3.5 stars

Dangerous to Know is book #2 in the series featuring forensic psychiatrist Natalie King. This is a hard novel for me to review. There were many things I d, even loved, yet other things that I did not care for so much.

Will get the NOT SO GOOD STUFF out of the way first:

-Even though I had read book #1 (Medea’s Curse), it was many months ago. That story was very complex. Dangerous to Know continues on with a couple of the major threads from that book and mentions several of the characters. That’s well and fine, but Ms. Buist did not give me enough reminders of the details of those events and players, and I really did not want to reread book #1 to refresh myself. It would have been even tougher to get on board if I had not read book 1 first.

-I didn’t get Natalie’s choice in men. I did not care for those she was tempted by, though I did the one that was apparently not right for her. This made the romantic elements, minor as they are, not so much fun for me.

-It took a good while for the book to engage me. It was just too slow and the characters weren’t grabbing me. It wasn’t till I got to about 30% that I was all in.

THE GOOD STUFF:

-Natalie. Once things got going and I again saw the core of Natalie, I was able to root for her. Declan (her mentor) and Damian (her sporting bang) are also good souls.

-Ms. Buist, who is Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne, has a terrific handle on the inner workings of the human mind. The book is loaded, and I mean seriously loaded, with deep therapy- discussions. These are between Natalie and Frank as well as Natalie and Declan for the most part, but many of the more minor characters are significantly analyzed as well. This was extremely interesting to me and is one of the two major strong points of the book.

-The other major strong point is the story telling in the second half of the book. Holy cow--twisty and turny to beat the band. There are some major heart-thumping moments in the final chapters that actually made me sweat. The shockers are relentless and continue all the way through the epilogue to the last sentence. Wow! People are waaaay more complex than we ever see…

Summary:

So what’s my bottom line? Well, I’m glad I read Dangerous to Know and will definitely pick up the next book in the series. I would just ask Ms. Buist to give more background info to catch us up to speed if there are to be continuing threads. And please, could Natalie fall for a decent guy? I know she’s tough and all, but she is a damaged soul and those bad boys are no good for her. I recommend this series for those with a keen interest in the psychiatric side of things and who will read the books in order. I rate the novel 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars based on the strong psychiatric aspects of the story.

I wish to thank Net Galley, Legend Press, and author Anne Buist for the privilege of an advanced copy of Dangerous to Know. All opinions are my own and are not biased in any way.
aussie ebooks net-galley ...more42 s Suz1,299 690

Another round with our hard as steel forensic psychiatrist, Dr Natalie, who she herself is medicated many of her patients. Natalie bucks the trend on everything she touches, the way she looks, acts, dresses, and carries herself professionally.

As in this book’s predecessor, this story is jam packed with crazies – this time with a very messy family that just reeks of narcissism and extremely unhealthy pathology. Natalie has retreated to the country as her Bipolar has kicked her butt, and the depression has hit her.

She retreats to an area around the Great Ocean Road on her larger than life Ducati (there is a scene where is she is unable to pick this bike up after being run of the road. Unwise purchase made in the niddle of a manic episode? I think so) and enters the world of academia.

She knows, and we know, that this will not do for Natalie, at least in the long run! She becomes involved in the family of her employer, and what is always noticeable about our special Natalie is that she will always talk about the physicality of the men she crosses paths with, and this shows us the side of her that will always push the boundaries, and it also shows us that she may not always be taking her meds. She is overdosing and under dosing as she sees fit, and those who have no experience with mental health and medications may struggle here. This was an observation I had in book one, also.

The physical danger Natalie finds herself in requires the reader to suspend belief, but my listening to the audio format suited me. I experienced my first throat clearing and page turning error with this book, which amused me having made it through the editing process. I did not enjoy this narrator and feel that series should always be tackled by the same performer throughout, for continuity.

I enjoyed Natalie’s hectic pace; she is clever but mightily flawed. Again, as with number one, I enjoy her more than the convoluted story line and really enjoyed seeing her former flame Liam re-enter the scene, to be juggled with her dalliance with her current interest. The author knows how disorders effect people; therefore, the author (herself an academic psychiatrist) writing on her experience is on-pointe.

