Book Review: IN TOO DEEP by Bea Davenport

Title: In too Deep
Author: Bea Davenport
Publisher: Legend Press
Read: June 23 - 24, 2013


Synopsis (Goodreads):

'... The window's so small I can't see what happens next. But what I do know is that Kim is dead. And I know this, too that I helped to kill her. Kim, my lovely, only, best friend.'
Five years ago Maura fled life in Dowerby and took on a new identity, desperately trying to piece her life back together and escape the dark clouds that plagued her past. But then a reporter tracks her down, and persuades her to tell her story, putting her own life in danger once again.

Layer upon layer of violence and deceit make up the full picture for Maura to see and the reporter to reveal. Hidden secrets are uncovered that have been left to settle, for far too long. But in life some things can't be left unsaid, and eventually the truth will out. Whatever the consequences.

My thoughts:

Drawing on her experience as a real life crime reporter, Bea Davenport has written a taut and suspenseful psychological thriller which marks her as a writer to watch and an exciting new voice in crime fiction.

For five years Maura Wood has been living a reclusive life under an alias, working menial jobs which allow her to stay under the radar, keeping to herself and careful not to let her true identity slip. It comes as a huge shock to her when out of the blue she is contacted by a young reporter who has not only discovered her former name, but also wants to investigate the events leading up to the death of Maura’s best friend Kim in the small town of Dowersby. Reluctantly and against her better judgment, Maura relents and tells her story – but by re-opening this can of worms, will the dark secrets of her past be able to destroy the fragile safety of her new life? Maura knows only too well that some people will stop at nothing to protect their own …

What instantly appealed to me about Davenport’s debut novel In too Deep was the small UK village setting which provided a taut claustrophobic atmosphere perfect for a psychological thriller. Davenport obviously is no stranger to village life and small town dynamics as she accurately captures the dark elements of a tight knit community who will stop at nothing to protect their own and what is valuable to them. It was easy to imagine how a young woman, an outsider, could be trapped in an abusive relationship in this small rural town mired in old tradition, with nobody to turn to for help.

Maura’s matter-of-fact voice as she is telling her story was appealing and captured me from the word go, and I found I really cared to find out more about this interesting character. And whilst Davenport states she drew on her experiences as a reporter when she penned her novel, her writing is in no way factual or dry – instead, dialogue and Maura’s own reflections drive the story and soon draw the reader into a dark and claustrophobic web of simmering menace.

As Maura’s story unfolds, the reader slowly finds out details about Maura’s present life as well as the events in the past which compelled her to change her identity and go into hiding. Davenport’s portrayal of Maura and Nick’s dysfunctional marriage is insightful and observant - Maura never makes a secret of how abusive her relationship has become, and yet finds it impossible to escape it. One can easily imagine why she is irresistibly drawn to the vibrant and independent Kim, despite her obvious shortcomings – and why this would upset a community bent on old traditional marital roles and morals.

The only thing which let the novel down for me was its somewhat predictable ending – I had hoped for a twist, a surprise, that certain speechless moment of “what????” which for me marks a good suspense novel. After creating an atmosphere of constant tension, it all resolved a bit too seamlessly for my linking and left me mildly dissatisfied.

In summary, In too Deep was an enjoyable read which quickly managed to draw me in and kept me up reading well into the night. Definitely a writer to watch and one I hope to hear a lot more from in future.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: HALF MOON BAY by Helene Young

Title: Half Moon Bay
Author: Helene Young
Publisher: Penguin Australia
Read: June 18 - 20, 2013


Synopsis (Goodreads):

Ellie Wilding has been running from her past, but when the residents of Half Moon Bay call for help she knows it’s finally time to return home. As an international photojournalist, she’s used to violence in war zones, but she’s shocked when it erupts in the sleepy hamlet on the north coast of New South Wales, threatening all she holds dear.

Battle-weary Nicholas Lawson walked away from his military career leaving unfinished business. In a coastal backwater, that decision returns to haunt him. He remembers all too vividly his last lethal assignment in Afghanistan when Ellie’s sister, Nina, was shot and killed. Ellie’s been in his dreams ever since, even if she doesn’t remember him…

As a storm rages and floodwaters rise, Ellie struggles to save her community. But who can she trust? Nick Lawson, the dangerously attractive stranger with secrets, or an old friend who’s never let her down?

