Book Review: HAS ANYONE SEEN CHARLOTTE SALTER? by Nicci French

 

Title: HAS ANYONE SEEN CHARLOTTE SALTER?

Author:  Nicci French

Read: March 2024

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

 

Book Description:

 

A nerve-tingling and atmospheric thriller from master of suspense Nicci French about two families shattered by tragedy and the secrets that have been waiting decades to be revealed.

 

On the day of Alec Salter’s fiftieth birthday party, just before Christmas 1990, his wife Charlotte vanishes. Most of the small English village of Glensted is at the party for hours before anyone realizes Charlotte is missing. While Alec brushes off her disappearance, their four children—especially fifteen-year-old Etty—grow increasingly anxious as the cold winter hours become days and she doesn’t return. When Charlotte’s coat is found by the river, they fear the worst.

 

Then the body of the Salters’ neighbor, Duncan Ackerley, is found floating in the river by his son Morgan and Etty. The police investigate and conclude that Duncan and Charlotte were having an affair before he killed her and committed suicide.

 

Thirty years later, Morgan Ackerley, a successful documentarian, has returned to Glensted with his older brother Greg to make podcast based on their shared tragedy with the Salters. Alec, stricken with dementia, is entering an elder care facility while Etty helps put his affairs in order. But as the Ackerleys ask to interview the Salters, the entire town gets caught up in the unresolved cases. Allegations are made, secrets are revealed, and a suspicious fire leads to a murder. With the podcast making national news, London sends Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor to Glensted to take over the investigation.

 

My musings:

 

It’s no secret that Nicci French are on my list of favourite writers, and I will snap up anything they write as soon as it comes out. So when I found out that HAS ANYONE SEEN CHARLOTTE SALTER? was available on audio, I settled in for a long and enjoyable read.

 

French are masters of characterisation and keen observers of the human psyche, a trait that made their latest book another 5-star read for me. It started off slowly, setting the scene: 15-year old Etty is the first to become alarmed when her mother fails to turn up for her husband’s 50^th birthday party. My alarm bells rang when everyone around her dismissed her fears as groundless, but when Charlotte Salter failed to appear after a few days, it became obvious that something was badly wrong here. Soon after, the body of the Salters’ neighbour and family friend is found dead in a nearby river. The police, eager to solve both cases, conclude that he must have taken his own life after feeling remorse for killing Charlotte. Case closed.

 

Thirty years later, the Salter children return to the family farm to clear out the house and organise for their father Alec, who is suffering from dementia, to go to a nursing home. Ever since their mother’s disappearance, the Salter children (now adults) have drifted apart, and even now refuse to open up about how Charlotte’s absence has affected them. It’s not until the two sons of the other victim decide to publish a podcast looking closer into the two deaths that they have to confront their past – with unexpected results.

 

HAS ANYONE SEEN CHARLOTTE SALTER? was a psychological thriller of the best kind. From the slow exploration of the two families’ grief and confusion, to the mystery surrounding Charlotte’s disappearance, this character driven tale kept me enthralled from beginning to end. In typical French fashion, nothing was as straight forward as it seemed, and there were plenty of surprises in store as we got a look into the past. I particularly loved how French describe the fallout of Charlotte’s disappearance on all her children, affecting their lives far into adulthood – especially Etty, whose personality has been totally transformed by grief.

 

As with most Nicci French novels, the story here had a deep emotional effect on me, and I still pondered the Salters’ story long after the book had concluded. Having lost my mother at a young age, I particularly related to the effect of grief on a young (and older) Etty.

 

Summary:

 

Lovers of slow burning, character driven mysteries will appreciate the way French unravel this cleverly constructed tale and their insight into the effects of crime on the victims’ families. One of my favourites so far this year!

 

Book Review: FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston

 

Title: FIRST LIE WINS

Author:  Ashley Elston

Read: March 2024

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

 

Book Description:

 

Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

My musings:

 

What a fun read this book turned out to be! Twisty, original and well plotted, it really stood out from other thrillers I have read this year. 

