A review by jkjoy_books
The Au Pair by Jane Renshaw

4.0

 

Jane Renshaw writes The Au Pair, a suspenseful thriller that keeps readers in suspense until the last page. The book focuses on the lives of two au pairs, Alice and Melanie; they spend a summer working in Scotland with the remote Davidson family. While Melanie is coming to the Davidsons, she realizes something is not quite normal in the family. There are odd sounds and odd visitors in the dark, strange Uncle Gray. The most frightening evidence is that the previous au pair, Alice, attempted to lock herself into the room before vanishing.

As Melanie attempts to figure out what happened to Alice, a vision of the Davidson family is very frightening. Renshaw develops an atmosphere of eerie tension using minor hints and details from the first chapter. The readers wonder what the motives and the trustworthiness of the characters are as the twisting plot and well-timed revelations leave the reader in doubt about how honest the characters are.

The location of Davidson’s lodge enhances the tension and the mystery surrounding it. The world outside is shuttered out, and there is nowhere for Melanie to go as she frantically tries to uncover the truth before she meets the same end as Alice.

The Au Pair is a neatly constructed, dark, and menacingly gripping thriller that will keep readers flipping pages long into the night. This book is interesting and packed with appealing writing and many shocking surprises; this book will be very popular with mystery, suspense, and thriller fans.

Thank you to Inkubator Books, Zoé from ZooLoo’s Book Tours, and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.