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Do No Harm Paperback – February 1, 2019
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‘Well written, engrossing and brilliantly unique’ Heat
‘Prepare to be surprised’ Closer
‘A claustrophobic and complex read’ CultureFly
‘Sharp, confident writing’ Peter James
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Till death do us part…
After leaving her marriage to jealous, possessive oncologist Maxwell, Lily and her six-year-old son have a second chance at happiness with headteacher Sebastian. Kind but vulnerable, Sebastian is the polar opposite of Maxwell, and the perfect match for Lily. After a whirlwind romance, they marry, and that’s when things start to go wrong…
Maxwell returns to the scene, determined to win back his family, and events soon spiral out of control. Lily and Sebastian find themselves not only fighting for their relationship, but also their lives…
Chilling, dark and terrifying, Do No Harm is a taut psychological thriller and a study of obsession, from one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction.
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‘Wonderfully layered and gripping’ Jendella Benson
‘I couldn’t put it down’ Paula Daly
‘Propulsive, inventively and purely addictive’ Crime by the Book
‘Intense and pacy’ Mari Hannah
‘Wrong-foots you in ALL the best ways’ Caz Frear
‘Original, daring and emotionally truthful’ Paul Burston
‘Slick and compulsive’ Random Things through My Letterbox
‘Crackles with tension’ Karen Dionne
‘A contemporary thriller with a heart of darkness’ Live & Deadly
‘Dark, compelling, twisted, thought-provoking and emotional’ Chapter in My Life
- Print length300 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherOrenda Books
- Publication dateFebruary 1, 2019
- Dimensions5 x 0.9 x 7.75 inches
- ISBN-101912374218
- ISBN-13978-1912374212
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Crackles with tension." —Karen Dionne, author, The Marsh King's Daughter
"From the cover to the title to the set-up to the ending, this will wrong-foot you in ALL the best ways." —Caz Frear, author, Sweet Little Lies
"The twists and red herrings involved in finding out what’s going on add up to a fine mystery. This is the second adult novel (after The Other Twin, 2017) by screenwriter and nonfiction author Hay, who is a writer to watch and one to recommend to fans of Gillian Flynn." —Booklist
"A fine mystery...[Hay] is a writer to watch." - Booklist
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Orenda Books (February 1, 2019)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 300 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1912374218
- ISBN-13 : 978-1912374212
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5 x 0.9 x 7.75 inches
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Lucy V. Hay is a script editor, author and blogger who helps writers. She's been the script editor and advisor on numerous UK features and shorts & has also been a script reader for over 15 years, providing coverage for indie prodcos, investors, screen agencies, producers, directors and individual writers. She's also an author, publishing as both LV Hay and Lizzie Fry; Lizzie's latest, THE COVEN, is out now with Sphere Books and LV's debut crime novel THE OTHER TWIN is being adapted by the Emmy-nominated Free@Last TV. Lucy's site at www.bang2write.com has appeared in Top 100 round ups for Writer's Digest & The Write Life, as well as been a UK Blog Awards Finalist and Feedspot's #1 Screenwriting blog in the UK (tenth in the world!).
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonTop reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2019Wow! Wow! What a great read you are pulled right in to the end. Loved the book the ending.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2019Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC.
While this was very well written, around the halfway mark, this went from being an entirely plausible psychological thriller to completely unbelievable. The first half, I alternated between guessing whodunit, only to eventually find out I had guessed wrong - which was exciting - but as I said, around the halfway mark, it turned into something I just couldn't see happening. I couldn't see someone being this conniving, this evil. I suppose that kind of thing makes it a good plot line, but it was just unrealistic to me. That does not go without saying that despite the story line, I did enjoy this book. The writing was solid, the alternating narration kept the pace quick, and the characters were nicely developed. Overall, it was a quick read and I will look forward to more from the author.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2019Absolutely my kind of book! This is a great thriller that sucked me in from the beginning and I read the novel in two sittings. When Lily gets remarried to Sebastian, her ex-husband, Maxwell--who was controlling in their marriage--seems determined to get between them and spend more time with his son, Denny. So when odd things begin happening (the house being trashed, electricity turned off), Lily and Sebastian fight back and attempt to prevent Max from ruining their lives. But all is not as it seems. Who else may be involved? And who would want to prevent this new marriage between Lily and Sebastian as they appear to be so much in love? Things escalate and the dominoes continue to fall. Nice big twist at the end may have you gasping. Now I will go back to read her first novel, The Other Twin!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2018When I read L V Hay's debut thriller, The Other Twin, last year it completely blew me away so I was very excited when I saw that there was a new book coming out. As soon as I jumped into DO NO HARM I knew that this story was going to be a cracker but nothing prepared me for the utterly terrifying, disturbing, and shocking drama that was waiting to unfold.