Evie Porter (not her real name) is a con artist (or perhaps a spy or secret assassin, we don’t really know at this point), employed by her mysterious boss, Mr Smith, who she has never laid eyes on. He only communicates with her through middle-men, endowing her with a new identity, location and job description. Evie has just been assigned a new mark: Ryan Summers, head of a large trucking company. But this job feels different in many ways. Not only because Evie actually LIKES Ryan and doesn’t want to screw him over, but she also has suspicions about the motives of her boss. Is this a genuine job or a test? Is she in danger? This is as much as I am going to say, because it’s best to go into this story blind to get the most out of its insane twists and turns and appreciate just how cleverly it has been plotted from the start.

 

I loved Evie as a protagonist. She is clever, resilient and plucky, which makes for an exciting, fast-paced read as she pitches her own mind against that of her mysterious and very dangerous boss. 

 

If I had thought at the beginning of the book that this story might follow a well-trodden path, then I was soon very pleasantly surprised that there was absolutely nothing predictable about Evie and the decisions she made. In a time when thrillers are flooding the market, it’s very hard to find a true original gem, but FIRST LIE WINS definitely fits into that category. I got so invested in the story that I was sad when it ended, even though the finale was most satisfying.

 

If you are tired of predictable thrillers, then this one is definitely for you!

Looking for scary Halloween reads? Try Jennifer McMahon, the queen of subtle horror

 

MY DARLING GIRL by Jennifer McMahon

Are you a bit of a Christmas grinch and don’t like the Hallmark-sweet Christmas books that everyone seems to love at that time of year – but still want to join in and choose a seasonal read? Then McMahon’s novel is definitely for you! This book might be set in the time leading up to Christmas, with all the decorations, the food, the festivity, but deep down inside there’s nothing jolly about it. In fact, it’s creepy AF! Buckle up for one scary ride!

 

Since THE DROWNING KIND, I have been looking forward to McMahon’s books when I’m in the mood for a good chill. The thing I love about her writing is the perfect blend between psychological thriller, family drama and subtle horror. Here you won’t find any of the overdone horror tropes that usually are a big turnoff for me. That said, McMahon’s books aren’t any less scary, just more believable. She has mastered the perfection in hiding her chills in life’s ordinary moments, with only brief flashes of teeth visible. At times we may even believe that it’s all in Alison’s head. Is it though? After all, the monsters we should fear most are the ones that hide in plain sight, that make everyone else think that we are the problem.

 

I really loved Alison as a main protagonist. She is a family person through and through, a loving wife and mother who will do anything for her family, even pretend that she loves Christmas just to make them happy. For someone who has had to overcome some terrible childhood trauma, she has done very well to build a good life for herself and her family. This is all being threatened by the news that her mother is dying and wants to reconcile with Alison and spend her final days at their house. Alison agrees, despite her misgivings and the many memories of the abuse she was subjected to as a child. Abuse so terrible that her brother moved to another state and has broken off all contact with his mother. Alison is ready to forgive and forget, for the sake of her two girls, who should get to know their grandmother. This may prove to be a huge mistake …

 

MY DARLING GIRL has definitely made it onto my favourites list for this year. McMahon writes in a way that enabled me to picture the scene and the characters very vividly in my mind, which made the story an immersive – and very chilling – read. Despite the goosebumps I am sad that it is over, so engrossed was I in the tale. The contrast between Christmas cheer and horror was brilliantly done, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who isn’t a fan of ordinary horror tropes but is looking for a scary read with supernatural overtones. I constantly asked myself what I would do in Alison’s place, and my imagined helplessness in the face of this situation scared me even more. A brilliantly executed story, all the stars from me!

THE DROWNING KIND by Jennifer McMahon

It surely reflects a lack of restraint when it comes to spooky books that I devoured THE DROWNING KIND as soon as I received it, even though it’s not being released until April. But I hope that I can redeem myself by singing its praises from the rooftops, because after keeping me up all night frantically reading and burrowing deeper into my doona as the story progressed, it was 5 stars all the way for me! Trigger warning: if you like swimming in dark rivers or lakes, enter at your own risk, because the thing that you thought was a bit of pond weed tickling your leg? It may just send you running for the hills, never to go near the water again!

