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Accidents Happen
From Louise Millar, the acclaimed author of The Playdate , comes a gripping psychological thriller where one woman’s streak of bad luck may be something far more sinister.
A MAGNETIC AND CHILLING NEW THRILLER FROM HIGHLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR LOUISE MILLAR
Kate Parker has weathered unimaginable horrors—her parents died in a traffic accident on her wedding night, and her husband, Hugo, was murdered in a tragic break-in gone wrong. All she has left is her young son, Jack, and determined to make a better future for him, she attempts to pull her life back together. But are she and her son safe?
A MAGNETIC AND CHILLING NEW THRILLER FROM HIGHLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR LOUISE MILLAR
Kate Parker has weathered unimaginable horrors—her parents died in a traffic accident on her wedding night, and her husband, Hugo, was murdered in a tragic break-in gone wrong. All she has left is her young son, Jack, and determined to make a better future for him, she attempts to pull her life back together. But are she and her son safe?
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
January 2, 2021
Kate Parker believes she is cursed. Her parents died in a bizarre accident and her Husband was murdered. Now to top it all off, her house has been burgled twice and her in-laws are threatening to take away her only child.
Sadly, Kate’s anxiety is unmanageable without a constant stream of statistics that she repeats to herself and thinks will keep her safe. One day Kate meets Jago, a visiting professor and author of a book on statistics and through his unorthodox techniques, Kate finds herself managing her anxiety better and perhaps even falling for Jago.
As a ridiculously anxious person myself, I really empathised with Kate and understood her plight. I also struggle with trying to keep my children safe whilst fostering independence in them. It’s really hard and I think the author displayed this mental process really well. Like Kate I’ve had a lot of bad luck in my life (haven’t many of us?) so I felt I understood a lot of Kate's worries and fears, although she is certainly an extreme example!
I enjoyed this story a lot more than I thought I would and though the ending was overblown and somewhat trite, I enjoyed the journey.
3.5*
Sadly, Kate’s anxiety is unmanageable without a constant stream of statistics that she repeats to herself and thinks will keep her safe. One day Kate meets Jago, a visiting professor and author of a book on statistics and through his unorthodox techniques, Kate finds herself managing her anxiety better and perhaps even falling for Jago.
As a ridiculously anxious person myself, I really empathised with Kate and understood her plight. I also struggle with trying to keep my children safe whilst fostering independence in them. It’s really hard and I think the author displayed this mental process really well. Like Kate I’ve had a lot of bad luck in my life (haven’t many of us?) so I felt I understood a lot of Kate's worries and fears, although she is certainly an extreme example!
I enjoyed this story a lot more than I thought I would and though the ending was overblown and somewhat trite, I enjoyed the journey.
3.5*
April 25, 2013
The central character of this story, Kate, is a put-upon single mother (authors have really got to find something to call these characters other than 'Kate') who believes she is cursed. This isn't as ridiculous as it sounds: her parents were both killed in a freak accident, her husband was murdered in a random attack, her house is the only one on the street to have been burgled (numerous times), etc. This has all led to her growing paranoid that something bad will happen to her or Jack, her ten-year-old son, and since her parenting methods take 'wrapped in cotton wool' to new levels, her in-laws are increasingly keen on staging an intervention. An attempt at therapy quickly fails; but when Kate meets Jago, a university lecturer whose areas of expertise intersect with her obsessive interest in safety statistics, it seems there might be another way to conquer her anxiety. Little does Kate know her creepy next-door-neighbour, Magnus, is the one person she should be paranoid about.
Like Millar's debut, The Playdate, this is a fast-moving, easy-to-read mystery which sucks you in straight away and then keeps you hooked with plenty of twists and secrets. I didn't find it enormously well-written, but I liked the characters and wanted to keep going back to the story. I did see the main twist coming, partly because this book has a similar formula to The Playdate in that (spoilers for both books ahead, sort of!) . I hadn't quite guessed the nature of the ending, though, and I was impressed. Things came to a head very quickly towards the end of the book, but I think that's actually better than a long, drawn-out denouement.
For some reason, it really bothered me that the author kept using the word 'cross' to mean 'angry'. It kept happening all the way through the book - 'Kate lay back, cross with herself', 'she walked along thinking crossly of work' (there's 9 incidences of 'crossly', which doesn't even sound like a real word to me). Is it just me, or is 'cross' a really juvenile term? I don't think I know any adults who would actually use it in that context unless they were speaking to a child ('Mummy is very cross with you!') This is really petty, I know, it just kept jumping out at me.
Louise Millar is good at writing this kind of story and there's a decent chance I will read any books she writes in future. But they are very much that throwaway, read-in-a-day-then-forget-about-it type of book - the reading equivalent of junk food.
Like Millar's debut, The Playdate, this is a fast-moving, easy-to-read mystery which sucks you in straight away and then keeps you hooked with plenty of twists and secrets. I didn't find it enormously well-written, but I liked the characters and wanted to keep going back to the story. I did see the main twist coming, partly because this book has a similar formula to The Playdate in that (spoilers for both books ahead, sort of!) . I hadn't quite guessed the nature of the ending, though, and I was impressed. Things came to a head very quickly towards the end of the book, but I think that's actually better than a long, drawn-out denouement.
For some reason, it really bothered me that the author kept using the word 'cross' to mean 'angry'. It kept happening all the way through the book - 'Kate lay back, cross with herself', 'she walked along thinking crossly of work' (there's 9 incidences of 'crossly', which doesn't even sound like a real word to me). Is it just me, or is 'cross' a really juvenile term? I don't think I know any adults who would actually use it in that context unless they were speaking to a child ('Mummy is very cross with you!') This is really petty, I know, it just kept jumping out at me.
Louise Millar is good at writing this kind of story and there's a decent chance I will read any books she writes in future. But they are very much that throwaway, read-in-a-day-then-forget-about-it type of book - the reading equivalent of junk food.
August 4, 2013
I have been trying to read this book for weeks and I am now throwing in the towel. I have no desire to finish ACCIDENTS HAPPEN and I have other things to read. I had really high hopes for this one, and the ever-so-slightly-off opening lived up to those hopes. But then I just kept getting less interested.
1) Don't mention the thing. In the first several chapters, Louise Millar has several characters mention a thing that paranoid Kate Parker bought without mentioning what it is. This builds up quite a bit of hype, intentionally, since most of the characters have no reason not to just say what it is. The actual object is a letdown.
2) Villain POV. ACCIDENTS HAPPEN is billed as a psychological thriller where Kate doesn't know if she's right to be anxious and paranoid or imagining everything. Good thing we slip into the villain POV and know that someone is breaking into the house! It manages to deflate the tension without giving any indication (at least to over halfway through the novel) as to why the man is stalking Kate.
3) Broke my suspension of disbelief. Kate is trying to overcome her anxiety, partially because she's sees the negative effect she's having on her son's life. When she meets a stranger named Jago who is an expert in the field, she instantly trusts him despite the fact that he encourages her to do dangerous and illegal things. There is a difference to not being afraid to go to the corner store and pick up some milk, and not being afraid to trespass. There are dumb things to do even if you aren't anxious, so it just strained my credulity to breaking that Kate instantly trust Jago.
