The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

EXCERPT: Gabe is standing much closer to the woman than he usually would. Closer to the edge, too. This is against the rules – his own, and the police’s. The cliff is precarious enough for one person. Chunks of it fall into the ocean all the time. And on a night like this, the wind alone could force an unsuspecting person over the edge. Gabe has always been diligent about following the rules, despite his run towards the burning building mentality. I wonder if this is a sign of how it’s going. If so, it’s unlikely to be a good sign.
I glance briefly towards the street to see if the police are near. They won’t have sirens or lights on. Like Gabe, they prefer a more subtle approach, not wanting to surprise or crowd anyone.
‘Mummy,’ Freya says, ‘Asha is looking at me.’
‘Asha, stop looking at your sister,’ I say, my eyes still on the window.
Gabe takes a step towards the woman, which is also against the rules. ‘Don’t advance on them,’ he always says. ‘Persuade them to come towards you, towards safety.’
When Freya screams, I think I might faint. ‘For heaven’s sake,’ I say quietly, as I see the prongs of the fork pressing into Freya’s thigh and Asha’s huge brown unworried eyes. I grab the fork. ‘Asha!’
‘Come on girls,’ Kat says. ‘I’ll read you a book. Let’s go pick one out.’
I turn back to the window. In the dark it takes me a moment to locate them. When I do, I don’t understand what I’m seeing. The space where the woman had been standing is now vacant. Gabe is alone at the cliff’s edge. His arms are outstretched, palms facing the empty air.

ABOUT ‘THE SOULMATE’: Before the woman went over the cliff, Pippa and Gabe were happy. They have the kind of marriage that everyone envies, as well as two sweet young daughters, a supportive family, and a picturesque cliff-side home – which would have been idyllic had the tall beachside cliffs not become so popular among those wishing to end their lives.

Gabe has become somewhat of a local hero since they moved to the cliff house, talking seven people down from stepping off the edge. But when Gabe fails to save the eighth, Amanda, a sordid web of secrets begins to unravel, pushing bonds of loyalty and love to the brink.

What wouldn’t you do for your soulmate?

MY THOUGHTS: Delicious. Absolutely delicious.

Full of secrets, lies and suspicion, The Soulmate is told from the points of view of Pippa, Gabe’s wife, and Amanda, the woman who dies falling from the cliff.

Initially Gabe and Pippa’s family seem like a normal family. Gabe is a loving husband, a caring stay-at-home dad. Pippa is a lawyer – wills and beneficiaries. They are very close to Pippa’s family. Both her parents and her sister Kat live close by. It seems that there is always one of them in Pippa and Gabe’s house. But you know that, with this being a book by Sally Hepworth, things are not always what they seem.

There are some amazing twists in this novel, and none that I saw coming! I lost count of the number of times I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. But there’s nothing OTT, it’s all perfectly believable and rational.

The Soulmate is a book best gone into cold. Know no more than what is written in the blurb. Be prepared to be surprised in the very best way.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#TheSoulmate #WaitomoDistrictLibrary

I: @sallyhepworth @macmillanaustralia

T: @SallyHepworth @MacmillanAus

#australianfiction #contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #familydrama #mentalhealth #mystery #psychologicaldrama #suspense

THE AUTHOR: Drawing on the good, the bad and the downright odd of human behaviour, Sally writes incisively about family, relationships and identity. Her domestic thriller novels are laced with quirky humour, sass and a darkly charming tone.

Sally’s novels are available worldwide in English and have been translated into 20 languages.​

Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and three children and excels at burning toast.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Waitomo District Library for the copy of The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads.com