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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Rabbit Hole in Books

Jul 20, 2021

Rabbit Hole

Mark Billingham | 2021 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller

7.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

The title of this book is absolutely perfect and after having read it, I feel like I went down a Rabbit Hole and am only just beginning to emerge!

I am a huge fan of Mark Billingham's work, particularly his Tom Thorne Series, but this is a standalone psychological thriller that explores the fractured mind of Alice Armitage and her quest to find a killer whilst an in-patient on an acute psychiatric unit.

I said I felt like I went down a Rabbit Hole and that's because the reader is immersed totally within Alice's mind; the whole of the book is written from her perspective and focusses on her trying to solve a murder whilst dealing with the mental health difficulties she and those around her are experiencing but from her point of view rather than a clinical one, i.e. simplistic, but with a bit of humour so it's not all dark and heavy going.

Alice is an unreliable narrator which had me scratching my head wondering what was actually real and what was only real from Alice's perspective. This, I think, was genius as it provided plenty of opportunities for distractions and mis-directions which worked well but mashed my head a little!

This wasn't an easy book to read and I have a feeling it won't appeal to everyone but if you want to read something a bit different, I would recommend but be prepared to join Alice in the Rabbit Hole.

Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.

Kudos

Hazel (2934 KP) rated Seven Days in Books

Oct 12, 2019

Seven Days

Alex Lake | 2019 | Crime, Thriller

9.0

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

Oh my goodness ... you have got to read this book!!!

Harrowing, hopeful, heart wrenching, gripping, thrilling and full of tension, this is one of those books that you won't forget in a hurry. It's absolutely gripping from the very first paragraphs and takes you through all manner of emotions from anger, disgust and hatred to love, sympathy and hopefulness. Although a very difficult subject-matter, it is dealt with carefully and without sensationalism; it felt authentic and believable and, unfortunately, is only too real.

You quickly become invested in the plight of Maggie and her son, Max; the strength of her human spirit and the will she has to keep her son safe whatever the cost oozes from the pages. It doesn't stop there though, oh no, her family are as big a part in this book as Maggie and Max and they embark on their own roller coaster ride in which you are a but a passenger.

Written from different perspectives and covering different timelines, you might think that this would be confusing ... it is anything but. With short chapters, great pace and easy writing, this book is a gem of a read and, cliché I know, hard to put down. I couldn't read it fast enough and thank goodness I was coming towards the end on a Saturday evening so it didn't matter if I slept in the next day!

This is most definitely a 5 star read for me and highly recommended.

Eternal thanks go to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.