4) Unsympathetic to conflict. Remember I mentioned that negative effect on Kate's son? A central bit of conflict is that his grandparents are just about ready to report Kate to child services and take custody. That motivates Kate not only truly seek to change, but to notice that he has been hurt by her behavior. I'm all for Kate getting help and becoming a functioning mother, but I find it hard to be sympathetic to her keeping custody of Jack at this moment of time. (Extra especially since I know what she doesn't due to the villain POV.)
I've heard good things about the end, but I just have no steam for those last 180 or so pages. I regret forcing myself to read as far as I did and I'm sure I'll just be less kind to ACCIDENTS HAPPEN if I keep going.
1) Don't mention the thing. In the first several chapters, Louise Millar has several characters mention a thing that paranoid Kate Parker bought without mentioning what it is. This builds up quite a bit of hype, intentionally, since most of the characters have no reason not to just say what it is. The actual object is a letdown.
2) Villain POV. ACCIDENTS HAPPEN is billed as a psychological thriller where Kate doesn't know if she's right to be anxious and paranoid or imagining everything. Good thing we slip into the villain POV and know that someone is breaking into the house! It manages to deflate the tension without giving any indication (at least to over halfway through the novel) as to why the man is stalking Kate.
3) Broke my suspension of disbelief. Kate is trying to overcome her anxiety, partially because she's sees the negative effect she's having on her son's life. When she meets a stranger named Jago who is an expert in the field, she instantly trusts him despite the fact that he encourages her to do dangerous and illegal things. There is a difference to not being afraid to go to the corner store and pick up some milk, and not being afraid to trespass. There are dumb things to do even if you aren't anxious, so it just strained my credulity to breaking that Kate instantly trust Jago.
4) Unsympathetic to conflict. Remember I mentioned that negative effect on Kate's son? A central bit of conflict is that his grandparents are just about ready to report Kate to child services and take custody. That motivates Kate not only truly seek to change, but to notice that he has been hurt by her behavior. I'm all for Kate getting help and becoming a functioning mother, but I find it hard to be sympathetic to her keeping custody of Jack at this moment of time. (Extra especially since I know what she doesn't due to the villain POV.)
I've heard good things about the end, but I just have no steam for those last 180 or so pages. I regret forcing myself to read as far as I did and I'm sure I'll just be less kind to ACCIDENTS HAPPEN if I keep going.
September 5, 2021
Kate has had a lot of bad luck, she's starting to think she's cursed. Anxious and putting every precaution in place to make sure her son stays safe, she accidently meets an Oxfor professor who makes her stop thinking about statistics for a while. As she starts to break through her anxiety, letting her guard down, someone is watching her and her son, someone who wants to destroy her for past events. This time, Kate should be worried.
This is the first I've read by this author and what a fantastic first read! Thrills and twists the whole way through, a final shocking twist that linked everything and made the book come together perfectly. Absolutely fantastic!
This is the first I've read by this author and what a fantastic first read! Thrills and twists the whole way through, a final shocking twist that linked everything and made the book come together perfectly. Absolutely fantastic!
July 24, 2016
this thriller took awhile to get going and the plot was easy to work out hence why only giving this 3 stars
May 6, 2013
If you're looking for a page-turning psychological thriller to read on holiday, you could do worse than Louise Millar's Accidents Happen - if SJ Watson's Before I Go To Sleep is your kind of thing, perhaps. Don't, however, turn to this one for gritty realism: it's not strong on plausibility.
The protagonist of Accidents Happen is Kate, an affluent middle-class widow who, after losing first her parents and then her husband in tragic circumstances, has been left convinced that she is 'cursed' and suffering from an anxiety disorder somewhere on the obsessive-compulsive spectrum, constantly running through statistics and probability sums in her head in order to reduce the risk inherent in everything she or her 10-year-old son Jack does. As her anxiety spirals so far out of control that her wealthy in-laws are concerned for Jack's welfare, Kate meets Jago, a professor of maths who has recently published a book about risk in the 'popular science' genre. Jago is certain he can help Kate to overcome her problems with a sort of immersion therapy, encouraging her to carry out what amount to grown-up dares to re-accustom herself to minor risk-taking, and his approach seems to be working. Yet Kate still has a nagging doubt that someone or something may be gaining access to her house, and Jack seems to share the same fear. Are they so consumed by Kate's neuroses that they are seeing dangers where none exist? Or could this be the one and only time when Kate and Jack really are in danger?
The basic premise of Accidents Happen is an original one, and one that captured my attention right from the start. I could easily see that Kate's problem was entirely credible, given her history, and found her an easy character with whom to sympathise as she tries to do the best for her son in parallel with the well-meant but sometimes stifling input of her late husband's family. Jack, too, is wholly believable: at almost eleven, he's just at the age where a desire for more independence sometimes conflicts with day-to-day childhood doubts over outdoor sleepovers and walks down creepy country lanes.
Louise Millar withholds various snippets of information from us throughout the book to keep us turning the pages, revealing something significant every few chapters to keep up our interest and raise our suspicions. Accidents Happen is full of secrets and unspoken family tensions and as such, it's certainly a suspense-packed read. Where I think it falls down is in the characterisation of Jago, who is supposed to be a sufficiently likeable charmer to set Kate's heart fluttering for the first time after her husband's death, but merely came across to me as an insufferably smug pillock from whom any sensible woman would have walked away on date one, and in the ending, which I simply found so implausible as to be almost disappointing. I can't deny that it's been very cleverly worked out, but I just found it impossible to believe and executed at a pace that seemed rushed. I could have accepted how terribly unlikely it all was if it had been revealed more gradually, but having it all thrown at me within such a short space of time did give me, to quote Through The Looking Glass, the sensation of 'believing six impossible things before breakfast'.
Accidents Happen (again, rather like Before I Go To Sleep) is a book that benefits from a certain disengagement of one's brain when you read it. Try to forget that none of this would happen in a million years, and just sit back and enjoy it.
The protagonist of Accidents Happen is Kate, an affluent middle-class widow who, after losing first her parents and then her husband in tragic circumstances, has been left convinced that she is 'cursed' and suffering from an anxiety disorder somewhere on the obsessive-compulsive spectrum, constantly running through statistics and probability sums in her head in order to reduce the risk inherent in everything she or her 10-year-old son Jack does. As her anxiety spirals so far out of control that her wealthy in-laws are concerned for Jack's welfare, Kate meets Jago, a professor of maths who has recently published a book about risk in the 'popular science' genre. Jago is certain he can help Kate to overcome her problems with a sort of immersion therapy, encouraging her to carry out what amount to grown-up dares to re-accustom herself to minor risk-taking, and his approach seems to be working. Yet Kate still has a nagging doubt that someone or something may be gaining access to her house, and Jack seems to share the same fear. Are they so consumed by Kate's neuroses that they are seeing dangers where none exist? Or could this be the one and only time when Kate and Jack really are in danger?
The basic premise of Accidents Happen is an original one, and one that captured my attention right from the start. I could easily see that Kate's problem was entirely credible, given her history, and found her an easy character with whom to sympathise as she tries to do the best for her son in parallel with the well-meant but sometimes stifling input of her late husband's family. Jack, too, is wholly believable: at almost eleven, he's just at the age where a desire for more independence sometimes conflicts with day-to-day childhood doubts over outdoor sleepovers and walks down creepy country lanes.
