Review: The Holiday - T.M. Logan

Title: The Holiday
Author: T.M.Logan
Published: July 2019
Source: Library Checkout
Star Rating: 4

Seven days. Three families. One killer. 

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday - a group of families enjoying a week together in the sun. Four women who have been best friends for as long as they can remember making the most of a luxurious villa in the south of France. 

But Kate has a secret: her husband is having an affair. And a week away might just be the perfect opportunity to get the proof she needs - to catch him in the act once and for all. Because she suspects the other woman is one of her two best friends. 

One of them is working against her, willing to sacrifice years of friendship to destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined . . .

Because someone in the villa may be prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden [Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

Well this was a thoroughly entertaining read! The Holiday follows 4 women, best friends since university, who go on holiday to a French villa along with their families. Our main character Kate finds something on the first day that makes her suspect her husband is having an affair with one of her friends and she’s determined to find out who. Yet someone in the villa may be prepared to kill to keep their secrets hidden…

The tag line is ‘Seven Days, Three Families, One Killer’ and I felt for sure I had it all figured out, but I was so wrong! I will say this started out a bit slow for me and it took me a while to get into it, but I can see the author was building up the pressure until everything explodes at the end. For me, once the suspense started to mount up properly, I was completely hooked.

There was a very claustrophobic feel to the book that created such a tense atmosphere – as it neared the end I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough to see how everything was going to play out. When all the different pieces of the puzzle came together you could see how hints and red herrings had been used throughout the story which allowed for a clever, twisty ending which I really enjoyed.

I definitely recommend this if you’re in the mood for a slow-burn thriller that will leave you guessing throughout.

Review: The Doctor - Lisa Stone

Title: The Doctor
Author: Lisa Stone
Published: June 2019
Source: Library Checkout
Star Rating: 3

How much do you know about the couple next door? 

When Emily and Ben move in next door to Dr Burman and his wife Anita, they are keen to get to know their new neighbours. Outgoing and sociable, Emily tries to befriend the doctor’s wife, but Anita is strangely subdued, barely leaving the house, and terrified of answering the phone. 

When Emily goes missing a few weeks later, Ben is plunged into a panic. His wife has left him a note, but can she really have abandoned him for another man? Or has Emily’s curiosity about the couple next door led her straight into danger? [Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

This whole story revolves around how much do you know your neighbours – definitely a tried and tested subject for thriller, but one that can be done really well. Emily and Ben move in next door to Dr Burman and his wife Anita, who like to keeps themselves very much to themselves. Emily tries her best to befriend Anita but she is strangely resistant. Then Emily goes missing and Ben finds a note saying she’s left him for another man but something about it seems suspicious…

I was so intrigued by this synopsis, and I will admit this whole book was one crazy ride, going in directions I never would have guessed from that blurb. However, sadly for me, it was all a bit too much. I found I could never get over my disbelief of the whole situation (quite tricky to write about when I’m trying not to spoil you!). It was a shame because overall it was a solid, well-written thriller with a very original take on the next-door-neighbour trope. In fact, I actually think a lot of you will enjoy this one and the storyline will work really well for you. It has a good average rating on Goodreads and a lot of people definitely seem to have really enjoyed it, so I’m in the minority on this one for not fully getting into it.

I will say it did have a very addictive quality to it and I really wanted to keep reading to see how it all unfolded, but for me it was just too unrealistic for me to properly enjoy it and the twists at the end ended up falling flat for me. 

Review: Platform Seven - Louise Doughty

Title: Platform Seven
Author: Louise Doughty
Published: August 2019
Source: NetGalley
Star Rating: 5

Platform Seven at 4am: Peterborough Railway Station is deserted. The man crossing the covered walkway on this freezing November morning is confident he's alone. As he sits on the metal bench at the far end of the platform it is clear his choice is strategic - he's as far away from the night staff as he can get.

What the man doesn't realise is that he has company. Lisa Evans knows what he has decided. She knows what he is about to do as she tries and fails to stop him walking to the platform edge. 

Two deaths on Platform Seven. Two fatalities in eighteen months - surely they're connected? 

No one is more desperate to understand what connects them than Lisa Evans herself. After all, she was the first of the two to die.[Goodreads]

My Thoughts: 

I adored Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty so I was highly anticipating this new release. This was such a fascinating set-up for a story as Doughty perfectly blends a ghost story with a mystery thriller.

Two suicides have taken place at Platform Seven at Peterborough Station in the last 2 years and as the book begins it looks like a third is about to take place. Narrating the story is the ghost of Lisa, the victim of the second death at the station. This was so well done – I’m not normally a fan of the interweaving of paranormal aspects with thriller fiction but this was fantastic.

I loved that this was set in a train station. It grasped the exact underlying feeling of menace and danger that exists around standing near to railway lines as a high speed train goes past. This thoroughly creeped me out and added to the haunting air of the whole book.

As the story unfolds we learn of Lisa’s life when she was still alive and her toxic relationship. These parts of the book were disturbing and so well-written. One of the things I loved most about Apple Tree Yard was Doughty’s ability to write such realistic characters, and it’s exactly the same for this book. As the reader learns more about Lisa’s life the suspense builds up and I was completely hooked on finding out exactly what had happened to her. All this culminates in an emotional and unnerving read that not only looks at vitally important issues within our society but also proves to be a compulsive page-turner.

I highly recommend this one, the whole novel was very atmospheric and unsettling and would make a perfect Autumn read. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this copy in exchange for my honest review.