I am happy to see the author is continuing this story with another instalment released this year, as Natalie is a very complex woman who seems to find herself in very murky situations in both work and play as is the nature of the beast of mental health.

3.5? rated up as I just love Natalie too much!audio-overdrive aussie-author aww ...more39 s Hannah616 1,152 Shelved as 'will-probably-not-finish'

I feel a bit bad about not finishing this book. I requested it because I did enjoy the first book and wanted to check this out and because I was basically on my way to my holiday and thought this would be the perfect read for that. As I sad in my review of the first book Medea's Curse I don't really read much crime fiction and I think this is the reason why I did not connect to this book. While the first book was about a subject matter that I found highly interesting (and so so grim!), this one did not manage to grab me. All the things that annoyed me about the first book - Natalie being a walking rock-chick-persona-cliche and her being reckless enough for about five people, were still in full force and this time it did make me stop reading. I had all the intentions of picking it back up, but who am I kidding. Even if I finished the book, my review probably would not be a favourable one and that just feels unfair given that I was just the wrong reader for this book.

I did not get far enough into the book to be confident to be able to predict who would enjoy this book, so I would recommend checking out by people more suited to this book.

____
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Legend Press in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that.arc crime19 s Petra815 91

Following Medea's Curse, this is the second book featuring forensic psychiatrist Natalie King. Ideally, these should be read in order. There are several threads that continue on from the previous book. Although I read Medea's Curse last September, I found it difficult to get my bearings and remember who was who and how things had been left at the end of book 1. There wasn't much of a recap to help me along. Once I got past that little issue though, I found this installment even better than the first book. Anne Buist has extensive experience in the field of psychiatry and that clearly shows in her writing. This is a book that will appeal to readers who have an interest in psychotherapy and who enjoy analyzing people. In addition, you get an intriguing and very dark mystery as Natalie becomes involved in the life of her new supervisor, Professor Frank Moreton. Frank's first wife died during pregnancy and his second wife, now also pregnant, is an old enemy of Natalie's. Plenty of twists and turns are followed by a conclusion that was as chilling as it was suspenseful and a real nail biter.
There are brief chapters from Frank's first-person perspective, which were creepy and fascinating. The remainder follows Natalie as she continues to struggle with her own mental health issues, her professional and her personal life. The romantic elements of the story were entertaining, although, to be fair, there isn't actually anything romantic about Natalie's relationship with Damian or with Liam. But it all added another layer to the very complex character that is Natalie. I think Ms. Buist has created a fantastic character in Natalie. She's flawed, she's unique, she's able and I am very much looking forward to finding out what life has in store for Natalie in book 3.
Thanks to Legend Press for making an ARC available.
australia netgalley psychology ...more19 s Bookread2day2,375 63

Anne Buist is back again with an another fast-paced psychological crime thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. Natalie King is back from a stay on the psych ward. Natalie takes Lithium to treat manic episodes of bipolar disorder. Frank Moreton who is Natalie's new friendly boss has problems of his own. His first pregnant wife thirty-nine-year old Reeva died. She had been dead too long for the baby to have survived. Reeva had made a lethal miscalculation with her insulin. Frank's second pregnant wife died and his child. Could it have been an accident that two wives both pregnant died? Natalie finds herself deeply drawn into the mystery and deeper into danger.
Anne Buist is a fabulous writer and I certainly hope that she will write many more plot-twisting books.19 s Marianne3,745 266

“I want myself back…I’ve tried, but trouble attracts me, and vice versa. Honest truth? I it that way”

Dangerous To Know is the second book in the Natalie King Forensic Psychiatrist series by Australian author, Anne Buist. As it follows on almost directly from Medea’s Curse with many characters in common and minimal recap, readers will do well to read that book first. Readers who enjoyed Medea’s Curse will be sure to find this one even better.

Natalie King, a Ducati-riding forensic psychiatrist who dares to be very much the non-conformist, has some mental health issues of her own: her bipolar disorder has seen her admitted to the psych ward. Her professional supervisor counsels toning down her life a little, so she heads out to a stilt house on the Great Ocean Road, intending to take up a research position at the Geelong University campus.