Louise Millar withholds various snippets of information from us throughout the book to keep us turning the pages, revealing something significant every few chapters to keep up our interest and raise our suspicions. Accidents Happen is full of secrets and unspoken family tensions and as such, it's certainly a suspense-packed read. Where I think it falls down is in the characterisation of Jago, who is supposed to be a sufficiently likeable charmer to set Kate's heart fluttering for the first time after her husband's death, but merely came across to me as an insufferably smug pillock from whom any sensible woman would have walked away on date one, and in the ending, which I simply found so implausible as to be almost disappointing. I can't deny that it's been very cleverly worked out, but I just found it impossible to believe and executed at a pace that seemed rushed. I could have accepted how terribly unlikely it all was if it had been revealed more gradually, but having it all thrown at me within such a short space of time did give me, to quote Through The Looking Glass, the sensation of 'believing six impossible things before breakfast'.
Accidents Happen (again, rather like Before I Go To Sleep) is a book that benefits from a certain disengagement of one's brain when you read it. Try to forget that none of this would happen in a million years, and just sit back and enjoy it.
November 5, 2013
The first thing I noticed about Louise Millar's book Accidents Happen was this was going to be one of those books where things were not what they seemed. As the story progressed, that feeling was reinforced time and again. Interestingly, though, even with the feeling getting stronger and stronger, I was never quite able to put my finger on exactly what was wrong.
Kate Parker is a single mother who has seen more than her share of tragedy. She lost her parents to an auto accident on her wedding day, her husband was murdered, and her house has been broken into at least once. That is enough to make anyone look over their shoulder, but for Kate it drives her to extremes. She begins to keep track of statistics on accidents in her head, pulling them out and mentally reciting them over and over until she feels in control again. In addition, she becomes convinced that she is not safe in her own home. Both behaviors leave her young son, Jack, frustrated and afraid, and her in-laws convinced that she has lost touch with reality.
There were several things that I really liked about this book. First of all, the story line was interesting on several levels. I can only imagine what devices I would use to cope if I had so many tragedies befall my life in such a short time. In addition, even though I tried to figure out what was going on, I could only place my finger on the whose, not the whys. If an author can do that to me, I am usually sold. And, although it had nothing to do with the story, I especially liked the author's choice to include the information about Frano Selak, dubbed "the world's luckiest man." Little tidbits like that, that give insight into the author's thought process when writing a book, really peak my interest.
The characters in the book were spot on, too. Kate had just the right amount of dysfunction contrasted with her will to improve. My feelings for her alternated between cheering her on in her recovery and wanting to slap her for backsliding or being stupid about something. I'm pretty sure that is the gamit of emotions that I would have if I knew someone in real life like her. The supporting characters were also true to what I would expect, especially her in-laws who are trapped between worry for Jack and exasperation at her antics, and her sister-in-law who feels trapped by circumstances, bewildered at the loss of her friend, and ultimately caught in the middle of the family drama.
This is the first of Louise Millar's books that I have read, so I did not have any preconceived ideas of what to expect or where the story might lead. In addition, this allowed me not to be disappointed in the similarities between this book and her other one, as some reviewers have been. What I found here was a compelling story with real characters, and although the ending did seem a bit formulaic, it fit the story well.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.
Kate Parker is a single mother who has seen more than her share of tragedy. She lost her parents to an auto accident on her wedding day, her husband was murdered, and her house has been broken into at least once. That is enough to make anyone look over their shoulder, but for Kate it drives her to extremes. She begins to keep track of statistics on accidents in her head, pulling them out and mentally reciting them over and over until she feels in control again. In addition, she becomes convinced that she is not safe in her own home. Both behaviors leave her young son, Jack, frustrated and afraid, and her in-laws convinced that she has lost touch with reality.
There were several things that I really liked about this book. First of all, the story line was interesting on several levels. I can only imagine what devices I would use to cope if I had so many tragedies befall my life in such a short time. In addition, even though I tried to figure out what was going on, I could only place my finger on the whose, not the whys. If an author can do that to me, I am usually sold. And, although it had nothing to do with the story, I especially liked the author's choice to include the information about Frano Selak, dubbed "the world's luckiest man." Little tidbits like that, that give insight into the author's thought process when writing a book, really peak my interest.
The characters in the book were spot on, too. Kate had just the right amount of dysfunction contrasted with her will to improve. My feelings for her alternated between cheering her on in her recovery and wanting to slap her for backsliding or being stupid about something. I'm pretty sure that is the gamit of emotions that I would have if I knew someone in real life like her. The supporting characters were also true to what I would expect, especially her in-laws who are trapped between worry for Jack and exasperation at her antics, and her sister-in-law who feels trapped by circumstances, bewildered at the loss of her friend, and ultimately caught in the middle of the family drama.
This is the first of Louise Millar's books that I have read, so I did not have any preconceived ideas of what to expect or where the story might lead. In addition, this allowed me not to be disappointed in the similarities between this book and her other one, as some reviewers have been. What I found here was a compelling story with real characters, and although the ending did seem a bit formulaic, it fit the story well.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.
July 2, 2013
Kate Parker suffers from severe anxiety, and no wonder--her parents were killed in an accident on her wedding day, her happy marriage ended abruptly when her husband was murdered, her house has been broken into and her computer stolen. Her in-laws try to understand her grief and anxiety, but eventually Kate's behavior becomes so paranoid they feel the need to step in and interfere.
Accidents Happen, but indeed, are all of the accidents and disturbing things that occur and that Kate tries to protect herself and her son Jack against (with an obsessive collection of statistics on accidents, crime, and illness) the result of her anxiety and paranoia?
Hmmm. The novel reads quickly and is suspenseful, but when Kate's paranoia finally seems to be lessening (don't want to say too much here), I found her behavior little short of idiotic. Easily manipulated? Oh, yeah. Sounds reasonable.
Kate made more sense to me in her paranoia, than when she begins her recovery. If Kate had not been so easily persuaded to such elaborate foolishness, the novel would have had more tension.
And the master plan, years in the making? Wow, this dish of revenge is served really, really cold.
A fast read, but despite my hopes, this one did not work for me.
NetGalley/Attria Books
Mystery. 2013. Print version: 402 pages.
Accidents Happen, but indeed, are all of the accidents and disturbing things that occur and that Kate tries to protect herself and her son Jack against (with an obsessive collection of statistics on accidents, crime, and illness) the result of her anxiety and paranoia?
Hmmm. The novel reads quickly and is suspenseful, but when Kate's paranoia finally seems to be lessening (don't want to say too much here), I found her behavior little short of idiotic. Easily manipulated? Oh, yeah. Sounds reasonable.
Kate made more sense to me in her paranoia, than when she begins her recovery. If Kate had not been so easily persuaded to such elaborate foolishness, the novel would have had more tension.
And the master plan, years in the making? Wow, this dish of revenge is served really, really cold.
A fast read, but despite my hopes, this one did not work for me.
NetGalley/Attria Books
Mystery. 2013. Print version: 402 pages.
July 10, 2013
I enjoyed Ms Millar's debut novel, Playdate. Taut, interesting, nuanced characters and a clever structure. This is, therefore, a huge disappointment. A cast of dull, middle-England, middle class characters, a whining protagonist with a bunch of grafted-on (Googled?)foibles and a truly ridiculous denoument (although I skimmed my way there after reaching halfway).
