The Accusation in Aussie Readers

May 13, 2019 Brenda rated it really liked it

Shelves: aussie-authors, net-galley, 2019-release, suspense, read-on-kindle, crime, own-read, psychological-thriller, arc

Suzannah Wells had not long moved from Sydney to the small town of Enfield Wash with her mother Mary. She was a drama school teacher at the local high school as well as her mother’s carer. When she heard in the news of a young woman, Ellie Canning, who’d been found, barely clad and semi conscious on a nearby country road, she was suitably shocked and saddened about the story of Ellie’s abduction. Who would do such a thing – and why?

As Suzannah’s friendship with the nearby farmer, and original ow ...more

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May 12, 2019 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: aussie-author, netgalley-reviews, arc-are

The Accusation is author Wendy James’ contemporary take on the Canning Affair, an eighteenth-century criminal case that titillated the Victorian public, a compelling story of trust and betrayal, guilt and innocence.

Susannah Wells, a high school drama teacher, has been living with her mother in the small rural community of Enfield Wash for a just a few months. It’s a quiet life, her mothers dementia driven outbursts aside, in contrast with the years she spent as a young starlet on a popular TV s The Accusation is author Wendy James’ contemporary take on the Canning Affair, an eighteenth-century criminal case that titillated the Victorian public, a compelling story of trust and betrayal, guilt and innocence.

Susannah Wells, a high school drama teacher, has been living with her mother in the small rural community of Enfield Wash for a just a few months. It’s a quiet life, her mothers dementia driven outbursts aside, in contrast with the years she spent as a young starlet on a popular TV soap.
Susannah, like the rest of the residents in Enfield Wash, expresses her shock when news breaks that a frail, bedraggled young woman has been found on the outskirts of town, claiming to have been abducted, drugged and chained to a bed for more than a month. When presented with the initial results of the police investigation, Ellie tearfully confirms the identity of her captors- Susannah Wells, and her mother, Mary.
Susannah vehemently denies the accusation, but with her arrest, her friends, even her closest friend, her colleagues, the townspeople, and the public at large, judge her guilty. Only her lover, Chip, is willing to believe in Susannah’s innocence, but even his faith begins to waiver as seemingly irrefutable evidence against Susannah builds.
If Susannah is innocent, why was evidence of Ellie’s ordeal found in her home? If Susannah is innocent, what possible motive could a stranger, especially a beautiful and bright young woman like Ellie, have to accuse her? If Susannah is innocent, who is guilty?

I raced through The Accusation, utterly engrossed by the question of Susannah’s guilt or innocence. James skilfully keeps the reader guessing, even while probing the possibilities of truth and deceit.

The story is structured in three parts, covering a period of about 12 months, for the most part progressing linearly, with the occasional slip backward and forward in time. Primarily the narrative unfolds from the perspectives of Susannah, and Honor, Ellie’s PR representative, with brief excerpts from a documentary produced about the case, after its resolution.

Of particular interest is the way in which James explores the role of ‘spin’ and social media in contributing to Ellie’s new found celebrity status, and Susannah’s public vilification. It’s an all too real scenario that demonstrates how easily the public can be manipulated, and how easily truth is dismissed.

The Accusation is provocative and gripping, a contemporary psychological thriller that should be moved to the top of your reading list. ...more

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Jun 09, 2019 Paula Phillips rated it liked it

I was in the mood for a mystery novel and came across The Accusation by Wendy James. This book I learned after reading the author's note was based on a case that took place in the 18th Century in the UK called The Canning Affair, which later was developed into a novel set in the post-war by Josephine Tey called The Franchise Affair. Wendy James took both accounts and then added her twist to create The Accusation set in modern times in a small Australian town. The book starts with a young teacher ...more

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Jun 13, 2019 Janine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: net-galley

After reading The Golden Child last year I was keen to read Wendy's latest offering. This story is quite bizarre - a young girl is found in a disheveled state, wearing only pj's and claiming that she has just escaped from being kept captive in a basement.

Susannah Wells is a drama teacher at the local school and lives with her mother who is in early stages of dementia. Its hard work but they cope, until the world falls apart around them.

This girl Ellie, claims that Susannah and her mother are th ...more

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