Tense and thrilling

I was so ready for this book to be full of frivolous action and melodrama, and I was ready to sit back and lap it up.

Instead, I was met with a steady pace of tension-building, adrenaline-filled twists and turns. I had to put the book down a couple of times to have a glass of water and take some deep breaths!

I devoured this book in fewer than five hours and struggled to balance the need to read the next page with not wanting the book to end. The short chapters that flit between first and third person - all the while giving the reader a clear insight into the respective character’s mindset - keeps the story moving and fast-paced, and the reader cannot help but continue turning the pages.

You are not kept in the dark for too long as the mystery unravels in a satisfying, yet still tantalising way. The “big reveals” are well-timed, without being dragged out. I fell into a few of the traps set by the author, but right before the turn, realised with a wry satisfaction that I’d been had.

The women in this book are its driving force, and each of them feel like someone I know. I am intrigued and excited to read other books by this author, and noted the strong message he delivers in the final chapters.

A thoroughly deserved five-star read.