Valentina

De: S.E. Lynes

Narrado por: Helen McAlpine, Tamsin Kennard

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller

When city girl Shona moves with her partner Mikey and their baby to an idyllic cottage in rural Scotland, she believes that all that lies ahead for her family is happiness.

But with Mikey working long hours away from home, the frightening isolation of the Scottish countryside begins to get to Shona. She feels lonely and trapped.

That is, until she is rescued by a new friendship with the enchanting Valentina. Valentina enters Shona’s life like a whirlwind, bringing excitement and spontaneity to replace boredom and fear.

Now Shona has the perfect home, the perfect man, and the perfect new best friend–or does she?

As Shona’s fairytale life begins to unravel, the deep dark wood outside becomes the least of her fears...

From number one Amazon bestseller S.E. Lynes, Valentina is a gripping thriller with a twist that will take your breath away. For fans of Gone Girl, The Woman at the Window and The Wife Between Us.

©2025 S.E. Lynes (P)2025 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"An intelligent psychological drama with a gasp-making twist."–Good Housekeeping–thriller of the month

Already read it

it's on audible from 2018 1 I knew the story as soon asI started listening. They added new narrators. Unfortunately i had to return my book because i knew the ending and already used a credit on this. Just FYI.

Slow Burn Thriller

Valentina is a book that reads like a mini-series. There is so much character development provided by S.E. Lynes that you really feel like you know the characters and the intricacies of their lives. Shona is a new mother with a partner that is away a lot for work. After moving to the countryside, she is feeling isolated in new motherhood and is in search of connection. She finds a friend in Valentina, a yoga instructor who also has a 4 month old baby. As the title suggests, Valentina is not who she appears to be - but who is she? Shona slowly unravels the puzzle pieces of her new friend.

The narration provided by Tamsin Kennard is excellent. This is the second book I've listened to her narrate and was engaged with her story-telling throughout. I was also pleased that there was also narration from Helen McAlpine, which differentiated a new part to the book, which allowed the book to feel even more engaging, with the characters coming to life. I didn't realize that this book was originally published in 2016, and I hope that the audiobook version can breathe some new life into this excellent, slow-burn thriller! It is totally worth the 12+ hours!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, the author S.E. Lynes, and the narrators Tamsin Kennard and Helen McAlpine for an ALC of Valentina!

BRILLANT

HOLY HELL. The narrators were incredible. The accent and voice work were superb. The talent that danced upon my eardrum throughout this novel was top-tier incredible.

Portions of this plot made me so angry. One, because I hate seeing women described as so naive that they miss what is right in front of them, but also because human nature can be so damned ugly.

Shona was easy to like and empathize with. You couldn’t help but want her to get the happily ever after she longed for. And Valentina, though weirdly evasive, didn’t seem too bad. Mikey was a dirtbag who didn’t deserve anything.

This story is told in a unique way, and the narrators bring the characters to life. I really enjoyed the accents and various voices that differentiate everyone.

This fast-paced, twisted thriller will hold you hostage from the moment you press play. I cannot recommend this audiobook enough. Katy Approved!