Jean Levy

This book was quite a good read, despite the plot being completely bonkers. Nothing any of the female characters did made any sense at all.

SPOILERS

Sophie, the heroine, has lived with Jonah for the past 5 years without working out that he also has another family, with whom he spends all those weeks he is away on business trips. She has also failed to spot that his real name is Robert Perrin, despite the fact that this is the name on his driving licence and other official documents. Once all this is revealed, she decides to allow him to stay in her home while recovering from an accident, because he is the father of their daughter. This is despite the fact that he has shown no desire to see their daughter and was leaving Sophie for a new mistress. Her house is empty, because mere days after first meeting him on the occasion of Robert's accident, she has shacked up with the mysterious Sam, and stops taking the pill.

I could go on, but I won't. For the first half I was carried along by the writing and the unfolding of the mystery, but by the second half I was having to accommodate so much nonsense that it all became a bit much.… (mais)

At first glance this seemed like a book that was right up my street. A psychological/domestic thriller with lots of secrets and mysterious people turning up in Sophie's life. I wasn't wrong - I loved it!

At the beginning of the book Sophie is happy with her life. She lives with Jonah in a house that was once her mother's. They have a baby, Laura, and all is good. However, all that is rapidly smashed to pieces as Sophie discovers that Jonah isn't quite all he says he is. Jonah's dodgy dealings bring Sam and Suzie to her door, people whom she trusts and likes, but are they all they seem? Can they really be trusted? Sophie is about to go on quite a steep journey of discovery!

One thing that struck me immediately about Jean Levy's writing was her attention to detail, the fact that she gives a lot of information about each character and what they are doing, and that was something that I particularly enjoyed. I felt able to immerse myself into Sophie's life and follow her negotiations of the rollercoaster twists and turns her life takes as it goes from completely ordinary to bewilderingly complex.

I also really enjoyed the domestic nature of it. Whilst there are brief snippets that give clues as to what criminal activities Jonah was actually up to, this is essentially a story of how a woman gets her life back after being betrayed. I loved Sophie. At times I wanted to shake her for caring about things so much, and for being a bit reckless when she shouldn't have been, but I thought she was actually very brave, a bit feisty and a genuinely nice person.

And then, amongst all the domestic drama, police investigations and dodgy dealings, we are treated to little bursts of humour that made me smile. Levy employs a dry wit at times that I really enjoyed.

I thought this was a brilliant read. It really thrust me into the heart of the action, I enjoyed the characterisations (particularly Sam who is just divine!) and the unfolding mystery, and it's just a really cracking story. I definitely want to go back and read Levy's first novel now.… (mais)