I think this is a case of an author trying way too hard, reaching for ideas and twists that simply don't scan or ring true. This could have done with a hefty edit to excise the waffly Englishness, the tweeness, the dodgy dialogue, the outlandishness, the clumsy turns of phrase, the cardboard characterisations and more.
It would be unfair to dismiss Ms Millar as a one book wonder and I will look out for her next effort in the hope that she can tap into the potential of her first book.
I think this is a case of an author trying way too hard, reaching for ideas and twists that simply don't scan or ring true. This could have done with a hefty edit to excise the waffly Englishness, the tweeness, the dodgy dialogue, the outlandishness, the clumsy turns of phrase, the cardboard characterisations and more.
It would be unfair to dismiss Ms Millar as a one book wonder and I will look out for her next effort in the hope that she can tap into the potential of her first book.
November 3, 2015
I really enjoyed this and if it hadn't been for the last chapter or so I'd have given it 5 stars. I thought Ms Millar did a good job of showing a woman in meltdown after the death of her husband. She's obsessed with accident statistics and of course, the biggest accident is waiting to happen. I was suspicious for a while and that suspicion turned to 'I'm certain' but it in no way spoiled my enjoyment of the story. I read a lot of psychological thrillers and this was up there with Nicci French's books. I shall be reading all Ms Millar's others. This kept me turning the page to see what happened next!
August 25, 2013
Wow this is a real psychological thriller! Set in Oxford Kate, mother to Jack is struggling with anxiety searching out statistics to make their lives safer. In short she has suffered so much bad luck that she believes she is cursed. Kate's mother and father-in-law, Helen and Richard along with their daughter Saskia are keen to help her out but tensions are rising as they become desperately concerned for Jacks well-being.
At first I found the endless labouring of Kate's anxiety a little off-putting and did wonder if this book was going to live up to The Playdate or whether it was going to be a simple story about an over cautious mother. I needn't have worried, this is a complex, well plotted, unusual take on psychological terror. The relationships between the characters are considered and accurate, particularly between Jack, wavering between wanting to be a child and longing to be allowed to grow up and stretch his wings, and his mother with her overriding concerns.
The atmosphere in this book progressively darkens until I found myself racing towards the ending; an ending that is perfect.
At first I found the endless labouring of Kate's anxiety a little off-putting and did wonder if this book was going to live up to The Playdate or whether it was going to be a simple story about an over cautious mother. I needn't have worried, this is a complex, well plotted, unusual take on psychological terror. The relationships between the characters are considered and accurate, particularly between Jack, wavering between wanting to be a child and longing to be allowed to grow up and stretch his wings, and his mother with her overriding concerns.
The atmosphere in this book progressively darkens until I found myself racing towards the ending; an ending that is perfect.
May 8, 2013
Kate is a brilliant character who has had so many tragic disasters in her life that you really feel for her and want her to be happy. Her parents were killed in a Road accident on the night of her marriage to the wonderful Hugo, who in turn was murdered a few years later. Kate and Hugo's son, Jack, is a great character too and is much older than his years, due, in some part, to all the anxieties Kate suffers from. Magnus is the extremely creepy next door neighbour with a distinct sense of menace.
I was completely hooked by the story and didn't know where it was going as I thought it was a very well written, absorbing book.
I will be reading The Playdate at some point, as I loved the psychological twist this story had.
Recommended.
I was completely hooked by the story and didn't know where it was going as I thought it was a very well written, absorbing book.
I will be reading The Playdate at some point, as I loved the psychological twist this story had.
Recommended.
September 11, 2016
For the first 85%, this psychological thriller was wonderfully creepy and worth 4 stars, but it was ruined by the last couple of chapters which descended into melodramatic nonsense. Don't spoil subtle with mwahaha.
April 15, 2018
Near where I live we have an old phone box, In the world, we live in its purpose has become long defunct. So a group of locals got together and decided to turn it into a place where people could take books they longer wanted and could swap them with each other. For me, I think this is a great idea and has led to me getting to read some books that would otherwise never have come up on my radar. This was how I came to have a copy of Accidents Happen.
Kate is a person who you can feel a great deal of affection for. As we learn the tragic events of her life you start to feel the sorrow that lives in her heart. How can some deal with so much loss in their life and still get up in the morning? Well for Kate it's her son who she feels a need to protect and in a form that some would say is a little extreme. She believes in the numbers, By this I mean she is obsessed with the static's that govern life and death in our every day lives. The likelihood of getting hit by a car on your walk to work or the probability that eating a certain type of food will lead to heart disease. A lot of Kate's fears seem to be the sort of things most parents worry about with there kids. And for me, I think this is in part how the author gets her hooks into your brain. Kate's fears while taken to the extreme are at times perfectly reasonable. While I don't have children of my own several of my friends do, and some of the things they have said to me I have seen reflected in Kate.
I like that fact that although I was reading what is a psychological thriller we get to see Kate's journey. She experiences a great deal of growth throughout the book. At times it felt like it belonged to another genre of books. And that's the thing as you settle into the flow of watching someone learn to let go and live there life in a more fulfilling way the author jumps out from behind the shadows to remind you that this is not that kind of story. While it seems at times it is hard to pinpoint the type of story your reading, There in lies the beauty of this book she gets you to connect on a greater level with her heroin by telling the story in this way. You get to experience Kate at her most paranoid freaked out behavior, but you also get to follow her highs as she starts to let go of all this and see what her life could be like. This I think makes the ending all the more horrific and terrible. When she finally chose to pull the rug out from all that is going on you come crashing down with her. But much like everything with this book, it's not a sharp and sudden fall that happens this is more the slow crash where you get to see every detail.
This book for me didn't really fit into the genre it is being sold as entirely. And for that, it does stand out from its usual pack. In the finishing of this book, I realize for some this book may seem a bit of a disappointment. I didn't feel the sort of alarm and terror that tends to build up in other psychological thrillers. But it's more a glimpse into the mind of women dealing with so much that she has difficulty in the everyday. But by the end, you realize that nothing is left untainted by the thoughtless actions. And from these actions, people chose their own paths in how to move on.
Kate is a person who you can feel a great deal of affection for. As we learn the tragic events of her life you start to feel the sorrow that lives in her heart. How can some deal with so much loss in their life and still get up in the morning? Well for Kate it's her son who she feels a need to protect and in a form that some would say is a little extreme. She believes in the numbers, By this I mean she is obsessed with the static's that govern life and death in our every day lives. The likelihood of getting hit by a car on your walk to work or the probability that eating a certain type of food will lead to heart disease. A lot of Kate's fears seem to be the sort of things most parents worry about with there kids. And for me, I think this is in part how the author gets her hooks into your brain. Kate's fears while taken to the extreme are at times perfectly reasonable. While I don't have children of my own several of my friends do, and some of the things they have said to me I have seen reflected in Kate.
I like that fact that although I was reading what is a psychological thriller we get to see Kate's journey. She experiences a great deal of growth throughout the book. At times it felt like it belonged to another genre of books. And that's the thing as you settle into the flow of watching someone learn to let go and live there life in a more fulfilling way the author jumps out from behind the shadows to remind you that this is not that kind of story. While it seems at times it is hard to pinpoint the type of story your reading, There in lies the beauty of this book she gets you to connect on a greater level with her heroin by telling the story in this way. You get to experience Kate at her most paranoid freaked out behavior, but you also get to follow her highs as she starts to let go of all this and see what her life could be like. This I think makes the ending all the more horrific and terrible. When she finally chose to pull the rug out from all that is going on you come crashing down with her. But much like everything with this book, it's not a sharp and sudden fall that happens this is more the slow crash where you get to see every detail.
