Category Archives: Nicci French

November 22, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: The Unheard by Nicci French

Title: The Unheard by Nicci French
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 464 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In this new heart-pounding standalone from the internationally bestselling author that People calls “razor sharp,” a single mother suspects her young daughter has witnessed a horrible crime when the girl draws a disturbing picture—but the deadly path to unravel the truth could cost her everything. 

Maybe Tess is overprotective, but passing her daughter off to her ex and his new young wife fills her with a sense of dread. It’s not that Jason is a bad father—it just hurts to see him enjoying married life with someone else. Still, she owes it to her daughter Poppy to make this arrangement work.

But Poppy returns from the weekend tired and withdrawn. And when she shows Tess a crayon drawing—an image so simple and violent that Tess can hardly make sense of it——Poppy can only explain with the words, “He did kill her.”

Something is horribly wrong. Tess is certain Poppy saw something—or something happened to her—that she’s too young to understand. Jason insists the weekend went off without a hitch. Doctors advise that Poppy may be reacting to her parents’ separation. And as the days go on, even Poppy’s disturbing memory seems to fade. But a mother knows her daughter, and Tess is determined to discover the truth. Her search will set off an explosive tempest of dark secrets and buried crimes—and more than one life may be at stake.

Review:

The Unheard by Nicci French is a tension-filled mystery.

Tess Moreau is a single mum with a three-year-old daughter. She is working part-time as a teacher and struggling to adjust to living alone a year after her long-term relationship with Jason Hallam ends.  She shares custody of their daughter Poppy with her ex partner Jason who has recently married.  She has been dating Aidan Otley for the last few months, but she is taking her time with this relationship.  When Poppy returns from her weekend at Jason’s, Tess becomes worried when her daughter’s behavior changes. Then she sees Poppy’s latest artwork which depicts a woman plunging to her death. Tess is convinced Poppy witnessed a death but will the police believe her when she takes her concern to them?

Tess knows the break up with Jason was the right choice and they are committed to a civilized custody arrangement for their daughter’s sake. She is immediately worried about Poppy because of the drawing and the behavior changes. She is a little irritated that Jason does not share her concern. But Tess is determined to get to the bottom of whatever is troubling Poppy and she decides the police might be the answer. Detective Inspector Kelly Jordan patiently listens to her story, but Tess is frustrated when there is nothing the DI can do to help.

Tess makes some changes to her life in order to focus exclusively on Poppy. With the police not taking her fears seriously, Tess starts investigating on her own. When she finds a death that seemingly matches Poppy’s drawing, she once again goes to DI Kelly who brings in her partner Chief Inspector Ross Durrant. But is there any way to prove this death is in any way linked to Poppy or her drawing?

The Unheard is a suspenseful mystery that moves at a fast pace. Tess becomes increasingly unreliable as she becomes suspicious of Jason after learning unexpected information about him. Her anxiety reaches new heights as she attempts to find out what happened to the woman who recently died. The storyline is intriguing with interesting twists and turns. With a jaw-dropping revelation, Nicci French brings this riveting mystery to an edge of the seat conclusion.

Comments Off on Review: The Unheard by Nicci French

Filed under Contemporary, Mystery, Nicci French, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Unheard, William Morrow Paperbacks

July 2, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: What to Do When Someone Dies by Nicci French

Title: What to Do When Someone Dies by Nicci French
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In this ingenious stand-alone thriller from the internationally bestselling author and “razor sharp” master of suspense (People), a grieving wife is forced to ask: Which is worse—infidelity or murder?

Ellie Falkner’s world has been destroyed. Her husband, Greg, died in a car crash—and he wasn’t alone. In the passenger seat was the body of Milena Livingstone, a woman Ellie’s never heard of. But Ellie refuses to leap to the obvious conclusion, despite the whispers and suspicions of those around her. Maybe it’s the grief, but Ellie has to find out who this woman was—and prove Greg wasn’t having an affair. And soon she is chillingly certain their deaths were no accident.