Professor Frank Moreton is to be her research supervisor, but she soon finds herself giving unofficial peer support to an understandably anxious man: Frank’s wife, Alison (with whom Natalie has, inconveniently, some adverse history) is almost eight months pregnant; Frank’s first wife died of unexplained causes the week before she was due to give birth.

On top of this, regular trips back to Melbourne are necessary to see her patients, in particular, a woman soon to be tried for the murder of her three young children. Natalie is dreading the required court appearance that will mean an encounter with prosecutor, Liam O’Shea, someone else with whom she has a stormy history. And on one return trip, her Ducati is almost run off the road by a mysterious silver Commodore.

This carefully crafted story is told through two narrative strands: Frank Moreton’s perspective is given in short chapters that alternate with chapters detailing events from Natalie’s point of view. But just how reliable is Frank’s narration? Are we being selectively shown the thoughts of a guilty man? And if so, guilty of exactly what? For that matter, how reliable is the narration from Natalie’s perspective? She worries that her own perception has been altered by the Electro-Convulsive Therapy she has recently undergone.

Once again, Buist gives the reader a page-turner with a highly original plot, plenty of twists and red herrings, a heart-stopping climax and a chilling conclusion. None of her characters is a stereotype, and she further develops the central ones in this instalment. The reappearance of Bob the cockatoo, with his frequent misquotes is an absolute delight. And the bombshell that is dropped in the last pages is sure to have readers wondering what is next for Natalie King. Another brilliant Buist thriller.
15 s Georgina PenneyAuthor 7 books83

A rollercoaster crime novel that makes you feel smarter for reading it. A brilliant, flawed detective. A delightfully complex, page-turning plot. Absolutely fantastic. Review to come.6 s Text Publishing642 250

‘Satisfying and twisty.’
PS News

Full of authenticity and gravitas.’
Daily Telegraph

‘An excellent thriller writer who delivers great psychological insights.’
Mark Roberts

‘A thrilling read that will have you on the edge of your seat.’
Buzzfeed

‘Keeps the reader guessing to the very last page.’
Lisa Hall

‘A plot-twisting page-turner…I was completely gripped.’
Emma Healey

‘An intelligent, well-paced thriller.’
Adrian McKinty4 s Elaine364

This was a good read and I really enjoyed meeting Natalie King again. There is an edginess and unpredictability to this character that makes for entertaining reading. The story line was quite gripping and the twists were unexpected and kept me reading to the end. I'm hoping there is a third in the series as I would to know where life will take Natalie. So please Ms. Buist don't make us wait too long!!! A 3.5 star read for me. 4 s Pia236 20

Welcome back, Natalie King!

After having serious personal issues, Natalie King has spent a time in a psychiatric ward and now has exiled herself to the country, trying to lead a quieter life.

But that's not possible at all. It's just not in her personality.

And as the world is small, she finds out that the wife of her new boss is an old "enemy". Not a good situation in which to be, especially as the boss uses Natalie as a personal therapist and downloads all his personal problems on her. There's a certain strange attraction between Frank, the boss and Natalie, which adds to the story. His first wife died shortly before giving birth and his new wife is also pregnant. Will history repeat itself?

Though less complex a story, and with less characters than in Book 1, this book lives up to the first one in the series.

Will there be a book 3 in the series? I certainly hope so!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.netgalley src-spring-20173 s Stacey CampAuthor 5 books67

Thank you to Anne Buist, the publisher, and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of Dangerous to Know. What a thrilling read!

This book is mysterious, dark, and brooding. From page one, the author's artfully constructed prose, lush settings, and multi-layered characters had me hooked and wanting to know more.

The star of the book is Natalie, a psychiatrist who is not only edgy and complex as people come, but someone who genuinely cares about the people in her life despite her mental issues and personal hang-ups. Natalie flees the city life after a series of traumatic events, and seeks sanctuary in a seaside house on stilts. Natalie starts anew, and begins working for a psychiatrist with a dark past and soon to be even darker present. She finds herself enmeshed in the drama that begins to unravel around her and a mystery that requires Natalia's adept investigative skills to be solved.

