband's Wife.
Fun fact: Karen Perry is the pen name Paul Perry and Karen Gillece, a duo who both live in Ireland!
Thanks so much to Henry Holt & Co for this copy! -
A very clever written book -David, a 41 year old professor, living in Dublin is shocked when one of his students says to him "I think you may be my father."
This story is told from 2 points of view - David, and his wife Caroline. As we read, we learn about their past, some of the cracks in their marriage and the new suspense a young lady, Zoe claiming to be Davids daughter.
I got involved with these folks right from page one , and wondering how on earth this story was going to end. A very good book, and a fast read. Well worth picking up. -
Ok not TERRIBLY enamoured with this one. There were several good things about it- mostly the writing which as always for this pair is superb and the way it built tension up throughout the plot I felt worked very well and would have worked better if the characters had not annoyed me so much.
Still, annoying as they were I still had to read to the end so it gripped me in that sense. But seriously. Talk about self absorbed self interested parents, David especially was a total d***head and frankly I could care less whether his life exploded or not. I wanted to stab him with the biggest stabby thing I could find, whiny, self centred and increasingly idiotic as he was.
Luckily the story was saved by his wife, who whilst not totally likeable did occasionally raise her head above the parapet of insular thinking to care about what her kids were going through. She was more realistic, grounded, but even so seriously woman - just walk the feck out and take your children with you if you genuinely think there is danger afoot.
Then there is the cuckoo in the nest - Zoe. Of all the characters she was the most compelling, the most intriguing and the majority of my 3* rating goes to her. Her motivation is unclear but as the book progressed you did get a much better feeling for her, although her actions were horrible by the time the story was over I kind of understood her. One thing I would have liked would have been a small chapter focusing on her point of view.
Kudos to the writing team that is Karen Perry for making getting me so riled. If David had been slightly more likely as a person the rating would be higher. This one will get your blood up.
Good then.... -
Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Uk and Karen Perry for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
You can find my review on both Goodreads and Amazon from today. On Goodreads under my name Karen Whittard and Amazon under my name K.e.whittard.
This is a gripping page turner. That will have you hooked from the beginning. It will leave you guessing right up to the end as you try and pieve together the threads of the story.
When Zoe walks into professor David Connolly and claims he is her father. His world is rocked. It is not only his life but wife Carolines life that are turned upside down. The story is clever as it alternated between both Davids and Carolines point of view to tell the story.
No one knows who Zoe is but she soon gets entangled in their lives. Is she the innocent sweet girl she claims to be of is there something more sinister going on.
A gripping edge of your seat thriller.
Happy reading everyone -
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I started reading Girl Unknown without knowing that much about the novel, but from pretty much the beginning I was hooked!
Zoe, a student at the university that husband and father of two David lectures at, walks into his office and tells him that he is her father, from a relationship of his a long time ago. From this point on, both David and his wife Caroline’s lives completely change – and, at least for Caroline anyway, not for the better! Zoe is not all that she seems, and she behaves very differently depending on who she is around. Her behaviour towards Caroline means that Caroline is not at all fond of Zoe, and this in turn begins to wear away at Caroline and David’s relationship as David feels like she’s being unnecessarily unwelcoming and cold towards Zoe.
You really get a sense of Caroline’s desperation, because the story is told from both David and Caroline’s perspective. This way the reader can see how and why they feel the way they do, meaning you know a lot more than either of those two characters do, who can only really understand their own points of view! However, whilst I felt really sorry for Caroline, I still empathised with David a little – in his mind he was just trying to make up for lost time with his long-lost daughter, after all. There are, though, plenty of times when David behaves like a real idiot - he should really trust and support his wife. No doubt this in itself will divide people – who should come first: your wife or (someone claiming to be) your daughter?
There are times when the novel is a little far-fetched perhaps, but it makes for great entertaining, and I liked that David DID doubt Zoe a bit at some points, when he had cause to. He wasn’t made out to be completely blind to everything, which made him a far more convincing and realistic character.
The story slowly builds as Zoe’s infiltration of the family continues, and things become more and more desperate (and twisted!). I really enjoyed reading Girl Unknown from start to finish, and found myself completely wrapped up in it, finishing reading it really quickly. It’s well written and intriguing, and I am looking forward to reading more from this duo writing as Karen Perry (I have also read and hugely enjoyed
Only We Know.