A compelling story of danger and desire by the award-winning author of Burning Lies.

‘Plenty of action, sizzling romance and page-turning suspense’ Book’d Out

‘Helene Young is a very accomplished writer, building her romance and suspense with verve and skill.’ Sisters in Crime


My thoughts:

I have been eyeing off Helene Young’s books for some time, but have always been wary of the “romance” part in romantic suspense fiction – romance not being one of my preferred genres. But in hindsight I am really glad that I have been given the opportunity to dive into one of Young’s books, as I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style – there was a lot of suspense, some remarkable characters, a great Australian setting and yes - a fair bit of sexual tension. It made a lovely change from the fare of gruesome murder mysteries I have been reading lately.

After losing her journalist sister Nina in a nighttime shooting in war torn Afghanistan, photojournalist Ellie Wilding has spent years travelling to escape her feelings of loss and guilt over not being able to help her sister. She only returns to Half Moon Bay, a small fishing village on the far New South Wales coast, when neighbours ask her to join the fight against corrupt politicians and developers who are threatening her hometown. When the mysterious Nick Lawson arrives in town representing the land developers, Ellie is both repelled by his presence as well as drawn to his enigmatic personality. Soon it becomes evident that Nick is somehow connected to the events leading up to Nina’s death in Afghanistan, and that the threat to Half Moon Bay has deeper and darker roots than expected. Not prepared to give up the fight even in the face of danger, Ellie must find out who she can trust in order to stay one step ahead of the threat and protect her own life.

Young has a flair for creating an atmospheric and authentic Australian setting and believable enigmatic characters. Having visited the part of the New South Wales coast Half Moon Bay is set in, I instantly had a vivid sense of place and could picture the scenery clearly – especially the surfing scenes brought back fond memories. The story unfolds so seamlessly and the dialogue is so engaging that it played out almost movie-like in my mind and kept me engrossed the entire time, reluctant to put the book down.

What I applaud Young most for is the fine balance between suspense and romance which made for a great read. At no point did Ellie and Nick’s relationship overshadow the storyline or dominate the narrative. Young has delivered a complex yet believable plot with enough twists to make for a suspenseful read, aided by current topical issues and a rural setting with its own natural hazards, such as isolation and bad weather. Protagonist Ellie is a plucky, independent and likeable heroine whose cause is heartfelt and worthwhile, and her motives for the risks she takes are always plausible. As for Nick – mmmh – despite his sometimes clumsy choice of phrase he sounds quite delectable!

Half Moon Bay should appeal to both Australian readers as well as an international audience, who will have no trouble picturing the idyllic setting of this small Australian seaside town (and instantly feel tempted to book a ticket to visit the beautiful Yamba area). I highly recommend Half Moon Bay to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense, or who has been (like me) a bit sceptical about the genre – consider me converted! I now can’t wait to read Young’s earlier novels, starting with Wings of Fear (which has been on my wishlist for a while).

A warm thank-you to Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out and to the author for providing me with a free preview copy of this novel, which gave me many hours of reading pleasure! The views expressed in this review are strictly my own. J

 

Book Giveaway: RUN TO ME by Diane Hester

I've recently had a great discussion with a group of friends as to what makes a good setting for a suspense thriller - and found it very interesting that our opinions varied greatly.

My favourites in terms of settings lately have been Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen (set in wintry Wyoming - chill factor plus!) and Dead Scared by one of my favourite thriller authors S. J. Bolton (set in beautiful Cambridge - though Bolton can make even this idyllic setting creepy & spine tingling).

In the interest of science (or rather my own nosy nature) I would love to hear what other readers think. As a little thank you I am giving away my own copy of Run to Me by Diane Hester, a suspense thriller set in the wilderness areas of Northern Maine.

My question is this:

If you were to write a suspense thriller, where would it be set in, and why?

I will draw the winner at the end of June - unfortunately due to our high postage costs, I can only post within Australia (but would love comments from readers from other countries as well).

