One of the facts of life that really gets on my nerves is the way that people who already have everything always appear to get all the lucky breaks. Heather appears to lead a perfect life, she has a lovely home, a loving, devoted husband,James and two sons, Ben and Harry. Then, one Wednesday evening, on a whim,she buys a lottery ticket and is absolutely stunned when she wins £29 million. Once the feelings of shock and excitement have settled down a bit, the family decide to keep their good news a secret but it's not long before the news leaks out and the family find their life thrown into chaos. Not only do they start receiving letters from strangers begging for money but Heather also starts receiving menacing text messages. Heather,who is used to being frugal with money finds herself struggling to cope with her new wealth and the publicity that comes with it so she and James decide to escape to Spain with Ben and Harry, Heather's long time best friend Natalie and a few of their other friends. But instead of having a wonderful time in paradise the trip turns into a paranoid nightmare for Heather and after the unthinkable happens,she finds herself doubting everyone around her including her best friend.
Heather was a complex character who was harbouring a personal secret and I really wanted to feel some connection with her but her constant complaining and whingeing really got on my nerves at times. I would have thought that anyone would be ecstatic if they had won £29 million on the lottery but not Heather, she was just overtaking with feelings of foreboding,feelings that i suppose were proven correct when things went terribly wrong in Spain but her complaining didn't help her much in my personal popularity stakes. Interspersed throughout the story was chapters that were narrated from the perspective of Natalie who had been Heather's best friend since their school days and who's life was not as perfect as Heather's. But was she the reliable, true friend that Heather believed she was? Could she be trusted or was she harbouring feelings of jealousy and greed? There was also chapters that were narrated from the perspective of a character who was caught in someone else's fantasy world and was struggling with massive debts but who was that individual and how did they fit into the story?
This is a well written,slow burner with a story that builds in atmosphere and intensity once the family and their guests got to Spain. The characters were a mixed bag of well rounded, realistic individuals each with their own personalities and character traits. The plot of this very enjoyable thriller holds the reader's attention and keeps you guessing. This is the first of this author's books that I have read and it most definitely will not be my last. A enthralling read and very highly recommended.
AUTHOR BIO
Her passions include animals — particularly her dogs — walking in the countryside and tennis, which clears her brain of pretty much everything.
Susanna’s latest novel, The Perfect Life, was published on 21st December 2020 by Joffe Books.
She has two other published books, both about to be rereleased.
No comments:
Post a Comment