Review: A slow and enthralling thriller
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 17, 2012
First, a warning: you could argue that this review contains spoilers, although they're only the same spoilers which are in the blurb. However, if you're particularly spoiler-averse, you may want to stop reading now.In general, I found this to be an intelligent, well-written thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It's set in a small town in Canada, in the depths of winter; the snow and urban landscape really adds to the feel of the novel, and it's packed full of small inconsequential details that make it seem real. The main character Julia is a likeable and determined woman, particularly when her children are in danger, and the relationship with her husband's ex is a nice touch. And it's very convincing to watch her being drawn further and further into the mystery after she happens to witness her old neighbour, Amanda, plummet to her death.The events of the plot unfold at a fairly slow pace, which meant that half the time I felt like I was waiting for things which had been mentioned in the blurb. And *because* I'd been waiting for them, some of these things felt rather less substantial when they happened. As an example, the blurb foretells that "one of her daughters is targeted for a brutal attack steps from home," which sounds so very ominous that the import of what actually happens (the girl runs to safety) is somewhat undermined. But this is an issue with the level of description in the blurb, not with the book itself.If I have one slight criticism, it's that everything is rather too neat, particularly the string of coincidences that lead Julia to witness Amanda's death in the first place. But then, it's an ongoing, semi-serious joke between Julia and her husband that she's a magnet for trouble. The hint that she's an incompetent psychic (with hunches that tend towards 'predictably wrong') is an interesting idea, and just the sort of thing that might turn into a family in-joke.I hope there will be more from this author.