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Oscar de la Nuit #2

When you're Dying

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When you're dying, a lot goes through your mind...

A shock diagnosis forces Verity Casmere to consider how she wants to spendthetime she has left.

Thequestion haunting Verity is what happened to her missing sister, Ashlee. Was she murdered, likethepolice suspect?
How far will Verity go to learnthetruth?
Moved by her situation, Forensic Psychiatrist, Oscar de la Nuit, agrees to help Verity learn what happened, but with the truth comes consequences neither of them could predict.

Can they resurface before a dark secret consumes them both?

350 pages, Paperback

First published March 22, 2023

26 people are currently reading
8410 people want to read

About the author

M.Q. Webb

3books204followers
M. Q. Webb writes psychological thrillers and suspense novels, including the Oscar de la Nuit series. Her books have hit the Amazon best seller chart in the US. She studied psychology but prefers the fictional kind.

How Well Do You Know Your Husband is a stand alone psychological thriller, and her third release.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
Profile Image for Melissa (Always Behind).
5,056 reviews2,970 followers
March 29, 2023
Ultimately a decent mystery, but unlikable main character made it difficult to enjoy overall.

We are re-introduced to Oscar, the psychiatrist we met in the previous book . He is asked by his mentor to evaluate a woman, Verity (REALLY? You couldn't have picked another name?) who is in the hospital because she is injured from a fall from a roof. She has terminal cancer and insists that the other man who fell from the roof, Dale, was keeping her hostage in his house and tried to kill her. All because she believes Dale kidnapped her sister Ashlee, who has been missing for months. Who is to be believed?

We travel back and forth in time as Verity takes it upon herself to investigate her sister's disappearance because she fully believes Dale was responsible and yet she thinks the police aren't doing enough to find her sister or prove that Dale is keeping her hostage or has killed her. I'm not at all a fan of armchair detective work and Verity just takes it way, way too far. I didn't care for her character at all, and I did appreciate that the author took the extra step at one point to make the reader question Verity and whether everything that she was thinking and saying was the truth (no pun intended.)

There is one instance with a homemade syringe Verity makes to inject someone with drugs that made me roll my eyes SO HARD. It was so stupidly outlandish and unbelievable that she was able to cobble this thing together in the bathroom and that it actually worked. No way.

As a whole though, the book had some good surprises, although I was able to figure out the identity of the culprit before it was revealed. I didn't guess the "why" and the background and that made the book more intriguing for me. You don't necessarily need to read the first book before reading this one, although it does help to get some background on the main characters.

Not sure I will continue with this series, but the book was decently entertaining.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Profile Image for CarolG.
874 reviews443 followers
March 23, 2023
Verity Casmere has cancer which has metastasized and is now in her bones and she wants to find her missing sister Ashlee before she dies. She suspects a local business mogul by the name of Dale Carmot is responsible for her sister's disappearance and sets out to find out what he knows. This is the second in a series featuring forensic psychiatrist Oscar de la Nuit but it can definitely be read as a standalone. Since the previous book ended, Oscar has resigned from the Whitner Psychiatric Hospital and is weighing his options for the future. We learn more about Oscar's past including his sister Lila and what happened to her. When Verity and Dale both end up in the hospital after an accident at his home, another psychiatrist asks Oscar to interview them and determine which of the two is telling the truth.

The story is told from the points of view of Oscar and Verity in alternating "Now" and "Then" chapters and is a smooth read with interesting characters and a somewhat convoluted plot. There are a few tense moments and a couple of unexpected twists (although some reviewers had guessed the big one, I didn't). Even though I enjoyed this book more than the first one, I'm not sure I'd read a third book in this series if there is one.
3.5 stars rounded up!

