Life is good for Rose and Gareth and their daughters Anna and baby Flossie. After two years of renovations they are finally enjoying their dream home in the Wiltshire countryside.
Then Rose receives a phone call from her lifelong friend, Polly, with the news that her husband has died and she will be returning to England with her two small boys. Despite Gareth's protests she invites Polly to stay. She'd do anything for Polly; it's always been that way.
Polly has never been one to conform - it's one of the qualities Rose most admires in her - and from the moment she arrives it's obvious she's not the typical grieving widow.
And the longer Polly stays, the more Rose wonders how well she really knows her........
Superb Pyschological Suspense!
Cuckoo is Julia Crouch's debut novel and it is very, very good, one of the best I've read in a long time. A dark and disturbing story of betrayal and hidden secrets is slowly revealed as the cracks in seemingly close and loving relationships appear.
It's full of twists particularly with the characters. With the exception of the delightful Anna I kept changing my mind about how I felt about them which left my head spinning with uncertainties and doubts.
I liked Rose - she's a nice person acting as most of us would in similar circumstances. Because Polly has been her friend since childhood, has shared so many of her adult experiences, Rose sees her through 'rose-coloured spectacles'. The reader doesn't ......the reader knows something is up.........and the dread and suspense build slowly and steadily to the shattering climax. I still get shivers down my spine thinking of the final page.
If you like a good psychological suspense then don't let this one slip by. Just make sure you have plenty of reading time because you won't want to put this creepy and compelling narrative down.
A strong new voice in this genre and I'll be looking forward eagerly to Julia Crouch's next book
Publisher: headline, 2011
403p
Femme Fatale Challenge
I love finding new debut authors. They have so much to offer and have can have an exciting new voice. Nice review!
ReplyDeleteI did miss this when you reviewed it but definitely on my list now especially since it is Psychological Thriller, my ultimate favourite.
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