Close My Eyes - Sophie McKenzie
Published: 09/05/13
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 400
Where do I start?!
Ok, lets just admire the cover.
Now, lets admire the blurb.
Now lets get excited.
This is the first thriller I have read in quite a few months. Last year I spent my whole summer devouring thriller after thriller after thriller so it was lovely to revisit this genre.
I had been looking at this book for a while and as soon as it was announced as aRichard And Judy summer pick I was immediately asking Simon & Schuster for a review copy and they very kindly sent me one (THANK YOU!)
I dived into this book and was so gripped from the beginning.
Gen is a troubled woman. Eight years ago she lost her baby girl Beth when she was pronounced dead in the womb. Gen was given a C-Section as soon as they found out and her baby girl was cremated. Since then Gen has never gotten over the pain of what happened those eight years ago. On the other hand, her husband Art has immersed himself in work to cope with the tragedy and has therefore increased his business and now is a very successful man. Gen and Art’s life is ordinary until one day a woman turns up on Gen’s doorstep. She has some news for Gen that will change her life.
The woman on the doorstep tells her that her daughter Beth is still alive and Art knows all about it.
Gen is shocked and begins to question whether this woman is telling the truth. Why would her husband lie to her? Her daughter died so how could she still be alive? However Gen clings onto the hope that this woman is telling the truth and starts her own quest to find out what happens.
Because I read a lot of thrillers last year I have a pretty good grasp on authors writing techniques and the way they set up the plot and the different characters. I manage to guess who/what was involved a few chapters before the end so it was a tiny anti-climax for me, but it didn’t ruin the plot at all.
This plot was outstanding. It had so many twists and turns and so many chapters ended with a cliffhanger that I just had to keep on reading! I didn’t know which characters to trust, I didn’t know who to believe and I felt like I was the protagonist.
One of the things I love about this genre is how the main character can often be isolated and feels helpless because no one understands/believes them and I LOVE feeling like this when I’m reading; yes, it’s uncomfortable but it means I am so immersed in the book. I felt like this for the majority of the book. I felt helpless on behalf of the main character and it was such a strong feeling that I found myself getting so frustrated with the other characters in the book!
My King of crime/thriller fiction is definitely Linwood Barclay (I LOVE HIM!) and Sophie Hannah was my Queen, but after reading this book I think Sophie McKenzie had knocked Sophie Hannah from the Queen spot!
This is a MUST READ for this year. It will sell, and be regarded as well as Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson that came out a few years ago.
If you’ve never read a thriller before then this is the perfect place to start and if you love people like Sophie Hannah then this is the book for you!
I am waiting in anticipation for the next adult book from this author.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 400
Where do I start?!
Ok, lets just admire the cover.
Now, lets admire the blurb.
Now lets get excited.
This is the first thriller I have read in quite a few months. Last year I spent my whole summer devouring thriller after thriller after thriller so it was lovely to revisit this genre.
I had been looking at this book for a while and as soon as it was announced as aRichard And Judy summer pick I was immediately asking Simon & Schuster for a review copy and they very kindly sent me one (THANK YOU!)
I dived into this book and was so gripped from the beginning.
Gen is a troubled woman. Eight years ago she lost her baby girl Beth when she was pronounced dead in the womb. Gen was given a C-Section as soon as they found out and her baby girl was cremated. Since then Gen has never gotten over the pain of what happened those eight years ago. On the other hand, her husband Art has immersed himself in work to cope with the tragedy and has therefore increased his business and now is a very successful man. Gen and Art’s life is ordinary until one day a woman turns up on Gen’s doorstep. She has some news for Gen that will change her life.
The woman on the doorstep tells her that her daughter Beth is still alive and Art knows all about it.
Gen is shocked and begins to question whether this woman is telling the truth. Why would her husband lie to her? Her daughter died so how could she still be alive? However Gen clings onto the hope that this woman is telling the truth and starts her own quest to find out what happens.
Because I read a lot of thrillers last year I have a pretty good grasp on authors writing techniques and the way they set up the plot and the different characters. I manage to guess who/what was involved a few chapters before the end so it was a tiny anti-climax for me, but it didn’t ruin the plot at all.
This plot was outstanding. It had so many twists and turns and so many chapters ended with a cliffhanger that I just had to keep on reading! I didn’t know which characters to trust, I didn’t know who to believe and I felt like I was the protagonist.
One of the things I love about this genre is how the main character can often be isolated and feels helpless because no one understands/believes them and I LOVE feeling like this when I’m reading; yes, it’s uncomfortable but it means I am so immersed in the book. I felt like this for the majority of the book. I felt helpless on behalf of the main character and it was such a strong feeling that I found myself getting so frustrated with the other characters in the book!
My King of crime/thriller fiction is definitely Linwood Barclay (I LOVE HIM!) and Sophie Hannah was my Queen, but after reading this book I think Sophie McKenzie had knocked Sophie Hannah from the Queen spot!
This is a MUST READ for this year. It will sell, and be regarded as well as Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson that came out a few years ago.
If you’ve never read a thriller before then this is the perfect place to start and if you love people like Sophie Hannah then this is the book for you!
I am waiting in anticipation for the next adult book from this author.
Laura