As a huge fan of the psychological mystery/thriller genre I was really impressed by AJ Campbell's debut novel "Leave Well Alone". It was well written and quite entertaining!
The female protagonist Eva is a law student, pressing forward in life while plagued by a traumatic childhood. Her priorities shift after giving birth to a premature baby with a life- threatening congenital condition. Eva is driven to find her birth family and she has no idea what lies ahead!
I am drawn to books with a psychological angle to the mystery. They require complex characters and enough background information to educate the reader and keep us guessing. AJ Campbell delivered! Some characters felt comfortable and familiar to me while others were way less predictable...This is one of those books that left me concerned and curious if I put it down. I loved the twists and turns. I thought I had solved the mystery at 80% only to be totally surprised a few more times in the end - which I loved! The story lines all came together surprisingly well, especially for a debut novel.
I enjoyed AJ Campbell’s style. She uses realistic dialogue, a good tempo and just the right amount of embellishment. She sprinkles similes and metaphors throughout the book, allowing the reader to sense the locations – London at night, the English countryside, the neonatal ICU…. (I could even “hear” the monitors and IV pumps beeping)
The point of view is first person, alternating between 2 characters. Eva's chapters are in the present while Jim's are many months later. It worked! The story culminates when both narrators are in sync, or close to it. I found myself trying to connect their stories and perspectives, all the while looking for clues to fill in the gaps. It all made sense in the end!
Readers who enjoyed AJ Finn's The Woman in the Window and/or Lisa Jewell's "Then She was Gone" will love this book! “Leave Well Alone” is engaging and suspenseful. What more can we ask? I gave it 5 Stars, for the writing, the character development and the carefully crafted plot twists. I’d love to see more from AJ Campbell in the future!
I have purchased the paperback and Kindle versions. I am reviewing an ARC, received pre-publication order to provide an objective review. I am in the US and the author is in the UK. We have only "met" informally through a social media account.
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About the author
GREAT mystery and suspense!!!
As a huge fan of the psychological mystery/thriller genre I was really impressed by AJ Campbell's debut novel "Leave Well Alone". It was well written and quite entertaining! The female protagonist Eva is a law student, pressing forward in life while plagued by a traumatic childhood. Her priorities shift after giving birth to a premature baby with a life- threatening congenital condition. Eva is driven to find her birth family and she has no idea what lies ahead! I am drawn to books with a psychological angle to the mystery. They require complex characters and enough background information to educate the reader and keep us guessing. AJ Campbell delivered! Some characters felt comfortable and familiar to me while others were way less predictable...This is one of those books that left me concerned and curious if I put it down. I loved the twists and turns. I thought I had solved the mystery at 80% only to be totally surprised a few more times in the end - which I loved! The story lines all came together surprisingly well, especially for a debut novel. I enjoyed AJ Campbell’s style. She uses realistic dialogue, a good tempo and just the right amount of embellishment. She sprinkles similes and metaphors throughout the book, allowing the reader to sense the locations – London at night, the English countryside, the neonatal ICU…. (I could even “hear” the monitors and IV pumps beeping) The point of view is first person, alternating between 2 characters. Eva's chapters are in the present while Jim's are many months later. It worked! The story culminates when both narrators are in sync, or close to it. I found myself trying to connect their stories and perspectives, all the while looking for clues to fill in the gaps. It all made sense in the end! Readers who enjoyed AJ Finn's The Woman in the Window and/or Lisa Jewell's "Then She was Gone" will love this book! “Leave Well Alone” is engaging and suspenseful. What more can we ask? I gave it 5 Stars, for the writing, the character development and the carefully crafted plot twists. I’d love to see more from AJ Campbell in the future! I have purchased the paperback and Kindle versions. I am reviewing an ARC, received pre-publication order to provide an objective review. I am in the US and the author is in the UK. We have only "met" informally through a social media account.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2020
As a huge fan of the psychological mystery/thriller genre I was really impressed by AJ Campbell's debut novel "Leave Well Alone". It was well written and quite entertaining!
The female protagonist Eva is a law student, pressing forward in life while plagued by a traumatic childhood. Her priorities shift after giving birth to a premature baby with a life- threatening congenital condition. Eva is driven to find her birth family and she has no idea what lies ahead!
I am drawn to books with a psychological angle to the mystery. They require complex characters and enough background information to educate the reader and keep us guessing. AJ Campbell delivered! Some characters felt comfortable and familiar to me while others were way less predictable...This is one of those books that left me concerned and curious if I put it down. I loved the twists and turns. I thought I had solved the mystery at 80% only to be totally surprised a few more times in the end - which I loved! The story lines all came together surprisingly well, especially for a debut novel.
I enjoyed AJ Campbell’s style. She uses realistic dialogue, a good tempo and just the right amount of embellishment. She sprinkles similes and metaphors throughout the book, allowing the reader to sense the locations – London at night, the English countryside, the neonatal ICU…. (I could even “hear” the monitors and IV pumps beeping)
The point of view is first person, alternating between 2 characters. Eva's chapters are in the present while Jim's are many months later. It worked! The story culminates when both narrators are in sync, or close to it. I found myself trying to connect their stories and perspectives, all the while looking for clues to fill in the gaps. It all made sense in the end!
Readers who enjoyed AJ Finn's The Woman in the Window and/or Lisa Jewell's "Then She was Gone" will love this book! “Leave Well Alone” is engaging and suspenseful. What more can we ask? I gave it 5 Stars, for the writing, the character development and the carefully crafted plot twists. I’d love to see more from AJ Campbell in the future!
I have purchased the paperback and Kindle versions. I am reviewing an ARC, received pre-publication order to provide an objective review. I am in the US and the author is in the UK. We have only "met" informally through a social media account.
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- Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2022
- Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2020
Top reviews from other countries
- AndyReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2020
I loved this story. What a great debut novel!
- Joanne FordReviewed in Australia on December 10, 2024
Wow! Outstanding! Definite 5 star 🌟 +