I wish to thank MQ Webb, the author, and TBR Press via Netgalley for providing early access to this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: March 23, 2023
Profile Image for Grace Convertino.
207 reviews4 followers
February 27, 2023
Verity Casmere has received a devastating diagnosis. Her cancer has metastasized, and spread to her bones. Now that she knows she is dying, the question is, what does she want to do with whatever amount of time she has left to live? “When you’re dying, a lot goes through your mind. Who will notice when you’re gone? What really matters in your life?� (Location 174 of 3782) Her sister, Ashlee, the closest person in the world to Verity, has suddenly disappeared. There are conflicting versions of how she left the gala the last time Verity saw her. She and Ashlee had a terrible fight while still in Verity’s car; Ashlee got out and went into the gala without Verity, who was invited as Ashlee’s “plus-one.� After a while, Ashlee came outside and told Verity to go home, and that she would take an Uber when the gala was finished. Verity went home to Ashlee’s apartment, but Ashlee never returned home. Verity will not rest until she finds out what happened to Ashlee and who is responsible. Police are a dead end; without a body, they cannot prove a crime has been committed or that Ashlee just didn’t up and leave town for a while. Forensic psychiatrist Oscar de la Nuit is touched by Verity’s plight, and after encouragement from colleague and mother-figure Dr. Caroline Taylor, he agrees to help her learn what happened. No one could have predicted the outcome, nor the dark secrets which might come to light.

“When You’re Dying� is an interesting premise. Of course murders and murderers will most always be featured in thrillers; however, to have the protagonist dying is a twist. That’s not the only one! Every time you think you’re about to be let in on the truth of what has happened to Ashlee, the book takes another misleading twist. As others question Verity’s memory and experiences, the reader does as well. How can the reader assume what she is saying about what she sees and hears can possibly be true!? But does character’s story in the book ring 100% true either? You will keep flipping pages, eager to get to the next point, the next clue—any type of hint to learn the mystery. Even when the ending has reached the crescendo and it appears it will all be revealed, there is still one more mystery to solve. It is next to impossible to put the book down. I raced to uncover the entire story at the end, and there wasn’t a page that I didn’t want to read nor was there a time when the action ceased. What a great reading experience. You’ll unabashedly root for Verity as the sympathetic protagonist. Readers of thrillers, especially psychological thrillers, will love “When You’re Dying. I know I certainly did.

I’d like to thank BookSirens, MQ Webb, and TBR Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Profile Image for Erin Clemence.
1,427 reviews401 followers
February 28, 2023
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication date: March 26, 2023

Verity Casmere is desperate to find her sister, Ashlee, who disappeared after a party a few months ago. The police insist she was murdered, but no body has been found, and Verity knows her sister would never disappear without a word. Verity needs to find answers and she doesn’t have much time left- Verity is dying, and she wants to find out what happened to her sister before she dies. With nothing left to lose, what is Verity willing to risk?

first stunned me with her debut thriller, “�, the first novel featuring the psychologist Oscar de la Nuit, and I was left wanting more. Luckily, Webb delivered with the second novel, “When You’re Dying�.

The good news is that you do not have to read “Psychopath� in order to read “Dying�, although I strongly encourage it! The first novel introduces the reader to Oscar, with all of his past traumas and emotional scarring, yet the second novel is easy to understand without the background knowledge. Oscar serves as the psychologist who interviews Verity and ends up, unknowingly, assisting in the search for her sister. His relationships are explored a bit more in this novel, but again, it isn’t necessary to know Oscar to love him, and “Dying� can be read as a standalone.

Right from the first page, it is obvious Webb knows how to write a psychological page turner. There are twists left and right, with the final one hitting the reader right as the novel is coming to a close. “Dying� has some expected twists, but there are enough unexpected surprises to leave a reader guessing. The background characters are all just shady enough to leave suspicion, and Webb turned “Dying� into a pulse-pounding guessing game!
Profile Image for Mike.
1,223 reviews86 followers
March 10, 2023
The second book in a psychological thriller series, When You Are Dying by M. Q. Webb features Oscar de la Nuit, a forensic psychiatrist. This time, Oscar must determine who is telling the truth after a man and woman fall from a rainy rooftop, with each blaming the other. Verity Casmere has terminal cancer and is desperate to know what happened to her sister who has disappeared, whom the police suspect was murdered. She believes Dale Carmot is responsible and is determined to solve what happened while she still can. An intriguing web of unfolding events and characters that despite an unsurprising finale, makes for a tension-building three stars and a half stars read rating. With thanks to TBR Press and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
Profile Image for Natalie  all_books_great_and_small .
2,889 reviews150 followers
June 10, 2023
I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Zooloos Book Tours.