Lily and her little boy have finally found their happily ever after with Sebastian and getting married is the icing on the cake. Having suffered at the hands of her controlling ex-husband, Maxwell, for years, gentle, kind, and considerate Sebastian is everything that he is not. It is time for a fresh start and Lily cannot wait. But what happens when the past refuses to be left behind ...
Dark, twisted, and utterly spine-chilling, DO NO HARM by L V Hay is a forceful story about love and obsession that will leave you gasping for breath. The characters are compelling, engaging, and masterful and the pace is perfect as there are no flat moments to be found.
I didn't think that any story could beat L V Hay's debut but I have to admit that DO NO HARM pips it for me and to be honest, is sitting pretty on the top of my list for the best psychological thriller this year.
If you love thrillers then there is no question that you must read this book - I'm almost envious of those who get to read this story for the first time as it really is that superb!
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the tour organiser
- Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2018Love, Love the cover for this book! This book has Lily and Sebastian and his step-son, Denny as lead characters. Then you have the villain, Maxwell, who is Lily's ex-husband. He is out to cause trouble for this young married couple. I thought I had the culprit figured out and I was right but it still went beyond what I expected. "Do No Harm" is a taut psychological thriller and a study of obsession, with a twist that you will never see coming. I would probably give this a 3.5. I thought it was a good read and it did hold my interest for the most part but maybe the ending was just too much for me.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2019Do No Harm
By L.V. Hay
Description
After leaving her marriage to jealous, possessive oncologist Maxwell, Lily, and her six-year-old son have a second chance at happiness with teacher Sebastian. Kind but vulnerable, Sebastian is the polar opposite of Maxwell and the perfect match for Lily. After a whirlwind romance, they marry, and that’s when things start to go wrong. Maxwell returns to the scene, determined to win back his family, and events soon spiral out of control. Lily and Sebastian find themselves not only fighting for their relationship but also their lives.
Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance copy of the book for a review. Reminded me somewhat of Sleeping With The Enemy. The spousal abuse and when you begin to feel safe, but things become so much worse. The book held my interest to the last page. No regrets from me on a good read.
Top reviews from other countries
- JenMedBookLoverReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 12, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars 21st Century Fatal Attraction - with a twist. Loved it
Well now. How do I even begin to review this book? I really enjoyed Lucy V Hay's last book, The Other Twin. The relationships in it were complicated and twisted and nothing was ever quite as it seemed to be. Character portrayal was convincing and the atmosphere, at times, intense. Could she possibly replicate that in this book or even go one better?
The answer? Yes. Yes she could. If anything, I think I liked this book even more but it is hard to say exactly why without giving too much away.
This is a book about family, both immediate and extended, and the lengths people will go to in order to preserve their own. Lily is a woman about to embark on what she hopes is her second chance at happiness, a new marriage and a new life, putting behind her the obsessive relationship she once had. But her ex husband, Maxwell, has other ideas and from the very opening chapter you can tell that this is going to be a book which is riddled with tension and anxiety, in which mind games will dominate and in which you find yourself questioning who, if anyone, you can trust.
I love the way in which the author has built up characters in this book. You have the seemingly independent Lily and her new husband Sebastian. They seem a rock solid couple, Sebastian offering Lily the grounding and understanding that she needs. Their lives, however simple living in a maisonette in the heart of town, seem complete and with Lily's young son they could ask for nothing more. I liked them both almost immediately although there is something about Sebastian which made me wish he was just that little bit more assertive. If you read the book you will understand why.
Contrasting against these two we have Lily's ex, Maxwell, and Sebastian's mother, Fran, who are chalk and cheese but still two people who dominate Lily's life. Maxwell is slick, slimy almost, the archetypal charismatic and domineering success story who certainly knows how to make an impression. There are so many times he made my skin crawl and you would wonder how Lily fell for him in the first place. On the other hand there is Fran, fragile and yet still controlling in her own way. Her relationship with Sebastian is strong and leads to more than a few coarse words between the happy couple.
