Here are my picks of some thrillers that may not have been hugely enjoyable but still got under my skin…
The Book of You by Claire Kendal
This was a hugely uncomfortable read. Clarissa has a stalker who is ruining her life, a one night stand who won’t accept that they have no future. When she is selected for jury service, she hopes it will be a respite from Rafe. But the case itself is hugely unsettling as it involves a woman who was kidnapped and it isn’t long before Rafe steps up his dangerous behaviour.
I felt huge sympathy towards Clarissa. She feels that perhaps she deserves to be stalked as her previous relationship was with a married man. The novel is about her struggle to wrestle control of her life back from the men who dominate her. I had anticipated one part of the ending, but the other left me in shock. It deserves 4 stars.
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
Ani was involved in a hugely shocking and scandalous event when she was at school, so in order to demonstrate to the world that she is ‘over it’, she is now engaged to the perfect man, has a great job and an enviable lifestyle. Cracks begin to show, however, when a film crew interview her for a documentary about the incident at her school all those years ago.
I hated Ani. She is a twisted individual who is obsessed with herself and when the event in her past was revealed, let’s just say I didn’t weep in sympathy with her. Towards the end she does redeem herself a little bit but by then it was too late for me to feel sorry for her. 3 out of 5 stars.
The Liar’s Chair by Rebecca Whitney
Rachel is on her way home from an adulterous liaison when she knocks over a man with her car and kills him. Her husband David is a controlling and abusive man who tells her to forget about it, but Rachel finds herself drawn back to the scene and won’t let it go.
As David’s behaviour towards her worsens, Rachel’s own life is in peril. She is an alcoholic who pops pills to get through the day, and although she isn’t the type of woman I want to be best friends with, I can understand that years of living on edge with David would have propelled her towards alcohol and the prospect of a warm relationship with another man.
The hit and run incident becomes background noise as we learn more about Rachel’s unhappy childhood and her actions become even more reckless than drink driving and pursuing an affair. I wanted to pull her back from the edge she is about to topple over. I gave this 3 out of 5 stars.
What thrillers have you read lately?