This book for me didn't really fit into the genre it is being sold as entirely. And for that, it does stand out from its usual pack. In the finishing of this book, I realize for some this book may seem a bit of a disappointment. I didn't feel the sort of alarm and terror that tends to build up in other psychological thrillers. But it's more a glimpse into the mind of women dealing with so much that she has difficulty in the everyday. But by the end, you realize that nothing is left untainted by the thoughtless actions. And from these actions, people chose their own paths in how to move on.
August 13, 2018
This was a slow building book, and is not something I would ordinarily read. I have ocd regarding my children’s safety and battle every day. Not quite to the same level as Kate but I have been dealing with this for 15 years. I’ve had therapy, and have it mostly under control. So I understood Kate on a different level, especially when it started to affect Jack. The last 6 chapters of the book sped up so fast and became an anxiety inducing spin of emotions. Excellently written, Louise has been very honest but compassionate about dealing with ocd. Definitely worth a read :)
December 29, 2024
This book was decent, but there was so much that was never said or described and it lost its luster for me. And, I foreshadowed the ending before I read it all. It’s a bummer when I can guess the ending. Overall, it was an okay book, but I would not reach out for another of Louise’s books by name alone.
November 7, 2024
Really good read, especially if you come from Oxfordshire
August 2, 2013
Accidents Happen Can anyone be so unlucky? Accidents Happen, honestly I was intrigued by the synopsis. Can one person have that much bad luck. At the beginning its a slow read, the pacing. But a few chapters in a mystery starts to form. And questions begin to bubble to the surface. Is Kate crazy, and who is this mysterious figure lurking in the background. Just enough drama to keep the reader’s interest as you are spoon fed clues. If you’re smart you’ll pick up the clues fast. I like that its written in the vein of BBC mystery.
With a slow undercurrent of suspense and malicious intent via the lurking stranger. You know that feeling one gets when you think someone has been in your space, that something is wrong. But you don’t know what it is except that things are off. I have just described how Kate feels all the time.
Characters. Jack is a typical kid who has lost a parent and dealing with the emotional train wreck of the surviving parent. The mother-in-law was a frump full of passive aggression, and a father-in-law with a sweet nature veneer. Who underneath it all was a manipulative hard arse that loves money. And her sister-in-law is a jealous cow. She is having a hard time of her own. Her marriage is going down in flames. So her attention to Kate is a distraction, and while meddling in her life under the guise of concern. She flip flops between wishing Kate will just stay the same, and jealous that the life is coming back into Kate’s eyes. Jago, the professor is like a refreshing breeze in Kate’s life. He doesn’t look at her like some broken thing that needs to be fixed. He represented hope to Kate of someday being normal again, and she grabs onto it like a drowning woman, but is Jago too good to be true. And just who is creepy neighbor Magnus? Is is he bad or good. I like that characters aren’t who they seem to be, that they’re not clearly defined.
After Kate’s parents died on her wedding night she was raw for a long time. When her husband died I think that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Kate needed to have some control over her life and the statics gave some measure of control. Until it spiraled into an obsessive compulsive disorder. I love the way Kate’s state of mind is shown through action. The over-protective nature, the over the top security system. The anxiety attacks. At first Jago becomes a light at the end of the tunnel. With his help Kate undergoes an experimental treatment under his supervision. The challenges he has her doing are questionable. Still Kate begins to blossom as this experiment is getting results. I like that the changes are gradual, little, a laugh, letting go of the handle bars of her bike ignoring her own rules of statistics, the most noticeable the change in her appearance.
Kate reawakens the woman in her at the same time. Getting to the premise can a person have such bad luck who or is this the work of malicious hands. Is someone is out to hurt Kate and her family. As we read these questions begin to raise is Kate crazy, is the danger all in her head. And just who is creepy neighbor Magnus, is he involved in Kate’s bad luck? The twist, secrets all the plot points of a good mystery.
With an high octane ending that I didn’t see coming. In the end all the pieces fell into to place and the picture made sense. It’s always been a wish of mine to go back and visit England. And through writer Millar’s descriptions of the city of Oxford (by the way more fictional murders take place Oxford in almost all the mysteries i’ve read or watched, fun fact.) its descriptive enough that feel like I’m visiting England for a while. I loved the premise, the mystery, the twist and secrets. I enjoyed Accidents Happen. I gave AH a four out five. And would recommend AH for the 16+ and up crowd. Mystery buffs if you’re like me and watched mysteries like Misdsomer’s murders ,Inspector Lewis on BBC or channel 13 ( public television) for N.Y. then you would love this book.
With a slow undercurrent of suspense and malicious intent via the lurking stranger. You know that feeling one gets when you think someone has been in your space, that something is wrong. But you don’t know what it is except that things are off. I have just described how Kate feels all the time.
Characters. Jack is a typical kid who has lost a parent and dealing with the emotional train wreck of the surviving parent. The mother-in-law was a frump full of passive aggression, and a father-in-law with a sweet nature veneer. Who underneath it all was a manipulative hard arse that loves money. And her sister-in-law is a jealous cow. She is having a hard time of her own. Her marriage is going down in flames. So her attention to Kate is a distraction, and while meddling in her life under the guise of concern. She flip flops between wishing Kate will just stay the same, and jealous that the life is coming back into Kate’s eyes. Jago, the professor is like a refreshing breeze in Kate’s life. He doesn’t look at her like some broken thing that needs to be fixed. He represented hope to Kate of someday being normal again, and she grabs onto it like a drowning woman, but is Jago too good to be true. And just who is creepy neighbor Magnus? Is is he bad or good. I like that characters aren’t who they seem to be, that they’re not clearly defined.
After Kate’s parents died on her wedding night she was raw for a long time. When her husband died I think that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Kate needed to have some control over her life and the statics gave some measure of control. Until it spiraled into an obsessive compulsive disorder. I love the way Kate’s state of mind is shown through action. The over-protective nature, the over the top security system. The anxiety attacks. At first Jago becomes a light at the end of the tunnel. With his help Kate undergoes an experimental treatment under his supervision. The challenges he has her doing are questionable. Still Kate begins to blossom as this experiment is getting results. I like that the changes are gradual, little, a laugh, letting go of the handle bars of her bike ignoring her own rules of statistics, the most noticeable the change in her appearance.
Kate reawakens the woman in her at the same time. Getting to the premise can a person have such bad luck who or is this the work of malicious hands. Is someone is out to hurt Kate and her family. As we read these questions begin to raise is Kate crazy, is the danger all in her head. And just who is creepy neighbor Magnus, is he involved in Kate’s bad luck? The twist, secrets all the plot points of a good mystery.
With an high octane ending that I didn’t see coming. In the end all the pieces fell into to place and the picture made sense. It’s always been a wish of mine to go back and visit England. And through writer Millar’s descriptions of the city of Oxford (by the way more fictional murders take place Oxford in almost all the mysteries i’ve read or watched, fun fact.) its descriptive enough that feel like I’m visiting England for a while. I loved the premise, the mystery, the twist and secrets. I enjoyed Accidents Happen. I gave AH a four out five. And would recommend AH for the 16+ and up crowd. Mystery buffs if you’re like me and watched mysteries like Misdsomer’s murders ,Inspector Lewis on BBC or channel 13 ( public television) for N.Y. then you would love this book.