I appreciated the author's attention to detail, settings, and developing characters. The characters seemed "real," if not severely flawed, people. I also really enjoyed the lead character and the author's depiction of the character's mental illness. The author did not sensationalize mental illness but rather made it a point to show that someone who has mental illness can use their skills to help solve mysteries and better understand human behavior.

I hope the author writes another book with Natalie as the lead, because this character really kept me intrigued and interested.book--for-netgalley-goodre3 s Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings)1,644 254 Read

Not read - passed on tbc2 s Jennifer (JC-S)3,152 247

‘I have examined my life; but examining murder is another thing altogether.’

Natalie King is a forensic psychiatrist, all too familiar with mental health issues. Natalie has bipolar affective disorder and is recovering from a major depressive episode that had her spending time in a psychiatric ward. Natalie is seeking (temporarily, at least) a quiet life: she’s living in a borrowed house on the Great Ocean Road and has sought a low-key research position at a nearby university. Riding her Ducati should provide just enough excitement, provided that Natalie stays on her medication and keeps talking to her counsellor.

Natalie’s new boss, Professor Frank Moreton, is both friendly and attractive. Alison is Frank’s second wife, she is heavily pregnant and he is very anxious about her. Frank’s first wife, Reeva, died just before she was due to give birth. But Natalie has some history with Alison, and matters quickly become complicated. At the same time, Natalie is travelling to Melbourne regularly to see her patients, including a woman who is about to be tried for the murder of her three young children. Natalie is not looking forward to having to appear in court: there’s a certain prosecutor with whom she has an uncomfortable past.

There’s plenty of action in this novel: Natalie’s patient in Melbourne needs her attention, and she quickly becomes caught up in Frank Moreton’s world. And who is the driver of the car who tries to run her off the road as she returns home one night?

The story unfolds through Natalie’s point of view, with Frank Moreton’s perspective of events interspersed. And the ending? Some aspects were more predictable than others.

I enjoyed this novel: I d the idea of a flawed, human hero wrestling with her own demons while trying to help others. I the portrayal of a person with mental illness (mostly) functioning effectively in a world which is often not easy to negotiate for those with mental illness. ‘Dangerous to Know’ is the second book in the Natalie King Forensic Psychiatrist series, and I want to read the first book (‘Medea’s Curse’) to learn more about Natalie King.

Jennifer Cameron-Smithaustralian-womens-writers-challenge2 s Cristina292

"Dangerous to Know" is the second book of the "Natalie King, Forensic Psychiatrist" series by Anne Buist. Because I didn't read the first book "Medea's Curse" and the fact that there are so many characters in common, I felt I lost some of the story's context. But, as I kept reading the chapters, it got easier to understand character's personality and stories!

Natalie King is a forensic psychiatrist, but her mental health has some bumps! She's bipolar and right in the beginning of this book we realize that she's in a mental/psychiatric ward! Eventually she's released but her job can really influence her health. So, she tries to calm down a bit and apply for another job.

Now, professor Frank Moreton will be her supervisor. But she wasn't expecting at all that she would be helping him with issues of his own and that the past would come back to torment her! She starts to get along with Frank but his wife is Alison, a woman with whom Natalie didn't get along. Their story was developed in the first book of the series, and about this aspect, I felt kind of lost and frustrated because I didn't know what happened before!

As I kept reading, Natalie starts encountering familiar faces! Some good ones and some bad ones! And when she thought her life was quite organized, someone tried to run her off the road!

Natalie is an amazing character and Anne Buist did an amazing job about all those mental health issues! One aspect that I really d was the fact that Buist talked about the electroshock therapy. It's is such a taboo issue and Buist wasn't afraid to talk about it! Fantastic!