 

THE DROWNING KIND revolves around water – but not any water. The underground springs near the small town of Brandenburg in Vermont have long been known for their healing power. All the locals know that this gift does not come without a price, and they choose to stay well away from them, but that does not stop desperate people flocking to the water, hoping for a cure or having their wishes granted. In 1929, Ethel, still childless at 37 and desperate for a baby, whispers her wish to the dark waters of the Brandenburg spring.

 

Fast forward to the present. Sisters Lexie and Jax have grown up swimming in their grandparents’ natural pool, dug into the mountainside and fed by a natural spring. They are not afraid of the dark, murky waters, even though one of their aunts drowned in this very pool as a young child. On some of their secret midnight trips, the girls even swear that they could see the shape of a little girl staring at them from the water. Now estranged in their adulthood, Jax has not seen Lexie for over a year, wary of her manic episodes related to her bipolar disorder. She is therefore both shocked and heartbroken when she finds out that Lexie has drowned in the pool during one of her midnight swims. When she travels to the house to sort out her sister’s affairs, she discovers that Lexie had recently become increasingly afraid of the pool. But was it really just a manifestation of her illness, or is there something more sinister afoot?

 

Squish, squish, tap tap, wet footsteps on the pavers – was that a glimpse of something alien in the water? Goodness me, this book was soooo creepy! The constant sense of foreboding and dread kept me turning the pages until late into the night, and all my childhood nightmares about the bodies of drowned victims floating up from the bottom of the lake we used to swim in as kids suddenly seemed all too real.

 

I loved everything about this book. Whilst the timeline in the 1930’s gradually revealed some of the pool’s dark history, Jax in the present is racing against time to solve the puzzle for herself. As the reader, I was trapped in the middle like a deer in the headlights.   

 

In summary, if you love Gothic, spooky stories with supernatural elements that will make your hair stand on end, then look no further. Told in two separate timelines that were equally creepy, the book kept me up all night and then stunned me with a finale so unexpected and shocking that I am still trying to get my head around it. With a constant sense of foreboding, the book gave me the chills the whole time! Very highly recommended. 

Book Review: NONE OF THIS IS TRUE by Lisa Jewell

 

Title: NONE OF THIS IS TRUE

Author:  Lisa Jewell

Read: September 2023

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

My musings:

 

Have you ever met one of your birthday twins, a person born on exactly the same day as you? I remember being at work one day, taking a woman’s details, and it turned out we were born merely an hour apart, albeit in different parts of the globe. A strange bond, nonetheless.

 

Josie Fair is having her 45^th birthday dinner with her husband at a local restaurant when she overhears people at a nearby table who are having a merry party for one of their group. As strange coincidences go, this woman, Alix Summers, is also celebrating her 45^th birthday. Josie finds out that the two women were not only born on the same day, but also in the same hospital. This chance encounter may have been the end of it, but now that Josie has found Alix, she will not let her go that easily.

 

I admit that stalkers and uninvited houseguests are some of my worst anxiety triggers in thrillers, so this book kept me up all night! As tensions escalated, I had to keep reading until I had all the answers, which was way past my bedtime (I advise to start this book when you have lots of free time).

 

NONE OF THIS IS TRUE is probably one of Jewell’s darkest books and one where she takes the unreliable narrator theme to an extreme (as hinted in the title). As a very seasoned and talented storyteller, she ratcheted up the tension slowly but steadily until it was impossible to put the book down. There were quite a few hair-raising moments (and a few EEEEWWWW ones, too), and I felt like helplessly watching a train speed towards the abyss. Considering this unbearable tension, I felt that the ending lost a bit of steam and felt strangely anti-climatic to me, though overall this did not detract from the unique premise of the story. I loved the podcast and Netflix-series style of the novel, which gave it a very contemporary feel and allowed for short, punchy chapters and different POVs without losing its flow.