Looking forward to hearing your opinions!

Book Review: THE NEVER LIST by Koethi Zan

Title: The Never List
Author: Koethi Zan
Expected Publication Date: July 16, 2013
Publisher: Penguin Group
Read: June 16 - 17, 2013


Synopsis (Goodreads):

The most relentless, deeply disturbing thriller writer since Jeffery Deaver and Gillian Flynn

For years, best friends Sarah and Jennifer kept what they called the “Never List”: a list of actions to be avoided, for safety’s sake, at all costs. But one night, against their best instincts, they accept a cab ride with grave, everlasting consequences. For the next three years, they are held captive with two other girls in a dungeon-like cellar by a connoisseur of sadism.

Ten years later, at thirty-one, Sarah is still struggling to resume a normal life, living as a virtual recluse under a new name, unable to come to grips with the fact that Jennifer didn’t make it out of that cellar. Now, her abductor is up for parole and Sarah can no longer ignore the twisted letters he sends from jail.

Finally, Sarah decides to confront her phobias and the other survivors—who hold their own deep grudges against her. When she goes on a cross-country chase that takes her into the perverse world of BDSM, secret cults, and the arcane study of torture, she begins unraveling a mystery more horrifying than even she could have imagined.

A shocking, blazingly fast read, Koethi Zan’s debut is a must for fans of Karin Slaughter, Laura Lippman, and S.J. Watson.

My thoughts:

After the death of her mother in a car crash, in which teenager Jennifer and her friend Sarah were seriously injured, the two girls devise a list of “never-to-do” things to avoid ever getting hurt again. They called it the “never list”. But despite their efforts, both girls fell victim to sadistical killer Jack Derber, who abducted them on a night out from college and kept them chained up in the cellar of his farmhouse for three years together with two other girls, subjecting them to unspeakable pain and horror. Only three of the girls managed to escape – Jennifer never made it.

Now an adult still haunted by the memories, Sarah lives under an alias and rarely leaves her house. When contacted by the FBI agent who had been in charge of her case, Sarah is horrified to learn that Jack Derber is about to be released on parole - unless Jennifer’s body is found he cannot be convicted of a murder charge. Determined to bring justice to her friend, Sarah sets out to track down information which would help her locate Sarah’s body. To do so she must make contact with the other girls who had been in the cellar – and put herself in all the dangers she has vowed never to subject herself to with her never-list. Worst of all, she must try to understand the sadistical mind of her tormentor and revisit dark places she has long locked away in her mind.

I was very excited when I received a preview copy of Koehti Zan’s debut novel, as it promised a lot of psychological suspense, a genre I enjoy. However, after finishing the novel I feel quite divided about it, and will rate it here on reading pleasure alone. I don’t consider myself overly squeamish (after all, I love writers like Gillian Flynn, Karin Slaughter and S. J. Bolton), but the sadistical elements in the storyline crossed the line for me several times to an extent where I nearly gave up on the book.

Starting off as a taut psychological thriller, I was intrigued by Sarah and her efforts to overcome her terrible memories and bring justice to her friend. I cannot begin to imagine the lasting damage her ordeal would have left on her psyche, and her everyday struggles rang true to me. And although Sarah’s investigations seemed to stretch the boundaries of credibility a bit far at times, considering that only a week ago she had been unable to leave her house, I could accept her efforts as “courage under fire” in a desperate bid to keep Jack Gerber in jail.

The storyline itself abruptly changed direction a few times, throwing in plot elements which needed more development to make the novel flow smoothly. Some characters also needed fleshing out and acted quite bizarrely at times to be believable, especially since their intentions earlier in the novel were totally opposite to their later actions. I did like the final revelation of the plot, which was very clever and which I certainly didn’t see coming.

