Pages: 343
Published: 2nd January 2018
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Content Warnings: Domestic violence/abuse, sexual references, miscarriage
When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.
This book might be a rather slow burn and have structural issues, but it is worth the read for its twists and increasingly powerful narrative. With a nuanced portrayal of an unsettling topic that acts beside an ability to command your undivided attention when you least expect, it slowly ramps up the suspense until culminating with a brilliant final act.
Hiding between the lines and floating amid the excessive detail in this psychological thriller is some very clever misdirection, and as events unfold the plot really pulls you in. Anyone who has read Clare Mackintosh’s I Let You Go will notice some similarities in terms of both the twists and how they alter the first person perspectives. Although that story was more exciting as a whole, the techniques used here are, in many ways, just as effective.
If you go into this one blind, then little will prepare you for the twist at the end of part one. Until then, it is apparently a tale of a woman who is determined to win back her ex-husband and has been stalking his new fiancée. To be honest, all of this is rather mundane and the story drags, so thankfully the authors had something more interesting in mind and this twist – which is very well hidden – shakes things up completely.
From there, the real truth emerges and the plot moves in an altogether different direction which breathes energy into it that was not present before. The characters are seen in a new light and you suddenly become invested in what is happening, while the revelations do not end there. It is quietly intense and so much more compelling as it approaches the final chapters, even if the pacing remains pedestrian for the most part.
One of the main reasons for this is that a large amount of the story consists of Vanessa recounting memories from her past life at great length alongside events in the present day timeline. All of those flashbacks play a key part in adding context and depth, but from a structural point of view it does hold things up, raising the question of whether these scenes could have been relayed slightly differently.
The theme of domestic violence and controlling behaviour runs heavily during the story; subtle to begin with before getting more obvious later on, aided by the gradual unfurling of the flashbacks. While this happens, it is quite shocking when as the reader understands the true scale of it, as it also explores what it is like for the victim to be isolated from friends and when gaslighting can lead to extreme self-doubt.
Such are the twists, it is easy to feel quite suspicious or at least indifferent towards Vanessa at first, but when things become clearer she turns into a highly compelling narrator. You are definitely rooting for her after finding out what she has been through, but there is an enjoyably crafty side to her too, which surfaces more towards the end.
The first impression I had of Richard was that he is rich and boring with very little in the way of personality other than a talent for charming women with a few basic, unimaginative lines. But in fact he develops into someone rather terrifying, so obsessed with having power over others and trying to maintain a mask of composure. The episode involving Duke was especially unsettling to read.
Of the other characters, it was impactful to see Vanessa’s friendship with Sam change over time and
toxic influences draw them apart. The storyline involving Aunt Charlotte was also moving in a way, whereas Richard’s sister Maureen was difficult to really pin down. As for Emma, she is much more likeable and open-minded than you might expect, which I appreciated a lot.
Most of the book takes place in the city where Richard works as a financier and characters frequent high end restaurants and boutiques, and it could be said that the formal yet conversational writing style mirrors this. Despite a plot that contains genuine menace, it does get too dense at times and there are occasional passages that can be glossed over in between the good bits.
There is no faulting the ending though, as it is magnificent. The epilogue starts off with another astounding twist which could have partly ruined the story if handled badly, but it works incredibly well. But that is not even the best thing about it – instead it is how it leads to two characters finding a common ground and building a mutual understanding.
Overall, there is no hiding from the fact that this thriller is slow moving in places, but the first big twist really propels it forward and after that, the plot becomes very gripping. The way themes are explored is articulate and sophisticated in addition to the growing suspense, but its biggest weapon is the element of surprise, so it is definitely worth persevering with.
I was not loving this book to begin with, but was promised a big twist. That happened and it turned things around significantly, and I was taken by the plot from that moment onwards.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Stephen Reads Books 