In Poppy Page's mind, there are two types of women in this world: those who are faithful to their husbands, and those who are not. Until now, Poppy has never questioned which she was.But when handsome, charming Matthew Gordon walks back into her life after almost two decades, that changes. Poppy makes a single mistake - and that mistake will be far more dangerous than she could imagine.Someone is going to pay for it with their life . . .
I Made A Mistake by Jane Corry is published by Penguin in paperback on 28 May 2020. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review and who asked me to take part on this blog tour.
Lockdown has enabled me to change my reading habits and I've been putting aside some afternoons to concentrate purely on books. I Made A Mistake was a fabulous way to spend a day, it's a story that grabs you on page one with an opening scene set in Waterloo Station that is intriguing and compelling.
Split into two parts, this is a story that is full of tension and suspense, and delves deep into family relationships and how the treatment of others, and by others can leave a very long lasting effect.
Poppy Page runs an agency for extras, she once dreamt of becoming an actress herself but those dreams were dashed by many things; most of which are covered much later in the story. Her husband is a dentist, often writing research papers and presenting at conferences. They live in their dream house with their two teenage daughters.
The reader is aware that Poppy is being interrogated in a court room, and its clear that this is something to do with the opening scenes, however we don't know who the victim is, nor do we know who is in the dock. It's a clever way to tell the story and I was gripped from the outset.
Alongside Poppy's story of her marriage, and her recent meeting with her old flame Matthew, there's Betty's story, told in the form of a letter written to Poppy. Betty is her mother-in-law, the salt of the earth, a widow and living with Poppy and her family since the death of her husband Jock. I loved Betty's story. it was written so well, with such insight into marriage in the 1970s, and how things have changed for women since then.
So, in a nutshell, this is a murder story. There's a victim, there's a defendant. but there's a whole lot more too. It's an excellent peek into how people can often live the life they think they want, putting on a face to the world, yet secretly yearning for what could have been.
It took me a while to warm to Poppy, I felt at times that she was too impulsive, too greedy and quite self centred, but as I learnt more about her, and that mysterious first love, I began to understand her, and her actions.
I adored Betty; she's the sort of woman that I've seen so many times. Growing up in the 1970s, I witnessed many families who were just like Betty and Jock; where the man was in charge and the woman did as was expected, regardless of her own dreams and desires.
A great crime thriller, with a real depth and packs an emotional punch. Great ending too, and I certainly didn't see it coming.
Jane Corry is a writer and journalist (Daily Telegraph and women's magazines) who worked for three years as the writer in residence of a high security prison for men.
This experience helped inspire her Sunday Times bestsellers 'My Husband's Wife', 'Blood Sisters' and 'The Dead Ex'.
She also writes short stories as well as a weekly digital column about being a granny for My Weekly.
Jane speaks at literary festivals all over the world.
Many of her ideas strike during morning dog-jogs along the beach followed by a dip in the sea - no matter how cold it is!
Twitter @JaneCorryAuthor
Instagram @janecorry
Author Page on Facebook
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