Are Ellie’s accusations of murder her way of avoiding the truth about her marriage? Or does an even more sinister discovery await her?

Review:

What to Do When Someone Dies by Nicci French is a tense domestic mystery.

Ellie Falkner is devastated when she learns her husband Greg Manning has died in a car accident. She is also has complete faith that he is not having an affair with the woman his who also perished in the crash. Ellie is lost without Greg but unable to completely grieve his loss until she understands why Milena Livingstone was in the car with him. His friend and business partner Joe Foreman does not know who she is. Nor does his best friend Fergus Kelly. Ellie wants to get a sense of who Milena was in life, so she  finds herself offering to assist the deceased woman’s business partner in organizing the party planning business. Will Ellie find the answers she is searching for about Greg and Milena?

Ellie tries not to lose faith in her beloved husband. She finds it impossible to believe he would have an affair but what other explanation could there be for Milena to be with him? Ellie tears apart Greg’s life and she still does not find anything that indicates an affair. So, when the opportunity arises for her to delve deeper into Milena’s life, she takes it. In between putting the party planning’s affairs in order, Ellie asks questions she hopes will provide her with a sense of who Milena was. She feels bad for the deception but she is desperate for the assurance that Greg would never betray her with another woman. As Ellie tries to extricate her from a suddenly complicated situation, a shocking discovery puts her in a bit of a precarious legal situation.

What to Do When Someone Dies is an engrossing mystery. Ellie is an interesting woman whose desperation for answers leads her to make very dubious decisions. The somewhat slow burning storyline is intriguing and it is easy to become invested in the outcome of Ellie’s quest. Although savvy readers will most likely guess whodunit, Nicci French brings this suspenseful mystery to an exciting conclusion.

Comments Off on Review: What to Do When Someone Dies by Nicci French

Filed under Contemporary, Mystery, Nicci French, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, What to Do When Someone Dies, William Morrow Paperbacks

April 29, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: The Other Side of the Door by Nicci French

Title: The Other Side of the Door by Nicci French
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

From the internationally bestselling author of The Lying Room, a sexy, intricate thriller about the temptation of secrets, the weight of lies, and the price of betrayal and suspicion.

Who is more dangerous? An enemy, a friend, or a lover?

When Bonnie Graham arrives at her boyfriend’s apartment in London, she is horrified to discover a dead body in a pool of blood on the floor. But she doesn’t call the police. Bonnie hides the corpse and then carefully wipes away any evidence she was ever there.

Bonnie is a music teacher who spent a long, hot summer in London rehearsing with a band to play at a friend’s wedding. It was supposed to be fun, but the band members find the complicated knots of their friendships—some old, some new—unraveling as the days themselves unwind. What was meant to be a summer of happiness, love, and music turns deadly as lovers betray one another, passions turn murderous, and friendship itself becomes a crime.

Everyone tells lies. But is anyone prepared to tell the truth to uncover a murderer?

Review:

The Other Side of the Door by Nicci French is a tightly-plotted domestic mystery.

Bonnie Graham’s first instinct after a shocking discovery is to contact a close friend to help her hide a dead body. She gives no explanation for what happened and together, they decide on a place to dump the corpse then hide the person’s vehicle. Bonnie is upset and barely able to follow through whereas her friend is clear thinking and calm as they take steps to conceal all evidence of what happened. Bonnie just hopes they carry on with their lives without anything from that night being discovered. Unfortunately, the body is found and the police have a lot of questions for Bonnie and her friends.

Over summer break, music teacher Bonnie is in charge of putting together a band for a friend’s wedding. The band is comprised of her ex, Amos, former student Joakim, his dad Guy, college mate Neal, friend Sonia and stranger Hayden. There is plenty of tension between the band members as not all of them are as skilled as others. There is also jealousy over Hayden’s musical ability.

