is a stay-at-home mum, originally from Hungary, but now living in Hertfordshire. Reading has always been a passion. She has an interest in all works of fiction but has a soft spot for thrillers and crime novels.
Love thy neighbour. It is after all the golden rule of treating people the way you want to be treated and no one is keener to start living by this principle than Verity Ann Baxter.
Verity’s life takes an exciting turn when her long-awaited new neighbours finally move in. She feels an instant pull towards Ailsa Tilson and her family, convinced they will bring much-needed companionship to her solitary life. The Tilsons are the complete opposite of her: they are conscious of their own image and appearance, while in contrast Verity’s lack of care causes a lot of friction. Nevertheless, she forms an unlikely friendship with Ailsa and her son, Max but stays wary of the husband, Tom.
It’s not all picture perfect though. The story is narrated from Verity’s point of view, although admittedly she is unreliable. The dual timeline of her recollection helps unfold the events; we find out that Ailsa is on trial and accused of murdering her husband before we learn anything else about them. So, what went wrong? Why did Tom have to die?
The build-up is slow but the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. This is a dark, atmospheric tale of skeletons in the closet. Literally! Everyone seems to be hiding secrets and as they start to surface, we are left guessing -again and again- what really went down. The characterization, dynamics, suspense and complex plot makes this book a gripping read that’s hard to put down. I especially liked how each chapter started with a definition of a word relevant to what was happening – a nod to Verity’s job as assistant editor of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Sabine Durrant, author of Lie With Me, has yet again written a superb psychological thriller. I highly recommend reading Finders, Keepers.
