Published by HQ
Publication Date 23rd April 2019
I read this book as part of #NetGalleyNovember, an online annual event where NetGalley reviewers use the whole month of November to try and catch up on some of the older titles which we have sitting on our virtual shelves. My review is based on a finished, paperback copy of the book which I purchased from a charity bookshop.
Book Description:
Aimee Sinclair: the actress everyone thinks they know but can’t remember where from. But I know exactly who you are. I know what you’ve done. And I am watching you.
When Aimee comes home and discovers her husband is missing, she doesn’t seem to know what to do or how to act. The police think she’s hiding something and they’re right, she is – but perhaps not what they thought. Aimee has a secret she’s never shared, and yet, she suspects that someone knows. As she struggles to keep her career and sanity intact, her past comes back to haunt her in ways more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.
My Thoughts:
I have to say of all the ones I've read recently this book is one of the most difficult to relate my thoughts about. I didn't like any of the adult characters however child Aimee was SO well written that she broke my heart on numerous occasions. The book flips back and forth timeframe-wise as is the case of many books these days but I feel in this instance it works particularly well. There is so much trauma in Aimee's life that it is understandable that she should be so damaged emotionally and struggles with relationships both socially and romantically in her adult life. I don't think writing the story in any other format would have portrayed the damage done to her in quite the same way.
I would be careful who I would recommend this book to as there are some shocking events dotted right throughout the whole story. Anyone of a particularly sensitive disposition would certainly be affected by at least two scenes which readily spring to mind. The treatment of Aimee once she arrives in England is harsh and upsetting and her 'parents' have some strange ideas when it comes to how to bring up children. Then as she finally starts to find her feet in the acting world and feels that life is finally giving her a break it becomes clear that someone out there knows things about her that she thought nobody else possibly could. And without disclosing her darkest secrets to the police, she is struggling to prove her innocence when she is implicated in a major crime.
I am still trying to process the ending of this book even now as I try to express my thoughts about it. Certainly not the climax or explanation I was expecting, it threw me a curveball of monstrous proportions. Was I shocked? 100% yes. Did I get even a hint of where the story was going? 100% no. Whether it sits comfortably as a satisfactory conclusion the jury is still out, but this book has definitely left its mark on me. I'd say that's a success then, but it would be a bit of a stretch to say I enjoyed it.
About the Author:
Alice Feeney is a New York Times million-copy bestselling author. Her books have been translated into over twenty-five languages, and have been optioned for major screen adaptations. Including Rock Paper Scissors, which is being made into a TV series by the producer of The Crown. Alice was a BBC journalist for fifteen years, and now lives in Devon with her family. Daisy Darker is her fifth novel.
You can follow Alice on Instagram/Twitter: @alicewriterland
To find out more visit: www.alicefeeney.com
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