The books I’m including this month are two of the most gripping, twisty thrillers I’ve read in a long time. Rae Starling/Rachel Sargeant’s books are no stranger to my kindle, but The Girl in Cell A was my first by Vaseem Khan – it won’t be the last!
Vaseem Khan‘s The Girl in Cell A One of those books where you think you know what’s going on – until you realise you don’t…
My review: I love alternating timelines in a book, and the therapist-client relationship makes this one all the more fascinating. Orianna is imprisoned for a murder she has no memory of and maintains she didn’t commit. The narrative jumps back and forth between scenes during Orianna’s therapy sessions inside, as psychologist Annie tries to unlock the missing memories, and events when, eighteen years after the murder, she is released and goes back to Eden Falls to prove her innocence. We can see something isn’t right about Orianna’s account, but in spite of Annie’s interpretations and help, vital memories remain locked in Orianna’s head. The ending is jaw-dropping. I wasn’t prepared for the revelation in the final chapter, and was still sorting it out in my head when the final, and most chilling twist of all came.
An Ordinary House by Rae Starling: Spine-tinglingly good
My review: A teenager is removed from his home by police, along with his siblings and a man they know as Prof, and the questions start. Who is the boy, and why are his memories so sparse? Who is the woman Fayla, also removed and blue-lighted to hospital? What has happened to this family?
As the book progresses, we learn the horrific truth about Scholar and his siblings, and watch aghast as they try to come to terms with life in a very different world. While all we want is for this damaged family to find their place in life and be happy, it’s hard to see how their past trauma can ever be put right.
This is a book you start and don’t put down until you reach The End; I had goosebumps from page one. The suspense, the twisty storyline and the incredible writing style make this haunting thriller one of the best I’ve ever read.
Blog readers with long memories might remember I promised a book set in Sweden for this post. I’ve pushed that back to next time, as this week’s books are two of a kind and – in my opinion – sit together very well in a review post!
Happy reading!
