What an incredible book!
This is the kind of thriller people talk about around the water cooler! Right from the start I was hooked. Everything pulled me in, the plot, the pacing, the characters, the voices… I loved everything about how this is written and how the story slowly builds.
The plot is simple: Saffron and her husband Tom have inherited a cabin in the English country side. Imagine a cozy, brick-built, with a thatched-roofed in scenic little hamlet (that’s what I imagined anyway). This is where the story starts for our lovely couple. And as you often do when you inherit old cabin, you want to rebuild. Saffron and Tom are particularly interested in expanding the kitchen. Then, of course, as the builders are working their way through the garden, making room for the extension, they come across two dead bodies. Instantly, everything is turned on its head.
Dead bodies? Outside the cabin Saffron inherited from her grandmother? Who are they? How long have they been there?
It’s all very eerie.
Of course, it doesn’t help that Saffron’s dementia suffering grandmother only answers one thing when she’s questioned about it: “Susan killed her. She hit her over the head, and she didn’t wake up.”
Who’s Susan? Is she one of the bodies? What’s going on?
Oh, how I want to tell you more, but I won’t, because I’m not a spoiler of stories. Just know that this book is very, very excellent. It has Gone Girl vibes, if you liked that, and there are so many thrilling twists and turns, you’ll be trying to guess what’s going on until literally the last couple of pages. I thought I had it figured out for so long, and I was close, until I got turned around again!
I thought I had it figured out for so long!
It’s beautifully written, elegant and simple, yet heartbreaking and lovely. There’s many different perspectives (in different tenses even!) and all of it is extraordinarily well put together.
If you’re going to read just one thriller this year, I’d say go for this one. You won’t be disappointed.
Have you read anything by Claire Douglas before? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!
And as always, if you’re into thrillers and mysteries, I’d love it if you checked out my books!
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Trey Stone, Author 
I have never read anything by Clare Douglas but reading your article, I have just downloaded it for my holiday coming up. I will let you know when I get back if its my cup of tea.
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I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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