It's been nearly a year since 3 year old Ruby-May died in a tragic accident at her grandfather's house in Somerset.
When they decide to go away as an extended family to commemorate her anniversary, the Flowers get more than they bargained for, and realise that they may be more broken than they ever thought.
Things go missing and tempers flare in the Italian summer heat, and each member of the family must process their grief and anger in their own way. But what if they don't know the whole truth about what happened last August? Suspicions fly and anyone may be lying...
I loved this twisty family thriller, which was easy to devour in less than 24 hours. I had no clue before I started reading it that the family lives in Bristol, and was amazed to read apt descriptions of places less than a mile from my house. It was a little uncanny, as though I was reading something I had forgotten that I had written. The author clearly knows South Bristol, and as a local I loved reading about characters interacting with my own every day environment.
The family drama very well written, with a lot of tension, remembered slights and attempts to move on. I recognised the same struggles I see around me and even in my own family; the awkward atmosphere mixed with familial love and the wish to be close even when everything seems to be pulling you apart.
The addition of the two non family members brought a whole second layer to everything, and broke it up a bit, keeping the drama from becoming tedious.
The twists and unveilings near the end were surprising in their rapidity, with everything changing moment by moment. You think it's all solved, and then another piece goes into the puzzle and you realise it's all different to how it looked. In the end, you are left with a twisted and grotesque timeline of family betrayal and rationalising, lies and coverups. However, it's also a story of love and protection, with a beautiful thread of forgiveness and genuine regret.
Very fun and exciting, this book was a thrill ride of twists and turns. Recommended for thriller lovers and Bristolians!
When they decide to go away as an extended family to commemorate her anniversary, the Flowers get more than they bargained for, and realise that they may be more broken than they ever thought.
Things go missing and tempers flare in the Italian summer heat, and each member of the family must process their grief and anger in their own way. But what if they don't know the whole truth about what happened last August? Suspicions fly and anyone may be lying...
I loved this twisty family thriller, which was easy to devour in less than 24 hours. I had no clue before I started reading it that the family lives in Bristol, and was amazed to read apt descriptions of places less than a mile from my house. It was a little uncanny, as though I was reading something I had forgotten that I had written. The author clearly knows South Bristol, and as a local I loved reading about characters interacting with my own every day environment.
The family drama very well written, with a lot of tension, remembered slights and attempts to move on. I recognised the same struggles I see around me and even in my own family; the awkward atmosphere mixed with familial love and the wish to be close even when everything seems to be pulling you apart.
The addition of the two non family members brought a whole second layer to everything, and broke it up a bit, keeping the drama from becoming tedious.
The twists and unveilings near the end were surprising in their rapidity, with everything changing moment by moment. You think it's all solved, and then another piece goes into the puzzle and you realise it's all different to how it looked. In the end, you are left with a twisted and grotesque timeline of family betrayal and rationalising, lies and coverups. However, it's also a story of love and protection, with a beautiful thread of forgiveness and genuine regret.
Very fun and exciting, this book was a thrill ride of twists and turns. Recommended for thriller lovers and Bristolians!