When You're Dying is the second book in the Oscar de la Nuit series but can be read as a stand-alone.
Verity has cancer, which has now spread to her bones. Her last wish is to find her sister Ashlee, who's been missing for a long time. Verity has her suspicions that a business mogul - Dale Carmot - has a huge part to play in Ashlees' disappearance. Determined to find out the truth, the pair ends up in the hospital, and it is Oscars job as a psychiatrist to determine who is the one telling the truth. We follow multiple POVs of Oscar and Verity through a then and now sequence of events with a few twists and turns along the way. I did manage to predict the ending but was still happy with how the book concluded.
Profile Image for Marianne.
4,179 reviews313 followers
April 21, 2023
2.5ȴ
When You’re Dying is the second book in the Oscar De La Nuit series by M.Q.Webb. Two months after Oscar quits working at Whitner Psychiatric Hospital, his good friend and mentor, Dr Caroline Taylor asks him to see Verity Casmere. A week after falling off the roof of a house with business mogul and philanthropist Dale Carmot, the man she claims was holding her captive, Verity has regained consciousness.

As a psychiatrist, Caroline has been requested by the police to do a psych evaluation on them both, and she believes Oscar will be able to sort lies from truth. Verity is convinced that Carmot abducted her younger sister, Ashlee, some months earlier, after they attended a gala. Carmot claims that Verity stalked him, came to his home under false pretences, then went crazy. Ashlee is still missing.

Distracting Oscar from this, and from spending time with his charming former colleague, now lover, Hayley Manning, is his alcoholic, abusive father’s admission to hospital with a cardiac arrest. There’s a bit of intrigue as Bill de la Nuit seems to urgently want to tell Oscar something. Handily, Verity, Dale and Bill are all in the same hospital, giving Oscar an impromptu reunion with his estranged mother and his older brother.

The story is told in a dual time line, with Verity’s first-person narrative recalling the events before the fall from the roof, while Oscar’s details events following his involvement. Webb’s misdirection are a poor attempt at casting doubt on the reliability of Verity’s narration The astute reader will have the perpetrator picked as soon as they come on stage, if not the motive.

When it comes, the resolution turns out to be rather convoluted. This is another plot where the female protagonist decides she needs to solve the case on her own, putting herself in danger to do so (yawn).

The reader needs to don their disbelief suspenders on quite a few occasions: a makeshift syringe cobbled together in a locked bathroom, an unimaginative escape attempt from a locked house (pick up a chair and put it through the window?), said female having a philosophical discussion with herself about killing the perpetrator in the middle of a (melo)dramatic climax, and her inaction during a physical altercation between assailant and rescuer. A fairly promising start that doesn’t follow through.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and TBR.
Profile Image for Sheila.
2,689 reviews81 followers
March 13, 2023
I received a free copy of, When You're Dying, by MQ Webb, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Verity is giving a shocking diagnosis, before she dies she wants to find out what happened to her missing sister Ashlee. This was a really cool read, I enjoyed trying to figure out who did it.
Profile Image for SarahJane.
5 reviews9 followers
March 11, 2023
"She had been right to think he was crazy". Verity Casmere is convinced Dale Carmot is responsible for the unknown whereabouts of her sister, Ashlee. The uber-successful Dale was one of the last people seen with Ashlee the night she went missing. Months later, Ashlee has still not been found, Verity is facing a grim prognosis and decides to take matters into her own hands. Is she right? Is he really the crazy one?

New to M.Q. Webb's writing, I was instantly drawn to this book because of its name. What would you do if faced with a terminal illness? Would you lay down and wait for death to come and take you? Would you live fully? Would you sort out loose ends? Verity chose to make it her mission to find out what happened to her sister. She knew her sister would never leave on her own accord, especially considering Verity had already received a diagnosis. So, she followed Dale. Little did she know Dale was essentially following her as well, and what resulted was the another beginning to the mystery. Psychiatrist Oscar de la Nuit is back. This time trying to solve what happened when Verity and Dale connected. He's brought in to find out who is lying.

Webb writes from the perspectives of Verity and Oscar. They take us back in time to when Verity decides to follow Dale, and then brings us back to the present with Oscar being brough in by his mentor, Caroline, to help on the case. In the meantime, Oscar is trying to divide his attention to his ailing father, his relationship, and dealing with the sudden reappearance of the mother who abandoned him and his long-lost brother, Steve. What the reader doesn't know is how intertwined Oscar and Verity's lives have become and what will result from this.

This book was a quicker, easy read. It may have been a little slower to start than I would have liked, but it picked up and kept me reading for more. The truth of what happened to Verity's sister was obvious, but not. The realization of who was responsible for what happened to her was very obvious, sooner than I would have liked. However, I loved how Webb disguised the perpetrator. In fact, my favorite part of the book was when I had no idea actually what was going on, still thought someone else was responsible, and the bad guy was right there all along.

