Themes/TW's:
Crime, thriller, suspense, young parents, family, relationships, secrets, lies, abusive relationships, rape, physical violence, abandonment, homophobia, disappearance, hostage, substance misuse.
Synopsis:
Summer 2017 - teenage mum Tallulah is heading out on a rare date night with her boyfriend, leaving her baby at home with her mum, Kim. It's 4.30am and Kim awakens to an empty house, Tallulah hasn't come home. Kim knows Tallulah, she knows she wouldn't leave her baby boy for a night - especially unplanned. She was last seen heading to a party at the luxurious house in the woods called Dark Place. Tallulah never returns.
2018 - Published author Sophie, has just moved to town with her boyfriend in support of his new job as head teacher. On a morning walk in the woods she sees an oddly familiar sign on a fence which says 'Dig here...'
An unsolved case, an abandoned mansion. Sophie can't help but scene secrets in the picturesque town of Surrey Hill.
Thoughts:
This was the first book I've read by Lisa Jewell and I can honestly say I couldn't fault it. Written from multiple perspectives and different timelines, the story kept me on edge all the way through. The back and forth storytelling allowed for good character development and made me feel like I was getting to know everyone really well. With the main characters being quiet complex, I think this was really cleverly done and probably intended. I like to think I'm pretty good at having most plots figured out but it wasn't the case with this book! The characters all had secrets from each other and the from the reader. Even with all the hints dropped here and there I couldn't figure out exactly what happened or who did what and when until some major revelations were given. Even then I was wrong so many times! This is what I want from a thriller and I absolutely loved this because it kept me turning page after page. The chapters were short, specific and full of suspense with most of them ending on a 'what happened next' or 'no way' moment.
There were so many elements to this book, it went beyond the classic missing persons story and touched base on multiple other real-life issues; particularly, self-identity, power, wealth, abuse of power and manipulation in relationships. These were shown in a compelling representation of a society in which the privileged and the less-privileged coexisted. Both between friendships and intimate relationships. Kim was truly the stand-out character for me, she was so well drawn and represented the perfect mother and role-model. I really felt for her from beginning to long after I had finished reading, especially after the tension and build-up in the final chapters. Despite my initial frustration with her blindness towards Tallulah and Zach's relationship, she easily won me over. Not to forget, her bond with little Noah was so heart-warming.
The book was equally creepy and mysterious with a good amount of detective work from Sophie. If you're afraid of spiders and spooked out by dead bodies - it's probably not for you. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book! As I'm writing this post more and more of the story is coming back to me and I can't accurately describe how good it was. I don't think this story could have been executed any better, it would make a brilliant TV series! With a slightly slow start, the story builds quickly, followed by twist after twist and finishes off with a massively satisfying conclusion. My favourite parts were easily the last chapter (be prepared for some tears) and the epilogue (what a shocker to finish on!) A solid weekend/holiday read if you're after a good thriller. I'm excited to read more by Lisa Jewell!
Quotes:
'There’s a heat contained within their exchange, created from the energy of desperation and loss and frustration and misguided hope, but also from the intimacy that’s built up between the two of them as everything else has peeled away from them and the thing that unites them.'
'Tallulah’s father was normally very self-centred and distant, but becoming a grandfather seemed to have removed a layer of protection from around his heart.'
'She wants to stay in here. It’s warm and it’s safe. She feels protected from the strangeness of the evening, from the terrible energy in the air.'
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