Definitely recommended!
* Many thanks to Michael Joseph for providing a copy of this book, on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review * -
DNF @ 20%
A slow moving story where I lost the attention from it's start. -
Karen Perry has got better from each book that she had written. Girl Unknown is the best page turner by Karen Perry. I can't recommend it highly enough. I just loved every page. David Connolly and his wife Caroline have had their ups and downs during their marriage, but managed to sort out their problems for the sake of their children Holly and Robbie. David receives a shock when he discovers that he has another daughter that he didn't know about. The Connolly family meet the daughter that they didn't know existed and problems start to happen. Will the step sister leave scars on the Connolly family? If you are going to buy one book this month Girl Unknown should be it as the story will give you a heart aching, page turning read.
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Genre: (General Fiction) Adult
Pub. Date: Feb. 6, 2018
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
This book is marketed as general fiction, but I feel it is a psychological thriller, as it appears to be with all books that have the word “girl” in the title. The reader will meet a family consisting of husband, wife and two children, a 15-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl. I liked the fact that the author did not present this Irish family as perfect. Both parents have secrets from one another. They certainly have their troubles, but they put effort into making their marriage work. They do love one another and want the best for their children. The father is a college professor. In his first-year class, a 19-year-old female student informs him that he is her father from a relationship he had before he married. The reader already knows that this girl’s mother is the true love of his life.
He accepts the girl into his world right away. He is rather naïve in thinking he can easily integrate this daughter into his established family. As the reader expects, almost immediately problems arise. The novel is narrated by the husband and wife. As the title indicates, this girl is an unknown variable in their lives. She has more of her own secrets than this family ever had. She seems to take pleasure in causing conflict, usually ending with the females in the family seeing her as a narcissistic person enjoying the drama she creates, while the males feel she is a troubled person who needs their support. I imagine that this book is advertised as general fiction since it reads like a family drama and a character study. Grant you, an easy character study that is a quick read: a beach book that will probably become a movie.
Half-way through the tale, due to the stressors, all family members begin to crumble. Both parents have major setbacks in their careers as well as in their personal lives. The son is acting out in school, while the 11-year-old daughter has become withdrawn. But it is during a family vacation in France that all hell breaks loose. I would ruin the story for you if I explain why. The previous twists in the book were predictable, easy to find since the family dynamics became rather warped. However, the twist on the last page of the novel did surprise me. It actually left me wanting to know more, wondering what will happen now, which tells me that “Unknown” is a decent read after all.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
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The Boy That Never Was by Karen Perry was a favourite book of mine back in 2014 so I was keen to read Girl Unknown, even though I hadn’t been as enamoured with Only We Know. But Girl Unknown was right back up there as a first rate psychological domestic noir!
When Zoe walks into David’s office, and tells him she thinks he is her father, it comes as a HUGE shock. But David is a good bloke, a loving husband and father and he wants to do the right thing and develop a relationship with his new daughter. And David really does want to make it up to Zoe for not having been there when she needed him but unfortunately Zoe isn’t quite what she first appears!
I do love a dysfunctional family, don’t you? David and Caroline were ripe for the picking really when this cuckoo came calling. Their marriage hadn’t quite recovered from an earlier dalliance and when trust isn’t 100% it’s so much easier to divide and conquer. David seemed to be taken in fully by Zoe but I’m sure if he had striped back the guilt he would have been more aware of who he was letting into his family home. I couldn’t garner the slightest bit of sympathy for Zoe even when things became clearer about her background. But then I’m a woman and its not the women she’s out to bewitch here!
There was always a dark, slightly unpleasant, undertone throughout this book and I was constantly on the edge of my seat just waiting for something rather unsavoury to happen. I never became totally attached to David and Caroline but that’s not to say I wanted bad things to happen to them, just that I was quite happy to sit back and see how far Zoe would go! The only member of the family I did feel very protective of was 11 year old Holly, previously a daddy’s girl who seemed to struggle the most with the arrival of a new half sister.
As the storyline twisted towards its shocking climax and the entire family seemed set to fall apart, I really couldn’t imagine how they would ever get back to their previous cosy existence and the author certainly kept us guessing right up till the end. I found it impossible to judge exactly what was about to happen as the pages flew past with that feeling of being in a nightmare you were unable to wake-up from. It’s definitely an intriguing family drama, played out to chilling effect here even though there was a strange feeling of relief to actually get to the end!
