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A review by bibliobethreads
And So It Begins by Rachel Abbott
4.0
First of all, thank you so much to Becky Hunter and Wildfire Publishers for sending me a copy of Rachel Abbott's latest stand-alone novel in exchange for an honest review. The aim of the new imprint from Headline according to publishing director Alex Clarke is to publish books that "spread like wildfire," and with an objective like that, it definitely sounds like something I want to be part of! I was lucky enough to be part of the blog tour for Rachel's previous novel (the seventh book in her DC Tom Douglas series), Come A Little Closer and really enjoyed my first experience of reading the author's work so jumped at the chance to try something new, especially when the initial rave reviews from my fellow bloggers came flooding in. Ultimately, I was delighted to find And So It Begins to be an even more enjoyable experience than Come A Little Closer and really believe the author has found a very special niche within the psychological thriller genre.
As with most novels in the genre, it really helps for future readers if I'm as annoyingly vague as possible because with this particular book, believe me, I'm going to have to be. It's a fascinating and compelling story of a couple, Evie and Mark who fall in love, have a baby and move in together relatively quickly. To anyone on the outside, they appear to be the picture of matrimonial bliss with Mark's high-flying career as a talented, sought after photographer, a gorgeous baby girl and a stunning, opulent house with sea views. The thorn in their side initially appears to be Mark's sister Cleo whom for many years had taken on the role of care-giver with her younger brother Mark and is incredibly protective of him, including his relationship with women which so far has been demonstrably shaky over the past few years. Then one night, Sergeant Stephanie King is called to the extravagant house and finds two bodies on a bed, covered in blood. What has happened? Furthermore, can people on the outside ever know what really goes on between a couple in the privacy of their own home?
Well. What can I say? Since Come A Little Closer, I feel Abbott's writing has got a whole lot murkier - in a good way! I was immediately entranced by the synopsis and the promise of a mystery that would take the entire novel to unravel - this is obviously the best kind of course and I wasn't disappointed. Instantly, I needed to know what on earth happened to this couple where we find them in such a horrendous situation and piece by piece, the answers are gradually revealed with more surprises than you could have ever imagined. I think what really sold this book to me however was the inclusion of the courtroom drama, adding a different dimension and layer to the author's style and it had me captivated throughout, right to that final, tantalising moment where the jury pronounce their verdict.
As with all my favourite thrillers, And So It Begins focuses on a multitude of characters - Evie, Mark, his sister Cleo and Sergeant Stephanie King and each individual brings something fresh and intriguing to the narrative, making you wonder exactly what is going on and who exactly you can trust. Everyone has their part to play and story to tell and it's certainly a book that you might find difficult to put down once you become invested. This was definitely the case for me and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
As with most novels in the genre, it really helps for future readers if I'm as annoyingly vague as possible because with this particular book, believe me, I'm going to have to be. It's a fascinating and compelling story of a couple, Evie and Mark who fall in love, have a baby and move in together relatively quickly. To anyone on the outside, they appear to be the picture of matrimonial bliss with Mark's high-flying career as a talented, sought after photographer, a gorgeous baby girl and a stunning, opulent house with sea views. The thorn in their side initially appears to be Mark's sister Cleo whom for many years had taken on the role of care-giver with her younger brother Mark and is incredibly protective of him, including his relationship with women which so far has been demonstrably shaky over the past few years. Then one night, Sergeant Stephanie King is called to the extravagant house and finds two bodies on a bed, covered in blood. What has happened? Furthermore, can people on the outside ever know what really goes on between a couple in the privacy of their own home?
Well. What can I say? Since Come A Little Closer, I feel Abbott's writing has got a whole lot murkier - in a good way! I was immediately entranced by the synopsis and the promise of a mystery that would take the entire novel to unravel - this is obviously the best kind of course and I wasn't disappointed. Instantly, I needed to know what on earth happened to this couple where we find them in such a horrendous situation and piece by piece, the answers are gradually revealed with more surprises than you could have ever imagined. I think what really sold this book to me however was the inclusion of the courtroom drama, adding a different dimension and layer to the author's style and it had me captivated throughout, right to that final, tantalising moment where the jury pronounce their verdict.
As with all my favourite thrillers, And So It Begins focuses on a multitude of characters - Evie, Mark, his sister Cleo and Sergeant Stephanie King and each individual brings something fresh and intriguing to the narrative, making you wonder exactly what is going on and who exactly you can trust. Everyone has their part to play and story to tell and it's certainly a book that you might find difficult to put down once you become invested. This was definitely the case for me and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com