October 2, 2013
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Everyone has their personal brand of comfort read, be it a fluffy romance, realistic fiction, or a beloved childhood favorite. For me it's thrillers. Prior to jumping back into YA (and blogging), 95% of what I read fell into the thriller genre and I love revisiting favorites and discovering new ones. Louise Millar's sophomore title, Accidents Happen, definitely classifies as the latter (spoiler alert?).
After a series of tragedies - the sudden death of her parents on her wedding night, the murder of her husband, and a recent break-in - Kate is more than a little protective of her son. Statistics begin to take charge of her life and her cautiousness quickly delves into paranoia and obsession. The iron gate encompassing the entire second floor is the final straw for Kate's in-laws and they begin to wonder if her son might not be better off living with them. Jack is 10, old enough to walk to the convenience store on his own and not worry about monsters in his closet, but Kate's fear has kept him sheltered.
Five years since the death of her husband and Kate is still not ready to move on. It's only at the thought of losing her son that Kate agrees to seek out a therapist and their first meeting couldn't end fast enough. Now each week Kate lies to her sister-in-law about where she's going - anywhere but that therapist.
One day she stops into a cafe and notices a book lying on a nearby table. Beat the Odds and Change Your Life by Jago Martin, Professor at the University of Edinburgh. Kate wastes no time in flipping through the chapters. Topics on how to improve the chance of avoiding car accidents and selecting the best airline ring loud and clear and when the owner of the book returns to his table, she has to force herself to hand the book back. The two strike up a conversation and she realizes he's the author: Jago Martin. More out of necessity than anything, Kate wants to know where he came up with his numbers, his facts.
Back at Kate's house, Jack's closet door opens. It seems his monsters aren't so imaginary after all.
To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. To say I really enjoyed this book would be putting it lightly. For four days I lived and breathed Accidents Happen, fully immersed while reading and when I wasn't I was thinking of nothing but getting back to it. Right from the start you learn Kate's fears are very real, there actually is someone entering their home any time she's gone. A hole cut into the back of Jack's closet is the perfect passageway from the other side of their duplex. Magnus is free to come and go as he pleases and doesn't hesitate to help himself to some of Kate's lotion or whatever is in the fridge. Logic (and her mother-in-law) tells Kate that perhaps she used a little more lotion than she thought or maybe Jack wanted a midnight snack, but the truth is far more frightening. More than once I was so overwhelmed with emotion I had to set the book down. Despite Kate's alarm system and other precautions, Magnus still found a way to enter her home and that terrified me.
As the story progressed I quickly figured out who the Bad Guy was but it didn't dampen my enjoyment at all. Accidents Happen is a little on the longer side, but the pace is so blindingly fast I actually had to slow myself down in an attempt to stay with this wonderful book as long as possible. Whether you're a long-time thriller fan or a YA fan looking for something new, I highly recommend Accidents Happen. This book was intense and riveting with plot twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Everyone has their personal brand of comfort read, be it a fluffy romance, realistic fiction, or a beloved childhood favorite. For me it's thrillers. Prior to jumping back into YA (and blogging), 95% of what I read fell into the thriller genre and I love revisiting favorites and discovering new ones. Louise Millar's sophomore title, Accidents Happen, definitely classifies as the latter (spoiler alert?).
After a series of tragedies - the sudden death of her parents on her wedding night, the murder of her husband, and a recent break-in - Kate is more than a little protective of her son. Statistics begin to take charge of her life and her cautiousness quickly delves into paranoia and obsession. The iron gate encompassing the entire second floor is the final straw for Kate's in-laws and they begin to wonder if her son might not be better off living with them. Jack is 10, old enough to walk to the convenience store on his own and not worry about monsters in his closet, but Kate's fear has kept him sheltered.
Five years since the death of her husband and Kate is still not ready to move on. It's only at the thought of losing her son that Kate agrees to seek out a therapist and their first meeting couldn't end fast enough. Now each week Kate lies to her sister-in-law about where she's going - anywhere but that therapist.
One day she stops into a cafe and notices a book lying on a nearby table. Beat the Odds and Change Your Life by Jago Martin, Professor at the University of Edinburgh. Kate wastes no time in flipping through the chapters. Topics on how to improve the chance of avoiding car accidents and selecting the best airline ring loud and clear and when the owner of the book returns to his table, she has to force herself to hand the book back. The two strike up a conversation and she realizes he's the author: Jago Martin. More out of necessity than anything, Kate wants to know where he came up with his numbers, his facts.
Back at Kate's house, Jack's closet door opens. It seems his monsters aren't so imaginary after all.
To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. To say I really enjoyed this book would be putting it lightly. For four days I lived and breathed Accidents Happen, fully immersed while reading and when I wasn't I was thinking of nothing but getting back to it. Right from the start you learn Kate's fears are very real, there actually is someone entering their home any time she's gone. A hole cut into the back of Jack's closet is the perfect passageway from the other side of their duplex. Magnus is free to come and go as he pleases and doesn't hesitate to help himself to some of Kate's lotion or whatever is in the fridge. Logic (and her mother-in-law) tells Kate that perhaps she used a little more lotion than she thought or maybe Jack wanted a midnight snack, but the truth is far more frightening. More than once I was so overwhelmed with emotion I had to set the book down. Despite Kate's alarm system and other precautions, Magnus still found a way to enter her home and that terrified me.
As the story progressed I quickly figured out who the Bad Guy was but it didn't dampen my enjoyment at all. Accidents Happen is a little on the longer side, but the pace is so blindingly fast I actually had to slow myself down in an attempt to stay with this wonderful book as long as possible. Whether you're a long-time thriller fan or a YA fan looking for something new, I highly recommend Accidents Happen. This book was intense and riveting with plot twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
March 27, 2013
Having absolutely adored this authors debut novel The Playdate I eagerly anticipated her next book and when I spotted it available for review on Netgalley I instantly applied to read an advance copy - I knew her first book was going to be a hard act to follow ... I'm relieved to say this didn't disappoint.
Accidents happen is another startlingly complex look inside a deeply traumatised mind and a mixture of flawed and complex characters. I found it quite hard to follow at the beginning but this is the authors deliberate attempt to build a sense of suspense and an atmosphere of strangeness and all does become clear if you stick with it.
It's clear from the very beginning that Kates behavior is a little bit peculiar, she is strange and emotionally disturbed, she believes that life is out to get her and that bad things which occur must be more than mere coincidence and she obsesses about facts and figures pertaining to the probability of accidents. Unable to accept that accidents ARE merely coincidences, as her background is revealed we begin to understand her habits better as we realise she has had some truly awful things happen, which would make any of us begin to freak out.
Since she was widowed in one of these dreadful past events, she has made her son Jack her main priority, but in her bid to insulate him against life's knocks she has become an overprotective Mum who can be an embarrassment to a ten year old boy. Her in laws try and act as a buffer but their bewilderment at her increasingly bizarre behaviour begins to cause greater rifts in this fractured family.
