Bookseller Reviews
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A heart breaking thriller...
To be honest I choked with emotion reading this book. This is a powerful, poignant and beautifully written novel about domestic violence. With a tense stor... READ MORE
Brilliant
Debut books of this calibre only appear rarely. It is carefully plotted and the writing is out of the top drawer. The depiction of controlling relationsh... READ MORE
Uncomfortable but addictive
This is a fantastic debut. Domestic violence is the main theme of this book, so it certainly makes for uncomfortable reading, but despite this I still coul... READ MORE
Defied my expectations
Thrillers are not usually my go-to genre and I only picked this up because I knew it had a domestic abuse element to it which I am interested in. Wow did t... READ MORE
Synopsis
Longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2020
He's been looking in the windows again. Messing with cameras. Leaving notes.
Supposed to be a refuge. But death got inside.
When Katie Straw's body is pulled from the waters of the local suicide spot, the police decide it's an open-and-shut case. A standard-issue female suicide.
But the residents of Widringham women's refuge where Katie worked don't agree. They say it's murder.
Will you listen to them?
An addictive literary page-turner about a crime as shocking as it is commonplace, Keeper will leave you reeling long after the final page is turned.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
- ISBN: 9780241986387
- Number of pages: 336
- Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 20 mm
- Weight: 234g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allHot Topic Read!
In Jessica Moor's Keeper we follow a past in the outskirts of London where a girl called Katie meets a nice young man. It appears like any other boy meets ... READ MORE
Not a keeper
A common theme in the last few months has been domestic violence, abusive control and the like, with women always the victim. And so it is with this book.... READ MORE
Good read
I enjoyed reading Keeper, although it made for a difficult, sad read at times. I wanted so badly for Katie to have retribution for the crimes she suffered.... READ MORE
Disturbing Read
This is a story about domestic violence and I found it a disturbing and uncomfortable read .It is about Katie and Jamie who is contolling her and hen she i... READ MORE
Dark subject matter but so beautifully written....
I had a sense of dread from the first page... seeing where Katie's story was heading knowing it was already written was unsettling. Her story and the stori... READ MORE
Incredibly hard-hitting
Sometimes you pick up a book and you don't know what you expected but it wasn't what you got. I feel a bit like that with Keeper. I had a vague sense of wh... READ MORE
Shocking and powerful debut
A superb and engrossing read.
The body of a young woman, Katie, is dragged from a river and an investigation is set in place to determine whether this was... READ MORE
Pure Brilliance
Katie Straw works in a shelter for domestic violence but when her body is found in the waters of the local suicide spot, the police are preparing to write ... READ MORE
Domestic noir
Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy of this fantastic debut.
When Katie Straw's body is pulled from the river the police think it is nothing more than a ... READ MORE
Murder Mystery
When the body of Katie Straw is pulled from the river, the police think it was suicide. But the women at the refuge think differently. They persuade DS Wh... READ MORE
An unusual take on domestic abuse
Extraordinary and unusual, this makes for compelling reading. Told in parallel - then and now, we learn that Katie has died and the assumption is suicide a... READ MORE
Keeper by Jessica Moor
A realistic account of domestic abuse both physical and mental, this was a straight and narrow book, no exciting twists which I look forward to in my thril... READ MORE
Painfully true to experience
I was so excited to receive a preview copy of this literary thriller, which is a murder mystery, but is firmly focused on domestic abuse. This book’s explo... READ MORE
Poignant and powerful
I can’t honestly say this was an enjoyable read but then neither is it supposed to be. It’s a bleak and chilling portrayal of domestic abuse in different f... READ MORE
Left unread
I found the keeper a difficult book to get into, it just didn’t grab and pull me in like most in the genre do. I had high hopes but alas gave her up half w... READ MORE
A must read
I was sent a copy of Keeper by Jessica Moor to read and review by NetGalley.
This is a really good book on many levels. It is a mystery/detective story,... READ MORE
Unusual story told in parallel
Extraordinary and unusual, this makes for compelling reading. Told in parallel - then and now, we learn that Katie has died and the assumption is suicide a... READ MORE
A must read
A superb and engrossing read.
The body of a young woman, Katie, is dragged from a river and an investigation is set in place to determine whether this was... READ MORE
Darkly enjoyable
When the body of a young woman, Katie, is found drowned in the river, DS Whitworth and D.C. Brookes initially believe it to be a suicide. But Katie worked ... READ MORE
A difficult but compelling read
Keeper is not an easy read, and is potentially triggering for many women who have experienced domestic abuse. But it is an important read, and so well writ... READ MORE
A must read!
I usually try to avoid books where there's violence directed against women, particularly spousal abuse. I just find it too uncomfortable. I seem to be feel... READ MORE
Keeper by Jessica Moor
I was drawn to Keeper thanks to it’s stunning cover, intriguing blurb and the numerous brilliant reviews it received when it was first published. I’ve been... READ MORE
A page turner!