This is definitely domestic noir at its best. From the beginning you can sense the dread begin to build, can tell that Lily's new found happiness will not last. It wouldn't be much of a story otherwise. But despite foreseeing a few of the bends in the road, I didn't expect the multitude of twists and turns that I encountered. So many little things which start to happen, puncturing the relationship like a sharp blade piercing skin. And then slowly the blade is turned, opening the wound further with each little twist in a bid to ensure that it cannot heal.
But who was responsible? Well Lucy V Hay has done such a good job of concealing the person behind it all that I was finding my thoughts on who it was changing every few chapters. There are many reasonable suspects, many possibilities which flew through my mind but none which prepared me for that ending. Bravo Ms Hay. That was pure class.
It's billed as Fatal Attraction for the modern ages, and it absolutely is. With a certain slant on it. If you are looking for a domestic based thriller which will keep you engrossed from start to finish (and I did finish this book in one evening) and which will have you guessing and second guessing all the way through, one in which characters are once again richly drawn and the atmosphere occasionally so toxic you can barely breathe, then pick up Do No Harm. You won't be disappointed.
- Kindle CustomerReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2018
3.0 out of 5 stars Twister
Even though there were twists and turns in this book I wasn't rushing too pick it back up to read , and it's not a book I will be talking about now i finished it I had guessed the culperate long before it ended
- Abbie AllenReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars Great psychological thriller
If you love psychological thrillers that keep you guessing and even questioning yourself what is real, this is for you. Could not put it down.
- Abigail YardimciReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars A thrilling tale
This is a thrilling tale of family deceit, toxic love and destructive obsession. It’s the first of Lucy’s books I’ve read and the way this one had me gripped, turning pages with intrigue, I’ll definitely be reading more. All of the characters were well drawn and credible and the situations described by Lily and Sebastian, illustrating the twisted aftermath of their wedding, were totally compelling. I just had to know what happened next! If you enjoy a fast-paced thriller that keeps you guessing until the final pages, this book is for you.
- Julie MorrisReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars Labyrinthine
I am feeling a single word review coming on today for this book and that word would be – labyrinthine. (I’m thinking this might be my new hook – one word book reviews. A departure, I know, as I tend to be fairly verbose. Any blog tour hosts going for this idea?)
On the basis the above idea is not going to prove popular, I guess I should expand a little on the above but that word definitely sums this book up perfectly. It is the most twisty-turny (see, labyrinthine is much better – I’m nailing this writing lark) of all the twisty-turny books I have read this year to the point I had no clue which way was up or down and my brain was meeting itself coming back the other way. It is the novel equivalent of playing a game of Snake (does that mean anything to anyone else or am I really showing my age now?)
I had so many different theories about where this book was going at multiple points during the story but then something else would happen that would completely throw me off track and I would change my mind, only to come back to my previous theory two chapters later. I did actually consider the outcome that proved to be the eventual resolution of the book a couple of times but I absolutely was not sure what was going to be the ending before it was upon me because there were several that were equally as likely throughout. It is really cleverly done.
The book is written from three different perspectives throughout – Lily, Sebastian and a mystery voice. To begin with, I kept getting a little confused at the beginning of the chapter about whose voice was speaking. I did eventually sort it out, as Lily was written in the first person and Sebastian in the third, but until I picked up on that rhythm I had to keep stopping to check which prevented the story flowing in the early chapters, but this was a minor niggle.
It was really fascinating to try and put yourself in Lily’s shoes as she tries to work out why such unpleasant things are happening and who is behind them and see the disintegration of trust she has in the people she is closest to. I began to wonder how quickly I could be made to doubt people I thought I knew and loved and hoped not that quickly but the premise is that one simply does not know until one is in that position.
The setting of the book and the people are fairly ordinary – teachers and doctors in suburbia – and the upsetting events when looked at dispassionately are not that dramatic, until they are happening to you, and that is the genius of it. The author manages to weave tension and menace and deceit and doubt into very ordinary scenarios, so you can put yourself in the shoes of this woman who is no one special but is thrust into an extraordinary situation that turns her life upside down in a very short period of time.
There were points in this book where I did have to stretch to suspend my disbelief to allow myself to be carried along by the story and I found the writing at the beginning a tad bald in places but it was most definitely gripping and had me turning the pages until late in to the night to get to the end and see which of my theories was the correct one, which is all you can really ask of a book of this kind and anyone who liked a psychological thriller will be hooked because it is a tricky one!