Day: November 30, 2021

The Life She Wants might be a psych thriller that is confusing to some readers.

There is a prologue, then current action, then a trip to 2015 from an unknown point of view, more action…and that’s all in Part One!

Part Two then takes the reader back in time, but even that flips between two different years. And then in Part Three, the action is back in the current time.

Oh, and in each part, there are different points of view within the chapters. But the reader is not clear on who the PoV is from.

It may seem like it would all be very confusing. But, strangely enough, I was not confused in the narrative a single time.

I always read chapter titles (if there are any), and that definitely kept me on track in this story.

However, the author also does a fantastic job of keeping everything moving along at a good pace. The characters have clear actions and motivations.

The only part that felt a little draggy was Part Two. But I think that was because of the bigger time leap. I was anxious to get back to the present time and see where everything was going to lead.

Why? Because my notes indicate no fewer than seven different theories as to motivations and responsibility for events. So, in that regard, the author definitely keeps the reader guessing!

This is an interesting review to write. As I re-read it, I am realizing that none of the characters really stuck with me. I was more involved in the plot itself and the way it would be resolved.

Which is actually kinda cool. That means the plot is enough to keep my attention without having to have heavy character development.

At the same time, I do feel like that is a bit lacking. The reveals occur late in the book (obviously). But at that point, the characters are known liars. That makes it a little bit difficult to know what the truth is and what is part of the deception.

Like this author’s previous book, Ten Days, the author explores if past trauma is indicative of present behavior – or can people change?

But again, I’m not sure how much that matters, because the story is just so good.

I’m going to conclude that The Life She Wants is simply a different type of psych thriller. But it is still one you should definitely take a look at!

Author Bio:

Mel Sherratt is the author of fifteen crime novels. They all have become bestsellers and have sold over 1.5 million books. 

For the past four years, she has been named as one of Stoke-on-Trent’s top 100 influential people. Shortlisted for the Crime Writer’s Association Dagger in the Library in 2014, she regularly appears at festivals.

She lives in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, with her husband and terrier, Dexter.