Books On Tour (Review): The Bride by Wendy Clarke

This book was nothing that I thought it was going to be. That’s a good thing. It was a quintessential psychological thriller. I liked how the book read sort of like it was in three acts.

The first act established Alice’s character and made it very clear that she was someone on the ropes who was reaching for a lifeline. Act two was Alice’s experiences in the apartment once she arrived. And act three…well, the less said, the more exciting it will be for you when you read it. So I’ll just say that it takes everything you learn in the first two acts and completely twists it.

I thought the prologue was smart; even though it was clear whose memory it was, I still found myself questioning what I knew the further I read. I had to go back and read it a few times to make sure that I still understood it correctly.

The author did a fantastic job of creating doubt throughout the plot as well. At any given time, I wasn’t sure which character to trust and whose motivations to believe. I love it when an author can keep me guessing like that.

I did think that there were a few things in “act one” that seemed superfluous the further I read. I know that they were instrumental in driving Alice to make the decisions that she did, but they seemed a little manipulative because once she arrived at the apartment, they just sort of disappeared. That being said, I also get that it was vital to the plot that she had that break. I felt the same about a couple of other secondary characters; they played small parts, but ultimately only served as pawns.

The atmosphere created by the author was the most striking aspect of this book. I loved how she created a claustrophobic feeling even though the actual locations were anything but enclosed. I also like how she used the ships coming and going on the river to illustrate that life was continuing outside even as Alice became more focused inward. That was a compelling juxtaposition.

As I mentioned above, the first two acts really just lay the groundwork for the third. Once you hit that point (and you’ll know what it is when you get to it) hang on, because it gets even twistier. Oh, and the author also resisted the usual “everything is resolved” ending. But I won’t say more.  It was a page-turning read that I tore through in one sitting; it is definitely one to pick up!

Author Bio:

Wendy Clarke started her career writing short fiction and serials for national women’s magazines. After having over three hundred short stories published, she progressed to writing novels. With a degree in psychology, and intrigued with how the human mind can affect behaviour, it was inevitable that she would eventually want to explore her darker side.

In her previous life, Wendy has published three collections of short stories and has been a short story judge for the Chiltern Writers Group, Nottingham Writers Group and The Society of Women Writers and journalists.

Wendy lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex and when not writing is usually dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food