The author of the “rich, dark, and intricately twisted” (Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author) The Family Upstairs returns with another taut and white-knuckled thriller following a group of people whose lives shockingly intersect when a young woman disappears.
Owen Pick’s life is falling apart.
In his thirties, a virgin, and living in his aunt’s spare bedroom, he has just been suspended from his job as a geography teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct, which he strongly denies. Searching for professional advice online, he is inadvertently sucked into the dark world of incel—involuntary celibate—forums, where he meets the charismatic, mysterious, and sinister Bryn.
Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family, headed by mom Cate, a physiotherapist, and dad Roan, a child psychologist. But the Fours family have a bad feeling about their neighbor Owen. He’s a bit creepy and their teenaged daughter swears he followed her home from the train station one night.
Meanwhile, young Saffyre Maddox spent three years as a patient of Roan Fours. Feeling abandoned when their therapy ends, she searches for other ways to maintain her connection with him, following him in the shadows and learning more than she wanted to know about Roan and his family. Then, on Valentine’s night, Saffyre Maddox disappears—and the last person to see her alive is Owen Pick.
With evocative, vivid, and unputdownable prose and plenty of disturbing twists and turns, Jewell’s latest thriller is another “haunting, atmospheric, stay-up-way-too-late read” (Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author).
The Review
Like reading about incels to a tortuous extent, I have a book for you.
I picked this book up on a whim this week to read with my followers on Instagram. I did not read the synopsis. Lesson learned, perhaps.
What I did learn interestingly enough, is that my quirks are not yours and vice versa. I could see why this might have worked for some people but it did not work for me.
If you find incels interesting and want to explore the topic in a thriller suspense book, then his might be for you. It is not for me.
I like Lisa Jewell’s books but the characters in this one were a failure and the traits of the main character(s) were part of the plot.
Making the dislike for the character(s) inseparable from my enjoyment of the plot.
This was a no for me!
INVISIBLE GIRL…⭐️⭐️
Something bad has happened to Alison Taylor.
Her Saturday night started normally. Recently separated from her husband, Ali has been persuaded by her friends to go on a date with a new man. She is ready, she is nervous, she is excited. She is about to take a step into her new future.
By Sunday morning, Ali’s life is unrecognisable. She wakes, and she knows that something is wrong. She is home, she is alone, she is hurt and she has no memory of what happened to her.
Worse still, when she looks in the mirror, Ali doesn’t recognise the face staring back at her. She can’t recognise her friends and family. And she can’t recognise the person who is trying to destroy her…
The Review
THE DATE by Louise Jensen.
I recently read THE DATE for a blog post I did about Prosopagnosia
I thought this one was super anxiety-inducing and emotional. The beginning was where it shined. It was uncomplicated and had a direct focus which felt like a stylistic choice and a unique approach until the second half of the novel came and disparaged that.
I ended up feeling middle of the road about this one. I felt it was good for beginners to the thriller genre but experienced readers will find the complicated follow through unnecessary.
It did a great job of explaining Prosopagnosia and I was grateful for that.
Overall, I thought it was ok.
THE DATE…
For years Carmen Maria Machado has struggled to articulate her experiences in an abusive same-sex relationship. In this extraordinarily candid and radically inventive memoir, Machado tackles a dark and difficult subject with wit, inventiveness and an inquiring spirit, as she uses a series of narrative tropes—including classic horror themes—to create an entirely unique piece of work which is destined to become an instant classic.
The Review
IN THE DREAM HOUSE Carmen Maria Machado.
I read 200 pages in one sitting this Tuesday. I couldn’t stop reading as Carmen narrated to me her illuminating story.
This is the first memoir I’ve read of hers and as long as she continues to write them I’ll read them. Greedily.
It’s sad to call a memoir a “page-turner of suspense” but that’s exactly what it reads like. I felt like I couldn’t stop reading until some kind of break or epiphany was made and once it was it felt like breathing for the first time.
A well-needed voice on the subject of partner abuse. I found it to be honest and not only transparent but giving.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
