I had high hopes for this novel, but it regrettably fell very short of the mark for me. It began well and the opening pages seemed to promise much, but then... around page 12, I checked the copyright page to see if it had been published by Mira, or the like; by chapter 9, I was really regretting picking it up.
The cast of characters consist of shallow, well-off, middle-class yuppies - the bulk of them working in TV media - reality TV specifically; rather fitting as no realistic people are depicted here - all are sketchily-drawn and self-obsessed - even Kate, our anxious heroine, who believes she's not like them (oh yes you are, JUST like them dear). The plot went from being unbelievably tedious to tediously unbelievable and at the speed of treacle going uphill; although it was not badly-written, the first-person narrative was devoid of any discernible style - it just never got off the ground with too much wittering - pointless digressions that defused the narrative.
Pacing was erratic; tension - a basic requirement for a psychological thriller - was largely absent, as was any attempt at levity - a little knowing humour could have made the whole thing a good deal more palatable. The plot twists and action just became more and more ridiculous - had the ground opened up and swallowed everyone in the end I would not have been surprised and I wouldn't have cared a jot for any of them.
I really hate writing a negative review of any author's work and I believe that Knight has it in her to write a good novel, but she isn't a natural crime-writer; I found nothing engaging or gripping here, far too many flaws and inconsistencies. I NEVER consider gender when choosing a novel, but this seems clearly aimed at a female readership and it doesn't stand comparison with any of the many established women writers in this field.
I feel uneasy being apparently in the minority, but I will not say something is good when I didn't find it so. A large number of people here have read a different novel from the one I did.
This is the worst book I`ve read in years, by a mile.