This is another atmospheric page turner from Karen Perry which I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. -
E-Arc sent to me by the Publisher, in exchange of an Honest review
where one light was dimming, another had begun to glow.
From the very first page of the book, i was intrigued; the writing style was a first to me.
It's not all in the present and it's not like a flash back, it's something in between that get you so hooked. you can't even stop thinking about HER!( im sure there's professional term for this style!) but OMG it's my favorite right now.
The book goes like, One chapter from David's POV, And the other from Caroline's
"I think you might be my father" it was what Zoe told David. and that's when his life came crumbling at his feet. it was the beginning of the end of David and Caroline(his wife)'s Happiness. Ever Since, She came into their life; everything changed, to worse.
What is SHE?
I didn’t know she existed. But that was when I first felt her shadow falling over me. The first time I felt the ripples of a new presence within my home, like a dye entering water, already changing its chemistry.
The book had a great portion discussing family problems, real ones, They were very believable and i think anyone could relate to them! So I absolutely loved these parts, how SHE affected every aspect of their life; How literally everything changed 180 degree, youknow?
The character development was so well crafted, you will find yourself feeling the same agony, pain, confusion, with Caroline and David!
The noise rose to a crescendo, all those screaming strings, the screech of brass, and he pushed his fingers deep into his ears. It made no difference. The music was inside his head. No matter what he did, he couldn’t block it out.
The way Karen and Perry wrote together this novel is quite fascinating to be honest, It was SOOOOO CAPTIVATING! they knew how to keep us on our toes. Eager to read the next page! So definitely this book won't be my last by them!
And don't get me started with the ending, it blew my head away, i did NOT see it coming at all! it left me wanting so much more, i needed more than that
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I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher in return for an honest review.
I have a full video review for this book which can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRqwX...
It is safe to say this book messed with my mind, which all good psychological thrillers should. The story follows a typical Irish family and gives us multiple perspectives from the family members, although most chapters are from one of the parents perspectives. From David's point of view, who is the father of the family, we learn that a girl has entered his office and let him know that she thinks he is his daughter. From here the rest of the story develops, and as with many other psychological thrillers, I believe the best way to go into this story is by knowing as little as possible.
This book kept me guessing at every turn, just when I thought I knew what was going to happen next the plot would move in a totally different direction. I love when authors are able to keep you guessing until the very last page and this is definitely one of those reads. The tension that builds throughout is fantastic and keeps you wanting to read on until the early hours of the morning. This is the sort of book you could easily find yourself reading in one sitting, if you have the time.
As this book is told from multiple perspectives, one of the most important aspects for me was that the individual voices must sound different, and I think the authors achieved this well. The character crafting in this novel is wonderful, they all feel believable and individual. They are all fleshed out, and have multiple dimensions to their personalities, meaning that everyone has various different traits for the situations they find themselves in.
I have never read anything by either of the authors from this pen name, or any other titles by this pen name, but I hope to change this in the future. I highly recommend this book if you want a more domestic based psychological thriller. -
Told from two perspectives.
This was a brilliant idea to do that as it gets the reader in deeper I thought.
So David is married, has children within this marriage and now another daughter turns up saying she’s his. And he is her father.
This has such an effect (as you can imagine) on the family dynamics that the marriage is failing and most importantly, his children are in danger.
Just who is this girl?!
It made me keep on reading, it took my interest and was entertained throughout in keeping my brain occupied. I read a lot of thrillers and can honestly say they did a good job with this one. Not perfect but it kept me turning pages. -
Girl Unknown by Karen Perry is told by both Caroline and David, a married couple, who are working through something traumatic that happened in their marriage before the book began. Their marriage is fractured, but not entirely broken. David and Caroline would probably say they have a good life with their jobs and their kids…until Zoe shows up in David’s office, claiming to be his daughter from a previous relationship that ended before his marriage. Needless to say, Zoe’s arrival throws everything way off balance and causes increasing friction in the marriage.
I love a good domestic suspense-thriller story. I feel like Caroline and David present a great depiction of a marriage-under-stress: something happened in the past and forgiveness has occurred — but not true forgiveness because the involved parties haven’t really moved on. There are still snide comments made by one person and there is a ton of guilt carried by the other person. Having an unexpected stressor (like a child you didn’t know you had) thrown into the mix just makes things that much more complicated.