This is such a page-turner book with a fantastic plot! The characters have such a personality and are so able! Natalie turned out to be such a strong woman despite all the bad things that happened to her! So excited to get to read the first book because there were some aspects that I still didn't understand! But, overall, an amazing job by Anne Buist!2 s Shari3

In a great follow up to Medea's Curse, Anne Buist brings us another installment in the life of Natalie King, forensic psychiatrist with a serious twist. Natalie's romantic entanglements combined with a murder plot full of equally serious twists make this a thriller not to be missed!2 s Steve1,149

3.5 stars. I found this difficult to read in parts, and while I enjoyed the majority of the plot twists, some of them left me feeling rather cold. Bipolar is hard enough to read about, but I did appreciate the frank way the author approaches it. The climax appeared with a bang, and while I did guess who the eventual protagonist was, I was disappointed at the carry over story line as well as the hook to the next book. Which I think I will have to read anyway.fiction1 Vicki BowlesAuthor 1 book20

This is our second encounter with psychologist Natalie King (you can read my review of the first book in the series, Medea's Curse, here).

Natalie has her bi-polar in hand (for now) after a stay on a psychiatric ward, but she treads a dangerous path when she ends up working for Frank Moreton. Frank is an enigmatic, attractive man, who has the somewhat unfortunate misfortune of losing pregnant wives. He and Natalie are both drawn to each other, but not in the usual way.

Jealousy weaves its way through the story, as wives, ex-lovers and members of an eccentric family all make their presence known. No one appears to be straightforward, everyone has their own hidden agenda, with the exception of the lovely Declan, Natalie's own therapist. I feel sorry for him, and it is obvious that Natalie respects him and wants to please him.

I found this second novel easier to read than the first as there were not as many technical details relating to the mental health profession - as promised by the author!

The plot twists and turns, as family secrets are revealed in this fast-paced thriller. It is a breathless ride along with Natalie as she is at risk of losing control of herself and the complicated situations in which she inevitably ends up embroiled. Natalie is one of the most interesting and complex characters I've ever met in a book, and I hope to be reading about more of her escapades.
1 Becca Ford89 1 follower

I didn't realise that this was the 2nd in a series of books, and having not read the 1st I wasn't familiar with the characters.

It was a slow starter for me BUT once I had a hold of who was who I was gripped! So many shocking twists and turns to this story! I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Anne Buist's work!1 Janel511 107

Dangerous to Know is book two in the Natalie King, Forensic Psychiatrist series, following book one: Medea’s Curse. many series, a story begins and ends in this book so it can be enjoyed as a standalone but for maximum enjoyment, I’d highly recommend starting with book one.

As stated in the blurb, Natalie moves to the quiet countryside to take up a position in research after her stay in the psych ward. Her new boss, Professor Frank Moreton, needs someone to confide in; his first wife died unexpectedly when she was due to give birth and now his second wife is fast approaching her due date – Natalie ends up becoming Franks unofficial counsellor, as his fears of history repeating itself, understandably, begin to surface. The more Natalie learns, the more she realises, some people are just too dangerous to know! This becomes ever more evident as Frank’s point of view is interspersed throughout the book, we come to understand his past and just how much of an effect it has on the future.

The plot secondary to the above one is the case of Georgia, about to stand trial for the murder of her three children, has been having sessions with Natalie in the lead up to the trial. This storyline began in book one and was concluded in this book. You can pick up on this storyline where it starts in this book, the trial, but reading book one will give you the full insight of how the story reached this point and you’ll instantly be familiar with some of the characters – and it’s a damn interesting story!

As Natalie is not working as many cases, compared to book one, the plot flows much smoother and the content is much easier to read and follow as the theme of infanticide isn’t as strong. I believe that will make this book more accessible as it more follows crime thriller conventions – exciting build up to a plot reveal, with some exciting twists along the way.

What really shines in this story is Natalie’s individuality, Buist has created a character who doesn’t conform, she’s still a bike-rider, lead singer in a band, perhaps sleeps with men she shouldn’t, yet her caring nature toward her patients in undeniable.

