Pages: 281
Published: 5th January 2021
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Content warnings: Drug references, sexual references, child abduction
Emma and Dele’s dreams came true nine years ago when they adopted their daughter, Isla. It felt like fate, like they were meant to find each other, and now they’re living the life they always wanted. But then one day a new family moves into Forest Grove – and Emma can’t shake the chilling feeling that the wife looks just like Isla’s birth mother.
Emma tells herself that this sophisticated stranger can’t possibly be the troubled woman she remembers from the adoption. But as they get to know each other and it becomes clear that Tatjana has a special interest in Isla, her suspicions grow.
When small things start to go wrong and her parenting abilities are brought into question, Emma feels undermined, turning to her sister Harriet for support. But things only spiral further when secrets from her past suddenly resurface.
With rumours swirling, Emma begins to doubt herself. Could Tatjana be Isla’s birth mother? And, with everything that’s happening, is Emma the right person to be raising her daughter at all?
What this thriller lacks in originality is certainly made up for in terms of suspense and twists, as at no point does it allow you to rest easily amid its claustrophobic atmosphere. Well developed and scattered with some clever ideas, the concept may not set itself apart too greatly from others in the genre, but it maximises the potential with a menacing narrative that fills you with increasing paranoia as the story unfurls.
There are multiple narratives and formats on display which are used effectively throughout, giving it extra layers and enhancing the plot with a crafty sense of misdirection. The characters all have a lot of depth to them and although there are some scenes that can feel a little repetitive, the action moves along at a brisk pace and maintains a high level of intrigue.
Nine years ago, Emma Okoro and her husband Dele adopted a little girl called Isla, whose teenage mother Jade was unable to look after her. They are a happy family and have recently moved to the village of Forest Grove, where one morning a rock suddenly smashes through their living room window, and initially Emma thinks it may have been a racially motivated act.
A total introvert, Emma has so far struggled to make friends since moving to Forest Grove and she is looked upon with scorn by the other mothers at Isla’s primary school. Then on the way to school she is accused by another woman of careless parking and there she encounters Laurence, an architect who has just moved to the area and is building a house nearby. Much to Emma’s shock, she sees that his wife Tatjana looks exactly like Jade.
After a number of strange incidents happen in the ensuing weeks and Tatjana becomes increasingly friendly with Isla, making her look like a bad mother in the process, Emma is convinced that the other woman is Jade and she has come back to reclaim her daughter. And it is true, someone is looking to discredit Emma and take Isla away, and there is an incident in Emma’s past that she wants to keep hidden at all costs.
Right from the very first chapter, you know that something is afoot and there is an extremely threatening vibe that only intensifies once Tatjana enters the story. As each passing event goes by it gets more unsettling for Emma and as the reader you really begin to feel that on her behalf, while the question of whether Tatjana is Jade or not hangs in the air with no clear answer either way.
The first real twist occurs about two thirds of the way through and despite the fact I did work it out in the end, I should have seen it coming earlier. It is just very well teased and rather hidden in plain sight. It is nothing however compared to the twist that arrives closer to the end, which is totally unexpected and somewhat mind-blowing as it pulls the proverbial rug from underneath you.
Most of the story is written in the third person from the perspective of Emma, and you can really feel her growing trepidation and fear. In between these chapters we have short sections which address Isla in the second person, from the viewpoint of the person who is looking to take her, which are full of foreboding. Elsewhere, we also have sections of an online chat forum for Forest Grove residents, mostly the mothers at Isla’s school.
For the most part, Emma is a likeable character whose growing fear is easy to understand and I felt able to connect and empathise with her. Actually, it is only towards the end where you realise how much depth she actually has. Dele was not developed as much but seemed a good character, Isla was smart and kind of adorable, while Emma’s sister Harriet is headstrong and full of conviction.
Along with Emma, the most complex character in the book by far is Tatjana, who clearly has some kind of agenda at the beginning and is portrayed as elegant and sophisticated, but turns out to be quite vulnerable. Even then, you are still made to feel suspicious of her. Laurence is just suave all the way, and so many of the other mothers are annoyingly two-faced.
Again, there is nothing particularly unique about Forest Grove as a setting compared to what we see in other thrillers, but the fact that it is so small and everyone knows each other does lend itself to some tension, with all the gossip that comes with it. Some of the best insights come through the extracts of the chat forum, which also offers more in the way of character and plot development.
One of the more impressive things here was the writing, which is fairly vibrant and has a real sense of personality. In contrast, if there was one moment I did not like, it is when Emma drinks alcohol late in the story even when she is teetotal – that was unnecessary and sent a bad message. As for the ending, one thing that happened seemed far-fetched, but otherwise it was great.
Overall, the unrelenting suspense and powerful degree of depth given to the characters make this an unquestionably good thriller. The plot may not stand out too much from the crowd, but the writing and storytelling are both strong and there is a twist that truly catches you out in a damning realisation. On top of that, it is certainly a page-turner.
A very well written thriller. It totally had me on edge while reading it, and I found the story quite compelling despite the lack of originality in the general concept.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Stephen Reads Books 