It's a relief to all concerned when Kate finally meets someone who seems able to help her overcome her fears and obsessions and gradually she begins to feel a future without fear may be a dim possibility, but of course this is a thriller and things that seem too good to be true usually are and what begins as an exercise in helping her to overcome her compulsions evolves into something much more warped and sinister.
This is quite a difficult book to review without giving too much away, its a fairly complex plot with lots of twists, it changes pace quite a bit and the middle part although never dull begins to lull you into a sense of false security making you believe this is just going to be a nice romance with a happy ending in sight - don't be fooled, it builds excellently towards a very tense and twisted climax you won't want to miss.
Accidents happen is another startlingly complex look inside a deeply traumatised mind and a mixture of flawed and complex characters. I found it quite hard to follow at the beginning but this is the authors deliberate attempt to build a sense of suspense and an atmosphere of strangeness and all does become clear if you stick with it.
It's clear from the very beginning that Kates behavior is a little bit peculiar, she is strange and emotionally disturbed, she believes that life is out to get her and that bad things which occur must be more than mere coincidence and she obsesses about facts and figures pertaining to the probability of accidents. Unable to accept that accidents ARE merely coincidences, as her background is revealed we begin to understand her habits better as we realise she has had some truly awful things happen, which would make any of us begin to freak out.
Since she was widowed in one of these dreadful past events, she has made her son Jack her main priority, but in her bid to insulate him against life's knocks she has become an overprotective Mum who can be an embarrassment to a ten year old boy. Her in laws try and act as a buffer but their bewilderment at her increasingly bizarre behaviour begins to cause greater rifts in this fractured family.
It's a relief to all concerned when Kate finally meets someone who seems able to help her overcome her fears and obsessions and gradually she begins to feel a future without fear may be a dim possibility, but of course this is a thriller and things that seem too good to be true usually are and what begins as an exercise in helping her to overcome her compulsions evolves into something much more warped and sinister.
This is quite a difficult book to review without giving too much away, its a fairly complex plot with lots of twists, it changes pace quite a bit and the middle part although never dull begins to lull you into a sense of false security making you believe this is just going to be a nice romance with a happy ending in sight - don't be fooled, it builds excellently towards a very tense and twisted climax you won't want to miss.
April 11, 2013
This is a dark, sinister and at times, downright scary read. Kate's life has been a succession of terrible events. Her parents died in a car accident and her husband Hugo was killed five years ago. Kate is convinced that she is cursed and will do anything possible to ensure that she and her son Jack are safe. Kate and Jack move from London to Oxford, to be near to Hugo's parents and sister. Kate is completely obsessed with statistics, she can't make any decisions without thinking about the 'numbers' that creep into her brain.
You have 55% chance of dying if you are hit by a car at 30 miles per hour.
40% of catering staff do not wash their hands after going to the toilet.
Kate knows the statistics for everything and this is preventing her and Jack leading normal, everyday lives. By trying to protect Jack, she's harming him. Jack is an unhappy little boy, gentle and sensitive, he hates the way that his mother pretends to be carefree, he can see in her eyes that she is faking it.
Hugo's family are at the end of the line with Kate, they are grieving too but they cannot bear to see how unhappy she is making little Jack. The battle lines are drawn and Kate really has to prove to them that she is a good mother.
When Kate meets Jago, a Scottish University professor by chance one day, she is amazed to find that he understands her, and can help her to overcome her fears.
The cleverest thing about this story is that the reader knows that Kate's fears are actually real. Although Kate's paranoia is totally over the top, Louise Millar has ensured that the reader can empathise with her. Only we know that danger is lurking, that Kate's fears are real, she's not going mad at all.
Louise Millar weaves a story that keeps the reader gripped from the opening lines. There are twists and turns all over the place, the biggest and most shocking being towards the end. I certainly didn't see it coming, and that for me, makes the perfect reading experience. I love it when a book shocks and surprises me and this one certainly did that.
There is no doubt that Louise Millar is an excellent author and has now produced two very well-written, suspenseful novels that are a must-read for any fan of psychological thrillers
You have 55% chance of dying if you are hit by a car at 30 miles per hour.
40% of catering staff do not wash their hands after going to the toilet.
Kate knows the statistics for everything and this is preventing her and Jack leading normal, everyday lives. By trying to protect Jack, she's harming him. Jack is an unhappy little boy, gentle and sensitive, he hates the way that his mother pretends to be carefree, he can see in her eyes that she is faking it.
Hugo's family are at the end of the line with Kate, they are grieving too but they cannot bear to see how unhappy she is making little Jack. The battle lines are drawn and Kate really has to prove to them that she is a good mother.
When Kate meets Jago, a Scottish University professor by chance one day, she is amazed to find that he understands her, and can help her to overcome her fears.
The cleverest thing about this story is that the reader knows that Kate's fears are actually real. Although Kate's paranoia is totally over the top, Louise Millar has ensured that the reader can empathise with her. Only we know that danger is lurking, that Kate's fears are real, she's not going mad at all.
Louise Millar weaves a story that keeps the reader gripped from the opening lines. There are twists and turns all over the place, the biggest and most shocking being towards the end. I certainly didn't see it coming, and that for me, makes the perfect reading experience. I love it when a book shocks and surprises me and this one certainly did that.
There is no doubt that Louise Millar is an excellent author and has now produced two very well-written, suspenseful novels that are a must-read for any fan of psychological thrillers
May 6, 2016
Three and a half stars
(Now bumped up to four stars as weeks on I can't stop thinking about it and wishing I was enjoying my current book as much!)
I'm new to the Thriller genre and just can't seem to put these books down at the moment. This is now my fourth in a row and I keep telling myself I'll have a break and read something different, something magical like The Night Circus, but it is just not happening!
This is also my third Louise Millar novel (all of which are thrillers) and I would probably rate this my second favourite after The Playdate and before The Hidden Girl (which was a bit of a let down compared to the others).
What I like about Ms Millar is that not only does she manage to write exciting stories with fantastical elements, but she also has the ability to describe everyday life in a poetic way (a talent that always seems to draw me to an author). With clever curveballs thrown in to surprise and delight, as with the Playdate, there are a few events that seem a tad unrealistic, but the books are so enjoyable that I tend to let that go.
For me Louise Millar is becoming known for...
a.) writing gripping reads, and,
b.) throwing in clever plot twists
(which as I say, may not be all that likely or believable, but she seems to get away with it. I've noticed other thriller authors employ this technique and I guess it's used to keep drama levels high).
A couple of elements that really make this novel stand out are the topic of anxiety disorders and the architectural theme. The descriptions of old Victorian houses and their modern interiors were to die for, IMHO.
There's also quite a cast of characters, all of which were interesting and enjoyable to read about, none fading into the background (or used to increase the word count!)
Overall, an enjoyable, gripping and thought-provoking read.
(Now bumped up to four stars as weeks on I can't stop thinking about it and wishing I was enjoying my current book as much!)
I'm new to the Thriller genre and just can't seem to put these books down at the moment. This is now my fourth in a row and I keep telling myself I'll have a break and read something different, something magical like The Night Circus, but it is just not happening!
This is also my third Louise Millar novel (all of which are thrillers) and I would probably rate this my second favourite after The Playdate and before The Hidden Girl (which was a bit of a let down compared to the others).
