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MY REVIEW

Based on true-life events, Twenty Years A Stranger was one heck of a suspenseful tale which kept me on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding hard at the base of my throat. My introduction to author Deborah Twelves’ writing, especially the first chapter, hit me so hard that you could knock me down with a feather. One of the best chapters ever read, I stopped breathing when I heard the words playing in my mind.

A man (narcissistic and ruthless) + wife (innocent and naïve) + girlfriend (insecure and selfish) + another girlfriend (crafty and cunning) + numerous one night stands + 2 unwanted children + many dalliances + illegal businesses = 23 years. Then one of them got to know the truth and sent an email to the others.

Would he get the comeuppance he deserved?

The book was as real as it could get within the boundaries of a fictional tale. All the characters pulled and pushed at my emotions until I reached the last page. The women were etched well, each one with a different agenda. Most of the book was told from the POV of wife Grace and girlfriends, Lorraine and Jane. The author brought out the female psyche well where the wife blamed the women rather than the man.

But what I especially loved was the way the man Daniel was portrayed. He was icky and as slippery as an eel. The shocks the women received were electrifying (pun intended). And even when the situation was dire, butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. His belief in his own charm was mind-blowing. And astonishingly, some of them did believe he loved them. I had a gala time hating him.

Oh girls, shatter those rose-tinted glasses. He is an A-hole.

This book did something to my innards. One part of me was ever so glad at having not met a man like Daniel; though one of my boyfriend didn’t return my money and ghosted me. The revengeful heart that beat under my ribcage was filled with anticipation, waiting to read all about Daniel’s day of reckoning.

A gripping debut, though some parts of the prose could be sharper. I didn’t need so many of the extra details and descriptions. I absolutely abhorred the way the wife used cheap names to address the other women rather than Daniel. Some women never learn to lay the blame where it deserves. Nevertheless, the vengeance was all mine when I read about how the women took the power back in their hands. Absolutely satisfying!!

Should you read it? OF COURSE!!

MY RATING