Title: FREE FALL
Author: SHERRY HOSTLER
ISBN: 9781739683221
Pages: 273
Source: Private
Ellie is feeling alone and unhappy in her marriage. Her husband no longer shows any interest in her and is constantly travelling for work. So, when Saul, a handsome stranger, offers her everything she’s been missing, what starts as a harmless flirtation quickly grows into something deeper.
Before it can go too far, however, Ellie comes to her senses and ends the burgeoning relationship. It’s over – or is it?
A series of unexplained and sometimes threatening events soon lead Ellie to believe that maybe Saul isn’t as out of her life as she’d thought.
Official Summary
04 March 2026
Free Fall is an easy, fast-paced psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages, even if it didn’t fully live up to its potential. The premise is immediately engaging — a lonely woman, a tempting stranger, and the creeping realisation that a brief emotional mistake might have far darker consequences than she ever imagined.
Ellie is a sympathetic main character, and her dissatisfaction within her marriage feels believable and relatable. The emotional vulnerability that leads her into Saul’s orbit is well portrayed, and I appreciated how the story explored loneliness and the need for validation. However, I sometimes found her decisions frustrating, particularly as the tension escalated. While that can be realistic, it did make it harder to stay fully invested in her perspective at times.
The suspense elements are where the book shines most. The sense of unease builds steadily, with strange incidents and subtle threats creating a “something isn’t right” atmosphere that works well. There are a few genuinely tense moments that pull you in, and the author clearly knows how to maintain momentum and keep readers guessing.
That said, I felt the plot leaned on some familiar thriller tropes, and a few developments were predictable. The twists toward the end were interesting, but they didn’t quite deliver the shocking impact I was hoping for. I also would have liked a bit more depth in certain characters and relationships to strengthen the emotional payoff.
This was an enjoyable, quick read with solid suspense and an intriguing concept, even if it didn’t completely stand out in a crowded genre. A good choice if you’re looking for a light psychological thriller to escape into for a weekend, but not one that will necessarily linger long after you’ve finished.
Also By Sherry Hostler
THE LAST TRAIN HOME
Where am I?
How did I get here?
These are the questions that Molly asks when she wakes up in unfamiliar clothes on a dark, empty train docked in the middle of nowhere. She has no memory of how she got there, no means of escape, and worst of all, she isn’t sure if she’s alone.
Molly must confront the ghosts of her past and find her voice to make sure she has a future.
Christmas. A time for peace and goodwill. Well, that depends if you’ve been naughty or nice.
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Sherry is the author of the psychological thrillers ‘Hypnotic’, ‘Free Fall’ and ‘The Last Train Home’. Before this, she spent many years” living the dream” in various jobs, which have given her plenty to write about.
Sherry enjoys a bit of 90’s dance music and thinks she does her best writing (and dancing) after a few glasses of Rioja, but this is possibly not the case. She loves her home in the rural southeast of England with her husband and dog, but often hankers for the sunny beaches of Australia, where she used to live.
Her award-winning short fiction and non-fiction articles have been featured in Writers Forum, Hertfordshire Life, Vale Life, Dogs Monthly and various Cake magazines.
When reading The Last Train Home, I was very excited to read more from the author. I struggled to find a copy of Free Fall, and it unfortunately wasn’t as good as The Last Train Home. But that may just be me. Have you read this one? I would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below. Until next time… Happy Reading.
