Coming this week from Headline
First of all a huge thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.
Rachel and Clara meet at school and form an unshakeable bond. Best friends, they know everything there is to know about each other…or do they? Years later Rachel is a successful tv reporter with a loving boyfriend and a great life, while Clara has not had such a happy time of it. When Clara goes missing Rachel begins to question everything she thought she knew about her best friend…..
I loved this very much. The story is told by Rachel in the form of a letter, or diary if you like, to Clara and has a taut, expressive narrative that is not only terrifically compelling but is also quite dark in its tone – as Rachel hovers between obsessive worry about where Clara might be and slow forming terror as she comes to realise the horrific possibilities, you are drawn right into that place and time with her. Slowly revealing the course of their friendship from the day Rachel sat down next to Clara in the classroom and leading us up to present day you will never be quite sure what the outcome might be.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I DO love a clever book. This was clever and then some. Sadly I can’t say very much because its difficult to tell you WHY it was so clever without giving anything away – And I am certainly not going to do that so you will just have to trust me fellow readers, it IS extremely clever. Intelligently written, almost poetic prose in places which changes depending on Rachel’s mood – I love the slight bitchiness that sometimes enters her “voice” – if you love a good twisty tale that you really can get your teeth into then this one is certainly for you.
Brilliantly done from Ms Mcbeth I can’t wait to find out what she has in store for us in the future.
You can follow Colette McBeth on Twitter here https://twitter.com/colettemcbeth
Not part of the review as such but one readers opinion
Just a little personal opinion – this novel is getting the inevitable comparison to “Gone Girl”. While I understand the marketing ploys that are used to entice readers of certain genres into purchasing a book, and that can work don’t get me wrong, I’ll let you into a little secret. The only book that is “like Gone Girl” or is as good as Gone Girl is Gone Girl itself. My belief is that THIS story – Precious Thing – will in years to come be quoted on the cover of many a twisty tale – I can see it now “This Years Precious Thing”. Again though. The only book that will be “Like Precious Thing” or as good as Precious Thing is…yes…you guessed it…Precious thing itself. This book is going to get great reviews and I imagine a great reputation. Fellow readers please enter its pages with no preconceptions – you will have MUCH more fun that way I promise! Because this is terrific stuff.