I loved Webb's different Pov's. Verity was a tough character to connect with. Not because I didn't feel sorry for her between losing her sister and being given an essential death sentence, but because I wanted to yell at her for being a fool. Oscar, meanwhile, was someone I couldn't help but want to meet the equivalent of in my own life. Such a calm, caring, forgiving man. In the end, though, I felt that both were given some kind of "second chance" at life.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Janaya Kabamba.
636 reviews9 followers
February 14, 2023
Loved loved loved! A quick read woth a fast paced plot this kept me guessing til the end. It was probably one of the few occasions that I literally had absolutely no idea what was going on or who could be trusted and I loved every second of it. It also felt like quite a great concept and not something I'd read a dozen other versions of already so that was also a nice change!
Profile Image for Kori Potenzone.
891 reviews82 followers
June 5, 2023
I’m not exactly sure what high blood pressure is, but I’m pretty sure I have it after concluding When You’re Dying.

This book right here put me on a ride of a lifetime . There was no slowing down, I was thrown right into the chaos. Every time I caught my breath, I was gut punched by another twist and left speechless.

This book right here is THE book of the year and I want to be the first to let you know all that this book is a must read for all my blood, guts, gory and suspense lovers! You know my, blood sucking soul sisters (and brothers)

Once again i received the highest honor imaginable by being allowed to read and review this sure to be best seller before its release date.

Teaser :

When you're dying, a lot goes through your mind...

A shock diagnosis forces Verity Casmere to consider how she wants to spend the time she has left.

The question haunting Verity is what happened to her missing sister, Ashlee. Was she murdered, like the police suspect?

How far will Verity go to learn the truth?

Moved by her situation, Forensic Psychiatrist, Oscar de la Nuit, agrees to help Verity learn what happened, but with the truth comes consequences neither of them could predict.
Can they resurface before a dark secret consumes them both?
Profile Image for Karen M.
687 reviews35 followers
June 17, 2023
Fasten your seatbelts and be prepared to repeatedly mutter ‘is she crazy� and ‘stupid�. Now don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed this story but I did keep telling myself that I would never be that crazy or stupid but then again I’ve never had someone I loved disappear.

Verity’s sister Ashlee has disappeared very suddenly. Verity is convinced her sister has been kidnapped or worse. Verity needs answers and soon as she has cancer and she does not have very long to live. She will do whatever it takes to find her sister since the efforts of the police have not turned up anything and she has nothing to lose with a death sentence hanging over her head.

The only one who tries to listen to her is Oscar de la Nuit and he is not convinced that she is being truthful or possibly she is delusional or she is telling the truth about the disappearance of her sister.

Very fast moving storyline told from two POVs, Verity and Oscar. The ending was worth the wait and only almost at the end did I figure out what was going on.

I won this ebook in a First Reads giveaway. Thank you to the author, M.Q. Webb.
Profile Image for Amanda Alviz.
698 reviews16 followers
March 5, 2023
The second book in the Oscar de la Nuit series. I have not read the first book and I believe although they involved the same character they can probably be read as stand alone as the storylines are completely different. I also did not feel like there were any plot holes or questions from not having read the first.

Verity Casmere has been told she has metastasized breast cancer and she has months to live. She is determined to use her remaining time on earth investigating what truly happened to her sister Ashlee. Ashlee has been missing, and it's believed that she may have been murdered, however; no body was ever found. Forensic psychiatrist Oscar de la Nuit agrees to help Verity find out the truth. The truth brings secrets that no one saw coming.

This book was fast paced and intriguing. I could not wait to find out the ending, so much so that while I was on vacation in Vegas I went back to my hotel room to finish the last 45 minutes of the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and TBR press for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Steph Warren.
1,682 reviews35 followers
May 31, 2023
*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author and Zoé of Zooloo’s Book Tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

Yet another psychological thriller that I stayed up late to finish, When You’re Dying is the sequel to How to Spot a Psychopath and brings back psychiatrist Oscar De La Nuit to solve another unusual case.

This time, Oscar is faced with two people in hospital after falling from a roof, each telling completely conflicting stories about what happened and accusing each other of attempted murder. Add in that one of them is a terminally ill woman searching for her missing sister, and the other is the man implicated in her sister’s disappearance, and it becomes quite a tangled thread for Oscar to attempt to unwind.

