Four thrillers I read in June – No Spoilers.
1. The First Mistake, Sandie Jones. ****
Summary of Plot:
Alice suspects her husband is cheating on her. She turns to her friend, Beth, for support. Can she trust either of them?
Liked:
This was well written. I finished it in two days and it kept my interest throughout.
Disliked:
One of the twists was obvious from the beginning. Once the second half of the book began, it was clear where the story was going. The reason I remain riveted was that the obvious outcome was so unlikely, I thought there had to be another explanation. Without giving anything away, if the book had covered a shorter timespan, I would have found it more believable. Also, was there ever a person as gullible as Beth?
2. The Suspect, Fiona Barton ****
Summary of Plot:
Two teenage British girls, Rosie and Alex, go missing in Thailand. What happened to them? Journalist Kate Waters investigates. Is there a connection between the missing girls and Kate’s son who is also in Thailand?
Liked:
I preferred this to “The Child”. The story interested me. I liked reading the e-mails Alex sent to her friend. They seemed typical of e-mails written by a teenager. The reaction of Alex’s parents appeared authentic. Rosie’s parents were a little more difficult to understand, but perhaps they were more interesting because of that. I did guess the ending, but not until about three-quarters of the way through the book.
Disliked:
At the very end of the book, once everything has been explained, there is a small extra twist. At least, I assume it was meant to be a twist. It surprised me because I had taken it for granted and I assume most other readers did also. That said, I really liked how Kate came to this conclusion. There was a very obvious clue which I completely missed. Although I didn’t need the clue to figure out the extra twist, I liked that it was something that had been stated very clearly and which I should have noticed but I missed it.
3. Lies – T M Logan ****
Summary of Plot:
Joe suspects his wife is cheating on him with a family friend. The friend disappears and Joe is accused of murder.
Liked:
This was almost a role reversal story. Joe works part-time but he spends most of his time at home and is the primary carer for his son. Throughout most of the book, Joe worries that his wife is cheating on him. It’s a little bit different from the norm. Although I guessed who the “baddie” was, and what the “baddie” was doing, I didn’t guess why. Technology is mentioned a lot and the point is often made that people should be far more careful setting up their social media profiles and allowing personal information to be viewed by strangers.
Disliked:
The “baddie” is unlike any person of that gender that I’ve ever met and it’s hard to believe someone could think or act in that way. I guessed the twist and how the big scene at the end would be played out. I didn’t guess the ‘baddies’ motivation. Did anyone?
4. My Lovely Wife ****
Summary of Plot:
A couple spice up their marriage by murdering women.
Liked:
Quite a unique storyline. Well written. Enjoyable. I liked the way the author used the children to make you care what happened the parents. Without them, I don’t think the plight of either of the main characters would have interested me. I guessed the twist but not how the ending would play out. I really enjoyed the big dramatic scene at the end.
Disliked:
I wasn’t quite comfortable with caring what happened to murderers. I really disliked the last sentence. I noticed some reviewers thought it was the best part of the book but I felt it weakened the story. Without giving away the plot, I can’t elaborate.
Have you read these books? Did you enjoy them? Did you like the last sentence in ‘My Lovely Wife’?
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