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Surface Tension (Paperback)

by Joanna Hines (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Pocket Books; New Ed edition (6 Jan 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0671029096
  • ISBN-13: 978-0671029098
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 726,702 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Synopsis
The new superb thriller from the highly acclaimed author of last year's success, Improvising Carla; It is the long, hot summer of 1976. Six friends share an idyllic few months at Grays Orchard. But the endless days of art, love and abandonment - immortalised in the celebrated paintings of resident artist, Gus Ridley - come to a brutal end when one of the friends is murdered. The murder becomes local legend, but is never quite resolved. Twenty years later, Gus's wife Carol knows little about her husband's past; he never speaks of that summer years ago, he never sees his former friends and he no longer paints in the way that made him so famous...until the arrival of Gus's niece, conceived at Grays Orchard during that summer of drought, causes the mystery surrounding the murder to resurface. Carol's determination to unlock the secrets of the past leads her to the one man she believes holds the key. The main suspect of the murder, now the head of a sinister cult, who resides under a vow of silence...
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful psycho-thriller of sublime quality, 24 Jan 2003
By RachelWalker "RachelW" (England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
It is generally possible to judge how much I liked a book by noting the number of times I close it, finger marking my page, and simply stare at the cover in awe. This isn't just to marvel at it in wonder, but to delay that inevitable moment when I will sadly have to put it down, finished. With this book, I did that a LOT.

In the long hot summer of 1976, six friends spend the long days relaxing lazily on the lawns of Grays Orchard, a beautiful country house, unworried about the world outside their little commune. But then their idyll is shattered by a brutal murder, and none of their lives will ever be the same again.

25 years later, artist Gus Ridley still lives at Grays Orchard with his wife Carol, who knows next to nothing about the cathartic event that ripped the group asunder. That is, until Jenny arrives. Jenny is the daughter of Gus's half sister Harriet, who now lives in Australia, and she wants Gus to tell her about the events which led up to her father's murder. When she doesn't get satisfactory answers, Jenny storms off, vowing to seek out other members of the group, including Raymond, Gus's one-time best friend, who now is the leader of a sinister cult. But Jenny's visit has changed Gus, and Carol can no longer stand to live in the shadow of the secrets Gus is obviously keeping from her. So, she, too, goes in search of answers. It's a search that will lead her into terrifying danger, and towards revelations both shocking and horrifying, that she will wish she never uncovered...

Perfect. If I had to pick one word to describe this book, that would be it. I was impressed enough with her last book, "Improvising Carla", but if I thought that was good, I was in for a real treat with this one. The writing is excellent, the characters superb once again, and the settings (ranging from Cornwall to Spain) are brilliantly realistic. The plot has a subtle Vine-like grip, which doesn't let go right until the conclusion, which is shock piled upon emotional shock. It's a book that is at times moving and at times terrifying, and it challenges our perceptions about life and the people that we meet, and shows us that sometimes the truth is best left unknown. As a mystery novel, I have read few better, and as a psychological thriller, it is peak of the art. There are surprising twists throughout the entire book, and the final solution is completely unexpected.

Get it. Get it now. Get it any way you can, any where you can, at any cost. It's completely worth it. On a scale of 1 to five, an approximation of this book's quality is least 7. This is the best book I have read in many, many months.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant psychological thriller, 10 April 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Surface Tension (Hardcover)
This book kept me breathless and curious for all its 350 pages. She's a sensitive, perceptive observer of humanity - highly recommended.
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