What totally spoiled the book for me however were the descriptions of sadomasochistic practices which dominated parts of the book and seemed unnecessarily lurid to me. There is a fine line for me which defines the degree of involvement I want to have with the sick thoughts of a depraved killer whilst reading a novel, and parts of the storyline went a bit too far for me (there was a scene with Sarah in the box which made me feel like having a shower).  I personally believe that a well-crafted suspense story does not hinge on overly graphic descriptions of violence, but can create terror by addressing more subtle areas of the human psyche – S. J. Bolton being a good example of being able to write mysteries which make your spine tingle and get your heart rate up without feeling in need of a hot shower and soapy scrub afterwards. Whilst The Never List had elements of good suspense it did not fully deliver for me and I feel it needed a bit of tweaking to make it work.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free preview copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Book Review: THE TWINS by Saskia Sarginson

Title: The Twins
Author: Saskia Sarginson
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Read: June 7 - 9, 2013


Synopsis (Goodreads):

They were inseparable until an innocent mistake tore them apart.

Growing up, Viola and Issy clung to each other in the wake of their mother's eccentricity, as she dragged them from a commune to a tiny Welsh village. They thought the three of them would be together forever.

But an innocent mistake one summer set them on drastically different paths. Now in their twenties, Issy is trying to hold together a life as a magazine art director, while Viola is slowly destroying herself, consumed with guilt over the events they unknowingly set into motion as children.
When it seems that Viola might never recover, Issy returns to the town they haven't seen in a decade, to face her own demons and see what answers, if any, she can find.


My thoughts:

Saskia’s Sarginson’s debut novel, The Twins, is both a touching coming of age story as well as exploring the impact of childhood trauma and guilt through the eyes of identical twins and the special bond they share.

It is 1972 and identical twins Viola and Isolte move with their hippy mother Rose from a commune in Wales to a cabin in the woods in rural Suffolk. With Rose fancying an alternative lifestyle and encouraging her girls to be wild and untamed, the twins enjoy a lot of freedom, roaming the local woods on their bikes. It is in the woods that they meet twin brothers John and Michael, forming a close friendship with both boys. But life is about to change when Rose meets Frank and his small daughter Polly, and soon after announces her engagement. Resenting the change, the girls desperately try to find a way to shake off the unwanted intruders.

In 1987, both girls have grown into young women, still haunted by memories of their last summer together as a family. Whilst Isolte has made a career for herself and is in a steady relationship with a supportive man, Viola has never been able to overcome the trauma of the incident which robbed them of their innocence. Floating between life and death in the hospital where she is being treated for her anorexia, she is reliving some of the childhood memories which led up to the fateful night. And although Isolte can never understand her sister’s self-destructive behaviour, she will do anything to help her twin survive – including going back to Suffolk to reclaim their past.

Switching between the girls’ past and present (which in this case is 1987), Sarginson uses the third person narrative as well as Viola’s memories in the first person to slowly reveal the events which led to the incident that changed the twins’ life forever. And although dual time novels can sometimes be disjointed and confusing, the style really worked for me in this novel, slowly building the suspense leading up to the fateful night whilst letting the reader know of its far reaching consequences well in advance. By giving Viola a voice, the story gains in emotional depth and lets the reader catch a glimpse into the reasons for her self-destructive behaviour.

I found it especially interesting how each twin coped with trauma –raising many questions on the nature vs nurture front. Both girls had the same upbringing and identical genetics, and yet their coping styles are completely different as they suffer the consequences of their childhood experiences.

Sarginson’s novel is both atmospheric as well as insightful. As Isolte finds the courage to revisit her childhood home, she is also seeing it through different eyes, with some truths only becoming apparent to her older, wiser self – just as places from childhood memories always seem smaller to the adult eye, some of the mysteries and dark truths are also unmasked when they are no longer filtered through innocent child’s eyes. The loss of innocence, one of the themes running through the novel, left me with a sad, nostalgic feeling. Having lost my mother at the same age the twins’ lost theirs, I could relate to either girl’s reaction to such a horrible loss. One thing Viola reflects on towards the end of the book really stuck with me:

[…] When people die, you lose the way they loved you. You lose the way they saw you. Nobody can replace that. Nobody will love me as my mother loved me. […]

Everyone who has ever lost a parent, at whatever age, will understand that notion well. This and other observations, casually woven into the novel, made it a bitter-sweet reflective read which stayed with me for a while and makes Sarginson an author to watch – I am looking forward to her next novel.

Thank you to Hachette Australia and the Reading Room for providing me with a first edition copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.