Karen spent 30+ years as a Civil Servant, mostly in Revenue which is where she developed my absolute hatred of poor writing skills! Her favourite genre is now crime/thriller/police procedural/legal genre with the occasional foray into chick-lit and general fiction.
This is the story of two sisters; the eldest is kept by their parents while the youngest is sent [aged three] to live with an aunt.
The story is told in first person narrative through the point-of-view of the younger sister; from when their Mother dies, and then in flashback.
In terms of genre, Adams’ work combines crime, romance, and suspense but at its heart it is really a psychological thriller.
Though a fast read with an intriguing premise as well as an engaging opening, the narrative flow is somewhat choppy at points, with some repetition that slowed the tale and made it less interesting than it should have been.
The last twenty pages appeared rushed as if the author was running out of space and time; several pertinent characters just dropped out of the story and it was difficult to get a sense of time or perspective as it jumped all over the place. It also raised a number of social issues such as mental health and child abuse - but never really explored them in any detail to the narrative.
Overall Adams’ book started with such promise and intrigue, but it failed to live up to the initial and intriguing premise, though a debut that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a fast and easy read; but which is not particularly challenging or cerebral.
