Publication date: 28th July 2016 from Harper Collins (Killer Reads)
Source: Review copy
Beautiful, creative, a little wild… Edie was the kind of girl who immediately caused a stir when she walked into your life. And she had dreams back then—but it didn’t take long for her to learn that things don’t always turn out the way you want them to.
Now, at thirty-three, Edie is working as a waitress, pregnant and alone. And when she becomes overwhelmed by the needs of her new baby and sinks into a bleak despair, she thinks that there’s no one to turn to…
But someone’s been watching Edie, waiting for the chance to prove once again what a perfect friend she can be.
Oh well what can I say about Watching Edie?
I got to the end and sat there thinking “What do I do now?”
Look psychological thrillers are a dime a dozen these days because its a popular genre (for good reason) and because there are so many themes to explore all under that heading. Some are truly awful, some are mediocre, some are intriguingly popcorn to read and some are brilliant. Then you have ones like Watching Edie – which is brilliant but also reminds you that these things can still surprise you. Rip your heart out, throw it on the ground and stomp all over it. Thats what Watching Edie does, in a clever, evocative, haunting way. Its all in the writing, the character driven story which is entirely addictive but also beautiful, sublimely plotted and just won’t let go.
The story of Edie and Heather is told “Now” and “Then” and the author creates a memorable narrative strand for each, two voices telling one story, leading you towards one of the most heart stopping, stunning, heart wrenching conclusions I have read this year. You can feel it coming with every beat of that soon to be stomped on heart but when it arrives it will likely stop you in your tracks. “We want to know how you feel – RIGHT NOW” say the Killer Reads team at one point in the proof before the “After” and they only give you one word to do it with. You try it. YOU TRY IT! I came up with one and sent it but I’m telling you right now it does not even BEGIN to cover what I was actually feeling because I’m not sure there is a word for it.
Watching Edie does what a good psychological thriller is supposed to do and that actually very few writers pull off with such authentic, surprising, passion inducing BAM. Camilla Way has a way with words and an intensely true eye for character study, both Edie and Heather are entirely believable – this is a tale of obsession and friendship and many other things – but probably the main emotional hit of it comes from the fact that the whole messy, intense sum of it could be plucked from real life. Nothing in Watching Edie is unlikely and the author never tries to hide. It is stunning in its graceful simplicity.
Digging deep into the depths of the human psyche, with a haunting look at how events change our lives, make us different, lead us to tragedy, Watching Edie is a gorgeously insightful, rollercoaster ride of emotional turmoil. Really really REALLY good.
Highly Recommended.
“Its no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then” – Lewis Carroll. Alice in Wonderland.
You can follow Camilla Way on Twitter here
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Happy Reading
