Tag: Book Review

There were times in The Breakdown by Arianne Richmonde that I thought the psych thriller would give ME a breakdown.

Seriously, there were so many times that I wondered exactly what was going on.

And there is a LOT going on.

At first, I thought it had a very Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights feel to it. Perhaps that is because of Jayne’s name, or the situation where the nanny is entering into a strange family situation in a fairly secluded area.

I don’t know if that is the intention, but it is a strong vibe.

As I got further in the plot, however, I realized that there was an undercurrent of action that I had missed because I was set in my initial mindset.

At that point, I dropped everything I thought I had figured out and just went along for the ride. Trust me when I say the book is best enjoyed if you do this from the beginning.

I don’t want to say too much about the characters, because this is a case where one thing could give away a bigger plot point.

There is not a large cast of characters, but everyone is hiding something. It does take a bit of concentration to keep everything straight. There are more than a few “blink and you’ll miss it moments.”

And even if you don’t blink, by the time you get to the end, you’ll wonder if there IS something you didn’t notice. Because there are twists you will not see coming. Right up to the very end.

Even though it started a little slow, The Breakdown ended up being another great psych thriller from Arianne Richmonde.

Here are some more of the author’s books to try: The Newlyweds, The Guilty Sister, The Wife’s House

Author Bio:

Arianne Richmonde is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the psychological thrillers, THE WIFE’S HOUSE and THE NEWLYWEDS (published by Bookouture, Hachette UK). Her Pearl series has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Her stories are always character-driven and full of unexpected twists and turns.

When not writing about the passions and fragilities of human nature, she loves to spend time with her husband and their animals, including a femme fatale Husky with one blue eye and one golden eye. Arianne’s a chocoholic and sometimes sneaks off to sunny, exotic locations, all in the name of research.

I am a fan of Shalini Boland (see my reviews of some of her other books at the end of this review). A psych thriller from her is usually interesting with good twists. The Family Holiday is one of her best.

It kicks off with a mystery narrator (I love those). The reader knows something bad has happened. But the exact situation and victim are unknown until very late in the book (I love that also).

After the brief prologue, the action jumps to Beth and her husband Niall as they decide to take a family holiday to Italy and decide to try a house swap. That’s really all you need to know at this point.

The action is told mainly from Beth’s point of view. A few chapters are from Amber’s (the owner of the other house in the swap) perspective. Italy for England – it certainly seems like Beth and Niall are getting the better end of the deal.

However, there are several layers moving below the surface of the plot, and this is where the story truly becomes a page-turning psych thriller.

Amber is hiding something, but what? Niall is obnoxious and obviously doesn’t want to be on holiday. Why not, if he was the one to suggest it in the first place?

And who is the mystery narrator who appears in brief, periodic chapters?

Anyone who has read this blog knows that I read a lot of psych thrillers. It is difficult to get one by me because I often try to “outwit the author” and guess what the motives and twists are.

That is why, when I find one that has me guessing throughout, I’m super excited to talk about it. And The Family Holiday once again fits that description.

Just when you think you know why Niall is being a jerk or what Amber is hiding, the author throws another twist in.

Honestly, I was up late into the night because I just couldn’t put the book down when I got to the last third of the story.

And when everything is wrapped up and the characters have reached their endpoints, the author still has more in store for the reader.

The Family Holiday is one of the most well-crafted, best-paced, layered psych thrillers I have read in a while. Shalini Boland just keeps getting better.

Other psych thrillers from Shalini Boland: The Other Daughter, One of Us is Lying, The Wife, The Couple Upstairs

Author Bio:

Shalini lives in Dorset, England with her husband, two children and Jess, their cheeky terrier cross. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer songwriter, but now she spends her days writing suspense thrillers (in between school runs and hanging out endless baskets of laundry).