Bonnie is not one to take charge either before or after the death of one of their band mates. She is stuck in a flat that needs a lot of work and she begins work that she never finishes before moving on to another project. Amos is a thorn in her side as he gets his back up over his less than stellar musical abilities. Neal wants more from her than she able to give. Guy becomes angry when Joakim makes a surprising decision. Hayden is a bit of a pot stirrer as he creates conflict with other band members.

With the story moving back and forth in time, The Other Side of the Door is a riveting domestic mystery. Bonnie’s apathy is a bit off-putting as she wishes everything would just go away. The band members are diverse with varied backgrounds and life experiences. The identity of the murder victim is not immediately revealed which adds suspense right from the beginning. With plenty of strife between the members of the band, there are a good number of suspects who could be the killer. With jaw-dropping twists and unanticipated turns, Nicci French brings this smart domestic mystery to a clever conclusion.

Comments Off on Review: The Other Side of the Door by Nicci French

Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Mystery, Nicci French, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Other Side of the Door, William Morrow Paperbacks

October 21, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: House of Correction by Nicci French

Title: House of Correction by Nicci French
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery Suspense
Length: 487 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In this heart-pounding standalone thriller from bestselling author Nicci French, a woman accused of murder attempts to solve her own case from the confines of prison—but as she unravels the truth, everything is called into question, including her own certainty that she is innocent.

Tabitha is not a murderer.

When a body is discovered in Okeham, England, Tabitha is shocked to find herself being placed in handcuffs. It must be a mistake. She’d only recently moved back to her childhood hometown, not even getting a chance to reacquaint herself with the neighbors. How could she possibly be a murder suspect?

She knows she’s not.

As Tabitha is shepherded through the system, her entire life is picked apart and scrutinized —her history of depression and medications, her decision to move back to a town she supposedly hated . . . and of course, her past relationship with the victim, her former teacher. But most unsettling, Tabitha’s own memories of that day are a complete blur.

She thinks she’s not.

From the isolation of the correctional facility, Tabitha dissects every piece of evidence, every testimony she can get her hands on, matching them against her own recollections. But as dark, long-buried memories from her childhood come to light, Tabatha begins to question if she knows what kind of person she is after all. The world is convinced she’s a killer. Tabatha needs to prove them all wrong.

But what if she’s only lying to herself? 

Review:

House of Correction by Nicci French is a clever mystery.

Tabitha Hardy has been charged with murder and is currently in prison while awaiting her upcoming hearings. She finds it difficult to drag herself out of her cell but her cellmate Michaela insists she take care of herself. Tabitha unrealistically expects her lawyer Mora Piozza to secure her release from prison. Needless to say, she is shocked to discover she will be remanded until her trial. Despite her lack of memories of the day her former teacher Stuart Rees died, Tabitha is convinced she did not murder him.  Realizing no one is going to find the real killer, Tabitha takes her case into her own hands in effort to free herself and hopefully, unmask a murderer in her small village.

After years away, Tabitha has recently returned to her hometown where she is renovating the house she recently purchased.  She has good days and bad days as continues to battle the depression that has plagued her throughout most of her life. Tabitha mainly keeps to herself but she does enjoy working alongside Andy Kane as they fix up her house.  Although she spends little time in town, Tabitha does force herself to adhere to her daily schedule.

As Tabitha digs into the evidence against her, she makes very startling discoveries about Stuart and some of the townspeople. She also continues trying to unlock her memories of what she did and whom she interacted with the day of the murder. Tabitha has always been a bit offbeat and socially awkward so she few friends in her life. She does believe she can count on a former school mate and she becomes friends with another inmate.  During the course of her investigation, Tabitha allows long repressed memories to surface and these painful remembrances become part of the case against her. As the months pass by, Tabitha is not at all prepared for her trial. Way out of her depth, Tabitha hopes to save herself from going to prison for a murder she is certain she did not commit.