The story is told from alternating viewpoints of Oscar now, Verity now, and Verity then (flashbacks to her actions before the fall), so the reader has more insight into Verity’s situation than Oscar has simply from talking to her. Not that that helps much with the mystery, as Verity’s thought processes are so scattered and illogical � a combination of stress and illness � that she is the very definition of an unreliable narrator!

On Oscar’s side, we delve more into his personal relationships, seeing more of his newly developing romance and also digging into his childhood trauma and current family tensions. By the end of the story, he finally has some answers about some of the biggest events in his life and it will be fascinating to see how this effects him and changes him in future stories.

The psychology of crime and criminals has always interested me and I love a story that explores the reasons why people do the things they do and how they justify their actions to themselves. I think there is slightly less of that this time round, as Oscar’s psychological analysis takes a bit of a backseat to Verity’s wildly scattershot active investigation, but the increase in action still had me on the edge of my seat throughout.

If you’re looking for an entertaining thriller that mixes psychological analysis with action and suspense, then give the Oscar De La Nuit series a try � you don’t need to read the first book to follow this story, as it stands alone, but you’d be missing a good story!

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
Profile Image for Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings).
1,758 reviews290 followers
June 12, 2023
“When You’re Dying� opens with a first chapter that instantly piqued my interest, followed with a second chapter that confirmed this was definitely going to be an addictive read.
The story then takes on a more emotional tone, with Verity describing her shock diagnosis, which sets the background for why she is desperate to find her missing sister Ashlee whom she believes has been kidnapped.
I loved the simplicity of the whole story and the mixture of emotions from the characters, from Verity with her cancer and anguish over her sister, to Oscar dealing with his father’s illness and early childhood.
There were some rather far-fetched moments but they did fit in with the progress of the story and at times added to the tension that escalated towards the denouement. I didn’t expect the many twists and who the perpetrator was revealed to be and this kept my interest in this entertaining and enjoyable read. An easy to follow, well written psychological thriller which I’d happily recommend to readers of this genre.

#WhenYoureDying - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Violet Springs.
209 reviews11 followers
May 24, 2023
"WhenWe'reDying"isacompellingandatmosphericthrillerthatdivesdeepintothedarkestrecessesofthehumanbrain. Webb'ssuperbnarrativeandcunningstructuremakethisnovelarivetingreadfrombeginningtoend.
DetectiveEmilyParkerisarelentlessdetectivewhoishauntedbyapastcasethatcontinuestohaunther. Emilyfindsherselfinaraceagainsttimetocatchanastycriminalafterasequenceofbrutalkillingsrattlestheirlittletown. AsEmilyuncoversanetworkofsecretsandtwistedagendas,thelinesbetweengoodandwrongblurandEmily'ssanityistested. Webb's ability to create a terrifying and immersive environment is one of the film's notable elements. The author's evocative descriptions and thorough attention to detail bring the location to life, producing a sense of unease and tension that throughout the story. Readers will be completely immersed in Webb's dark and gritty universe, from the barely lighted streets to the spooky crime scenes.
This novel's characters are rich and deeply flawed, bringing layers of depth to the plot. Detective Emily Parker is an engrossing protagonist, driven by her demons and a tenacious quest for justice. Webb deftly examines her psychological difficulties and insecurities, transforming her into a likeable and nuanced figure.
The supporting ensemble is equally well-drawn, with each character adding to the plot's rich tapestry.
Webb's flair for suspense and plot twists is also evident in "When We're Dying." The plot moves at a breakneck pace, with each chapter revealing new clues and surprises that keep readers guessing until the finish. The author expertly weaves numerous tales together, producing a complex and linked narrative that grows in intensity with each page turn.
"When We're Dying" delves into thought-provoking subjects such as the nature of evil, the fragility of the human psyche, and the lengths we are ready to go to for justice, in addition to its gripping plot. Webb's explorationof these deeper dimensions gives the plot a captivating complexity that elevates it above the level of a suspenseful thriller.
While "When We're Dying" is a wonderful and engrossing read, certain scenes or themes may be unsettling to some readers owing to their vivid nature. However, these characteristics contribute to heightening the story's intensity and authenticity, immersing readers in the story's dark underbelly.
To summarise, "When We're Dying" is a riveting and frightening thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. MQ Webb's deft writing, evocative location, and complex characters work together to provide a tense and thought-provoking reading experience. If you enjoy psychological mysteries that stretch the genre's boundaries, "When We're Dying" is a must-read.
Profile Image for RoosBookReviews.
347 reviews11 followers
May 9, 2023
Verity Casmere is trying to find out what happened to her sister, Ashlee, before the cancer consumes her. She claims the main suspect in the disappearance, rich playboy Dale Carmot, kidnapped her and tried to kill her. Dale claims she is following him and he just wanted to scare her away, now she is setting him up.
Oscar De La Nuit is a psychologist who is disillusioned, yet drawn to the case after a colleague asks him to consult. He is struggling with his own personal issues, past and present, that keep interrupting his life.

