Find out how Mumsnetters reacted to psychological thriller Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

I love these stories... Without giving anything away I will just admit to re-reading the end again as I couldn't believe the ending! Great book but you need to concentrate, which as stated above I am not the best at doing! :) 5/5

I really enjoyed this book. Very well-written with believable, rounded characters. I couldn't believe that ending - so exciting! Very unexpected. I'll say no more...

This was a really enjoyable book that kept me hooked throughout and I can see it being a huge success. Thank you very much for my copy and I particularly enjoyed this cover which perplexed my children!

What did you think of the characters? - I liked all of the main characters even with their flaws. There is enough doubt created in the storyline to let you question whether your preconceptions were correct and even with presumed flaws in the characters psyche, you can still pity or forgive them some of their behaviours. There were a couple of secondary characters who needed to be in the storyline to assist in events later on in the book but I felt they could have been included in the latter part without such detail in the beginning.

What was your reaction to the ending? - The very ending of the book left me shocked in a fascinated sort of way. As in all good psychological thrillers, it was not what had happened that affected you but what COULD happen; an ending completely befitting the complexity of the book.

Did you expect the ending? - The end of the book was not what I expected at all. About half way through the book, I thought I had worked out the plot as I had read a novel as a child about long lost sisters that had a similar storyline to this and I have never forgotten it. The beginning of the end was certainly similar and enjoyable although with its own differences but I did not see the final twist coming. I am looking forward to rereading this book to see how my perceptions have changed - I think this book will be even more enjoyable the second time around.

Looks like a great book

An addicting, intriguing, and consuming of a book it is.
The slow building suspense was gripping and so incredibly well written.
Is a must read.

Love a good book! This looks excellent

I love psychological thrillers. A nice pacy plot with plenty of trills and twists to keep you guessing!

Adele, her husband David and his employee Louise's lives become entwined with deceit and a hidden secret. Things get complicated when David and Louise begin an affair and she becomes friends with Adele. It has some interesting twists and turns but the ending was a bit disappointing for me.

looks like my kind of book - will look forward to reading it

brilliant read, ending was great

Gripping read

A very good read.

great book gripping

I was gripped by this book - i had read it in a day as i just couldnt put it down!

It seems that I missed my chance to enter to win a copy - pity as it seems good. Will have to look out for it in the shops or library.

I love thrillers and think this book looks great, I want to read it

I have heard it is a great read. I will be buying it today so I can read on my holiday.

the character could be just an ordinary person which you see on the bus, at the school gates every day. who meets some one, falls under a spell and her life changes and you follow her page turning story with suspense and excitement and a 'please don't do that; thoughts. Well done author.

I don't normally read this type of book but I think I might do after reading about this one.

Very impressed with this novel, the first Pinborough I have read, and I will be looking for her earlier works. Pinborough delivers a fantastic thriller with Behind Her Eyes. Characters and plotlines are not always what you think they are (or want them to be), and that is what makes this such a great story; consistent quality writing. Hands down, this should be the big talked about thriller come January.

Thanks again for the book mumsnet. I found it to be a real page turner, very gripping. I do like a good thriller, although have not read anything with a supernatural element to it before. All the hype around the ending slightly ruined it for me though as I was constantly trying to second guess the characters to figure out what the twist was going to be (I was nowhere close with my guesses), but I would have preferred to have just taken it for what it was all the way.
I liked the characters, yes Louise made some pretty ropey decisions, but I could kind of see how it could happen, maybe (!). I would have liked to have got to know David better, although I guess it was the point of the story not to.
I found the ending a bit of a let down actually. Can't go into detail without giving elements away, but I think, as previously mentioned, the hype around the ending meant my expectations were sky high so it was unlikely ever to live up to that.
Overall quite a good read that I may recommend, although not wholeheartedly.

Wow! Just finished this last night - what an ending! Not what I expected AT ALL as it crossed the line from a general fiction to fantasy in a few short chapters.
I liked the characters, they were believable and well written, but some of their decision making was awful - especially Louise.
Great book, though the ending did leave me heartbroken for one minor character, I'm sure other readers will feel the same!

Thank you again for sending me this book - was very uplifting to 'win' something in the post like that!

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Definitely a thriller with a supernatural aspect - which is a new concept for me, having not read anything like it before. I found the writing to be quite simplistic, but it also ended up being a real page turner for me and I struggled to put it down when I got into it. I would recommend to my friends as good entertainment, although I was also a little disturbed by it!

What did you think of the characters? I found the characters a bit too obvious and I did struggle identifying with any of them. It was interesting though how sympathy for each character came and went at different points throughout the story.

What was your reaction to the ending? I felt quite disturbed to be honest. And sad!

Did you expect the ending? No, I didn’t register at all and it was quite a shock!

Thanks again for the book – wasn’t particularly challenging but I did get sucked into it and enjoyed it.

Louise is a single mum who has night terrors. On a rare night out she meets a man. They share a connection which they both feel and they also share a kiss. When Louise goes into work she discovers that ‘connection man’ is her new (married) boss, David.
Her ex-husband drops a bombshell in that wants to take her little boy away to France with him and his new girlfriend who is newly pregnant. Louise doesn’t cope with this news very well and combined with ‘connection man’ her ordinary world starts to lose its rosy tinge. Little does she know how much it will change…
Inadvertently Louise makes friends with David’s wife Adele. Years ago Adele use to suffer with bad dreams and being unable to sleep so they too have a connection.
Louise has a hard time being friends with Adele and also wanting, and ultimately, sleeping with David. She wants to tell David about Adele and feels guilty about sleeping with David. She wants to tell Adele about David but doesn’t want to hurt her. She is in turmoil, but is easily led and always finds an excuse not to tell either one the truth today and puts it off. She gets sucked into their marriage and their lives and can’t seem to extricate herself.
I thought that Adele was out to ruin Louise’s life but the truth was stranger…
I thought the characters were great because they seem ordinary but they all have flaws, as we all do.
It is an absolutely fantastic book. You really won’t get the ending until you are almost there and then the truth hits hard and shocks to the core. Oh My God!
I couldn’t write this review straight away as my head was spinning so I left it a couple of days. I keep thinking about it! It’s a really messes with your head.

Thanks to Mumsnet for the free copy of this book, I’m so pleased to have had the opportunity to read it. It has made me look at people in a new light….

Thank you for my copy of this book. It took me about a week to read.

What did you think of the characters? I am afraid that all 3 of them (4 if you count Rob) annoyed me. Although there were elements that I could relate to in all of them, there was much more that I found unrealistic about them. E.g. I am not sure people form such intense relationships/friendships so quickly, especially when they come from such different backgrounds. I did not feel David's behaviour/work conditions were very typical of a consultant psychiatrist.

What was your reaction to the ending? I must admit, I read the ending more quickly than the rest of the book because I wanted to find out what was going to happen. So I was gripped by it. I found it surprisingly satisfying and I think it will stay with me longer than the endings of some other supposed psychological thrillers with twists!

Did you expect the ending? I had an inclination of what might be going to be revealed and I would say that I was about half right, but I had not worked out the details of how it would happen. So that was a surprise.

I think the ending lifted the book slightly in my estimation, actually. Prior to that I had mostly felt irritated by it!