I’ve been on a good run with psych thrillers lately. This latest from Ruth Heald has all of the hallmarks of a perfect one.
Ambiguous Prologue: check. The reader immediately knows that there is a bride whose wedding day was disrupted. But how, and by whom?
Differing Perspectives: check. We largely get Lauren’s point of view on the events of the story. But we periodically get Adam’s, and those are primarily flashbacks. (More on that in a minute).
Multiple Suspects: check. There are enough characters whose actions are questionable to make the real culprit hard to detect. Is it one person? Two? Is everything connected, or are there separate things going on?
Thriller Ending: check and check. This book had one of the best endings I’ve read in a while. A real page-turner with more than a couple “What the heck/oh no way!” moments. Including one I did not see coming at all (but should have).
The author did a great job of laying out the plot so that I was right along side of Lauren, never knowing exactly who to trust. I didn’t have a lot in common with her character-wise, but her attitude and demeanor were perfect for feeling sympathy towards her and the situation.
This also added to the sense of dread as events start occurring that make her question everyone around her.
I also thought the flashbacks were well-done. Ostensibly, they relate a pivotal trip in Adam and Lauren’s past. But is there more than meets the eye? Yes and no. I had to check the date on an event because I was sure that the trip was during it, but once again, the author outwitted me.
I also thought that the chapters with Adam’s point of view in the present added to the suspense. Is he a heel? Does he love Lauren? When is he telling the truth, if ever? I liked being off-balance when it came to him.
How’s that for a few non-spoilers?
Apple: http://apple.co/33DgtSA
Kobo: http://bit.ly/37uvhE0
Google: http://bit.ly/37xatf3
And those aforementioned multiple suspects? Once again, the author did such a good job with plotting that at one point I suspected a character who had given me absolutely no reason to suspect them – only that I was trying to outguess the author.
There were a couple of loose ends, especially with Adam’s relationships, where people kind of just disappeared. To be honest, the ending was so good that I didn’t even realize that there was no ending for those characters. And it didn’t bother me at all.
As I mentioned at the beginning, this is about as perfect a psych thriller that you can find. I read it in one sitting because it drew me in and kept my attention the entire way through.
You definitely do NOT want to miss out on this one.
Author Bio:
Ruth Heald is a psychological thriller writer from a suburban Buckinghamshire town. She studied Economics at Oxford and then worked in an eclectic mix of sectors from nuclear decommissioning to management consulting.
Seeking a more creative environment, she found a role at the BBC and worked there for nine years before leaving to write full time. Ruth is fascinated by psychology and finding out what drives people to violence, destruction and revenge. She’s married with one daughter and her novels explore our greatest fears in otherwise ordinary, domestic lives.
