Sheila Rawlings's Blog, page 2

A controlling kind of friendship

Karen, Eleanor and Beatrice (Bea) have been best friends since they were teenagers. Having chosen a career path, Karen is now a well-respected psychiatrist, although she has managed to keep the fact her boyfriend, Michael, is a married man to herself. Eleanor, in contrast, is now a stressed-out housewife, married to Adam with two children, while Bea is still unattached and enjoying a carefree social life. Despite their lives having taken very different paths, the friends are still as close as ever ... that is until Jessica Hamilton walks into Karen’s consulting room and becomes her patient.

At first, their sessions seem to go well, but when Jessica starts to comment on Karen’s private life and her relationship with her friends, Karen begins to feel uncomfortable. Convinced the girl has developed an unhealthy obsession with both her and her friends, Karen decides to risk betraying patient confidentiality by warning them about her patient. Unfortunately, they all think she is the one with an obsession. However, after hearing Jessica admit to having an affair with a married man, when Karen sees her in a shop, touching Adam’s arm affectionately, she is convinced the married man is Eleanor’s husband. Therefore, believing her friend has the right to know, she wastes no time in telling Eleanor, who reacts badly to Karen’s accusation.

With suspicion, self-doubt and resentment now coming between Karen and Eleanor, the close friendship they all used to enjoy starts to show the first signs of cracking. Following a series of tragic and harrowing events, which befall both Eleanor and Bea, the cracks continue to widen until finally, as the truth of who is responsible is eventually revealed, the friendship is blown wide apart.

‘Before I Let You In’ is a cleverly constructed thriller. Both gripping and intriguing, it will keep you engrossed right until the final chapter.

The novel begins with Karen looking back on the events leading up to the disintegration of her friendship with Eleanor and Bea, her closest friends. The following chapters then focus on each of the women in turn, highlighting the dynamics of their friendship while telling the story behind its tragic demise. With so many twists and turns along the way, the tension is expertly maintained throughout the novel. All the characters are well-rounded with believable strengths and weaknesses, making it easy to care about them. The ending is both breathtaking and sad. I must admit, it was the first time I have ever felt slightly sorry for the villain.

Devoted wife or murderer?

When journalist Esme Fox secures an exclusive interview with Simone Fischer – a young mother convicted of killing her husband in cold blood, while their son played in the room next door – it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. Since her husband’s death, Simone has steadfastly remained silent about the events of that day. However, after a decade in prison she is now willing to talk to Esme who, recently freed from her own toxic marriage, is confident she can get her to open-up.

At their first meeting, Esme is immediately struck by Simone’s ordinariness, but after hearing her story of an abusive relationship where she was a prisoner in her own home, she decides that the truth needs to come out.

Unfortunately, not everyone is pleased about her telling Simone’s story, and when Esme’s beloved sister is left for dead in a nearby wood, her life begins to unravel. Forced to question what Simone has told her, she can’t help but wonder if murder was the only way out of Simone’s marriage. Why has it taken Simone so long to tell the world the truth? And will the consequences be devastating for Esme?

Having read and enjoyed other novels by K L Slater, I was pleased to find ‘The Evidence’ was every bit as good as its predecessors. It is a cleverly crafted novel with several different threads running in parallel with the central theme – Esme’s successful podcast. All the characters are well drawn, and the pace is expertly maintained, with each of Esme’s recorded interviews written as a script to differentiate them from the narrative.

Although the story starts out as merely a journalist’s major acquisition of an interview with a convicted killer, it is not long before it turns into a web of sinister intrigue, betrayal, and deception. As new revelations continue to emerge, it soon becomes obvious that by speaking to such a controversial person as Simone, Esme has set in motion a chain of events that could put her own life in danger.

Both tense and gripping, ‘The Evidence’ is definitely worth a read. The ending is a total surprise.

Friend or foe?

‘The Fury’ is a cleverly constructed murder mystery which revolves around Lana Farrar, a movie star who one day decides to invite a close group of friends to her private Greek Island to escape the wet and miserable weather in London. Initially, the event appears to be nothing more than an enjoyable break spent in the company of those closest to Lana. Unfortunately, not everyone is as close to her as she thinks, and it is not long before it becomes clear one of her so called friends is a possible murderer.

Reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s novel ‘Evil Under the Sun’, ‘The Fury’ contains many surprising twists and turns. It also has a unique format in that the reader is addressed by one of the characters involved – Elliott Chase, a playwright who Lana considers her closest friend and confidante – who then proceeds to relate the story directly to them. However, as Elliott is in love with Lana, his view of events is somewhat prejudiced, especially given his unpopularity amongst Lana’s other guests.

Given his line of work, it is no surprise Elliott’s account of what happened on the island is presented like a play. Divided into five parts (or acts), each act presents a new twist to the story, throwing up constant red herrings until finally the tragic truth of what really happened is revealed.

Alex Michaelides is a master storyteller and having read his first novel, ‘The Silent Patient’, I was keen to read his latest one. I was not disappointed. ‘The Fury’ is every bit as intriguing – if not more so – and is therefore definitely worth reading.

More to it than meets the eye

Returning from one of their regular nights out, teenagers Sally, Tamzin and Kate are being driven home in heavy rain by their friend Olivia Rutherford when someone steps out in front of the car, causing it to crash. Unconscious and trapped in the driver’s seat, when Olivia eventually comes round her three friends have mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

Twenty years later, Jenna Halliday – a journalist at BBC Salford – leaves the problems of her disintegrating marriage behind and travels to Wiltshire to research the story for a podcast she is making to mark the twentieth anniversary of the disappearance. Staying in a remote cabin in the forest near where the accident happened, Jenna begins to interview people who knew the girls, including the detective who originally investigated the case, Brenda Hawthorn. As Brenda has now retired, she puts Jenna in touch with DS Dale Crawford, an expert in cold cases who has been tasked with revisiting the disappearance.

Unfortunately, not everyone is keen for a journalist to be snooping around and when a local recluse and drug addict is found dead in the forest, Jenna receives a warning note telling her to leave town or next time it will be her. Undaunted, she continues to investigate, but when someone attacks her in the forest, she realises there is more to the story than just a simple disappearance.

‘The Girls Who Disappeared’ is an intriguing and twisty story, told alternately from both Olivia’s and Jenna’s point of view. It also has a backstory running throughout, which at the beginning I found confusing as it did not seem to have anything to do with the main storyline. However, its relevance became clear as the story progressed, until finally things began to slot into place.

Like the author’s previous novels, this one is cleverly written and totally gripping, with several twists along the way. With everyone harbouring secrets, it is hard to know who is telling the truth and surprises are abundant. Even the last chapter holds a final revelation.

A surprising final twist

Eve Hewitt's life began to unravel the day her father walked out of the family home. When his body was eventually found in a nearby river, she thought things could not get any worse. Unfortunately, she was wrong.

Six months after her father's death, Eve discovers her husband Hugo is having an affair with one of her colleagues. Two months later, still reeling from his betrayal and left to bring up a four-year-old daughter, she learns the woman whose books had launched her career as an audio book narrator – bestselling crime writer, Phillipa Roberts – has disappeared while on her way to an awards ceremony. Her sudden unexplained disappearance is the final straw for Eve, as Phillipa was not only a major source of work for her but also her friend. Therefore, with her marriage in ruins and her career now in freefall, a bout of depression eventually overcomes her.

A year later, with Phillipa still missing and the police seemingly at a dead end with their investigation, the press seem to have forgotten about Phillipa and moved on to more current news. However, when Phillipa's wife Fleur finds an unpublished manuscript in the attic for the next Phillipa Roberts' novel in her successful 'Towers' series, the author is once again a hot topic; a discovery her agent and publishers waste no time in cashing in on.

Approached by Phillipa's publisher, Harris-Lasson, to narrate the new book, Eve is initially delighted to be once again involved in the audio production of her friend's novel. However, she soon discovers the manuscript is inconsistent with Phillipa's usual writing style, but when she starts to ask questions, she is strongly warned by the publisher's CEO, Alicia Kent, to refrain from pursuing the matter.

Unable to stop herself, Eve, decides to ignore the warning and conduct her own investigation into Phillipa's whereabouts. However, it soon becomes apparent that there is more to Phillipa's disappearance than meets the eye and that someone close to Eve has been lying to her all along.

