Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher HQ Stories for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.
Expected: 23 July 2020
To the outside world Hannah married the perfect man. Behind the closed doors of their imposing home it’s a very different story. Nathan controls everything Hannah does. He chooses her clothes, checks her receipts, and keeps her passport locked away. But why does she let him?
Years before, in the midst of a relentless storm, the tragic events of one night changed everything. And Hannah has been living with the consequences ever since. Keeping Nathan happy. Doing as she’s told.
But the past is about to catch up with them.
Set against the unforgiving backdrop of a Cornish fishing port in the ‘90s, this is a devastating exploration of the power of coercive control in a marriage where nothing is quite as it seems…
The review
This was one of those reads where I was disappointed but unfairly so. Wrongly I was expecting a mystery with plenty twists and turns, plenty of drama and plenty of suspense. But, this was more of a slow burn, domestic drama focused on the psychology of people's reactions to trauma. However, now having read up on the author that is exactly what she's known for so I completely my fault and not a reflection on this well-written story.
The story is told from the point-of-view of Hannah mainly but interspersed with some chapters from Nathan, her controlling husband, and Cam, an ex boyfriend. It also crosses two timeframes; the past where Hannah is a carefree, confident young women, and the present day where she is now a repressed, fearful wife and mother. I loved the contrast between the two and the gradual understanding of how and why Hannah chose such a life.
And, that's the brilliance of this author. At first glance you see a woman controlled by her husband but then realise through the depth of the characters and telling that Hannah is more of a willing 'victim' or player in this story than it would at first seem. She has chosen a path for a reason and uses her intelligence and wiles to control the situation herself as best she can.
So, like I said not quite what I was hoping for but a beautifully written dark drama nonetheless.
The author
Before writing her first book, was a researcher at the BBC. With a deep fascination for the far-reaching effects of trauma, her books focus on the different ways people find to cope with loss, as well as the moral struggles her protagonists face. Follow @MandaJJennings on Twitter or visit www.amandajennings.co.uk to find out more.
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