An Amazon Charts bestseller.Stay calm, keep smiling, and watch your step. In this marriage of secrets and lies, nothing is what it seems.For days, all of Denver, Colorado, has worried over the fate of a missing child, little Tanner Holcomb. Then, a miracle: handsome, athletic Johnny Bradley finds him, frightened but unharmed, on a hiking trail miles from his wealthy family’s mountain home.In a … family’s mountain home.
In a heartbeat, his rescuer goes from financially strapped fitness trainer to celebrated hero. The heat of the spotlight may prove too much for Johnny’s picture-perfect family, however. His wife, Veronica, despises the pressure of the sudden fame, afraid that secrets and bitter resentments of her marriage may come to light. And she’s willing to do anything to keep them hidden.
But when a shocking revelation exposes an even darker side to Tanner’s disappearance, Veronica realizes that nothing in her life can be trusted. And everything should be feared.
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False Step by Victoria Helen Stone seems to be the story of any other disgruntled couple, putting up the façade of marriage, struggling to accomplish their dreams till their secrets and lies leave you dumbfounded! An electrifying page-turner, fast paced narrative would keep you guessing for the next step, which could prove fatal for the family. The plot is so authentic that I kept shifting my sympathies: hating Johnny, admiring Micah, feeling the distress of Veronica and sensing the realistic trap that she could neither live with nor ignore.
Victoria’s crisp style grips your attention; not a word is wasted in delaying the revelations and nail-biting finish would leave you astounded! The characters seem to resemble people around you – naïve, vulnerable, clever, selfish, demonic and unpredictable. I despised Veronica for not quitting, for hiding behind the excuse of her daughter’s welfare, for waiting till her daughter is old enough to handle the trauma of divorce but many people would believe the realism behind her justifications. This is a dark thriller, with the touch of bitter theatrics to produce the desired impact.
Favorite Quotes:
Her job was to help people regain remedial skills, and very few clients were thrilled to have that opportunity.
She’d suspected Johnny of cheating plenty of times, but as far as she knew, it had only happened once. Just once… As for that one time? Well, she’d forgiven him. Or she thought she had. It turned out that frantically gluing the broken pieces of a marriage back together didn’t make for the tightest hold.
Her daughter didn’t notice or didn’t care, and that was a blessing. Children were naturally selfish. Their selfishness protected them from noticing the rough currents of life that pulled in all directions. But they noticed the rapids. They knew when they were being sucked under.
There were crimes anyone might commit, like jaywalking or smuggling a really cool rock home from a national park. Then there were certain crimes you could assign to people you knew well. Trish, for instance, might steal a campaign sign from a bigoted school board candidate and throw it in the trash if no one was looking.
“Mom, though … I swear to God, Veronica, I think she imagined that Fatima and I would have twice as many grandkids because we have two wombs.” “It’s the clear benefit of having a lesbian daughter, Trish. Extra incubation space.”
My Review:
I’m a bit conflicted on how to rate and feel about this one. The characters were not at all likable or trustworthy as they were actually quite selfish and contemptible, yet my curiosity was tipped and I wanted to know how their story would shake out. The intriguing storylines and subplots were slowly exposed with steadily rising levels of angst and uncertainty over a variety of stressors. Suspected serial spousal infidelities, as well as her own current cheating, were but one of many concerns the highly anxious and deeply resentful main character of Veronica was constantly obsessing over. Her husband’s heroics of finding a lost child brought immediate media attention as well as police scrutiny to her home, resulting in additional complications and spirals of anxiety, and for good reason. The writing and storylines were taut with tension, tragedy, unexpected twists and turns, and an occasional greatly appreciated glimpse of wit.
Johnny and Victoria are married – college sweethearts – and parents to Sydney. Victoria is at her job one day (she’s a physical therapist) when she sees a video of her husband running out of the woods carrying a young boy who had been missing for days. After the whirlwind dies down and the reporters go away, the police do not go away and continue questioning both Johnny and Victoria. Victoria confides in Micah, her lover and Johnny’s best friend about some of what’s going on, but not everything. She doesn’t tell him about the surprising detail about the boy’s disappearance that makes her question Johnny’s every movement and she begins to fear for her and her daughter’s safety.
Veronica’s life hasn’t turned out the way she planned. A surprise pregnancy resulted in a quick marriage and now, a dozen years later, she’s tired of her marriage but can’t leave because of her daughter. When her husband becomes a hero after he finds a kidnapped child, a harsh spotlight shines on them all, and Veronica wonders if they can survive. A page-turner, some moments of “what are you thinking?!” and “saw that one coming,” but all in all, a fast, satisfying read.
FALSE STEP by Victoria Helen Stone is well played. Very well played. No spoilers here. Suffice it to say that I generated a wind current by turning the pages so fast!
False Step was so unpredictable I was always a few steps between the characters – and that actually felt amazing. Stone is amazing at psychological thrillers that are like puzzle pieces, especially because the characters are so very relatable.
First, a trigger warning: while this is not a romance, there is cheating and it is crucial to the story.
If you’ve read the book description and it interests you, don’t hesitate for a second; it lived up to all my expectations, which were considerable. Victoria Helen Stone has written yet another phenomenal book. Her writing is vivid and eloquent, and right from the start, you get that feeling of impending doom. I could feel Veronica’s panic, her frustration, her rage, her helplessness, her disbelief; the dialogues are amazing and always realistic. The characters are superbly fleshed out, there are secrets, startling twists and turns, and Ms. Stone slowly builds up the tension until it crescendoes to its terrifying conclusion.
