John Parker is a Graduate-qualified English/Spanish Teacher, owner and director of CHAT ENGLISH, an English Language Centre in Avilés on the north coast of Spain . A voracious reader, he has particularly loved horror fiction for many years.
Tess Clarke is a young woman who has just lost her husband. She is counting the weeks (just 4). His passing was sudden. Now all she has left in her life is her son Jamie. She loves him dearly and will do anything to protect him but she is struggling to cope. But with the arrival of a grief counsellor, Shelley Lange, into her life, things begin to change.
At first Shelley is the best friend that anybody in Tess’s situation could possibly wish for. She is understanding and kind and declares that she will help Tess get through the very difficult times that she is living through. But then, things start going a little awry. Strange things begin to happen and Tess discovers that the death of her husband, Mark, is not all that it seems. Also, is Shelley’s friendship just a coincidence? Is there something else she wants from Tess? And why is her brother-in-law pressurising her about Mark’s finances so much? Tess is in a vulnerable place and will have to fight for what she treasures the most - her son, Jamie.
Lauren North has written a really clever thriller. She alternates the chapters told from Tess’s point of view (each one counting down the days until Jamie’s birthday) with transcripts taken from hospital reports and witness statements given to the police. As the novel progresses you get a real sense of dread as you realise that things may not turn out for the best in Tess’s case. You know that North has cooked up a killer ending but the twist stays tantalisingly out of reach until it is served up to you in a most shocking yet delicious way. Never saw it coming myself. Buy this book and feast on its dark and twisted emotions. A splendid psychological thriller.
