a quick read, but not simple, or fluff
takes some serious topics and rolls them around into fluid story-line without any sense of overall judgement
very much enjoyed this book ( )

This is the third Paula Daly novel that I have read in the last few months and although I enjoyed it, it didn't command my attention from the first page like Just What Kind of Mother Are You? and Keep Your Friends Close.

Roz is quite a likeable character and her frustration was evident when dealing with her waste of space ex-husband. Roz has made some bad decisions in her life and accepting the offer that she gets from Scott Elias is the worst decision she could make. I understand why she did it, and could feel her relief as her bills started to get paid, but she didn't realise that Scott didn't just want to hire her by the hour, he wanted to own her and would go to any lengths to do so.

I liked Roz's son, George - a chip off the old block, already starting to make bad decisions for himself, thinking he could help Roz out. He's a very likeable little boy and he gets on well with the neighbours as he likes to play with their little dog, Foxy. I do like the loveable dog characters that make appearances in Paula's novels.

When Roz's boss, Wayne, goes missing it was lovely to see DS Joanne Aspinall and DS Ron Quigley make an appearance, with Ron keeping his stomach happy as always. I was hoping to see them at some point but I didn't know how they were going to be introduced, which is where Paula Daly's writing is so good - springing surprises on us. Paula is the queen of the unexpected.

Overall a good read but not as much of a page turner as I've come to expect from Paula Daly. It is, however, a really good psychological thriller, with a Fatal Attraction edge to it, as we see what Scott is prepared to do to get Roz all to himself. Paula Daly really delves into the human psyche in all of her books and this one is no exception.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )

4.5 stars

In The Mistake I Made by Paula Daly, Roz Toovey, a destitute single mother, makes a morally questionable decision to solve her financial woes and soon lives to regret it when her situation quickly goes from bad to worse.

Roz is a physiotherapist (for US readers, physical therapist) who is struggling to make ends meet after she separating from her cheating husband. In addition to his infidelity, he also ran up a staggering amount of debt on their joint credit cards and as a result, she lost both her business and the family home. The final straw comes after most of her household furnishings are repossessed and she is served with an eviction notice. Having recently met wealthy businessman Scott Elias through her sister, she reconsiders his proposition to sleep with him after he offers to pay her for her services. However, things takes a bit of a dark turn when Roz tries to end their arrangement and one of her co-workers goes missing.

Roz is a surprisingly sympathetic character despite her rather unpalatable choice to sleep with a married man for financial gain. Once the full scope of her financial situation is revealed, it is easy to understand why she feels like she has no other option but to accept Scott's offer. Her estranged husband refuses to pay child support and she is truly at wits' end with the looming eviction. Adding to her stress is her nine year old son, George's misbehavior at school but she is surprisingly patient with him as she tries to understand what is motivating his actions.

Although Roz has qualms about what her agreement, she feels as though she she has no choice but to follow through with their arrangement. She grows increasingly uncomfortable with the situation as their lives become more entwined socially but trying to extricate herself from Scott is unexpectedly complicated by his reluctance to end their affair. Her life becomes even difficult in the wake of her co-worker's disappearance and the subsequent police investigation. However, once Roz realizes the full implications of her fateful decision, she makes a surprising choice that could have a disastrous effect on her future.

Despite a bit of a slow beginning and a somewhat predictable storyline, The Mistake I Made by Paula Daly is nonetheless a compelling novel. The plot is quite unique with plenty of tension to hold the readers' interest as the story winds its way to an unanticipated but thoroughly satisfying conclusion. An overall outstanding mystery that fans of the genre do not want to miss. ( )

Another excellent book from Paula Daly ( )

Roz is skint. Seriously skint and about to lose everything. So when a local millionaire offers her a substantial amount of money to spend the night with her it seems like an easy choice to make. But does Scott's deal come with strings attached? The idea for this novel was a great one and on the whole it delivered. The characters are believable especially Roz and her dealings with her feckless husband Winston. However I did feel that the story started to meander a little after a while. The main 'crime' sort of just crept into the plot with a whimper and by the end nobody really seemed to know what was going on. Roz and Scott have a confrontation which goes nowhere and the story was sort of wrapped up as an afterthought in an epilogue. It was a great idea for a book but I just felt it fell a bit flat. ( )