She Had It Coming - Carys Jones

 

Brand new thriller from Carys Jones

This book is about what happens when a best friend goes missing, and your daughter was the last person to see her best friend alive. And how the search for truth tells you so much more about the people you think you know best.

Pippa is a popular girl as school, yet her best friend Heather is a tearaway, a rebel who is acting out against her mother who is the work too hard while Pippa's mother Abbie is the ever-faithful, loyal housewife who wants nothing more than the perfect life for her family.

The disappearance and subsequent finding of Heather's body leads to an upheaval of Abbie's homelife and puts an already terrible strain on her marriage to John who is working too hard at the hospital in his role as surgeon.

Jones cleverly weaves a tale of truth and lies, able to correctly give voice to both Abbie as the caring mother and Pippa the erstwhile teen whose life has fallen apart as suspicions spread around the school upon the discovery and knowledge of Heather's passing becomes known.

The influences on this book range from Fiona Barton to the television series Doctor Foster, written by Mike Bartlett - the series that was at times misanthropic and did not like its lead character mostly. Jones however, has crafted in Abbie a forthright and strong woman, partial to the odd tipple but will do anything to save her child.

That is the ultimate message of this book, how far would you go to protect your child and stop the truth coming out. Jones writes the characters of Abbie and Pippa with such care and attention, you do side with their actions as they aim to resolve the problems caused by Heather's disappearance.

A gripping read for this reader, yet not quite as memorable as was hoping, albeit written with a great conviction and assurance.

SHE HAD IT COMING is out from Orion Publishing now on all formats.

My thanks to the author's agent, Emily Glenister, for the review opportunity.