Books On Tour (Review): The Man She Married by Alison James

It’s difficult to classify this book into one genre. It starts as a psychological thriller but then morphs through two more sections that are very different from the initial story. This unique structure had me turning pages to figure out what the “real story” was.

The first section was a little challenging to get through, only because it was blatantly apparent that there was something very wrong with Dom’s reactions. I felt that Alice was extraordinarily gullible, and I had a hard time feeling sympathetic towards her confusion and uncertainty.

To be fair, she did have a rocky romantic past, so I suppose that could have had something to do with her willingness to be swept away. I also think that her confusion in Part One was a good set up for later when she tries to unravel the whole mystery that has suddenly been sprung on her.

It was apparent that there was more to the story, and the reader gets the whole background in Part Two (which reminded me a little bit of “American Psycho” of the book. I thought this was effective, and it was different from the usual “alternating chapters” approach. Seeing the action through one character’s eyes and then the other’s provided added depth to the story.

I also liked how the story came full circle with a few different red herrings thrown in. The author paid close attention to detail, and everything dovetailed neatly. I did think that the epilogue was a little bit of a throwaway, as there was not a lot to add to the story, but I can see why the author felt it necessary to “wrap it up.”

Taken in sections, the book felt uneven at times. But put all together, it was a cohesive story that I enjoyed. I would certainly recommend this one to anyone looking for a different type of psych-thriller.

Author Bio

Born in the Cotswolds, Alison spent most of her formative years abroad. She studied languages at Oxford, then became a journalist and author, returning to university after her two children to take a law degree. After a three-year stint as a criminal paralegal, Alison worked as a commercial copywriter and then a TV storyliner, before coming full circle to write fiction again.