The Blurb:
You live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of other people’s houses.
You’ve known your neighbours for years and you trust them. Implicitly.
You think your children are safe.
But are they really?
Midsummer night: a thirteen-year-old girl is found unconscious in a dark corner of the garden square. What really happened to her? And who is responsible?
My Rating: ★★★★
My Review:
Hooked from the very first chapter; this book kept me intrigued throughout. With so many possible directions, I was constantly formulating new possible scenarios; trying to work out the mystery of what happened and who was responsible; suspicious of everyone. I’m not sure I would class it as a thriller though…I wasn’t on the edge of my seat or curled up in the foetal position in my reading chair…..so more of a domestic drama…but one that was completely engaging. I particularly loved the perfect little twist at the end.
Drawn at first to the idea of community; with people from all backgrounds living together surrounding a communal garden, I downloaded this book on a whim. I admit, once I thought this would be the ideal way to live but now my introverted self baulks at the whole idea….interested only from the sidelines, as a reader.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel; becoming engrossed in the secrets, lies and histories of the characters and the unfolding drama. Although I did occassionally find myself getting lost with such a large number of characters; sometimes muddling the roles of the two main mothers, Claire and Adelle; and having to go back and reread. This may also have been an audiobook thing. I listened to this book on Audible and sometimes my concentration lapses when I have no pages to turn; no physical book to hold.
I gave The Girls 4 stars; having enjoyed it immensly as an easy escape from the every day.
This book could easily have been 5 stars but I’m picky about the narration on audiobooks and this one was a bit cringy at times. That said, after finishing this book I immediately downloaded another by the same author – The Family Upstairs – so that can only mean good things…right?
I think I may have found a new ‘must-read’ author.
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