4*’s
Being a big fan of psychological thrillers I just had to read Watching Over You by Mel Sherratt. The blurb for this book indicates that when Charley moves into her new flat that Ella who lives upstairs, may not be the best neighbour to have. We have all read enough stories of awful neighbours and some of the more unfortunate among us have had experience of them but I really hope none of my readers have experienced anyone quite like Ella.
At first all goes smoothly and Charley who is trying to take a step towards the future, following the death of her husband and unborn child, is welcomed by Ella, but reader beware, this is a tense book, told from the viewpoint of Charley and more disturbingly from Ella’s, including excerpts from her notebooks where she pours out her feelings about her past. It doesn’t take long before Ella is out for her first one-night stand. I run the risk of sounding like a maiden aunt (which I’m not) but there is an awful lot of sex in this book. I imagine it is a bit like Fifty Shades but with multiple partners, solo performances and voyeurism thrown in for good measure.
The story begins quite slowly as the characters are established but then the pace really picks up making this is one of those books I wanted to read from behind a cushion, except that is impossible! I read with my heart in my mouth as I wondered what was going to happen next until in next to no time the book was hurtling toward its terrifying conclusion.
Although the story depends on a number of coincidences and a few loose ends, I will certainly be looking for Mel Sherratt’s previous books, the Estate series.
This book is due to be published on 14 January 2014 by Thomas & Mercer. I received a free copy in return for this honest review.
I suspect the sex stuff would put me off this. I don’t think I’m a prude (honest!) – I just never find reading descriptions of sex particularly appealing. So thanks for another great review – that’s why I’d always rather depend on a review than a blurb. 🙂
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It had to be said as although it is there to illustrate a point know there are plenty of people who wouldn’t like it. I found it a bit much and I don’t classify myself as a prude either 😉
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Great review 🙂 It does sound like quite an intense read.
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Oh it was not one for relaxing with. That was more to do with the way the author cleverly paced the story so you were waiting for the catastrophe.
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Just added two more books to my reading list after reading your reviews. I have added Summer of Ghost and Watching Over You
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