bookshelves: 5-star, author-i-want-to-read-more-of, contemporary-fiction, crime, family-drama, mystery, psychological-thriller, suspense,thriller
I had walked into a room, happy and relaxed, with my son waiting for me on the doorstep.
Unknowing. Innocent. Me. Sophie. The woman who allegedly had this chocolate box life.
I had walked in smiling and been met with a scene which I never, ever want anyone to imagine.
Not my son. Not my husband. Not even the police Inspector with the wrong notebook and all the wrong ideas about all of us.
It was unreal. That is what it was. Shocking and unreal.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: On a train with her husband, miles from home and their four-year-old son, Ben, Sophie receives a chilling phone call. Two boys are in hospital after a tragic accident. One of them is Ben.
She thought she could trust Emma, her new friend, to look after her little boy. After all, Emma’s a kindred spirit—someone Sophie was sure she could bare her soul to, despite the village rumours. But Sophie can’t shake the feeling that she’s made an unforgivable mistake and now her whole family is in danger.
Because how well does she know Emma, really? Should she have trusted her at all?
Time is running out. Powerless to help her child, still hours from home, Sophie is about to discover the truth. And her life will never be the same.
MY THOUGHTS: Now that I am breathing normally again, am I going to be able to write a review that does The Friend by Teresa Driscoll justice? I read this book overnight, unable to put it down, consumed by the need to know what happens.
It starts off light-heartedly, two women with children of a similar age meeting over a crashed furniture truck and a burst bag of parsnips. Well, it could happen to anyone. Great friendships have been struck in stranger situations. But this friendship quickly spirals into a series of dramatic, suspenseful occurrences where you are never quite sure who is reliable, and who is playing games. Manipulative games. Dangerous games that had me forgetting to breathe.
The final few chapters had me crying like a baby. Teresa Driscoll had me running through the whole gamut of my emotions. I have not read her previous psychological thriller, I am Watching You, but I intend remedying that. Soon. There is not one word that I would change in this superb read.
And after reading The Friend, I will be seriously questioning my own judgement next time I feel an instant affinity with someone.
Thank you to Thomas and Mercer via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Friend by Teresa Driscoll for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the ‘about’ page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my Goodreads.com page https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2338891043
