ONE FAMILY, TWO HOLIDAYS, ONE DEVASTATING SECRET
To new nanny Amanda, the Temple family seem to have it all: the former actress; the famous professor; their three successful grown-up children. But like any family, beneath the smiles and hugs there lurks far darker emotions.
Sixteen years earlier, little Niamh Temple died while they were on holiday in Portugal. Now, as Amanda joins the family for a reunion at their seaside villa, she begins to suspect one of them might be hiding something terrible…
And suspicion is a dangerous thing.
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I have loved Chris Brookmyre‘s books for years and Fallen Angel demonstrates his writing skills perfectly. The multiple viewpoints, and back-and-forth-in-time dual narration, showcases plotting so clever it genuinely took my breath away. Each line of text is meticulously crafted, creating pinpoint characterisations and acerbic writing so sharp it hurts, with never a word wasted.
Fallen Angel is perhaps more overtly in psychological thriller territory than some of Brookmyre‘s previous books but it is still full of his satirical humour, intelligent writing, gift for smokescreens and misdirection and very memorable characters. There are points therein where Brookmyre really does shock his readers and I was caught hook, line and sinker. It was, for me, perhaps his cleverest book since Black Widow.
I bought Fallen Angel on Audible so I could do a buddy read with my husband, who also thoroughly enjoyed it. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a smart and complex psychological thriller, shot through with humour and full of twists.
Huge thanks 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 | Waterstones
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