‘I was gripped from the first few pages and found myself hooked on a rollercoaster ride up to the last few pages … I read it in pretty much one sitting, I just needed to know how the book was going to end’ Donna’s Book BlogIt begins with a phone call. It ends with a missing child.On a warm summer’s morning, thirteen-year-old school girl Constance Lawson is reported missing. A few days later, … Lawson is reported missing.
A few days later, Constance’s uncle, Karl Lawson, suddenly finds himself swept up in a media frenzy created by journalist Amanda Bowe implying that he is the prime suspect.
Six years later …
Karl’s life is in ruins. His marriage is over, his family destroyed. But the woman who took everything away from him is thriving. With a successful career, husband and a gorgeous baby boy, Amanda’s world is complete. Until the day she receives a phone call and in a heartbeat, she is plunged into every mother’s worst nightmare.
An utterly compelling psychological thriller that will keep you guessing to the very last page. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and Sarah A. Denzil’s Silent Child.
Read what everyone is saying about Guilty:
‘Guilty was such a great book. It was filled with so many twists and turns…It was well written and definitely made you wanting more with every page turn.’ Oh My Lit
‘Guilty is one gripping psychological thriller with a well-constructed plot and realistic and believable characters…Incredibly thought-provoking, it’ll make you question everything.’ Novel Deelights
‘A mesmerizing psychological thriller…and will leave you completely fulfilled with a flawless ending. Guilty is the first novel I have read by Laura Elliot and it will NOT be my last. I found Guilty to be impossible to put down, the characters are intoxicating, and the story compulsively addictive.’ Books and Smiles
‘A great thriller that is full of suspense and tension.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘This book is a raw, edge-of-the-seat page-turner. The story is told in four parts, all of which lead into each other beautifully.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘This tense psychological thriller grips you tight from the prologue and adds layers of tension with each page you turn…Laura Elliot has skillfully crafted an excellent novel. Her writing style keeps you flipping pages at a frantic pace.’ Goodreads reviewer
‘This is a very well written psychological thriller.’ Strong Reviews
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It is a gripping book that shows what a reporter with an agenda can do to someone’s life. Spelling-binding.
I think this is one of the worst books I’ve ever read. It shouldn’t count as a thriller, I’ve read a gorrier R.L. Stine book. There was no psychological part of it, and it was very un-suspenseful, everything was predictable. The plot was unrealistic, and the second half is 100% a repeat of the first half, literally the exact same thing, leaving me unsatisfied.
GUILTY by Laura Elliot is the best suspenseful read I’ve found in a long time. 5-star read.
This is a story of one journalist’s thirst for a story, how her aggressive and unflagging investigation into an innocent man ruins his life, and how his vengeance ruins hers. Constance, a young girl, goes missing one night. She has a very close relationship with her uncle Karl, but Karl doesn’t know what happened. Amanda, a reporter, digs into Constance’s relationship with her uncle, and puts a sinister tone to it. Based on her insinuations in her reporting, Amanda turns public opinion against Karl. Amanda is unscrupulous, and stops at nothing to get what she wants. Her reckless behavior causes her to ruin Karl’s life. But, later, Karl exacts his revenge.
The story was good, but it went on for too long. I think it could have been better if the story was about 100 pages shorter. It would have heightened the intensity of the novel.
This story certainly did make one thing clear to me – and that is, do not automatically assume something about someone, and check and recheck what you read!
#Guilty #LauraElliot
I came across Laura Elliot’s book, Guilty, and was immediately drawn into the lives of the characters. This is a story that deals in complex relationships and the power of an unfettered media. A young girl goes missing and one reporter, who is aggressive in her quest for the next headline, sets in mission a series of events that will haunt the reader long after the book is done. In a world the ends justify the means for an unfettered press justice is sometimes served from the most unexpected of plates. Guilty is a powerful story of loss and vengeance and how grief my dull but never fades away. Masterful.
I thought it was interesting that it showed how a persons reputation can be ruined by the press. Intriguing to see how the revenge took place.
Love this book! Kept my interest to the end!!!