House of Correction is a tightly-plotted mystery that is completely riveting. Tabitha is an intriguing narrator who does not always act in her own best interest. Despite her outbursts and coarse language, she proves quite adept during her trail and she remains committed to finding out who murdered Stuart. With a few stunning twists and devious turns, Nicci French brings this captivating mystery to a satisfying yet somewhat unexpected conclusion. Fans of the genre do not want to miss this incredibly perplexing mystery.

Comments Off on Review: House of Correction by Nicci French

Filed under Contemporary, House of Correction, Mystery, Nicci French, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, William Morrow

January 19, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: Losing You by Nicci French

Title: Losing You by Nicci French
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In this thrilling standalone novel from the internationally bestselling author of the Frieda Klein series, a woman’s frantic search for her missing daughter unveils a nefarious web of secrets and lies.

Nina Landry awakens on her fortieth birthday, anticipating a day filled with excitement. She, her new boyfriend, and her two children are taking a trip—leaving their home on Sandling Island, off the coast of England, for a dream vacation. As soon as her fifteen-year-old daughter, Charlie, returns from a sleepover, they can get ready to leave.

But Charlie doesn’t come home at the expected time. Nina can’t believe of all days, Charlie has chosen this day to be late. As minutes and then hours tick by, Nina’s annoyance soon changes to concern, and then to a chilling certainty that something terrible has happened.

The police insist there’s no reason to worry—yet. Teenagers are unreliable, impulsive. Nina always thought she and Charlie had a solid, trusting relationship, but seeking out Charlie’s friends for clues to her whereabouts makes her reconsider. How well does Nina know her daughter, really? How well can a parent ever know a child? And will everything Nina doesn’t know—about Charlie, her neighbors, even the friends and family closest to them—prove fatal…?

Losing You once again proves that Nicci French is at the height of their storytelling powers in a clever, mind-bending thriller that has readers guessing at every twist and turn.

Review:

In Losing You by Nicci French, a worried mother faces every parents’ worst fear: a missing child.

Nina Landry, along with her new boyfriend, Christian and her two children, fifteen year old daughter, Charlotte “Charlie” and eleven year old son Jackson, are about to depart for their vacation to Florida.  In the midst of tying up the trip’s loose ends, Nina is growing increasingly concerned when she cannot reach Charlie. Her daughter spent the night  before with friends but she has failed to return home nor is she answering her phone. Growing more frantic,  Nina immediately contacts the local police who are not exactly overly helpful. Nina continues searching for Charlie on her own and a shocking discovery ratchets up her fears for her daughter’s safety.

Nina and her kids have been through a rough period since their relocation to Sandling Island. She is now divorced from the kids’ father Rory and works as a maths teacher. Nina is in a newish relationship with Christian but she remains cautiously optimistic about their future. Her relationship with Charlie is strong but  her daughter tends to be tempestuous and willing to fight for what she believes in.  Charlie has recently been the target of bullying from her classmates, but she has recently made friends with the circle of girls who were involved. One of Nina’s concerns about Charlie going missing is the fact she slept over with the former bullies. Can she believe their assertions they do not know anything about Charlie’s disappearance?

With the police unwilling to put much effort into locating Charlie, Nina  does not worry about offending or angering anyone during her search for her daughter. As the situation turns more dire, Nina is not at all confident  the police are doing as much as they should be to find Charlie. She is further stunned by shocking discoveries about someone close to her and the kids.  With the police distracted by these latest revelations, Nina takes matters into her own hands as she grows more desperate to locate Charlie.

Mysteries often need a suspension of disbelief to fully enjoy the unfolding story and it eventually becomes impossible to comfortably go with the storyline.  While her worry and desperation are completely understandable, Nina’s impulsivity and lack of cooperation with the police hinders their investigation. Her uncanny ability to uncover leads and unearth new information strains readers’ credulity. The mystery moves at a brisk pace but the extremely tight timeframe is somewhat unrealistic since the entire mystery takes place during approximately five to six hours.