It was quite interesting to watch and anticipate how this couple would respond: would they draw to one another and work through this new issue or would they resort to blame and being catty with one another, and would their family suffer more trauma? I feel like all of their actions drove the plot and rose the level of suspense for me. I also feel like having the perspectives of both Caroline and David helped to move the plot along at a great pace because they were coming at things from totally different angles.
Speaking of angles: I never knew who to trust in this story! Every character had at least a few secrets and nobody trusted anyone else. This level of distrust also added to the level of suspense and drove the plot for me. There were some neat twists added to the mix here and there, which is always fun. I never would have seen that ending in a million years.
In looking at the back of my book jacket, I see that the author Karen Perry is actually an author team: Karen Gillece and Paul Perry, from Dublin. Assuming is not always a good idea, but I would assume here that Karen wrote Caroline’s perspective and Paul wrote David’s perspective. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong!) Regardless of who wrote what part, the POV’s are super well-written, particularly for what these two are experiencing inside of their marriage. Caroline’s thoughts aren’t always the smartest or what I could consider the best, but they seem appropriate for what she has been through and what she is going through, and likewise for David. That really stuck out to me as I was reading and I appreciate the way these two characters related to each other as man and woman/husband and wife so much.
Girl Unknown by Karen Perry is well-written domestic suspense story that had quick pacing and a thrilling end. It made me a little bit uncomfortable while I was reading – not because of the writing, but because of how doggone uncertain I was about everything – and I loved that. I can imagine that nothing about this situation would be comfortable in real life, so I appreciated that feeling while I was reading and the end was a shocker for me.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, Henry Holt Books!
Find this review and more like it on my blog,
Into the Hall of Books! -
Whoa.....
The most frightening thing about Girl Unknown is the stark reality that this could really happen.
When Zoe Barry knocks on David Connellys door, he cannot even guess what carnage is about to be unleashed by her declaration that he is her father.
His already fragile marriage to Caroline is placed under such strain, and throughout this terrifyingly twisted novel you can feel her fear. The cracks are widened by Zoes claim and we see Davids mistakes unfold,
As a University Professor one would think he would be level-headed but his gullibility is perfectly understood by the reader, he really doesn't understand the devastating catastrophe that his obsession with Zoe and more so her mother will cause.
Zoe is conniving and calculating, she is also cruel and teasing.
The tale of these three people, their own feelings and selfishness is more significant that those of the Connellys children, Robbie and Holly, and everyone involved underestimates the price that these two will pay in the end.
Girl Unknown is a gripping and interesting tale. It is wonderfully written and is so deliciously intense that I just could not put it down.
It fabulous to know that such authors can collaborate and come up with something that is authentic and completely flawless. Books such as this make me glad I'm a reader. -
Much of this book was read in a state of disbelief that two adults who have jobs, raise children and own property could be as naive, insipid, psychologically stunted, and stupid as the couple who co-tells this woeful tale. As they conveniently hid things from each other and themselves "for the sake of the children" I kept saying aloud, "Your children could not possibly be as dumb as you two."
Luckily, the children were not as immature as the parents, but they were damaged in other ways. It would be hard to grow up with these parents and not be, actually.
Nonetheless, I kept reading, because we have two unreliable narrators telling a similar yet competing tale about a third person (the "girl unknown") who isn't trustworthy either. So I just wanted to see what kind of crash they were foreshadowing from sentence one.
I will admit, the crash was different than I imagined. And for that, they get an "it was OK" from me. If nothing else, this is a cautionary tale about trying to keep secrets from those around you and doing the things that make "the neighbors" or the PTA or whoever else you're trying to impress or shield from the truth happy. -
Not bad, but really the only decent part was the last page or two. Up until that point, it all was so unbelievably predictable.
The biggest stumbling block for me and the reason I gave it only 2 stars was how the author kept interrupting the natural progression of events by having the characters stop and woefully ruminate, "Oh! If I had only known how badly things were going to end! If only I had done things differently! Had I known how unhappy we'd be....blah blah blah." Yeah. We get that. It's literally on the back cover about how things start getting worse and worse for the characters because of this new alleged daughter. The frequency of which these characters keep lamenting about how terrible things become took away from the entire book.
I finished this book only because I had nothing else to read...
