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ClareR (5686 KP) rated Meet Me at the Surface in Books

Sep 23, 2024  
Meet Me at the Surface
Meet Me at the Surface
Jodie Matthews | 2024 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
When Merryn returns to Bodmin Moor for her ex-girlfriends memorial, she starts to wonder if there’s a more sinister reason for her mother and aunt asking her to return. Well, there is.

Merryn’s family live on the outskirts of the village, in a house that seems to have a mind of its own. Her mother and aunt have a close relationship with nature and folklore, which brings us on to a big secret that has been kept from Merryn and will be revealed with devastating effect.

This isn’t a full on horror story, in that it’s not full of blood and guts (well, I say that…), but it is really unnerving. There’s something bubbling away under the surface that makes Merryn (and me!!) feel really uncomfortable. It was great writing.
Recommended
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Mother-in-Law in Books

May 21, 2019  
The Mother-in-Law
The Mother-in-Law
Sally Hepworth | 2019
7
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Lucy was so excited to meet Diana, the mother of her boyfriend, Ollie. Lucy's mother died when she was a teen and she hoped for a good relationship with her hopeful mother-in-law. But Lucy and Diana don't get off to an easy start--Diana has a rigid set of views formed by her own life experiences. From simply co-existing to arguing about parenting to eventual fisticuffs, their relationship is volatile. Then, one night, Lucy and Ollie hear a knock on their door. The police arrive and tell them that Diana is dead in an apparent suicide. But as the investigation progresses, it looks as if there is more to the story. Everyone in the family has history with Diana; but did someone actually kill her?

"'Then I'm very sorry to inform you,' the policewoman starts, and I close my eyes because I already know what she is going to say. My mother-in-law is dead."

This was my first Sally Hepworth novel, and I have heard good things, so I was excited to read some of her work. I found it to be a fast read, with a set of engaging characters. The book alternates between Lucy and Diana's point of view, with much of the story being told in the past. I found the format to be very effective; it worked very well at drawing you into the story and keeping you guessing at what was going on. Many parts of the story were told twice, in some ways, as both women told their side of the story, yet it never felt repetitive.

The main characters in this one are Lucy and Diana, but we have strong appearances from Ollie, his sister Antoinette "Nettie, " and Tom, Diana's husband. I can see why people enjoy Hepworth's novels--I felt very much a part of the story, and I was certainly stumped along the way. Sometimes there was a little too much rumination about mother-in-laws and the meaning of families for my taste, but oh well. I was too eager to find out what had happened to Diana.

"More importantly, you don't choose your mother-in-law. The cackling mercenaries of fate determine it all."

Overall, I really enjoyed my first Hepworth book. It was a quick, engaging, and interesting read that kept my interest.

I received a copy of this novel from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).