Losing You is a fast-paced and cleverly written mystery. The novel’s beginning is strong and the entire story has a smooth flow since there are no chapter breaks.  Unfortunately, Nina’s over the top decisions are exasperating. With shocking twists and unbelievable turns, Nicci French brings the novel to an action-packed conclusion. While the mystery of Charlie’s disappearance is completely wrapped up, some rather important parts of the storylines are frustratingly unresolved.

Comments Off on Review: Losing You by Nicci French

Filed under Contemporary, Losing You, Mystery, Nicci French, Review, Suspense, William Morrow Paperbacks

September 29, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: The Lying Room by Nicci French

Title: The Lying Room by Nicci French
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 407 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In this thrilling standalone from the internationally bestselling author of the Frieda Klein series, a married woman’s affair with her boss spirals into a dangerous game of chess with the police when she discovers he’s been murdered and she clears the crime scene of all evidence.

One little secret between a married woman, her lover, and a killer.

It should have been just a mid-life fling. A guilty indiscretion that Neve Connolly could have weathered. An escape from twenty years of routine marriage to her overworked husband, and from her increasingly distant children. But when Neve pays a morning-after visit to her lover, Saul, and finds him brutally murdered, their pied-à-terre still heady with her perfume, all the lies she has so painstakingly stitched together threaten to unravel.

After scrubbing clean every trace of her existence from Saul’s life—and death—Neve believes she can return to normal, shaken but intact. But she can’t get out of her head the one tormenting question: what was she forgetting?

An investigation into the slaying could provide the answer. It’s brought Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Hitching, and Neve’s worst fears, to her door. But with every new lie, every new misdirection to save herself, Neve descends further into the darkness of her betrayal—and into more danger than she ever imagined. Because Hitching isn’t the only one watching Neve. So is a determined killer who’s about to make the next terrifying move in a deadly affair….

Review:

The Lying Room by Nicci French is an engrossing, suspenseful mystery.

Neve Connolly is a married mum of three who is the main breadwinner in the family. Her husband Fletcher works sporadically while he works on his art. Their sons Rory and Connor are delightful boys but their oldest daughter Mabel’s teen years were quite tumultuous. Although still a bit moody and uncommunicative, Mabel is about to leave home for university.

In the midst of all of the family chaos, Neve unexpectedly embarks on an affair with Saul Stevenson, who is also married.  Having spent the night before with Saul, she is rather surprised to receive a text from him asking her to meet him at his pied-à-terre.  Upon her arrival, Neve is shocked to discover his lifeless body and she soon determines he has been murdered. At first planning to call 999, she reconsiders once she realizes how devastating it will be on her family if her affair is revealed. Quickly working to erase all evidence she was ever in Saul’s flat, she leaves without notifying authorities.  She has a nagging feeling she left something undone at Saul’s and she wakes in the middle of night with the horrifying realization of exactly what she left something behind.  Will Neve recover her personal property before the police discover Saul’s body?

Neve tries to return to her normal life but she is terrified of becoming the prime suspect in Saul’s murder.  With the murder investigation underway, Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Hitching begins turning up at unexpected and inconvenient times. Neve nonetheless stays the course as she answers his questions with half-truths and outright lies. With so much to lose, she is walking a tricky path as she juggles family life, unanticipated  houseguests, the grieving widow and her friends’ secrets. On edge, Neve knows the only way to save herself is to try to uncover the identity of Saul’s killer. With a surprisingly long list of suspects, will she be able to figure out who murdered him and more importantly,why?

The Lying Room is a brilliantly plotted and well executed domestic mystery. The characters are engaging and well-developed and the storyline is quite clever. With a plethora of suspects,  Nicci French expertly ratchets the tension to a fever pitch before bringing this diabolically twisted mystery to an absolutely stunning conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this fast-paced novel to fans of the genre.

Comments Off on Review: The Lying Room by Nicci French

Filed under Contemporary, Mystery, Nicci French, Review, Suspense, The Lying Room, William Morrow Paperbacks