I haven't read a thriller in quite a while so this book was perfect to quench my thirst for mystery and suspense. Keeper is the debut novel of author Jessi... READ MORE
A bleak, but important read
When Katie Straw’s body is washed ashore, all signs point to a probable suicide. But when her ID is checked, her name isn’t in any of the databases and the... READ MORE
Outstanding debut
4-5 stars.
This is a gritty, disturbing, vivid and tense suspense novel about domestic violence. . The central character is Katie and her relationship wi... READ MORE
Challenging read
This is an uncomfortable book to read as it’s about such a difficult subject however the different viewpoints telling the story and the now and then narrat... READ MORE
Three and a half stars
This is not an easy read. The book is a well written debut and objective rather than tearing at the heartstrings. It is not easy to understand why women no... READ MORE
"Keeper" most definitely lives up to its title!
When Jeanette Winterson, Val McDermid and Cara Hunter are passionate about a writer and a book, you damn well want to read it! This is how I came to hear o... READ MORE
Absolutely outstanding
Wow. This would be impressive from an established author, but for a debut it is absolutely outstanding. The subject matter of domestic violence in all its ... READ MORE
An intense and powerful read
What starts out as the apparent suicide of Katie Straw a care worker at a domestic violence unit turns out to be just the start of an intriguing mystery as... READ MORE
Cracking thriller
I loved this thriller. Katie’s body is found in the river, but did she commit suicide? And why does it appear that she never existed in the first place?
T... READ MORE
Compelling and important.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books for an ARC of this book.
A powerful novel from an extraordinary new talent.
I have so many things to say about this... READ MORE
Keeper
Wow! If you want a powerful character driven novel which will grip you from the off and hold you tight all the way through, spitting you out at the end sho... READ MORE
Riveting Read !
This was a sad and harrowing tale of domestic abuse and the horrors that are endured on a daily basis.
Centered around a women's refuge -we focus on Katie ... READ MORE
A powerful debut novel
This is a powerful read for a debut novel, tackling the subject of the abuse of women, within marriage, relationships. How it is not necessarily physical, ... READ MORE
Not for me!
I didn't really enjoy this book. I didn't like the characters much and felt the two timelines didn't gel enough. I would have preferred the before part of ... READ MORE
Enjoyable Read
Katie Shaw works at the local Women’s refuge but then her body is found in the river, a local hotspot for suicides. Before the case is closed though the p... READ MORE
Wonderful debut - a writer to watch
I thought this was a really good debut novel, tackling the trauma of domestic abuse, and highlighting how it comes in many forms. The story it came wrapped... READ MORE
Unputdownable, terrifying and heartbreaking
Keeper is an outstanding and captivating literary thriller. It’s unputdownable, terrifying and heartbreaking. I was sad, angry and shocked as I read it.... READ MORE
Was It Suicide ?
I thought this was a strong debut novel. The story is about controlling relationships and the fear associated with them and there is an unexpected twist ne... READ MORE
Keeper - a now and then story, intriguing
This is my review of Keeper by Jessica Moor. It’s her debut novel which is set in Widringham.
DS Whitworth and DC Brookes had been called to a young woman... READ MORE
Superb Debut - Twisty and Relevant
Gritty, powerful and necessary. The Keeper is an exceptionally well written and thought provoking tale of domestic violence and where it can lead. Told acr... READ MORE
An outstanding debut
⭐⭐⭐⭐
"The trick was to never let the bruises heal, to never remember what life was like without them. Then it didn't seem too much to bear."
Keeper is a ... READ MORE
An outstanding debut
"The trick was to never let the bruises heal, to never remember what life was like without them. Then it didn't seem too much to bear."
Keeper is a story ... READ MORE
A timely book.
Katie Straw worked at a refuge for women who have fled domestic violence. She was young and seemed to care for the women she helped, both practically and o... READ MORE
I'm in the "I simply cannot believe this is a debut" club!
If you’re looking for an addictive writing style, presented in short and snappy chapters ready for you to tear through until your bedtime is far behind you... READ MORE
Gripping and grim for this odd time we're living in
This is a well-written novel about human nature. The choice of narrator for the 'now' sections strikes me as very canny - and I hope that it helps people w... READ MORE
We are both educated and swept alone by the characters’ experiences.
Keeper’ by Jessica Moor says much about the machinations of an abusive partner in the title alone. Presenting to the outside world as a great boyfriend, a... READ MORE
Addictive and gritty thriller
Addictive and gritty thriller.
Subject matter is very apt and topical.
This book grips you from the start and makes you want to keep reading. It is so wel... READ MORE
It just did not hang together in a way that enabled me to buy into the story.
Disappointingly, this turned out not to be a book for me. Please do not misunderstand, I empathised and (mostly) agreed with all of the societal points the... READ MORE
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