Give Him To Me by Dorothy Koomson

"Even the person that everyone likes, that no one suspects, could be like that."

Dorothy Koomson is back with another banger this year. Don't walk. Run, to your local bookstore on Thursday, 13th Feb, to grab your copy.

We meet therapist + profiler Kez Lanyon once more when she is called into a new case that concerns a young woman known as Robyn Managa.

At the age of 12, Robyn witnessed the horrific m*rder of her mother, by her abusive father. Robyn was thrusted into the world of social care, while her father was placed under witness protection + provided with a new identity, allowing life to continue as normal for him.

But as the saying goes, no justice, no peace. 12 years later, Robyn is back and is harming those who have protected her father. With each victim, she leaves a note: Give Him To Me.

Blimming heck! This book had me gripped from start to finish. The opening chapter alone gave me flashbacks of one of my favourite films, Law Abiding Citizen.

As with all of Dorothy's thrillers, you are left guessing from start to finish how the dots will connect to showcase the overall picture of this story.

I was left feeling unsure about Kez as a character in ESYF, but in Give Him To Me, I began to understand Kez a tad bit more. Was I a fan of her choices in this story? Absolutely not. But could I understand them? Yes.

Dennis still makes me sick. Disgusting beast.

But this story was all about Robyn for me. Despite her crimes, nothing could ever make me hate her.

To have lived a life within a household like hers is one that many have to live with in reality, and this allowed me to greatly sympathise with Robyn + cheer her on.

This was a great exploration of the impacts of trauma + domestic abuse. I especially loved how Dorothy used the characters to highlight how trauma impact our lives + changes us. Sometimes, we realise too late that 'it' has irrevocably altered us, and we have to grieve for the person that we were never allowed to become.

Overall, I loved this story, heavy themes, well balanced plot, exceptional characterisation. It was dark, chilling + gritty, just what all thriller lovers thirst for.

Is this on your TBR list?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