“Ring-a-ring o’ rosie . . .
… Someone wants to play.
… Who’s not playing the game?
… Now Someone must pay.

Jen Harper likes to play it safe. She is settling into life on the outskirts of a sleepy fishing village with her little boy, Danny. Life by the sea – just how she wanted it.

When she meets Andy, she feels the time has come to put her baggage and the scars of the past behind her. Then she is introduced to Scott, Andy’s best friend, and is stung by his obvious disdain for her. Why is Scott so protective of his best friend? What is the dark secret that threatens all of them?

In her attempt to find answers, Jen must confront her demons and push her relationships to their limits. By digging up the past, she puts Danny and herself in danger. Will she succeed in uncovering the truth before they all fall down?”

A very warm welcome to my stop on the October They All Fall Down blog tour. They All Fall Down is Cat Hogan’s debut novel, and what a brilliant start! I’m looking forward to seeing what Cat has in store for us next.

Single mum, Jen Harper, has inherited a beautiful house by the sea. It’s perfect for her and young son, Danny. Perfect except maybe for the live in lodger! Before long Jen starts to see Andy, her lodger in a different light. After all he is rather dishy and maybe it is time she moved on with her life. Andy seems to feel the same spark, and with very tentative steps Jen and Andy become a couple. But Scott, Andy best friend, despises Jen. Just as he despised Andy’s deceased wife. She mysteriously jumped off a cliff. Scott hopes the same doesn’t happen to Jen…

This is a fantastic character driven psychological thriller. I loved Jen, I wanted to share a glass of wine with her and shout ‘it’s OK, I believe you!’. The build up to the conclusion was wonderfully tense.  Just how I like my books! I desperately wanted to tell (read: yell in a fairly aggressive manner) Jen’s friends what I thought of them. Oohh, they made me cross!

The plot was interesting and I flew through the book. I found They All Fall Down very easy to read despite the use of Irish vocabulary which I am not used to (although with the more Irish books I read the easier I am finding it).

Would I recommend this book? I most certainly would. It’s a great psychological thriller with a compelling build to an exciting conclusion. Plus some of the characters will make you want to shake them, which I love. After all, you’ve gotta FEEL something when reading.

Four out of five stars.

Many thanks to Cat Hogan and Poolbeg Press for providing me with a copy of They All Fall Down in exchange for an honest review.

They All Fall Down by Cat Hogan was published in the UK by Poolbeg Press on 1st July 2016 and is available in paperback and eBook format | amazon.co.uk | amazon.com | Waterstones |

Cat Hogan was born into a home of bookworms and within spitting distance of the sea. Her father, Pat, a lightship man, instilled in her a love of the sea and the stars. Her mother, Mag, taught her how to read before she could walk.  Writing, storytelling and a wild imagination is part of her DNA. The beautiful County Wexford, Ireland is home to Cat, her musician partner Dave, two beautiful sons Joey and Arthur, and her tomcat Jim Hawkins. There they live a life of storytelling, song and adventure. The other love of Cat’s life is food. A self-professed foodie, there is nothing she loves more than feeding a houseful of friends round her kitchen table. When she is not conjuring up imaginary friends, she can be found supporting local musicians and writers of which there is an abundance in her home town. One of her first endorsements for her novel is also her favourite and comes from fellow Wexfordian of Artemis Fowl fame. ’If the Gone Girl met the Girl on the Train, they would have come up with They All Fall Down’ -Eoin Colfer. They All Fall Down is Cat’s debut novel.