06 April 2022           

This book is a cracker of a read that you won’t want to put down until you have reached the very last page. Andy Maslen surprised me with this one, it was nothing like Crooked Shadow which I read in June last year. This book had me racing to the finish line. This legal thriller keeps you on the edge of your seat while the author looks at the sanity of a mother dealing with post-natal depression.

This was my second Andy Maslen book and I found myself surprised. This one was very different from Crooked Shadow which I read in June last year. This book had me glued to the pages as I raced to finish it. I could not get enough. I loved the characters and the legal drama the author included made this a book with a little bit of everything. The story keeps you intrigued and is full of twists, making this fabulous read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Mel is treating a woman, Em, with post-natal depression. Em claims that she killed her baby, but she suffers from delusions and Mel does not want to encourage her fantasies. Trying to show Em the truth, Mel is forced to face a few unsettling truths about her own life. When an ambitious Detective – Ffion – arrest Mel for murder, she is left questioning her sanity.

A shocking verdict, after a harrowing trial leaves Mel questioning herself, and Jonathan her husband who is asking for a divorce. What is true and what is fantasy? Can Mel tell the difference?

This book had me reading late into the night. I loved the various aspects of this book; it provided a bit of everything. You will find psychotherapy, a police investigation and a legal drama and when you think you have it all figured out, the author adds a twist that will keep you reading way past the delivery of the verdict.

The characters are brilliant in this one. I loved the addition of Dr Flick Barber. She added a colourful flair with her magic mushroom research. The author did well adding this lighter side to the story. Mel simply broke my heart. This poor woman was struggling not only with mental illness but with the guilt of killing her child. Ffion, when introduced, annoyed me. I know she had a job to do, but she allowed herself to reach a conclusion based on her past. She did redeem herself though, allowing me to change my opinion of her.

There is no doubt that this book breezed its way onto my loved list for 2022. I could not drag myself away. You’re Always With Me is a gripping, entertaining read with a little bit of everything that makes for a brilliant thriller. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is a five-star read. Do not miss out, add this one to your TBR. If you enjoyed a book that will keep you guessing, you won’t go wrong with this one.