  

Summary:

 

In summary, NONE OF THIS IS TRUE showcases Jewell’s talent as a storyteller and creator of original storylines. Like other thrillers that rely on untruths and hidden secrets, it’s best to go into this one blind and let it take you on a journey. It certainly kept me enthralled until the very end and not much sleep was to be had until I found out the answers.

Book Review: THE LAST THING TO BURN by Will Dean

 

Title: THE LAST THING TO BURN

Author:  Will Dean

Read: August 2023

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

 

Book Description:

 

On an isolated farm in the United Kingdom, a woman is trapped by the monster who kidnapped her seven years ago. When she discovers she is pregnant, she resolves to protect her child no matter the cost, and starts to meticulously plan her escape. But when another woman is brought into the fold on the farm, her plans go awry. Can she save herself, her child, and this innocent woman at the same time? Or is she doomed to spend the remainder of her life captive on this farm?

My musings:

 

If you have been told by your doctor to reduce your stress levels, then stay clear of this book! THE LAST THING TO BURN is one of the most suspenseful, harrowing and disturbing psychological thrillers I have read in a long time, and yet I loved every nail-biting minute of it. No, it hasn’t done my stress levels any favours, but boy this was good!

 

I’m not usually a fan of captivity thrillers but had devoured and loved every book written by Will Dean so far and knew that it wouldn’t disappoint. Someone who can toss a handful of characters into a single bland setting and yet create tension that makes your hair stand on end like you’ve just stuck a pin into a powerpoint – that person is a true artist in my mind.

 

Jane (not her real name) and Len live in a little old farmhouse on a windswept plain somewhere in the less picturesque parts of England. Or perhaps this is doing the countryside an injustice, because Jane hasn’t had the chance to go anywhere else to explore the scenery. She makes no secret of the fact that she is a captive and would do anything to escape the hell Len is subjecting her to on a daily basis. That is probably all you need to know before delving into the story. Buckle up for the ride though, because just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, there’s another surprise in store for you.

 

Dean uses the little, bland things that make up everyday life to create an atmosphere so tense you could cut it with a knife. The secret is in the detail, and he is a master observer. I never realised how much murderous rage can be released inside me when the right triggers are being sprung. Dean doesn’t use preposterous plot twists or over-the-top conspiracies to spin his tale and capture the imagination, but each scene is so visceral, so powerful that it almost inflicts physical pain. Now this, readers, is a REAL psychological thriller. I carried Jane inside me even during the times when I wasn’t reading, like one of those heavy nightmares that still casts a shadow over the whole day even though you know it’s not real. To imagine that Dean’s book is based on real stories of people trafficking is almost too much to bear.

 

I’ll be totally honest when I say that THE LAST THING TO BURN is not an easy or comfortable read, and there are some very dark themes at play here. But to call it anything less than brilliant would be doing it an injustice. Crafted by a master storyteller, this psychological thriller will stay with you long after the last page has been turned. Enter at your own risk!

5-Star Book Review: THE ONLY SURVIVORS by Megan Miranda

 

Title: THE ONLY SURVIVORS

Author:  Megan Miranda

Read: June 2023

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

 

Book Description:

 

A mystery about a group of former classmates who reunite to mark the tenth anniversary of a tragic accident—only to have one of the survivors disappear, casting fear and suspicion on the original tragedy.

My musings:

 

I love Megan Miranda’s books – she is the queen of the atmospheric, character driven slow-burn, and her latest novel was no exception. Here the premise was particularly fascinating: ten years ago, nine teenagers survived a terrible accident on a school trip in which twelve of their classmates died. To mark the anniversary of that tragic day, the survivors meet every year in a remote beach house to support one another and check in on each other, especially since one of them committed suicide a few years ago. This year, another one of their group is absent after having taken a fatal overdose, shaking them to the core. Tension escalates as it becomes obvious that someone is playing mind games with the last survivors remaining. Has someone found out the secret they’ve been hiding all these years?