I really enjoyed 'The Narrator' and can thoroughly recommend it. It is both cleverly written and totally gripping, with several red herrings along the way to keep you guessing right to the end. Written from each of the main character's point of view, a backstory leading up to Phillipa's disappearance gradually begins to emerge. However, even when the truth of what happened is eventually revealed, I can honestly say the final twist at the end was a total surprise.

A tangled web of lies

Having been persuaded by her husband George to leave London and move to the small village of Little Hollow in Cornwall, Helen Sanderson is unimpressed to discover he has not only bought an old cottage without her approval, but it is also in dire need of renovation. The fact that the locals are distant and unfriendly towards them does not help either. Her discomfort is further increased when she learns the former owner was convicted of a triple murder, for which she is serving thirty years in jail. As if this is not worrying enough, on arrival she feels an unnerving sense of familiarity about the cottage.

However, George finds their new home fascinating and throws himself into its renovation. Unfortunately, as the builders knock down one of the walls, they find a poppet. When further symbols of witchcraft are discovered, they register their reluctance to continue the work and leave the cottage unfinished, re-enforcing Helen’s misgivings about the place.

Undeterred, George decides to revive his failing journalistic career by writing a book about the cottage’s history. Glad he is once again showing an interest in writing, Helen initially supports his enthusiasm, unaware he has lied to her about his acquisition of the cottage and his connections to it. However, it is hard for Helen to criticise George, as she has disturbing secrets of her own.

I must admit, when I first began to read this book, I wondered whether it was going to be all about witches and magic. However, although there are elements of witchcraft referred to in ‘Let Me In’, this is not a supernatural novel. Cornwall has always possessed a rich history and tradition of witchery, especially amongst the locals, so it is not surprising it would figure in a small community such as the village of Little Hollow, where the action takes place.

The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of all the main characters. Through their individual accounts of past events, the truth of what really happened thirty years ago is gradually revealed to the reader – which is fortunate, as they are certainly not telling the truth to each other.

As the original murders referred to at the beginning of the novel are historic, ‘Let Me In’ is what would probably be referred to as an ‘open and shut’ case by the police, especially as someone has been accused and convicted of the crime. However, there is more to the story than that, which soon becomes clear with each chapter.

With so many revelations coming to the surface, it is a wonder that anyone would want to live in such a village. Nevertheless, I found ‘Let Me In’ both engrossing and entertaining. It is certainly worth a read.

Beware of the quiet ones

When Edie Budd arrives at Phyllis Collier’s run-down London boarding house, she brings with her a terrible secret that could affect them all. However, Edie is not the only one in the house harbouring secrets.

Phyllis herself is trying to forget a traumatic incident in her past, made even more humiliating by her husband’s infidelity with a former tenant. Then there is Tommie, Phyllis’s other tenant, who is leading a double life. During the day she cooks and panders to the whims of an eccentric old lady, while at night she gives in to her addiction for seedy Soho nightlife – including a man who takes what she willingly offers but gives nothing back in return.

At first, the three women avoid interacting with each other, but as Edie’s past begins to catch up with her, the others are reluctantly drawn into her web of lies – especially Tommie who, by helping Edie, must now consider the course of her own future.

As I was given this book to read by a friend, I was not sure what to expect. However, I soon found myself fully absorbed in its intriguing storyline and interesting characters.

There are two timelines running parallel to each other, which alternate throughout the book. The first begins in London, October 1958, and follows the chain of events set in motion by Edie’s arrival at the boarding house. The second begins five years prior to Edie’s arrival, which describes the events leading up to her desperate decision to seek lodgings in such an obscure and dilapidated establishment.

As the two timelines begin to merge and the full extent of Edie’s situation is revealed, the lives of the three women suddenly collide, leading to a dangerous discovery for Edie, a surprise reunion for Phyllis and a potential life-changing decision for Tommie.

Be careful what you write

Emilia Ward always dreamt of becoming a crime writer but, after leaving university and being flat broke, she chose to be a journalist instead. Unfortunately, having then met and married her first husband Jonas – after unexpectedly becoming pregnant – she soon found there was little time to pursue either career. However, when Jonas then decided to leave her for her best friend Kristin, Emilia used the time she had while her daughter Jasmine was at school to start writing her first detective novel, which culminated in the success of her DI Miranda Moody series. Finally, she had achieved her dream.