I loved this book. I was immediately hooked from the first chapter and grabbed every second I had to keep reading. I was especially moved by the thought that the author put into Verity's cancer and how she felt- the strong desire for wine, even though it conflicted with her treatment, the desire to keep her condition secret so that everyone still treated her normally as her world was falling apart. Having had relatives with cancer I know how real those feelings can be.

I was unaware that this was book two in a series before I read the book, but I do not feel that I lacked anything from not reading the first book before this one. That being said, I will be running out to get the first one because I was so impressed with the writing and the story here. MQ Webb has a talent!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.
Profile Image for Beachside Book Reads (Tracy A O'Donnell).
100 reviews25 followers
February 8, 2023
When You're Dying is an action packed, who-done-it thriller that keeps you on your toes until the end. I enjoyed the different character perspectives and often tried to guess what was coming, and I was never right! The story line was fast paced and well put together, characters were developed and genuine. I am going to start to follow this author and Dr. Oscar de la Nuit's further adventures as a result of reading this book.

Thank you to M.Q. Webb, TBR and BookSirens for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Anna  J.
1,242 reviews28 followers
February 24, 2023
I loved this fast paced, action packed, who done it thriller! Verity finds out she has cancer and is haunted by the knowledge that her sister Ashlee is missing. Is Ashlee dead? If so she wants answers to who did it and why? She takes the investigation into her own hands and tries to track the killer. This puts her in harms way and makes for one great read.

I was never sure what was going to happen next or who the killer was until the end. This is second book by this author and I am hooked.
Profile Image for Rach.
480 reviews7 followers
March 9, 2023
I think this could have been a great thriller but was just a bit clunky in some areas. The dialogue was a bit stilted here and there and that prevented me from getting invested in the characters. The storyline itself is not bad but I'm not too impressed with the ending.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Mugdha Mahajan.
676 reviews72 followers
June 12, 2023
When You're Dying took me on an exhilarating rollercoaster ride from start to finish. With every twist and turn, the suspense never let up, leaving me breathless and captivated. This book is an absolute must-read for fans of blood, guts, gore, and suspense. It deserves the title of the year's best book, and I feel privileged to have read and reviewed it before its release. A thrilling journey that will leave you craving more.
Profile Image for Terri.
174 reviews1 follower
January 30, 2023
This is the second book in this series and I'm loving it. I hope to see more of Oscar and Hayley in the future. This one definitely had a twist I didn't see coming and that makes me so happy. You really do need to read the first one in my opinion to read this one.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Mrs LIR Linda.
372 reviews11 followers
February 21, 2023
This is the second book in the series - I have not read the first one and although the story flowed there are glimpses into the past that come up.

The story is well told but there are quite a few typos (minor but a good edit would really benefit this book).

The Cancer story is excellent - people should not be invisible as they die.

The mystery is good - a little far fetched in some details but this did not detract from the enjoyment of the read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Valerie Anne.
912 reviews22 followers
March 12, 2023
I typically enjoy denser, more complex thrillers with a lot of extra meat on the bone. This one moved through the story at a good clip but lacked the kind of emotional depth and nuance I like to see in crime novels. The main characters' choices at the end frustrated me. A lot could have been avoided and that's all I'm going to say because spoilers in this case wouldn't be fun. There was a lot of repetitive prose, dialogue, and clues. A satisfactory book but not one I can rave about. This is the second book in a series and I wonder if I would have connected more with the characters if I'd read the first one... But the main mystery worked on its own just fine.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Tanya.
410 reviews5 followers
February 16, 2023
This back and forth tug of war thriller kept me guessing until I had an "ah ha" moment when everything clicked into place - or I should say "almost" everything. I liked that it was written in "Then" and "Now" chapters that eventually merged into all "Now" chapters.