 

Told through the different POVs of the remaining survivors – Cassidy, Josh, Brody, Hollis, Amaya, Oliver and Grace – Miranda slowly lets the reader in on the reasons this group have been meeting faithfully every year, despite living very separate lives. With her hallmark atmospheric setting – a remote beach house that is being cut off from town by a violent storm hitting the coast – Miranda traps her characters in a confined space and lets tensions escalate and old grudges resurface, with some surprising results.

 

I particularly enjoyed the premise of people tied together by a shared tragedy, with all the guilt, recriminations and trauma that follows such an event. Details of the accident itself are only gradually revealed through each individual survivor’s flashbacks, which provided both foreshadowing as well as an underlying sense of dread and danger as the group realise that they may be in danger. Whilst sometimes multiple POVs only serve to fragment a story, I felt it added to the sense of different reality each survivor held on to, another fascinating aspect of shared trauma. Miranda astutely portrays each one of her damaged characters so well that every chapter held equal interest for me, and I was eager to find out the answers.

 

Summary:

 

A fascinating premise, a claustrophobic atmospheric setting and clever structure of a story full of hidden secrets made THE ONLY SURVIVORS another hit for me as Miranda’s books have done in the past. This is an author who never disappoints, and I can’t wait to see what she will come up with next.

5-Star Book Review: THE FAMILY GAME by Catherine Steadman

 

 

Title: The Family Game

Author:  Catherine Steadman

Read: May 2023

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: all the stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

Harry is a novelist on the brink of stardom; Edward, her husband-to-be, is seemingly perfect. In love and freshly engaged, their bliss is interrupted by the reemergence of the Holbecks, Edward's eminent family and the embodiment of American old money. For years, they've dominated headlines and pulled society's strings, and Edward left them all behind to forge his own path. But there are eyes and ears everywhere. It was only a matter of time before they were pulled back in . . .

My musings:

This books was sooooo good! Sinister games are one of my favourite themes in a thriller, and Steadman knows how to spin an evil web containing all the elements that made for a great read.

 

Here we have Harriet (Harry), who has just landed herself the perfect man: handsome, caring and super rich. You know when something looks too good to be true? It usually is. The obvious fly in her ointment is that Edward comes with a family, who are used to getting their own way and won’t take no for an answer. They also like playing games that give the Struwwelpeter  a run for his money. I am not a shrinking violet, having grown up with the legend of Krampus, and the creature itself regularly knocking on our door on the 5^th of December to check for naughty children (I am very good at hiding now). If you have no idea what I am talking about, you need to read this book! To put it in plain English, the Holbecks set their stakes high, and you either win or lose – even if it means life or limb.

 

I loved the whole premise of people playing dangerous games in their old stately mansion in the woods, which added a nice atmospheric touch. I also appreciated how Steadman managed the balance of making her character just damaged enough to give her a dark past, and yet still hold our loyalty. Harriet is a plucky heroine, which set the story off on a trajectory that could only end in disaster.

 

With tensions soon escalating and a permanent sense of foreboding overshadowing the story, I could not tear myself away. The audiobook added even more tension, as it allowed full immersion without distraction, and Steadman made her book proud by narrating it herself and giving life to her rich cast of (dysfunctional) characters.

 

I don’t want to say any more other than to urge you to read it! THE FAMILY GAME is definitely going on this year’s favourite list of thrillers, and I have a massive book hangover right now. Very highly recommended to mystery lovers who enjoy dysfunctional family dynamics, secrets and twists galore. Allow plenty of time when you start this because you may find yourself hooked (my dog still hasn’t forgiven me for the 10km morning hikes with my earbuds in just to listen “a little bit longer”).

 

 

If you like the sound of this premise, then you may also enjoy these other books about sinister games people play:

 

5-star alert: THE ONLY SUSPECT by Louise Candlish

 

Title: THE ONLY SUSPECT

Author:  Louise Candlish

Read: March 2023

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

Withheld for the sake of getting the most out of this mystery

My musings:

 

What a brilliantly deceptive, wicked and clever mystery this was! Louise Candlish is getting better and better.