1/2 STARS
So Guilty was the first book I have read by Laura Elliot, I enjoyed it but found the first half of the book much more compelling than the second.
If I could, I would rate the first fifty percent a solid four and the last half a three as I can’t do this and to be fair I have settled on a three and a half rating for the whole experience.
So what is guilty about?
Well when Constance Lawson goes missing, it sends everyone into a tailspin of confusion, hysteria and an almost witch-hunt of epic proportions by the press.
In particular, one journalist makes it her mission to personally persecute Constance’s uncle, Karl Lawson.
Amanda Bowe a journalist is mainly motivated by a past grievance and also an arrogance of her own self-importance that she is infallible in her assumptions.
she systematically closes the cage that is growing around Karl, So great is her arrogance in his guilt.
Not caring a tall that Karl could be an innocent man.
Over seven days Karl Lawson’s life is destroyed in a campaign of mud slinging and half-truths.
finally resulting in him losing everything important to him, his job, his family nothing is off limits.
Loved this half of the book
Watching a world implode and the sheer helplessness and inability to call a cease-fire was a sort of train-wreck visual.
it was soul destroying, but the visuals it beheld were strangely compelling, as poor Karl is thrown to the wolves and ripped apart, to make it worse he seems such a lovely man.
A great father, dad, husband, brother, uncle.
None of this matters when it comes to the judgements imposed by others.
Amanda at the helm leading the madness, almost a figurehead.
In contrast, Amanda Bowes to me wasn’t a very likeable person.
I couldn’t take to her at all, so to see her thriving years later, well not exactly fair, is it.
Well, Karmas a bitch and it’s coming for you AMANDA!!!
Now as I said, I found some parts of this story more enthralling than others, that is not to say I didn’t enjoy Guilty, I just felt more of a connection with certain characters so found it easier to connect to these parts of the story.
Karl was easy, Amanda not so much.
I also couldn’t get my head around the plinks I found them pointless and a bit bizarre, but I suppose they did serve their purpose they were just a bit weird, they also made me think a bit of lazy town.
don’t ask me why they just did.
Also towards the end, I felt things started to drag a bit so I was definitely ready for that finish line.
The end in sight almost.
So, in conclusion, this was a good solid read that kept my attention mostly.
It did drag slightly for me in places, but other instances more than made up for it, keeping my momentum going.
But I’m Still slightly bemused about those bloody plinks!
sorry just saying.
Anyway shaking head slightly,
thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free readers copy of Guilty By Laura Elliot this is my own personal opinion.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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I loved this book. An ending I did not suspect but so appropriate.
REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK
Couldn’t put it down. Excellent characters, lots of twists and turns.
This book has a really fresh approach to a classic revenge theme. It’s part thriller part psychological suspense but it’s all really good.
(Warning: Spoiler Alert!!!) I liked the book in many ways, but did not like his taking her child in retaliation—even if he was not harming the child emotionally or physically. He had regained his success. True, he had lost so much, but I just don’t like revenge. His wife leaving and brother’s rejection are both on them. The problem is taking a child. I’d have rather he destroyed her in another way. But not a child.
Always leaves the reader guessing.
This author wove together 3 different events in her book….she did an excellent job. It was a very good book to read!
Love this book. Read far into the night…I couldn’t put it down! The ending is terrific! Love this author. Such plot twists. Read it! U won’t be sorry, if u like thrills!
I really enjoyed this book and will read more from this author. I couldn’t stop reading it and went to bed late but it was worth it.
The book started off really well.A real page turner. The poor uncle drug through the mud by a reporter who is trying to advance her career. However, the middle of the book seemed long and drug out. It went into years later. Then a couple of more years later. Very long. Finally, we come towards the end of the book where the plot picks up again. Very good ending. I would really give the book a 3.5 stars. Just because of the middle of the story. It didn’t need to be so long. Others wise, a good read.
Three and a half stars. It was well written, though, I believe the author has forgotten there is a word ‘take’ in the dictionary and how to use it. A pet peeve of mine. There were several twists that I didn’t expect and I finished it, so I would recommend it.
Great story line. Shows you how the media can influence the publie opinion