I read this book in one-sitting, that’s how interesting I found it. Forensic psychiatry and mental health are areas of great interest to me, so to read a book written by someone with 25 years’ experience in the field, you just know the content is going to be accurate, detailed and interesting! I actually missed the complex cases Natalie was working on in book one, and I was especially grateful for the continuing narrative of Georgia. I’m hoping for a book three in this series so we can see more of Natalie’s casework.

I highly recommend this book/series to anyone with an interest in forensic psychiatry as well as fans of mystery/thrillers.

*My thanks to Legend Press for providing me with a copy of this book*1 Megalion1,479 46

I enjoyed the first book and didn't even register that it was rather dark until a friend commented on that. I instantly realized what she meant and why I didn't see the same.

I related to Natalie King's bipolar disorder. No two people suffer it the same but I had no trouble following the ups and downs and left turns she experienced. And for me, these things just are, good or bad.

This book picks up the story some time after the first book. And it threw me a bit where it does. She had been playing dangerously with her meds in the first book as things got intense and dangerous. Apparently she falls off the edge completely after the book ended and was sent to the psych ward again.

This time out, she knows she needs to take it easy. Ends up she's able to drop most of her case load and take a position in the country to shift to an academic path. Admittedly I never really was clear on how that worked.

Her new boss, Frank, is personable. Yet slightly strange. In a very unfortunate stroke of irony, his wife is an old acquaintance of Natalie's. Natalie slept with her previous fiancee. Oops. The past does comes back to bite you.

We know that Frank has an unnatural obsession with Natalie but she only sees a boss that wants to socialize outside of the office. A dangerous road to travel given old history. Yet Frank convincingly portrays a troubled man and Natalie thinks that this can be the way she fulfills her debt to the other woman. By unofficially counseling her husband, Frank, so he's happier.

Here's where I had a fundamental problem with the story. Natalie DOES question a bit the wisdom of allowing Frank to keep seeking her out. Especially when he starts showing up at places unexpectedly a gig out of town. She questions also the wisdom of trying to give any therapeutic support especially on an unofficial basis.

Yet she goes right on ahead and does both. I just didn't and couldn't buy that. Yes, the very physical dysfunction of our brains can lead us to making poor choices but by this point after the first book, we know her to be pretty self aware and recognizant of when she's starting down dangerous paths.

I can't see her throwing all sensibility out the window.

And the book doesn't work unless she does.

Very disappointing. But definitely a reaction that is very personal to this reader. I'm hard pressed on how to rate it but decided on 3 stars.

If you enjoyed the first book, it's very ly you'll enjoy this one too.

However, I would not recommend reading this as a stand alone.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.author-australian genre-crime-thriller genre-psychological-thriller ...more1 Lizzy ChandlerAuthor 4 books70

The sequel to Medea's Curse, Dangerous to Know continues the story of Natalie King, forensic psychiatrist. This time, Natalie is taking a break both from the city and her practice to try a quieter life by the sea. She needs to recover from the traumatic events depicted in Book 1, and to see whether her mental health will improve with a reduction in stress. Trouble follows her, however, and once again she trips the line between madness and sanity as she attempts to unravel a mystery. There were a couple of moments when I felt the author did Natalie's intelligence an injustice (the acronym TSTL comes to mind), but that didn't stop me from turning pages or enjoying the exciting denouement. I'm looking forward to Book 3.australian-women-writers aww-challenge1 NormaCenva1,157 89

Really good. I mean it! hopetown-h-library pre-orders psychology-counselling-therapy1 Cheryl Bellingham349 4

I persevered with this book but it was a bit too complicated for me to keep up with. I found my mind drifting1 Gavin Felgate631 3

This is the second of Anne Buist's psychological thrillers about Natalie King; this one opened with her fresh out of a psychiatric hospital, following a depressive episode. At the start, the book introduced her new boss, Frank, who was married to a woman called Alison who knew Natalie from medical school, and also had a drunk against her.

It turned out that Natalie had slept with Alison's ex-boyfriend, and indeed this book constantly reminded me how its main character constantly jumps into bed with just about every man who she comes into contact with.

The book gradually gave Frank a detailed backstory, primarily that Alison was his second wife, following the death of his first wife in mysterious circumstances.