 

Rolling out in two separate timelines, the mid-nineties and today, we get transported straight into the lives of two men, Alex and Rick, whose lives will spectacularly intersect later in the book. This is all I am willing to say – you really should go into this one blind and let you take it along its winding dangerous path (which incidentally also features in the story).

 

Cleverly constructed and tricking you by its innocuous beginning, THE ONLY SUSPECT was one of those psychological thrillers I couldn’t put down until I had all the answers. If you love mysteries where nothing is quite what it seems and every character has a secret to guard, then this is definitely the right book for you!

 

PS: I never give trigger warnings, but you may get a laugh out of this one: I think I have a phobia of house guests that overstay their welcome, because there was a part in the book where I felt myself becoming very anxious, with sweating palms and a racing heart, and perhaps discovering some slightly murderous tendencies within my own heart towards one particular character. If you share that sentiment, have a stiff drink ready before you delve in!

Book Review: FIRST BORN by Will Dean

 

Title: FIRST BORN

Author:  Will Dean

Publisher:  Atria / Emily Bestler Books

Read: February 2022

Expected publication: 5 July 2022

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

 

Book Description:

 

Sisters. Soulmates. Strangers.

Molly Raven lives a quiet, structured life in London, finding comfort in security and routine. Her identical twin Katie, living in New York, is the exact opposite: outgoing, spontaneous, and adventurous.

But when Molly hears that Katie has died, possibly murdered, she is thrown into unfamiliar territory. As terrifying as it is, she knows she must travel across the ocean and find out what happened. But as she tracks her twin’s final movements, cracks begin to emerge, and she slowly realizes her sister was not who she thought she was and there’s a dangerous web of deceit surrounding the two of them.

My musings:

 

Have you become jaded with predictable thrillers? Do you feel like you can spot a plot twist almost from page one? Does it seem ages since a thriller managed to blindside you?

 

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then I have good news for you. Put your hands together for *drumroll* - Will Dean! *raucous applause and foot stomping from the audience*

 

I admit that I have been in a bit of a thriller reading slump lately and even though Will Dean has become one of my favourite authors, I initially had my doubts as to whether this book could rekindle my passion for the genre. I even thought at one point - (you are allowed to throw rotten tomatoes at me at this point) – that Dean had succumbed to the recent (tiresome) trend of starring a quirky, neurodiverse character in his latest book. *Booooo! From the sidelines* To be fair, once you start reading FIRSTBORN, you will agree that Molly Raven has a few serious neuroses and weird quirks. However, yes, I agree that I should have had more faith in Dean to pull this one off.

 

I’m not sure at which point in the book I realised that I had been completely blindsided, but it gets even better than this, because this wasn’t the only time the story gobsmacked me. If I had been reading outside, I would surely have swallowed a few flies as I was standing in open-mouthed surprise at the turn this story had taken. And you know that giving any spoilers for a book like this is an almost punishable-by-death offence, so I am not going to say any more. Read the synopsis if you must, but otherwise just go in blindly and trust this talented author to show you the way into crazyland. 

 

Summary:

 

To cut a long review short, I think FIRSTBORN is the cleverest, craziest, twistiest and most twisted identical twin mystery I have ever read. If you find the beginning a bit slow and almost humdrum, please do NOT be fooled! Just settle into the wonderfully atmospheric New York setting and let Molly take you on a journey. Extra points for Molly’s weird and wonderful facts about NYC, like the water tanks on the city’s rooftops – I had no idea, but feel like I’ve learned a few things. And like Molly burning the midnight oil with her research into her twin’s death, I spent a sleepless night reading to find out all the answers. Was it worth it? It definitely was. So if you are looking for a thriller that actually thrills and leaves you scrambling to collect all your brain cells off the floor as the final reveal smacks you in the face, then look no further. It doesn’t get much better than this.

 

 

Thank you to Atria / Emily Bestler Books for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: WATCH HER FALL by Erin Kelly

 

Title: WATCH HER FALL

Author:  Erin Kelly

Read: November 2021

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the mind-bending stars!