I would have liked a bit more follow up of the lives of the characters in the Epilogue especially since it seemed to end very fast.

One thing that annoyed me a bit was the many mistakes I noticed while reading and I would have highlighted them if I would have thought about it sooner. There were words that were missing at times and the wrong word was added when it was obvious another one should have been there. There were also a lot of punctuation mistakes and absolutely wayyyyyy too many commas. But...that's just me being picky.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Patrice Gotting - #prdgreads.
340 reviews13 followers
June 7, 2023
My Thoughts: oh I loved this, with book one in the Oscar de La Nuit series being such a huge hit for me I was worried that this one wouldn’t live up to my expectations, but I am happy to say that I was so wrong!

We’re following Verity, she’s been given a terminal cancer diagnosis and is determined to find out what happened to her sister, who has been missing for a while before it’s too late! � the police have hit a dead end and seem to have forgotten all about Ashlee so Verity decides to take matters into her own hands�

The first chapter had me on edge and uncomfortable but in the best kind of way, the descriptions almost set my vertigo off 😅

Oscar is tasked with speaking to both Verity and Dale as Caroline is convinced that one of them is lying and she feels Oscar is the best person to wheedle the truth out of them.

As with the last book this story is told in 2 different timelines, the then and the now, which is one of my favourite ways for a thriller to be written, it really fleshes out the story but in a way that still invites questions, places seeds of doubt and leave you wanting more.

We get to see more of Oscar’s life too & his past and present collide in a way that I wasn’t expecting, can’t wait to learn more about him in book 3 if we’re lucky enough to get one!

The book was fast paced and I the storyline didn’t let up enough for you to catch your breath I was left feeling like I just needed to know what happened which turned this into a one sitting read.

If you’re looking if or a book with a well written storyline that is also full of character development that will have you tying yourself in knots over the twists and turns then look no further, you’ve found it!
Profile Image for Mellissa Magloughlen.
43 reviews
March 30, 2023
I was so shocked and drawn into this book.

I recieved this as an ARC copy and so glad I did.

Verity was a great character so determined strong. I didn't like Steve right away something really irritated me the moment he came on the scene.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Laura.
664 reviews40 followers
May 12, 2023
This is the second book featuring Dr Oscar de la Nuit who is a forensic psychiatrist that becomes involved in solving a crime, on the surface you might, like me, think this is a little on the cliche side, however that is not the case here, far from it!

Once I started reading this one I didn’t stop, I literally devoured this little book of emotions! The story is well written and the author had me engaged and invested in the plot very quickly!

Verity Casmere is having a very tough time with life in general, she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and has been told that she doesn’t have long left, to add to this distress her sister Ashlee goes missing. Verity gets little to no help from the police who assume that her sister may have just taken off to start a new life elsewhere. Of course the dying Verity knows in her heart that something just doesn’t add up and decides to take matters into her own hands.

This is when Oscar de la Nuit is called in to assess Veritys mental well-being. Oscar agrees that there is something not right about Ashlees disappearance and decides to help Verity.

Having a main character dying of cancer throughout the book was certainly something that made this crime/mystery that little bit different and I really liked how much emotion there was around this part of the story.

I have not had the pleasure of reading the first book in the series which is titled "How to spot a psychopath" however, after reading book 2 I am definitely interested in reading the first!

5 stars
Profile Image for Chelsie.
1,373 reviews
May 29, 2023
This novel had a very interesting and different storyline. Verity's sister has been missing and she doesn't feel the police are doing enough work to really look into things or find new clues, so after getting a life changing diagnosis herself, she decides to take things into her own hands. With nothing to lose, Verity is determined to find proof of who did it and where sister might be, but blinded by her own tunnel vision, she gets herself into a situation that has no good ending and now she is under scrutiny and has possibly compromised this case. Forensic Psychiatrist Oscar de la Nuit is brought in on the case to help determine if Verity was on to something and if the person she is pointing the finger at is who she claims he is, or an innocent character that has also now been pulled into the mystery of her sister. As the story unfolds from current and then point of views, the story slowly untangles itself and the mystery of who and why. Was Verity correct in her accusations or is there more going on then anyone realized? I thought this was a good, twisted mystery and I would read the first one as well as others in the series. I enjoyed the cat and mouse of this storyline. Thank you to Zooloo's Book Tours and the author for the free novel. This review is of my own opinion and accord.
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