Digital Reads Reviews

My review

This is one book where I felt I was Sherlock Holmes, or rather the female, diluted version, of less brilliant and less intelligent one, minus the cheekbones of Benedict Cumberbatch too. I looked at all the characters with doubt and suspicion, holding a magnifying glass to minutely check their words… And I doubted the main character too… She didn’t appear intelligent… Could be a foil to divert my attention.

Ten years ago, Cat’s sister Rachel died in a skiing accident in Switzerland, or so she was told. Close to her wedding day, in the present time, Catherine received Rachel’s snow globe with a cow’s eyeball in it , her wedding dress was sniped into pieces with splashes of pig’s blood, and plenty of other incidences. The story unfolded further

Is Rachel alive?? What were the parents hiding?? Was Rachel’s husband Dominic guilty?? But guilty of what?? Murder, suspicion, infidelity??

This is my first book by Jane Holland, and I must agree that the author blew me away with the air of suspicion in the entire book. I loved the way she made me hate all the characters. There was this spooky wind of doubt which blew through the pages; was Rachel alive? It kept the interest in the book burning bright till the last page.

The only niggle for me was the main character, Cat was not too bright or street smart, she was also too dependent on her parents for money, she volunteered at a food bank, without supplementing her income with a job. She also was pretty illogical in all her decisions. But soon I realized the electric, breathtaking strategy behind this insecure main character.

Jane Holland has raised the book to a fevered pitch in the last 30% which is nothing short of amazing. The twists in the psyche, the turn of the pace, the play of characters had me viewing Jane Holland in awe…

I had a faint inkling of the end, but the words of the author made me forget that and just go on to enjoying the book till the last page. A highly enjoyable read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Thomas & Mercer, and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating : 4.5 stars

About the Author

Jane Holland is a Gregory Award-winning poet and novelist who also writes commercial fiction under the pseudonyms Victoria Lamb, Elizabeth Moss, Beth Good and Hannah Coates. Her debut thriller, Girl Number One, hit #1 in the UK Kindle Store in December 2015. Jane lives with her husband and young family near the North Cornwall/Devon border. A homeschooler, her hobbies include photography and growing her own vegetables.

Book blurb

As she prepares for her wedding to Dominic, Catherine has never been happier or more excited about her future. But when she receives an anonymous package—a familiar snow globe with a very grisly addition—that happiness is abruptly threatened by secrets from her past.

Her older sister, Rachel, died on a skiing holiday as a child. But Rachel was no angel: she was vicious and highly disturbed, and she made Catherine’s life a misery. While Catherine struggles to focus on her new life with Dominic, someone out there seems intent on tormenting her. But who? And why now? She doesn’t have the answers – and in one final question lies her greatest fear.

Is Rachel still alive?

Product Details

Publication date : 25th January, 2018

Publisher : Thomas & Mercer

Language : English

Available on Amazon

A suspense – who killed Rachel??