With FALSE STEP, Victoria Helen Stone has cemented her position amongst the greats; she writes a mean domestic thriller. The story is tightly and carefully plotted, the writing impeccable, the editing flawless, and although I had figured out parts of the storyline, the ending was not at all what I expected; it was so much more satisfying. FALSE STEP is completely different from the author’s unforgettable masterpiece, JANE DOE (my favourite book of 2018), and just as thrilling, exciting, and utterly spellbinding. In my eyes, Victoria Helen Stone can do no wrong, she is fearless, bold, original and she has secured her place on my auto-buy list.
Having her husband finda lost toddler upsets one woman’s life. Veronica is struggling with her life and her husband Johnny is not giving her the time of the day. Now he’s a hero and she’s connecting dots that shouldn’t be there. While I understand why this book may have been a bestseller and topped the charts, I couldn’t grasp what the author was trying to say through Veronica’s thoughts. The ending kinda brought things together in a frightening way.
So warped! Micah seduced both Veronica & Johnny.
False Step is a well-written book for fans of domestic thrillers. Thank you Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #FalseStep
False Step, my third read/listen from author Victoria Helen Stone. A captivating, enjoyable read. I was impressed and enjoyed the vocal talents of narrator Melissa Moran. I highly recommend to buy the book, read the book & get into a good author and some good characters as I have. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. As to kind of my first read. I started listening to Evelyn After and my wife enjoyed that book so much that I have to listen to it when she can listen to it with me & since I had this one from the same author I read it “first”. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
I had heard great things about the author’s previous book, Jane Doe, which was on my TBR, so I was incredibly excited to be contacted for the opportunity to read and review this new book.
From the very beginning, a disarming tone is set up that suggests not everything is what it seems. From the details and outcome of the kidnapping to the Bradley’s relationship and marriage, happiness is futile. In much the same vein as books like The Last Mrs. Parrish and Gone Girl, these characters are unlikeable and unreliable. They don’t trust each other and we can’t trust them.
“She loved having secrets. She loved that no one in her life knew everything about her. She was a puzzle, and only she had all the pieces.”
This certainly made for an interesting dynamic in the journey as we followed Veronica to the shocking truth! Although I knew there was going to be a twist, it was truly hard to pin down until it ultimately happened.
“She wasn’t above suspicion so much as below notice, and these days that was just fine with her.”
The tension is fantastically built as Veronica slowly tries to figure out what is going on; however, the pacing tended to slow down considerably as she spent a lot of time dwelling on how the various men in her life regarded women. This isn’t to say that those reflections aren’t important as each moment is incredibly thought-provoking. Compelling conversations regarding mother-daughter relationships could certainly be discussed from the interactions that occur or the memories that are referenced within the story; however, Veronica never vocalizes these thoughts to anyone. Rather than being honest and opening herself up to that vulnerability, these generational problems continue, and unfortunately, Sydney, Veronica’s daughter, will become its latest victim.
“But she’d set aside her own hurt for her children. That was what mothers did.”
The author’s writing style while measured is quite captivating and voyeuristic, luring you into the gritty realities these characters have created for themselves. You don’t want to watch, but you can’t turn away. There are a few graphic sex scenes, but nothing is overly gratuitous or descriptive. As Veronica’s worries mount and Johnny’s decisions come home to roost, the story weaves together the selfishness of two self-described selfless individuals.
As the betrayals build up, the pages will fly! And ultimately, these convoluted and conflicted relationships unravel into an unforgettable and grisly conclusion that shouldn’t be missed!
If you are looking for a good thriller this is the book for you. The storyline moved quickly, the plot was easy to follow, and the author did a great job of not giving it away too early.
From the very beginning, I knew there was more to the story of Johnny and Veronica. There were hints and I kept guessing. I never wanted the story to go the way it does but I couldn’t stop reading until I found out what was going to happen.
The relationship between Johnny and Veronica was not good. They were not happily married. They should not have stayed married yet I did understand why they didn’t separate. Neither character was very likable. Johnny just seemed shady while Veronica was a pity party at every turn. Nothing was right or good with the two of them and unfortunately, they had a child to take care of.
I did like this book, I loved the storyline. The characters were a bit of a drag but I’d still recommend picking up a copy of this book. It was quick and easy to read. The writing style was easy to follow. The story moved along quickly.
Holy crap what a story! I was hooked from the beginning and literally only put it down so I could eat and use the restroom. I loved that there was so much going on within the story, not just the missing/found child. LOVED THIS.
If thriller means ‘amp up my stress levels for the duration of the book’, then this is definitely a thriller. From the moment I started the first chapter, I was getting strong, such strong secondhand anxiety on behalf of the POV character, Veronica. The book was so good, even if I’m not the biggest fan of a speeding stress train playing with my emotions. Other than Sydney, Veronica’s young daughter, the other main characters were these complex figures, living in a world of grey rather than black or white, which I really liked. It gave them and the book itself a more realistic feel that kept me continuing on in the story. And Veronica, she was a solid protagonist, one whom I wanted to root for, what with the secrets she was keeping and her reaction to the media frenzy after her husband’s rescue of a missing child. After finishing the book, I immediately thought I wouldn’t read it again or for a very long while (cause that stress train was that much) but having given it a few days, yeah, I would read it again.
A terrific psychological thriller…domestic noir suspense… a twisted relationship. I was shocked but not surprised as I had read Victoria Helen Stone’s ‘Jane Doe’ last year and loved it. ‘False Step’ is different but it’s still a dark twisted tale that has you suspecting every character and madly swiping try to unlock the next piece of the puzzle. Fabulous!
Intense and chilling, False Step wickedly rewards thriller fans with a compulsive read that’ll leave readers wondering how well they know their loved ones. I was riveted!