Friday 31 July 2015

The Girls by Lisa Jewell

4 out of 5 stars

I have wanted to read something by Lisa Jewell for a long time, and this was my first book by this talented author.

The Girls is a dark tale about a 13 year old girl who is found late one night in the corner of a communal garden, clearly having been hurt in some way.

We meet the family of the girl (Grace) – her mum Clare, her sister Pip, and we hear their tragic background. We then meet all the neighbours. The suspicions mount, as does the suspense, and the pages turn faster and faster as we are in equal parts wanting to know what happened, but also not wanting this enthralling story to end.

The strengths of this novel are in the characterizations – all richly drawn, in a setting that is lovely, but also tinged with a sinister history. The different points of view also contribute to the complex relationships and drama in the story.

At its heart this is a family drama, but it also has a dark psychological theme, and is gripping and intense.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it.

ISBN: 9781780893594

You may also enjoy The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer or Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter.

All my recommendations. Or my view on why women write the best crime thrillers

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