Now, happily married to her second husband Elliot, with whom she has a son Wilfie, Emilia has decided to kill off her detective heroine and concentrate on a standalone novel – a concept she is not sure will go down well with her publisher. However, while she waits for a verdict on her latest manuscript, she begins to experience a series of strange incidents, all mimicking events from her new novel. It is only when she realises that the manuscript had only been read by a few close friends and family, that she begins to suspect someone close to her must be responsible and that, if they stick to the story, it will ultimately end in the death of DI Moody … and therefore potentially her own.

I really enjoyed this novel as its complicated format challenged my powers of deduction. Once the initial mystery has been established, the story then divides into three threads. The first follows Emilia’s gradual decline into paranoia as she struggles to understand who is threatening her. The second thread follows a storyline from Emilia’s manuscript, while the third follows the investigation of Emilia’s stalker through the eyes of the detective in charge of her case. This might sound confusing but as the story nears its conclusion, everything falls into place.

‘The Woman Who Lied’ is written in such a clever way that everyone is a plausible suspect. Each time I thought I knew the guilty party, another plausible suspect presented itself to change my mind, keeping me engrossed to the very end when all is revealed. The whole novel is a rollercoaster of action and suspense, and one which I can thoroughly recommend.

Family cannot always be trusted

Twenty years ago, eight-year-old Eva, a mixed-race child, was adopted from a children’s home by Carlton ‘Sugar’ McNeil and his wife, Cherry. Brought up in a loving home, Eva could not have wished for better parents. However, following the death of her beloved Cherry, and her sudden suspension from work, she decides it is time to find out who her real parents were and what happened to them.

Keen to help her, Eva’s husband Joe persuades her to join a DNA database. Although apprehensive at first, when she finally receives a match, she is excited to learn that she has blood relatives willing to meet her. However, having found her father and acquired a sister, she is no closer to discovering what happened to her mother. Instead, as she continues to dig, she finds herself drawn into a darker side of society where black women disappear without a word, and nobody seems willing to search for them.

As an ex-police officer, Sugar knows Eva could be placing herself in danger and warns her to leave things to the professionals and not get involved. But Eva is not about to give up. Unfortunately, Sugar’s warning turns out to be true, and the closer she gets to uncovering the truth, the more it seems someone is determined to stop her … by any means.

This is the third novel I have read by Dreda Say Mitchell and, as before, I was not disappointed. Dealing with the exploitation of black women and girls, and the propensity of the authorities to put their disappearance below that of white women, ‘Say Her Name’ is obviously a novel written from the heart. Right from the start the reader is drawn in by a series of mysteries and unanswered questions. The more Eva discovers, the more questions arise, until virtually everyone has a cloud of suspicion hanging over them.

‘Say Her Name’ has a clever and gripping storyline which also carries a serious message. With the winter fast approaching and the nights slowly drawing in, it is an excellent novel to settle down with, and one I can thoroughly recommend.

An impossible situation

Having inherited a sizeable amount of money from her late father, Emma Turner and her husband Darren are finally able to say goodbye to their money worries. Not only is Darren able to start his own construction company, but they now get to keep the large, impressive house in which they and their son Jayden live. Unfortunately, their new-found happiness is destined to be short lived.

Waking up one morning, Emma is shocked to find herself lying in a hospital bed, with her arms and legs restrained and no recollection of what had happened to put her there. The last thing she can remember is Darren’s company was about to be sued by an employee who had fallen from the roof of a building while on site. After that her mind is a blank.

Scared by her surroundings, and wondering why Darren and Jayden are nowhere to be seen, Emma soon learns she is in a psychiatric hospital after apparently suffering from PTSD, caused by a traumatic event of her own making. However, nobody will tell her what she is supposed to have done. All the doctors will say is that it was not Emma’s fault, and that the only way to get better is to try to remember the events of that day. Sadly, Emma is not sure she is strong enough to face the truth.

I have always loved reading psychological thrillers, and ‘The Last Thing I Saw’ is a psychological thriller in the truest sense. Set mostly in a psychiatric hospital, the author has not only created a tense and compelling mystery but has also managed to generate a palpable sense of Emma’s confusion and vulnerability, as she struggles to deal with the frightening predicament in which she now finds herself. With so many unanswered questions – not to mention abusive staff and other inmates to contend with along the way – the result is a storyline that will keep you gripped to the very last page. The truth, when it is finally revealed, is both shocking and unexpected.