The Revenge of Rita Marsh by Nilesha Chauvet @NileshaChauvet @FaberBooks #TheRevengeofRitaMarsh #BookReview

 

Rita Marsh is a good person.

By day, she runs a care home, looking after the elderly and infirm.

By night, she's a vigilante, posing online as young girls and snaring the men who prey on them, exposing them for what they are.

Rita has successfully kept her two lives separate for years. But when an old classmate returns from her past, her two worlds start to collide. With both of her selves unravelling, Rita will have to choose between justice and revenge.

Is she a force for good - or will she become someone to fear?

The Revenge of Rita Marsh by Nilesha Chauvet was published in hardback on 18 July 2024 by Faber. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

This is a very dark book, populated by characters who are difficult to rely upon. Rita is a complex woman who is intent on getting rid of those that prey on the young and vulnerable. Not trusting the police, she and her small gang have their own way of dealing with these problems. Rita poses online as a young girl, snaring the men that want to harm and abuse and luring them into meeting her. They then dish out their own form of justice. Despite the fact that Rita is known to the police and what she does is illegal, she does have a tentative agreement with one policeman in particular. Until the day that one of her snare takes his own life. Rita is told in no uncertain terms that she must stop. 

By day, Rita runs a care home. Left to her by her parents, there are just two residents, and we see Rita's caring side when she attends to them. 

Rita is persuaded to attend a school reunion by her only friend Javid, and it is there that she meets up with Leila again. They were best friends years ago, yet their meeting is awkward, with many questions to answer about the past. Despite this, and to Javid's amazement, Rita and Leila become close again.

When a famous author is accused of historical sexual abuse, Rita cannot help but get involved, despite the warnings from her police contact. This is not just a well known writer, but one of their teachers from school, and it soon becomes clear that Leila knows far more than she wants to tell about him. 

This is such a well written thriller that deals with issues rarely touched upon in fiction. Rita is a complex, mixed up character whose own past has such an impact on her adult life. The author expertly deals with themes that are disturbing, yet very relevant, showing how some people try to re-write their own history, to make themselves believe that they are not victims. It's thought provoking and so very well done. 

With revenge and friendships at the heart of the novel, this is a well paced thriller that kept me reading well into the night. Recommended. 

Nilesha Chauvet is a British Indian debut novelist writing zeitgeist psychological
suspense, crime, and thriller.

She is also the Managing Director of GOOD, which advises commercial brands on Purpose, and helps charities raise millions of pounds for good causes. A graduate of Faber Academy, Nilesha has also studied creative writing at Curtis Brown Creative and City Lit. She read Philosophy & Theology at Oxford and was ordained an Interfaith Minister.

Her debut novel, The Revenge of Rita Marsh, was awarded a prestigious London Writers Award with Spread the Word in 2021 and was a finalist in the Spotlight First Novel Award, the same year.

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