After an incident that causes her friends more embarrassment than herself it seems, Edith Hope takes a break at the hotel de Luc in Switzerland. Her aim is to let all the fuss die down and concentrate on writing her next novel in a tranquil environment in which she can focus, where she is unknown to the guests that surround her.
She is soon befriended by the glamorous Mrs Pusey and her daughter Jennifer, who share a very close, somewhat bizarre, relationship. She becomes their regular companion and then shortly gets to know the enigmatic Mr Neville who propositions her with a life she feels compelled to take. But her ideas of love, both from personal experience and the kind of love she writes about, challenge her decision.
It's a very well written short novel, reminding me a little of Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach, where such a short period of time is analysed under the microscope. The story goes back and forth so that we can fill in the details of what brought Edith to the hotel. I found it quite hard to determine when the novel is set. The language and character descriptions tended to hark back to a later period than it actually intended - more of a feel of the 40s. Had it been a larger book I may not have persevered as it wasn't the most exciting or gripping story, but it was a reasonable short read.
A wife goes missing in suspicious circumstances on her fifth wedding anniversary and all you have to go on is her husband's version of events, the crime scene and a diary charting her last 7 years. The story soon shapes up to be pretty cut and dried. But is it? Confusion and contradictions ensue and suddenly you start to question who is really telling the truth. The further you get into the book the more you get to know the characters and their motives.
The story twists and turns and you really don't know how it will all end until you get there. This is one of those ultimate page turners, in the same vein as Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson. A really great thriller that keeps you guessing. One I am recommending to lots of people at the moment, whilst desperately trying not to give anything away!
(No picture for this one, i read this on my kindle but this book seems to be everywhere at the moment so easy to find).
Meet Tara Jupp - one of a very large family brought up in the rural idyll of Cornwall, discovered for her remarkable singing voice and transported to London. Set in the swinging sixties Tara's naive world suddenly expands as she meets the rich and influential, all chasing fame and notoriety. Along the way her elder, more attractive sister Lucy is carried along with Tara and her sub story runs in tandem.
It's a nice enough tale, but very romanticised - the portrayal of London in this era is not the one you'd expect. It may be inhabited by rock stars and bohemian characters at eccentric parties, but nothing like the wild, edgy excitement usually associated with such an influential and creative decade. It's an easy read and the story carries you along perfectly adequately, but everything works out in the end far to neatly. Every girl gets to be with the guy they want and are destined to be with and it's all happy ever after.
This book wouldn't encourage me to read any more of Eva Rice's novels, which is a shame as her previous one seems to have had some great reviews. Wouldn't surprise me if this one gets adapted for TV. It has that sunday night slot feel to it!!
