I hope everyone is doing as well as they can during these unusual times ❤ Lockdown has allowed me to catch up with some reading but I have been a bit slower at reviewing so I want to remedy that now with my…
Cleo knows she should be happy for her brother Mark. He’s managed to find someone new after the sudden death of his first wife – but something about Evie just doesn’t feel right…
When Evie starts having accidents at home, her friends grow concerned. Could Mark be causing her injuries? Called out to their cliff-top house one night, Sergeant Stephanie King finds two bodies entangled on blood-drenched sheets.
Where does murder begin? When the knife is raised to strike, or before, at the first thought of violence? As the accused stands trial, the jury is forced to consider – is there ever a proper defence for murder?
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And So It Begins is a brilliant twisty psychological thriller. It is my first Rachel Abbott but not my last (see below!) The plotting is great and the book really abides by the adage there’s two sides to every story. But who will you believe?
Cleo and Evie are the main characters, each with a distinctive voice, with Stephanie King – I felt – taking more of a back seat than I’d expected, although her own story adds another dimension to the book. Cleo and Evie’s twisting, turning narratives will keep you on your toes and I defy you to guess the full extent of what’s going on and why. I would recommend this to all psychological thriller fans.
Thank you to the publisher for my copy of the book.
If you enjoyed my review, please consider liking and/or sharing and, of course, buying the book: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US
We were all there that day. Now one of us is dead…
The first time Jemma and Matt were invited to Polskirrin – Lucas Jarrett’s imposing ocean-view home – it was for an intimate wedding that ended in tragedy. Jemma will never forget the sight of the girl’s body floating towards the rocky shore.Now, exactly one year later, Lucas has invited his guests back for a macabre anniversary. But what Lucas has in store for them is nothing like a candlelight vigil. Someone who was there that night remembers more than they’ll admit to, and Lucas has devised a game to make them tell the truth.
Jemma believes she and Matt know nothing about what happened… but what if she’s wrong? Before you play a deadly game, make sure you can pay the price…
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The Murder Game is an intriguing psychological murder mystery with a great premise. It’s populated by a good mix of suspects although I did find myself struggling with our protagonist Jemma’s simple acceptance of some of this events within.
Rachel Abbott pulls off some good twists along the way, one or two I had guessed, some more I hadn’t, and there are some shocking revelations at the story’s core. I did still feel I had some questions by the end but it was an enjoyable read and it was good to see some more of Sergeant King and DI Brodie working the case together.
Thank you to the publisher for my copy of the book.
If you enjoyed my review, please consider liking and/or sharing and, of course, buying the book: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US
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