Finders Keepers: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller

Genre: Psychological fiction; thriller
Totally a twisted guilty pleasure read and/or listening audio book.

⚠️: Gaslighting; adultery; twisted ending in the best way.

This is an interesting read where at times, you want to shout at Emily and then Rose (aka Iris) as Rose sees Sweet Emily had found her lost laptop at the airport. However, when Emily used Rose's diary and published a “fictional” book, "Diary of an Octopus" Rose panicked as she wrote about her affair with a certain someone and the killing of that person's wife. Rose literally embedded herself into Emily’s life and goes to great lengths to get that laptop back.

The interaction between Emily and Rose/Iris is like a psychotic ping pong match. The question is, who’s crazier? The first part is totally told from Rose’s point of view.

The second half of the book has some prospective, from the teacher, Mr. Bellamy. This is the teacher who Rose/Iris referenced and was infatuated with. Like heavily and creepily intoxicated with. As in “I would do literally anything for you,” obsession.

You just can’t stop yourself from being drawn in, as many times I screamed, “You’re kidding me! Aggggh!” or “if I hear one more ‘sweetie’ out of Em’s mouth…”

Truly the best of who’s gaslighting who and a great physiological thriller. Exceptionally addictive.

I loved the narrator. She did a fantastic job bringing all the different characters to life, giving each a different pitch and cadence for each person. She had me hating and then feeling sorry, and back to despising those characters again. Brilliant and no small feat.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for their e-audio copy for an honest review.

Rose Dunmore was shocked to see the author's novel, "Diary of an Octopus," being promoted at a bookshop. She wrote her diary at 13, stolen with her computer two years ago. The novel was a fictionalized version of her diary with a different ending. If her laptop journal was found, she could end up in prison. She bought a copy, relieved to see a positive conclusion, but remembered the terrible thing she documented. Rose panicked and devised a plan to retrieve her laptop at any cost, but she was not alone in playing this risky game. The dark truth about events from nine years ago emerged with twists and turns, leading to a satisfying conclusion. The author's writing style was captivating, and I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to and review this audiobook.