Nicki`s Life of Crime : BLOG TOUR : Book REVIEW - The Perfect Betrayal by Lauren North

Wow...just wow,this book is absolutely amazing and has the reader totally captivated from the very first page. I was blown away by the heart breaking, sad ending that left me breathless and sat in my comfy chair in a state of shock.

After her beloved husband Mark dies in a plane crash, Tess if drowning in grief. Their seven year old son Jamie is all she has left and she will do anything to protect him - but she is struggling to cope.

When grief councillor Shelley knocks on their door,Tess feels like Mark has sent a guardian angel down to help her through the hardest time of her life.

But then Tess starts receiving mysterious phone calls late at night and she constantly has the feeling that she is being watched. Mark's brother Ian insists that Mark owed him a lot of money which was a loan that Tess knew nothing about. Tess pours out all her fears and worries to Shelley but is she the kind and understanding person that she appears to be or does Shelley have a ulterior motive for getting so close to a very vulnerable,grieving single parent.

We know from the opening chapter that something has happened to Tess and that she is in the hospital. Tess's story is then recounted in chapters that count down to the day of Jamie's birthday. Interspersed throughout the book are transcripts from Tess's sessions with someone named Sadler and extracts from Ian and Shelley's police statements. The author's depictions of Tess's grief,confusion,fear and paranoia were very realistic and made me want to reach into my kindle and give the poor woman a big hug. I struggled to understand why Tess kept turning to Shelley for support when she had her mum and brother Sam to turn too but then it all made sense after the shocking truth was revealed. I didn't think that neither Ian or Shelley were very likeable for various reasons and thought their narratives were very unreliable.

The Perfect Betrayal is a emotionally charged,mesmerising thriller about the aftermath of a life changing tragedy and the effects that grief can have on a person. The countdown of the dates until Jamie's birthday added to the intensity of the story and the feeling that something very bad was going to happen. The story is packed full of twists and turns and the ending is a heartbreaker and very sad. I completely understand why this gripping page turner is receiving so many rave reviews. I think that this book is worth far more that five stars and it is definitely going to be one of my favourite reads of this year. Very very highly recommended.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren North writes psychological suspense novels that delve into the darker side of relationships and families. She has a lifelong passion for writing, reading, and all things books. Lauren’s love of psychological suspense has grown since childhood and her dark imagination of always wondering what’s the worst thing that could happen in every situation.

Lauren studied psychology before moving to London where she lived and worked for many years. She now lives with her family in the Suffolk countryside.

Social Media Links....

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