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livrawds's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the characters of Scarlet and Helen as they were the most interesting I found myself only near the end rooting for Vicki as she was really unlikeable and I didn’t like how the world seemingly was all about David’s flat character and he was barely there the twist became clear and didn’t hit too hard. However I did like the fully fledged out backstory leading up to the events that follow. Probably won’t pick up another Jane Corry as was underwhelmed by it.
teresaalice's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 - 3.75 stars. Like I’ve said before, I really dislike the unreliable narrator, though this one wasn’t nearly as bad as previous ones.
sabsyoder's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
reillsreads's review against another edition
3.0
Love books where characters are mysteriously interwoven into each other's lives. This one took longer to figure out and was less exciting than I imagined, but filled with great emotion and turmoil.
cheekylaydee's review against another edition
4.0
Another absolute belter from Jane Corry. Masterful story-telling which left me guessing til the final pages, which is exactly what I look for in my books.
Vicki's ex is not a nice man. Constant cheating, lying and downright bullying were the basis of his relationship with him, and yet, despite that, she still can't quite let him go. David is now married to someone else, his former secretary Tanya (cliche!) but Vicki still can't help phoning his mobile just to hear his deep velvety tones down the answer phone, travelling from Penzance to London for a doctor's appointment and popping in just because she was 'passing by'.
So when David disappears, who is no.1 suspect? Yep, that's right, and with her epilepsy "conveniently" causing blackouts and periods of forgetfulness, even Vicki's not entirely sure if she may have had something to do with David's disappearance.
That's just a basic outline, but the plot thickens, with so many different avenues and perspectives to explore that Jane managed to pull a fast one on me and I really wasn't expecting the outcome. Highly recommended if you want to be surprised!
Vicki's ex is not a nice man. Constant cheating, lying and downright bullying were the basis of his relationship with him, and yet, despite that, she still can't quite let him go. David is now married to someone else, his former secretary Tanya (cliche!) but Vicki still can't help phoning his mobile just to hear his deep velvety tones down the answer phone, travelling from Penzance to London for a doctor's appointment and popping in just because she was 'passing by'.
So when David disappears, who is no.1 suspect? Yep, that's right, and with her epilepsy "conveniently" causing blackouts and periods of forgetfulness, even Vicki's not entirely sure if she may have had something to do with David's disappearance.
That's just a basic outline, but the plot thickens, with so many different avenues and perspectives to explore that Jane managed to pull a fast one on me and I really wasn't expecting the outcome. Highly recommended if you want to be surprised!
tatterededges's review against another edition
3.0
Multiple characters POV including newspaper articles and diary entries and as well as multiple timelines make this kind of confusing. Especially when some characters operate in several times under different names.
There was a lot in this book that made me scratch my head and say "Er, what's that?" but these are the ones that stand out.
My first question was why would David ever Marry Vicki?
Followed quickly by, in 2018, what cop or healthcare worker reacts that way to epilepsy?
Back to David, all of the characters who slept with him described him as ugly. He was overtly duplicitous since every woman who slept with him in the book was at one point the other woman, he was even cheating on the women he was cheating with. Why would any of them actually trust him (or like him)? He certainly didn't display any charm in the book.
If he was involved with arms dealers, why would he need to coerce Jackie to kill Vicki? Surely he could have easily made her disappear? Would have been a hell of a lot simpler. And why would Jackie just confess at the end?
The police focussing on Vicki as a person of interest in a missing person case where a grown man with a history of disappearing and where there are no signs of foul play seemed completely half-baked. Especially given she was a well-respected ex-governor who had only lost her job after being attacked in the prison. The police would not have treated her like she was a criminal from the get-go.
Her lawyers were shit. The whole case rested on the fact that they found the chain in her house, but they arrested her at the train station on her way home, how'd she get the chain into her home, wipe it clean and hide it away??
And then David just magically turns up in the middle of the trial and gets to jump on the stand and announce that Vicki was violent during their marriage without being cross-examined? Where's the police reports David? Evidence of bruises? oh, that's right, you're a man, you're testimony is enough.
Zelda did not have the intelligence, nor was she quick-thinking enough to have planned to kill Tanya and frame, Vicki. It also makes no sense that Zelda would focus on Vicki as the reason for all her problems. If she really was fixated on Vicki, there would have been some kind of restraining order, after all she was thought to have tried to kill Vicki in prison.
I can't even with the whole Scarlett/Helen plotline. Ridiculous from start to end. Also, arsonists have a distinct profile and it doesn't look anything like hers.
And then because Patrick overhears something a drunk ex-con says in the pub, it's all over?
ok, now that I think about it, I'm downgrading my rating to 2 stars.
There was a lot in this book that made me scratch my head and say "Er, what's that?" but these are the ones that stand out.
My first question was why would David ever Marry Vicki?
Followed quickly by, in 2018, what cop or healthcare worker reacts that way to epilepsy?
Back to David, all of the characters who slept with him described him as ugly. He was overtly duplicitous since every woman who slept with him in the book was at one point the other woman, he was even cheating on the women he was cheating with. Why would any of them actually trust him (or like him)? He certainly didn't display any charm in the book.
If he was involved with arms dealers, why would he need to coerce Jackie to kill Vicki? Surely he could have easily made her disappear? Would have been a hell of a lot simpler. And why would Jackie just confess at the end?
The police focussing on Vicki as a person of interest in a missing person case where a grown man with a history of disappearing and where there are no signs of foul play seemed completely half-baked. Especially given she was a well-respected ex-governor who had only lost her job after being attacked in the prison. The police would not have treated her like she was a criminal from the get-go.
Her lawyers were shit. The whole case rested on the fact that they found the chain in her house, but they arrested her at the train station on her way home, how'd she get the chain into her home, wipe it clean and hide it away??
And then David just magically turns up in the middle of the trial and gets to jump on the stand and announce that Vicki was violent during their marriage without being cross-examined? Where's the police reports David? Evidence of bruises? oh, that's right, you're a man, you're testimony is enough.
Zelda did not have the intelligence, nor was she quick-thinking enough to have planned to kill Tanya and frame, Vicki. It also makes no sense that Zelda would focus on Vicki as the reason for all her problems. If she really was fixated on Vicki, there would have been some kind of restraining order, after all she was thought to have tried to kill Vicki in prison.
I can't even with the whole Scarlett/Helen plotline. Ridiculous from start to end. Also, arsonists have a distinct profile and it doesn't look anything like hers.
And then because Patrick overhears something a drunk ex-con says in the pub, it's all over?
ok, now that I think about it, I'm downgrading my rating to 2 stars.
jill_spamp's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad. Pretty interesting plot overall. I like how it discussed fostering children with parents in prison and how it affects the mothers- that was really intriguing. I'm just really sick of the whole "name change of a main character to hide information from the reader" trope. It's kind of a cop-out and very much overdone. I didn't understand the point of the last page or so talking about the oil. I read it and thought "okay? so what?"
cfogg's review against another edition
5.0
I have read Jane Corry’s previous two books & in my opinion, this is the best one. I loved it - couldn’t put it down! Lots of twists & turns, plenty to keep you guessing.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher & Jane Corry for the ARC copy of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher & Jane Corry for the ARC copy of this book.
cfogg's review against another edition
5.0
I have read Jane Corry’s previous two books & in my opinion, this is the best one. I loved it - couldn’t put it down! Lots of twists & turns, plenty to keep you guessing.