As I recall, the first book was narrated by Natalie herself, but the format here is different; so every other chapter was writtn in the traditional third person format, but the others were narrated by Frank, and this gave some more insight into him.

When I started to read this book, and about Alison's hatred of Natalie, I had some idea where the plot was going, but it then took an unexpected turn quite near to the start that took me by surprise, but which I will not spoil here.

I remember that the first book had several different sub-plots with all of Natalie's various patients; here, there was just one, and it involved a woman accused of killing all of her children. This did mean that for the most of it, this book was easier to read, although Frank's twisted family history was fleshed out in so much detail that it did start to become a chore to keep up with it. I noticed this book was also even darker than the start, with its references not only to mental health conditions but also suicide and other bleak subjects that I won't give away here. I d the fact that Anne Buist threw in a lot of red herrings, and how the storyline kept me guessing almost right to the end.

I d this even better than the first book, though I did have to read some sections very carefully; the final chapters gave me some hints as to what to expect in the third novel, and the ending was a massive shocker. This is definitely a book that I'd recommend. Alexandra *She Reads a Lot*61

So torn about this book. Natalie being pregnant at the end caught me off guard, which I ! Unfortunately the “baby killer”, as I call her, was super predictable. It felt super inauthentic and unrealistic that Natalie would encounter a very, very similar trauma twice. I did appreciate that it felt Anne’s writing had matured between the first and second novel - I wish her editor had done a better job editing! (Listed below)

All in all, looking forward to the third book, as I feel Natalie being pregnant throws a nice bit of realism into the storyline!

ERRORS:
Page 27 reads “I’ll never agreed to a guilty plea.”
Page 30 reads “The surgeon was probably afraid she’d go him for harassment...”
Page 53 reads “Everyone turns a blind eye at times to the obvious and if I had I been pushed on the point...”
Page 70 reads “She doubted exhibitionism was usually his style but his enthusiasm suggested but he’d built up as much...”
Page 141 reads “All young men are, I imagine, are a little heartless if they can get away with it.”
Page 201 reads “Or at least the family history on her mother’s side, which she all she knew about.”
Page 214 reads “Reeva must have believed her child was going to have a genetic disorder, even if was via her rather than Frank.”
Page 275 reads “And doubtless I subconsciously wanted the unconditional love of mother in the safe environment I had never had.”This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Mandy3,346 302

All the ingredients necessary for a compelling psychological thriller are here and it’s a well-constructed and well-paced novel that keeps the reader guessing right to the last page. Natalie, the main protagonist, is an unusual and engaging character, a psychiatrist who has her own psychological demons to contend with, and whose mental health is always on a knife edge. The author is a psychiatrist herself and knows what she is talking about so the mental health issues portrayed here feel very authentic. There is much to enjoy and admire here, but I felt that the subject matter ran out of control as the novel progressed and by the end became far too melodramatic. Natalie herself makes some crazy decisions, not least in relation to Frank, the other main protagonist of the novel, who unfortunately is not a very convincing character. It all seemed to get a bit out of hand and although I was kept reading to find out the conclusion the novel lost credibility by the end. It just about works as a stand-alone novel although there are frequent references to Buist’s earlier book, and I felt that it was helpful to have read that one too. So a cautious thumbs up but I hope that future books in the series are somewhat reined in. Rachelle43

Dangerous to Know by Anne Buist is a tense, compelling thriller that keeps you guessing with all the twists and turns. The story, at times, is told from the points of view of Natalie who is a forensic psychiatrist trying to work out her own mental health issues while also helping a woman accused of murdering her children and Frank who is her extremely handsome, charming yet narcissistic supervisor who may have committed some murders of his own.

It's really character driven and you really get inside the psyches of these characters and strangely begin to understand their screwed up actions and bad decision making. There were some extremely unlikable characters as well as some that were the opposite. Most of the time there was a dichotomy between a character their questionable actions.

There was a lot of medical and psychological terminology but I felt as if it fit with the characters and the storylines. Natalie's episodes and triggers were done well and the reader really got to experience what life might be for someone who suffers with those issues.