 

Book Description:

 

Swan Lake is divided into the black acts and the white acts. The Prince is on stage for most of the ballet, but it's the swans audiences flock to see. In early productions, Odette and Odile were performed by two different dancers. These days, it is usual for the same dancer to play both roles. Because of the faultless ballet technique required to master the steps, and the emotional range needed to perform both the virginal Odette and the dark, seductive Odile, this challenging dual role is one of the most coveted in all ballet. Dancers would kill for the part.

Ava Kirilova has reached the very top of her profession. After years and years of hard graft, pain and sacrifice as part of the London Russian Ballet Company, allowing nothing else to distract her, she is finally the poster girl for Swan Lake. Even Mr K - her father, and the intense, terrifying director of the company - can find no fault. Ava has pushed herself ahead of countless other talented, hardworking girls, and they are all watching her now.

But there is someone who really wants to see Ava fall ... 

 

My musings:

 

Just when I thought that thriller couldn’t surprise me any more – along comes Erin Kelly’s latest book WATCH HER FALL. Set in the world of professional ballet (who knew that behind the beauty of dance hides such brutality?) it seemed very different from any of Kelly’s previous books and I remember thinking: “Is this really a mystery?” Well, eat humble pie you distrusting reader, because once the stage was set, the first unexpected plot development sent me tumbling head over heels over the edge of the stage like a drunken ballerina in a death twirl. Wow, I did not see that coming!

 

Let’s rewind a bit. The book’s background of a famous Russian ballet company performing the famous Swan Lake was fascinating. I never imagined that professional dancers would have an easy life, their toned bodies and graceful moves speaking of years of gruelling workouts and harsh discipline. On top of that, there was the competition among the dancers, each vying for the lead role and the attentions of their ballet master, the infamous Nikolai Kirilov (Mr K). We first hear from the POV of Ava Kirilova, Mr K’s daughter, who is the stars of the show, performing the coveted roles of Odette and Odile. She is also facing one of a dancer’s worst fears: of her career winding down due to the ageing process. Every day she is confronted with fresh, younger dancers who are dreaming of the day they will take over the leading role. HER role. I loved the way Kelly presented Ava, her fears, her strict discipline, her almost slavish affection for her father, who has full control over her. I admit I was totally in the dark as to where this would all lead.

 

For fear of spoilers, I will not give any more away. Let’s just say that the story took a turn I had not expected, and it was around the 80% mark that I knew I had been totally blindsided. And if that wasn’t enough, the surprises just kept coming until the very end, and I still had no idea where Kelly was leading me. It’s been a while since a thriller managed to totally wow and surprise me, and I loved it! There was absolutely nothing predictable in this novel, nor did it follow any of the popular (and often overused) thriller tropes that mark a lot of contemporary novels out there today. I applaud the author for giving us one of a kind, a book that will take you out of your own world into the unknown. It was all so brilliantly carried out!

 

Summary:

 

In summary: to those readers who are a bit jaded with popular thriller tropes and predictable twists, this one is for you! It starts off as a bit of a slow burn as you get into each character’s  mind, which worked well when it came to the moment I knew I had been duped. Loving an immersive character study, especially one that messes with my mind, I was in my element here. Cleverly constructed, multi-layered and intriguing, the book was a stand-out thriller for me and cements Erin Kelly even more firmly on my favourite authors list. Highly recommended to anyone who has been feeling disenchanted with overused thriller tropes.

Book Review: I AM THE SEA by Matt Stanley

 

Title: I AM THE SEA

Author:  Matt Stanley

Publisher:  Legend Press

Read: December 2021

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

 

Book Description:

 

1870. Apprentice lighthouseman James Meakes joins two others at the remote offshore rock of Ripshaw Reef - replacement for a keeper whose death there remains unexplained.Meakes' suspicions grow as he accustoms himself to his new vertical world. He finds clues, obscure messages and signs that a fourth occupant may be sharing the space, slipping unseen between staircases.

