When Glasgow journalist Shona McGilvery moves with her partner Mikey and their baby to an idyllic cottage in rural Scotland, they believe that all that lies ahead of them is happiness.But with Mikey working offshore, the frightening isolation of the Aberdeenshire countryside begins to drive her insane…That is, until she is rescued by a new friendship with the enchanting Valentina. She has the … Valentina.
She has the perfect home, the perfect man, and a charismatic new best friend – or does she?
As her fairytale life begins to unravel, the deep dark wood becomes the least of her fears…
LONGLISTED WAVERTON GOOD READ AWARD; FINALIST, THE PEOPLE’S BOOK PRIZE; BERYL BAINBRIDGE FIRST TIME AUTHOR AWARD 2017
‘An intelligent psychological drama with a gasp-making twist’ – GOOD HOUSEKEEPING MAGAZINE THRILLER OF THE MONTH
‘A sinister, deliciously wicked foray into the dark recesses of our personality. Lynes is a promising addition to the prolific list of stellar writers of psychological thrillers which includes Gillian Flynn, S J Watson, Louise Doughty, Elizabeth Haynes et al. ’ – NUDGE BOOK MAGAZINE
What readers are saying about this remarkable debut
‘A slam dunk of a debut up there with the big hitters. Move over Gone Girl you’ve got company on the top shelf.’ – Read & Rated Book Reviews
‘Breathlessly exciting.’ – Linda’s Book Bag
‘Sent chills down my spine … completely enticing.’ – Damp Pebbles
‘Oozes with atmospheric tones, vivid descriptions and pure, haunting emotions.’ – Reviewed The Book
‘One of the best books I have ever read – up there with Gone Girl, We Need to talk about Kevin and The Rapture.’ – Diana Morgan-Hill, Author
‘Completely captivating … played havoc with my emotions.’ – Maureen, top #100 Goodreads UK Reviewer
‘This book is getting a lot of praise and quite rightly so, for a debut book it is quite simply astonishingly brilliant.’ – Az UK
‘If you enjoy well written prose that considers themes of trust and isolation, love and friendship, magnifying and distorting human needs, vulnerabilities and dark sides, you won’t be disappointed. A great debut.’ – Az UK
‘I had got… “the feeling”! Yes THAT feeling-the tingly excitement of discovering a book… one of my top holiday reads – a 5* book that kept me glued to my sunlounger.’ – My Chestnut Reading Tree, Top 1000 Az Reviewer
‘Spine-tingling.’ – Country Wives Magazine
‘S. E. Lynes has raised the bar when it comes to phenomenal story telling.’ – Between Dreams I Read
‘The tension is taut without breaking a beat.’ – Linda O’Donnell, top #100 Goodreads Reviewer
‘The excitement around this book is contagious.’ – The Addiction of Books
‘A beautifully elegant study of psychopathic manipulation.’ – Sara Bailey, Author
‘Gives you chills … A labyrinth of twists to put you off the scent of the truth.’ – Laura Prime, Reviewer
‘Subtly disturbing and a truly compelling psychological thriller. My only disappointment was that it came to an end all too soon. I read this book at every opportunity.’ – Az UK
‘Sometimes a book just “knocks your socks off”, and this did just that! A compelling, sophisticated tale so cleverly woven – it’s brilliant!’ – Book Blogger Amanda Nason
‘An intelligent, well-written, and expertly structured novel of complex emotional entanglements.’ – Az UK
‘WOW! Absolutely superb. A proper rollercoaster read. Gripping & entertaining & such an unforeseen twist that I didn’t see coming.’ – Az UK
‘Thrillingly stylish!’ – Az UK
‘Cracking storytelling!’ – Az UK
A gripping crime fiction noir with a shocking twist for fans of intelligent thrillers like The Girl On A Train by Paula Hawkins & Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty.
more
Unusual story. Twisted and surprising. Sexy too.
Would make a great movie in the genre of Gone Girl
Just when I thought I was anticipating a twist, the plot took a different turn. I loved the surprises, and the writing is sure throughout the novel.
Like the setting and the language. Good plot and a fast read.
I will admit that I am a sucker for all things Scottish, and not purely because of Outlander! We have been studying our Scottish roots on both sides of the family for decades. I did my best to “listen” to the lovely accents while I read Valentina.
If you get bored with Part 1 and think it a bit slow, do not give up. Just as I was starting to think that I couldn’t stand another page of this immature, selfish, sometimes thoughtless girl, muddling her way through, there was an earth shaking revelation. Can’t say I didn’t see SOMETHING coming, but thought I might be imagining things.
After this roller coaster slowly climbed the first hill and started to “rocket” down into the abyss, I couldn’t put the book down. Glad I had a few days off and reading til 2 AM didn’t damage my schedule too much!
A fun read that I won’t forget.
It started off slow in the end, but once it was rolling…I really enjoyed it!
This is a good one. Clever story with very good character building. The writing is strong, and it gets under your skin. You think you know what’s coming, but do you? I liked it a lot.
Wow! Fascinating story. I couldn’t put it down.
Admired the writer, her creativity, insights and compelling storytelling ability.
Started a bit slow, but I would say it was worth the wait!
A good psychological suspense! Although I had an inkling of how the story would unfold, it did not affect the suspense or entertainment. The twists and turns and the character development made this a page-turner. Basically you have a needy, naive protagonist (honestly, she really couldn’t see the forest for the trees!) unknowingly enduring some cunning psychopathic manipulation. Will this be her downfall, or will she wake up and smell the coffee? If you like psychological suspense, you’ll want to read this!
I’m giving it a range, from 3.5 to 4.5 stars. This is one of those books that I have a hard time reviewing. Did I rush through it, eager to see its resolution? Yes. Did I find the story compelling enough to do said rushing? Yes. Does that mean it is a book with a well written plot? I’m not sure.
This review will be vague so as not to reveal too much. Mikey and Shona meet cute in Glasgow. Their relationship is fairly whirlwind, quickly moving in together and then discovering that they are expecting a surprise baby. Mikey decides to get serious about his career, facing impeding familydom, and quits his bartending gig and makes plans to use his degree in Aberdeen, Scotland on an offshore rig in a 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off schedule. He, Shona and new baby Isla are quickly installed in a fairytale-like cottage on the countryside. As Mikey leaves for his first 2 week stint on the rig, Shona is stricken with loneliness, thrust into an unknown city with no friends and in a very isolated area. Attempts to reach out to locals proves fruitless until she meets a woman around her age with a similarly aged baby. They become fast friends.
As the story progresses, Shona’s suspicions of many aspects of her life grow. As the reader, I had to wonder, did the author mean for me to see these inconsistencies from a mile away, far ahead of Shona? If so, it worked. But it also frustrated me, making me want to reach into the pages and shake her awake. While I saw a good deal coming way ahead of time, I was still surprised by some of the plot points. As well, this is the first novel I’ve ever read written by a Scot. I enjoyed looking up the various colorful slang used and the atmosphere of the cold, unforgiving north was well crafted.
I was a bit underwhelmed with the ending, but it was a pretty good read along the way.