Overall, it was a good story, gut wrenching at times, and one that definitely keeps the reader turning pages until the pulse pounding end. I highly recommend it. Sharon3,987 114

Legend Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Dangerous to Know. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Natalie King is a practicing psychiatrist with an illness that has made her step back from seeing patients full time. When she takes a position as a researcher, she comes face to face with an old colleague from medical school. Finding out that her classmate is pregnant and her partner's former wife died before giving birth, Natale cannot help but investigate the first death. As Frank, her friend's partner, is also Natalie's colleague, will she be able to stay objective? Can her friend, Detective Senior Sergeant Damian McBride, help give Natalie the answers she seeks?

As the novel switches between the perspectives of Frank and Natalie, it is sometimes hard to know who is speaking. Without chapters or headings to give readers a head's up, the book is confusing at times. The story was telegraphed from the beginning and the writing style did not help to keep my interest. There was nothing new that I have not read before in other psychological thrillers and I found the characters to be wholly unlikable. For these reasons, I would not recommend Dangerous to Know to other readers.mystery netgalley psychological-thriller Chloe Smith104 9

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Following on from Medea’s Curse, the first in the Natalie King series, Dangerous To Know continues on a few months from the previous novel with Natalie having fallen into a state of depression resulting in time spent at a psych ward. At the behest of her own psychiatrist, Natalie has moved away from her more bustling, wild life for a more quiet, and sensible life within the countryside moving from working in practice, to research. But, what Natalie was hoping would be a time to recover and gain back the confidence within herself, ends up in her becoming involved in a mystery and a crime all rolled into one.

After reading Medea’s Curse I all but jumped at the chance to read the next in Anne’s series. Spunky Natalie King is back again with an altogether toned down personality following her state of depression, settling for a quiet life doing research. The events of the first novel haven’t totally left us within Dangerous To Know, with Natalie still practicing psychiatry with one of her previous patients during the most crucial time of her life. Natalie believes that no longer being in the city will mean that she will not have to face those prior to her stay in the psych ward, by God she is sorely wrong!

Dangerous To Know is the perfect mystery, thriller as Natalie embarks upon new relationships, and steps back into those of old. The people that she meets all have some secret past with everyone’s lives someone being intertwined leaving you questioning everyone she encounters as well as their motives. Buist carefully feeds information throughout the novel through both Natalie’s own personal investigation due to her more personal relationship with Frank, as well as through Frank’s own ‘diary-’ entries that recounts over similar scenes from a different perspective. It is Frank’s narrative that I feel gives more of an insight into who he is as a character; it is during these moments that we begin to understand his past, ambitions, his goals, as well as the personality that lies beneath the professional and confessional Frank that sits before Natalie. Frank as a character truly plays mind games with both the reader and Natalie, confessing that he wants to tell Natalie the truth or dropping hints about certain events or feelings only for us to hear nothing for many more chapters or until Natalie figures out the truth. This element was truly brilliant as it left me wanting to find out more and understand Frank’s motives behind befriending Natalie outside of their research unit.

As to be expected, Natalie still possesses her wild side, though more mellow than Medea’s Curse due to her experiences and the medication that she is currently taking. She still rides her motorbike at almost high speed, she still makes rash decisions, and she still sleeps around with men who she really shouldn’t. Having read over my original review for Medea’s Curse, I have realised that I have grown to this side of Natalie King as it balances out the more professional side of her and her narrative when we are provided with concise explanations about disorders, actions, and psychiatry. However, that isn’t to say that I find these moments boring – I truly don’t! They bring so much insight into how Natalie sees the side-characters and helps to bring a a different perspective on what is happening.

Dangerous To Know was definitely a stronger novel than Medea’s Curse now that Natalie King has been established. I enjoyed the concept of this novel and the way it played out far more especially with the varying strands of the narrative and the different threads of the investigation. It is a lot to take in and sometimes I had to re-read sentences to fully understand due to the web of connections but it all fit together naturally and didn’t feel forced. I am thoroughly enjoying Natalie King as a character and, Anne Buist, I expect there to be another novel! Miss Di91 1 follower

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