Five Fatal Flaws by Louise Mangos BLOG TOUR #FiveFatalFlaws @LouiseMangos @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

A missing baby. A dead politician. Five suspects

When psychotherapist Trudy’s baby disappears one afternoon, the individual motives of four members of her post-trauma therapy group are gradually revealed. But when the police begin investigating baby Benny’s disappearance, the seemingly unrelated death of a local politician brings each member of the group under firm suspicion, along with Trudy herself.

Five Fatal Flaws is a whodunnit psychological suspense with a #MeToo thread, for fans of Liane Moriarty and Lucy Foley.

Shortlisted for the Page Turner awards

Five Fatal Flaws by Louise Mangos was published on 24 July 2024. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

There is so much packed into this novel, I could write a review that goes on and on and on, but I won't! 

Not only is this a top class psychological thriller, it is also an intelligent look into human nature, about how trauma can affect a life, and how it can be dealt with. The title is extremely clever, we have five main characters, all very flawed and all potentially fatal. 

It is that potential that we see in each character that keeps the reader on their toes. When Trudy's small baby goes missing, we are introduced to the four people that make up her recently formed post-trauma group. Every single one of those four carry scars, some physically, but all mentally, from their experiences. The fifth quite flawed person is Trudy herself. 

The author tells this story from the various points of view of each character, how reliable these narrators are are for the reader to discover. She doesn't hold back with descriptions of awful things that every one of them have experienced, and whilst some of those are harrowing, they go a long way to explain their current behaviour and feelings. 

Throw in a dead councilman, a guy who has great influence in the area and you've a full blown mystery on your hands. 

I have not delved into the whole plot line here, it's complex and for new readers to discover and I certainly wouldn't want to spoil anything for anyone. However, do look out for the tiny bread crumbs along the way. The author is extremely skilled in casting doubt in the mind of the reader. 

It's an explosive conclusion, cleverly done. With characters who range from the abrupt and off hand, to those whose vulnerabilities make them easier to empathise with, this is a story that kept me reading far later than I should have!  Recommended by me. 

Louise Mangos writes psychological suspense, historical mystery and short fiction, which have won prizes, placed on shortlists and been narrated on BBC radio. 

Her novels are set mostly or partly in Switzerland where she lives at the foot of the Alps with her Kiwi husband and two sons, enjoying an active life in the mountains. 

The psychological whodunnit Five Fatal Flaws is her fifth novel.

www.louisemangos.com

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