Publised August 6th, 2020 by Michael Joseph
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Crime Fiction
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
*CARER/COMPANION WANTED FOR ELDERLY LADY*
*YOUNG FEMALE PREFERRED * COMPETITIVE SALARY*
*ROOM AND BOARD INCLUDED*
Una Richardson is devastated after the death of her mother. Hoping for a fresh start, she responds to an advertisement and steps into the rich, comforting world of elderly Mrs Elspeth McKenzie.
But Elspeth’s home is not as safe as it seems.
Kathryn, her cold and bitter daughter, resents Una’s presence. More disturbing is the evidence suggesting two girls lived here before.
What happened to the girls?
Why will the McKenzies not talk about them?
As the walls close in around her, Una fears she’ll end up just like the other girls . . .
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MY REVIEW:
When Una answers an ad from an elderly woman looking for a live-in companion, she feels like it’s the fresh start she’s been looking for after the death of her mother and the end of her relationship. And when she steps into Elspeth’s large, comforting home she is filled with hope for the future. But this house isn’t as safe as it seems. It is filled with a dark, dysfunctional family history and Elsepth’s daughter Kathryn is a bitter woman who resents Una’s presence. And then she learns about the two girls who worked there before her. Is this job the answer to Una’s problems? Or just the start of them…
Omg! This was one crazy rollercoaster ride! Deliciously dark, chilling, sinister and twisty, this addictive thriller had me totally hooked. Expertly written, cleverly choreographed and filled with red herrings, it took me by surprise at every turn. I was on the edge of my seat and devoured the book in under a day. It had been a while since I’d read a book by Claire Douglas, and after reading Just Like The Other Girls I’m wondering why. And I certainly won’t be waiting long before reading more of her backlist.
I love an unreliable narrator and this book was jam-packed full of them. It was obvious that Elspeth and Kathryn were hiding things from the start and you couldn’t trust what they were saying. But the distrust rippled out to the other characters and made me question what almost all of them were saying. And who was the mysterious stalker watching Una who seemed to be involved in her predecessors leaving their positions? One person was a strong suspect for me from the start, but they weren’t the only person I considered as a start and the person I eventually landed on was the right answer. But even then Ms. Douglas had another surprise in store that left my jaw on the floor and changed everything I thought I’d known about the story.
If you’re looking for a dark and unpredictable thriller then I highly recommend you read this book.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
Thank you to Michael Joseph and Netgalley for providing me with a proof copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Claire Douglas worked as a journalist for fifteen years, writing features for women’s magazines and national newspapers, but had dreamed of being a novelist since the age of seven. She finally got her wish after winning the Marie Claire Debut Novel Award with her first novel, The Sisters.
She is a Sunday Times bestseller and a frequent Richard & Judy Book Club pick. Her books have sold over three million copies in the UK alone.
She lives in Bath with her husband and two children.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx
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