I’ve read all of Charlotte Duckworth’s books now so I think I’ve come to know what to expect. And that is that I never know what to expect!! I never know what kind of fiendish plots and twists she’s been able to come up with. And I marvel at how prolific a writer she is in a relatively short space of time, especially with such labyrinthine plots!
The Rival explored rivalry in the workplace ostensibly, Unfollow Me explored the riskier side of social media and here we have the bleaker, tangled mess of relationships and parenting given the full Duckworth treatment! And, my goodness, it’ll grip you.
Here’s some blurb to set the scene.
‘THE PERFECT HUSBAND . . .
After a difficult pregnancy, Esther is grateful that her husband Robin offers to put his career on hold so that she can return to the job she loves.
But Esther finds leaving her daughter Riley behind more challenging than she'd thought. And soon the new imbalance in her relationship with Robin brings old tensions to the surface.
OR A PERFECT LIE?
Then one day Esther arrives home from work to find Robin and Riley are missing. As the police investigate their disappearance, it becomes clear that nothing about this modern-day family is what it seems...
Is Robin the perfect father everyone thinks he is? Or was it all a perfect lie?”
It’s a ‘then’ and ‘now’ narrative told from the perspectives of Esther and Robin and as with any respectable psychological thriller you don’t know whose testimony is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Sometimes there’s a sense of the Patricia Highsmith’s about it as events spiral out of control and follow tangents that might easily be avoided. And there are twists hiding behind innocent chapters that’ll have you open mouthed.
The development of the characters and the skilful way in which the author manipulates the readers’ response to them and then with a subtle nuance sets in motion a whole set of different responses. A character you have little time for at the beginning of the book you find yourself feeling sorry for by the end.
It’s a dark story and it is easy to dislike several of the characters which I think is what you’re supposed to do in a book of this genre. I think you can only risk your reader engaging positively with anyone when they reach the end of the book!
There is a suitable level of tension built up around the disappearance and that deepens as the whole story starts to unfold. I love the way a readers’s perceptions are challenged as you learn more and more about the circumstances and the part the characters have played.
As always with psychological thrillers it is hard not to give anything away and it is the worst thing anyone can do. Best you read it! It’s a fast paced story and one where I bet you will want to race to the conclusion. If this is your first Charlotte Duckworth it is as a good a place to start as any but I reckon you’ll be searching out her first two books after you’ve finished this one!
My thanks to Ella Patel at Quercus Books for a gifted copy and a chance to participate in the Social Media Blast.
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