With winter approaching, the keepers become isolated utterly from shore. Sea and wind rage against the tower. Danger is part of the life. Death is not uncommon. And yet as the storm builds, the elements pale against a threat more wild and terrifying than any of them could have imagined. 

My musings:

 

Phew, what a crazy ride this book was! If you have had any ill-conceived romantic notions about the life of a lighthouse keeper, then this book will soon set you straight. It started innocently enough: young James Meakes arrives at the remote Ripsaw Reef Lighthouse to commence his six months term as trainee lighthouse keeper under the supervision of Principle Bartholomew and Assistant Keeper Adamson. On the same day, the body of another lighthouse keeper, Spencer, is taken away from the island for autopsy, as he has passed away in suspicious circumstances, a fact that will come to haunt James during his traineeship. Straight away, we learn of James’ fascination with the lighthouse and life within it, which he shares freely with the reader. I can never resist books about lighthouses, so was most intrigued to hear details of its construction and workings, as well as the regimented lives and power structure of the men living in its confines.

 

It soon becomes obvious that all is not well in the lighthouse. Assistant keeper Adamson never exchanges a civil word with the head keeper, and also gives James a hard time, playing multiple pranks on him as he is starting out in his apprenticeship. James becomes convinced that Adamson has a dark past and that he may pose a danger to him, especially once he discovers eerie writings on walls and in hidden cupboards, as well as a message in a bottle warning him of danger. Did the unlucky assistant keeper Spencer write these as a warning prior to his death? And whilst James is able to district himself with the strict routine of his work, things start going wrong when an inspector arrives from the mainland and upsets the delicate balance ...

 

Stanley sure knows how to set a scene. Whilst the lighthouse initially presented a fascinating and interesting backdrop of fine engineering and workmanship, it soon took on a sinister countenance as the weather closed in and young James began to suspect that all was not well in its confines. The claustrophobia slowly increased until it had dispelled the last vestiges of any romantic or cosy notions I may ever have entertained about life in a lighthouse. But like the birds attracted to its beacon and crashing against its solid walls to their certain death, I was equally compelled to read on, even as the atmosphere became decidedly sinister and eerie. Stanley’s writing, which initially progressed in an orderly, almost scientific fashion reflecting young James’ fascination with his new home and detailed descriptions of the lighthouse, became more frantic and disjointed as James becomes fearful for his own life.

 

I am impressed by the way the author pledges the lighthouse itself as a character in the story, from solid foundation to dangerous foe, as if it had turned against the men manning it. Such a deliciously claustrophobic atmosphere is something I always seek out but not often find in novels, and it was masterfully crafted here. From early on, in the back of my mind, a suspicion was growing, ultimately consuming me throughout the reading experience. And despite several misdirections and my hope to be proven wrong, I found that in the end my worst fears were confirmed in an action packed finale so dramatic and horrific that it will probably stay in my mind forever, whenever I lay eyes on a lighthouse. Some imagery would befit a Hitchcock movie, such as the scores of birds committing suicide by throwing themselves against the lighthouse windows attracted by the light. Others are a stark contrast in their beauty, such as the aurora borealis as glimpsed from the top of the tower. And some are made from your worst nightmares, not to be described here because I am not about to spoil the experience for you by giving too much away.

 

Summary:

 

All in all, I AM THE SEA is one of those dark, claustrophobic and highly atmospheric books that comes around only rarely. Written in the first person, it will make you question everything, from the reliability of the narrator to the unravelling of the mind as the isolation takes its toll. And whilst the fascinating facts about the engineering of the lighthouse and the regimen controlling the lives of its keepers was most interesting, the lighthouse and the surrounding hostile sea soon became an evil force that made me shiver. Or was the evil within its walls? Culminating in an action packed, violent and vicious finale, this is a book that should be on your must-read list if you love an eerie, claustrophobic setting and characters who all have something to hide. Cleverly crafted, this book really got under my skin and its images will haunt me for some time to come. Highly recommended.

 

 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Legend Press for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.