The Marriage: An absolutely jaw-dropping psychological thriller Paperback – 17 May 2021

K L Slater weaves another wonderful web of characters, leaving me unsure who is good or bad. Like most of her novels, the secrets drip through gradually, casting suspicion on just about everybody! This clever story probes into 'restorative justice' system where people in prison talk to their victims to realise the effect of their crimes. In this case, a man who accidentally killed his best friend with a single punch, is confronted by the victim's mother. How strange they fall in love. Stranger still that Bridget and Jesse's killer, Tom, get married. First, I felt for Jill, Tom's mum. Tom comes across as a genuinely nice guy who never meant Jesse to die and is filled with remorse. But all Jill wants is for her son to come home and to help him rebuild his life. Bridget I was not so sure about. By marrying Jill's son, was she exacting some form of twisted revenge? Did she marry Tom to take away Jill's son, as if to compensate for losing Jesse? She is 20 years older yet seems surprised when others condemn the marriage, including her Grandson, Ellis. Foisting the man who is responsible for the death of his own father into the home seems cruel! And for this reason, I didn't like her. Given the tragedy of the situation, she appears to lack empathy, selfishly doing what she wants and not caring about the effect it has on others.... unless there is another motive.Then came the twists. Did Tom really kill Jesse by accident? What secrets hide between him and Ellis's mother, Coral? And what is the betrayal, Jill's friend, Audrey, keeps mulling over?I found this an intriguing read - the psychology and dynamics nail-biting - and I could not wait to uncover the truth behind this most unusual of liaisons.

Good storyline but little predictable in places.Ending could have been better, didn't seem too exciting but I did enjoy it.

I can never put her books down and this one was no exception. A brilliant read!

First of all, lets talk about the physical state of this book. It turned up with pages hanging out of it. I paid £8.72…which is more than I’d usually pay for a paperback…and didn't expect it to be falling apart. It spoilt my enjoyment somewhat.I ordered this book on a recommendation. The author based the book in my home town and I was intrigued. However, sorry, but it felt a little amateurish to me. The author constantly referred to places in Mansfield, almost as if she wanted you to know that she lived there and knew the area which was fine if you also knew the area but pointless if you didn’t. The plot was good but there was far too much jumping back in time and flitting between characters. The main characters sudden rise in wealth was a tad unbelievable too. By the time all was ‘revealed’ I’d already worked out who did it.However, I would read more work by this author but probably on my iPad at a much cheaper price…and at least the pages wouldn’t fall out.

I love this author’s work and when this happens, I don’t read reviews until after I’ve read the novel! However, I agree with some reviewers, that this is not really a psychological thriller in the true sense of the word. Having said that, it was a good read from the start, with a twist at the end.Bridget & Jill were friends when their respective sons (Jesse & Tom) were small. The boys grew up and spent a lot of time in their respective parents’ homes.One night after a heated argument between Jesse & Tom, it ends with Jesse dying and Tom going to prison for ten years for the murder. Just after the prison sentence Coral, Jesse’s girlfriend, has a child, Ellis who Bridget loves and supports Coral as she is the mother of her grandson.During Tom’s prison term Jesse’s mum, Bridget spends time with Tom. They fall in love and marry within the prison. Tom is released and Jill is looking forward to having him home with her and her husband Robert. Things don’t go according to plan and Jill is unhappy with the marriage of her son to her former best friend.Tempers fly and there follows schemes to try and scupper the relationship between Tom and Bridget.The novel is split into chapters written through the eyes of a number of characters, which keeps it interesting. There are twists and turns within the novel and without giving too much away, it wasn’t what was perhaps expected.Not Kim’s best work but nonetheless I did enjoy it.

Would recommend

I wasn't sure about buying this to be honest as I don't like anything to do with child death. This book, however, is nothing like what I feared it might be. Her son and the killer were the same age, and not young children when the event took place. In addition to that, it is so well written. The characters are well rounded and believable, the story is sensitively written, and the plot is nothing short of fabulous. Plenty of twists along the way. I will definitely be buying more from this author

Does everything a psychological thriller should do, the pace is set right and revelations happen at opportune moments without feeling contrived... Characters are given depth and relatability - all with their good points and flaws exposed... The different perspectives help to keep the story flowing but they also made it quite frustrating when you wanted to see the same context from the viewpoint of another character... Overall though it was a thriller-lover's dream... I didn't give it 5 stars because my personal preference was to not have the constant flashbacks - I understand why they were there and they added something to the story; I could just have done without them

My Review:Loved, loved, loved this book and the wonderful author who wrote it!!!!! What a shocking, twisty, unbelievably awesome book this was for me. I could not put this book down for the life of me. I picked up this book in the morning and finished it before going to bed. It was just that good. I look forward to reading more of your books. In fact I picked out Closer to read next. I’m on a mission to finish each and every one of your books.I want to start off by saying that I have read most of KL Slaters books and every single one that I have read is to die for. KL Slater is by far one of my favorite authors and if you ever read one of her books you would understand why. I do have to say though that out of all the books I have read by her this book was by far my favorite. The storyline is what grabbed me. A woman falls in love with the man that killed her son. Wow, that sentence in itself makes me want to know more. I don’t know if I have ever come across a book with that kind of plot. Now let’s talk about my favorite part of the book, the ending. That ending was the shocker of all shockers. I nearly had a heart attack. That ending had too many twists and turns to count them all. I actual had to reread the ending to make sure I was seeing it all correctly. KL Slater really out did herself on this one. I had picked this book up while it was on sale and boy it was so well worth the money I paid for it plus much much much more. Thanks again for being such a great writer and please continue to write many more books so I can love those too.Lastly, the characters, plot, and the ending of this book made this an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend this book and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Man will das Buch gar nicht aus der Hand legen. Das Ende ist selbst mit großer Vorstellungskraft nicht annähernd vorhersehbar.

What a story! Won’t spill out any details of the book, just go for it! You guys will love it

valt mee

Ce livre est très mal imprimé, les caractères sont effacés 1 page sur 2!