What I like about Ms Millar is that not only does she manage to write exciting stories with fantastical elements, but she also has the ability to describe everyday life in a poetic way (a talent that always seems to draw me to an author). With clever curveballs thrown in to surprise and delight, as with the Playdate, there are a few events that seem a tad unrealistic, but the books are so enjoyable that I tend to let that go.
For me Louise Millar is becoming known for...
a.) writing gripping reads, and,
b.) throwing in clever plot twists
(which as I say, may not be all that likely or believable, but she seems to get away with it. I've noticed other thriller authors employ this technique and I guess it's used to keep drama levels high).
A couple of elements that really make this novel stand out are the topic of anxiety disorders and the architectural theme. The descriptions of old Victorian houses and their modern interiors were to die for, IMHO.
There's also quite a cast of characters, all of which were interesting and enjoyable to read about, none fading into the background (or used to increase the word count!)
Overall, an enjoyable, gripping and thought-provoking read.
September 23, 2015
Under a dark cloud .... jinxed ..... cursed ..... unlucky. We have all heard these expressions, may have even experienced one or two along the way.
Kate Parker has been living .. or afraid of living ... for many years. Her parents died in a car accident on the day of her wedding. A few years later, her husband was murdered by a home invasion gang. Her house has been broken into ... twice. She feels like she's losing her mind and what's worse, she's making a nervous wreck of her young son.
There is so much to this story. The author does a great job presenting the psychological aspects. Kate meets a man who helps her get past her fears, but for someone so afraid of absolutely everything, it was hard to imagine that she would trust a stranger as much as she does.
Jago is a mystery himself. Is this meeting an accident ... coincidence ..... or is there something more sinister at work? Again, the author created a character that came to life under her pen.
All the tension seemed to come very close to the end, and then it felt very rushed. The actual ending was somewhat of a letdown.
This was an okay read to me ... I did want to keep reading to see what happened next .. I knew something was coming ... just not what.
3.5 stars
My thanks to NetGalley / Atria Books who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
September 7, 2014
Well THAT was unexpected. I grabbed this book at the library on a whim. It had some mixed reviews so I was expecting an average read, but I'm learning lately that others reviews don't always line up with books I like and those I don't.
The book early on injects a touch of mystery and strange events alongside a nicely paced storyline. I didn't start to guess what was happening for quite some time, it got better. Whilst some of the events that occur along the way seem
A tad unrealistic it didn't matter as the book was entertaining and keeping me keen.
Kate Parker is a single mother living with her son Jack in Oxford, she's a woman battling crippling anxiety and the book explains more of the root of it all as it unravels. I liked the switching POV between characters, I thought it flowed well unlike some books where different POV writing gets confusing.
I had a few "what the?" moments but from the halfway mark I could not put it down, it really surprised me this one. It was a suspenseful plot that had a great ending
I enjoyed the book, simple as that.
The book early on injects a touch of mystery and strange events alongside a nicely paced storyline. I didn't start to guess what was happening for quite some time, it got better. Whilst some of the events that occur along the way seem
A tad unrealistic it didn't matter as the book was entertaining and keeping me keen.
Kate Parker is a single mother living with her son Jack in Oxford, she's a woman battling crippling anxiety and the book explains more of the root of it all as it unravels. I liked the switching POV between characters, I thought it flowed well unlike some books where different POV writing gets confusing.
I had a few "what the?" moments but from the halfway mark I could not put it down, it really surprised me this one. It was a suspenseful plot that had a great ending
I enjoyed the book, simple as that.
February 17, 2015
I picked up Louise Millar's 'Accident's Happen' audiobook for something a little different.
This fictional thriller is set in London and follows the life of Kate, who believes she is cursed due to a series of tragic events throughout her life.
On the night of her wedding, Kate's parents are killed in a car accident & not long afterwards, Kate's newlywed husband Hugo is murdered in their own home.
These horrible events have left Kate and her son Jack, frightened, untrusting & extremely anxious.
Kate struggles to control her anxiety as she is constantly mesmerizing safety statistics, then she coincidently bumps into a Professor of statistics who steers her down a dangerous & unpredictable path in order to help her overcome her fears.
The question remains, should Kate trust the Professor and is her paranoia unwarranted?
This book had many twists & turns and I enjoyed the thrill of the ride. However, I found some parts a little cliche but it was nice to test the thriller genre for once!
This fictional thriller is set in London and follows the life of Kate, who believes she is cursed due to a series of tragic events throughout her life.
On the night of her wedding, Kate's parents are killed in a car accident & not long afterwards, Kate's newlywed husband Hugo is murdered in their own home.
These horrible events have left Kate and her son Jack, frightened, untrusting & extremely anxious.
Kate struggles to control her anxiety as she is constantly mesmerizing safety statistics, then she coincidently bumps into a Professor of statistics who steers her down a dangerous & unpredictable path in order to help her overcome her fears.
The question remains, should Kate trust the Professor and is her paranoia unwarranted?
This book had many twists & turns and I enjoyed the thrill of the ride. However, I found some parts a little cliche but it was nice to test the thriller genre for once!
June 3, 2014
3.5 stars.
In Accidents Happen we meet Kate. A widowed single mother to Jack. Kate doesn't think like the rest of her family. Everything is a number and translates into the odds of something bad happening to her or her son. Skin cancer, car accident, kidnapping. You can't really blame the woman. Her husband was brutally killed and her parents died on her wedding night. But even now five years after the death of her husband Kate is paranoid. Odd noises, smells, things being moved and food taken from the fridge.
But is it really paranoia if someone is really out to get you?
Accidents Happen is slow going. There is a lot of background and character building. I'm glad I stuck with it though the last 15% packed a doozy of a conclusion. One that while might be expected by some had me double checking the locks on my front door.
In Accidents Happen we meet Kate. A widowed single mother to Jack. Kate doesn't think like the rest of her family. Everything is a number and translates into the odds of something bad happening to her or her son. Skin cancer, car accident, kidnapping. You can't really blame the woman. Her husband was brutally killed and her parents died on her wedding night. But even now five years after the death of her husband Kate is paranoid. Odd noises, smells, things being moved and food taken from the fridge.
But is it really paranoia if someone is really out to get you?
Accidents Happen is slow going. There is a lot of background and character building. I'm glad I stuck with it though the last 15% packed a doozy of a conclusion. One that while might be expected by some had me double checking the locks on my front door.
July 9, 2013
Accidents Happen is a bone-chilling look at what can happen when phobias not only take over your life, but also what happens when they cause those around you to dismiss valid concerns. Louise Millar has written a book that deals with an overwhelming obsession with statistics based on valid reasoning.
Read the rest of my review at The Lost Entwife
Read the rest of my review at The Lost Entwife
June 14, 2015
This book really held my interest and was a good easy read, nothing too dark. I probably would have rated it higher if not for the way Millar wrote the ending. It would have been impossible for events to have occurred in the setting in which they did without people noticing. I know I'm nitpicking; it is fiction after all. Overall I did enjoy this book and plan to read The Hidden Girl.
March 29, 2014
A wonderful second novel from Louise Millar. Beautifully-written with engaging characters, an original concept and a killer twist. The last 100 pages are incredibly fast-moving and exciting. Highly recommended.
April 23, 2014
A fast paced psychological thriller with myriad twists and palpable tension that kept me guessing until the last page. A very believable cast of characters. An original, nail biting tale.
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