This trip was meant to save our marriage. Instead it will destroy everything…
To celebrate my special birthday, my husband and I have returned to the beautiful Greek island village where we spent our honeymoon. As the boat pulls in to the harbour, I feel hope rise in my heart. The white houses, the blue doors, the brilliant turquoise of the sea, are just as I remember. If two weeks in this paradise won’t fix our marriage, nothing will.
But then the next day a boat arrives, full of my friends and family. My grown-up children jump on to the shore, grinning and holding balloons. My husband beams at me and says, “Surprise!”
I can’t believe it. It was meant to be just the two of us. This was my chance to confess what I’ve been hiding for years, the truth that will change everything.
Now I’m surrounded by all the people I’ve been desperate to escape, all the secrets I’ve been pretending I don’t know. I force a smile on to my face, but inside I want to kill my husband.
But even after my party ended in disaster, I didn’t expect anyone to die…
A completely gripping psychological thriller about the darkness at the heart of a family and how far a mother will go to protect her children that will keep you glued to the pages as you discover twist after twist. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware and Lucy Clarke will love The Surprise Party.
.gif)
.jpg)
Not only is this a great thriller, with a cast of beautifully flawed characters who constantly surprise the reader, it is also set on the Greek island of Crete and most people who know me will know of my love of all things Greek. I love a novel set on any of the islands and especially one that I've visited.
With a shocking prologue that sets the scene for the rest of the story, this novel is one that I found very hard to put down. There's always something to surprise and to make the reader think, it's certainly a page turner.
It's October, quite late in the season for holiday makers and the small boat pulling into the jetty at Loutró, a small village on the southern coast of Crete has very few passengers. Thirty year old hospital doctor Poppy intends to do some serious walking whilst there, she's recently split from her boyfriend and is no longer speaking to her Greek-born mother Eleni who lives in Cornwall. Also on board are Eve and Will, returning to the place that they spent their honeymoon many years ago, to celebrate Eve's fiftieth birthday. As Poppy observes the other couple, she comes to the conclusion that all is not right with their relationship. Will seems preoccupied, a little bit tetchy, whilst Eve just seems resigned to her fate.
Later that evening, after Poppy has checked into her basic accommodation and Eve and Will have arrived at their luxury boutique hotel, they meet again. Stopping to chat, Poppy joins them for dinner.
All plans are overturned the next day when Eve's family and friends arrive. Her mother, sister, two children, her best friend and her husband, and Jack. Jack is an almost-son to Eve, friend of her son Arthur, she took him in nine years ago when his parents died in a fire. None of her children have left home yet, a constant source of conflict between her and Will.
Eve is dismayed that Will has arranged this surprise. Her planned holiday has completely changed and she has no idea when she will ever be able to speak out and tell him her secret.
Poppy is also watching the new arrivals. She has her own secrets and it becomes clear that Eve's family are central to them.
What follows is a deliciously dark slice of domestic noir, in a beautiful setting. As cracks in relationships are exposed and made bigger, the sense of impending tragedy heightens. This comes to a crashing, devastating climax on the night of Eve's birthday, as fellow holiday makers dance and drink, one person will not be returning home. The discovery of a body on the beach changes everything and every single person comes under scrutiny.
This is a twisty thriller that kept me on my toes. I had so many suspects throughout, the author cleverly reveals snippets of each person that immediately made me suspect them all. The finale is shocking and unexpected, written with style.
Julia Crouch remains one of my favourite authors and The Secret Party is a great addition to her list of thrillers. Recommended.
.gif)
Cuckoo, Every Vow You Break, Tarnished, The Long Fall, Her Husband’s Lover, The New Mother, The Daughters, The Perfect Date, The Surprise Party and The Wrong Child.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment