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Jessica Mayhew #1
The House on the Cliff
A riveting psychological crime novel featuring Jessica Mayhew, a therapist who becomes entangled in the long-dormant murder mystery that haunts her patient’s family Jessica Mayhew is a sharp, successful therapist with a thriving practice and a loving family at home. But actor Gwydion Morgan’s dramatic appearance at her office coincides with a turbulent moment in her her husband has just confessed to a one-night stand with a much younger woman. Gwydion, son of the famous stage director Evan Morgan, is good-looking and talented but mentally fragile, tormented by an intriguing phobia. When his mother phones to say he is suicidal, Jessica, determined to trace the cause of his distress, decides to make a house call. The Morgans live in a grand clifftop mansion overlooking the rocky Welsh coast. It seems to be a remote paradise, but there’s something sinister about the place, too. Jessica learns that an au pair who cared for Gwydion drowned in the bay under mysterious circumstances. In her quest to help her client, to whom she’s becoming increasingly attached, Jessica becomes ensnared in the Morgan family mystery, which soon becomes an explosive public scandal—one that puts her directly in harm’s way. All the while, Jessica is doing her best to keep her marriage and family together—but her connection with Gwydion is impossible to ignore. A smart, sexy novel of suspense, The House on the Cliff will keep you gripped until the very end.
338 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2013
31 people are currently reading
1321 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Williams
2 booksLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: Charlotte Williams
After studying philosophy in college, Charlotte Williams went on to work as an arts journalist, writing for newspapers and magazines, and making documentaries for the BBC. More recently, she also worked in radio drama, writing original plays and adaptations. Williams died in 2014 at the age of fifty-nine.
Please see: Charlotte Williams
After studying philosophy in college, Charlotte Williams went on to work as an arts journalist, writing for newspapers and magazines, and making documentaries for the BBC. More recently, she also worked in radio drama, writing original plays and adaptations. Williams died in 2014 at the age of fifty-nine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
January 25, 2015
This book should have been called "A Therapist's Career On The Edge Of A Cliff."
Holy hell. Where to start.
OK our main character is a psychotherapist named Jessica Mayhew who lives in Wales with her husband Bob and two daughters, 16 year old Nella and 10 or 11 year old Rose. We come into this book learning that Bob has had an affair with a younger woman while on a business trip and Jessica is left to deal with whether or not she feels like salvaging her marriage as a result. Meanwhile, she has a new client named Gwydion Morgan coming to see her who has a button phobia and a whole heap of straight-from-a-soap-opera set of therapy issues that are the stuff psychologist's wet dreams are made of.
As many reviews have stated, it is very clear that the person who wrote this is not, in fact, a psycho therapists. That's fine. I've read plenty of perfectly enjoyable sci-fi by people who aren't astronauts and urban fantasy from writer's I'm pretty sure aren't vampires. Unfortunately, however, this book revels in pscyho babble involving dream interpretation, repressed memories, and Freudian theories (which even I know are not really taken seriously at this point anymore). Simply put Jessica is a terrible doctor and an even more annoying mother.
She simultaneously is not dealing with the emotional repercussions of her husband's one night stand and, almost instantly, starts having sexual thoughts about her new client Gwydion. We are almost immediately told with great description IN THEIR FIRST SESSION about how sexually attracted she is to him and she tries to rationalize it with pheromones. Yes, you read that right. PHEROMONES. Then, when that excuse isn't enough, she decides to blame it on transference of the anger she has at her husband's affair, and wanting to take spiteful revenge by having an affair with a younger man. Despite the obvious fact that she should immediately stop seeing this individual as a client, she instead gets ridiculously embroiled in his family situation by making a house call when he is bed ridden, learning of an unsolved death from Gwydion's mother, and Googling her client and his father - a rather famous figure in the movie industry and a well known womanizer.
At the same time, Jessica's 16 year old daughter Nella is growing up into the kind of awful teenager that a good smack upside the head tends to fix in short order. There's teenage angst and then there's just flat out being a disrespectful brat. Nella falls into the second category but, hey, Jessica is mom of the year and tries to give Nella her space and understand how hard it is to be a teenager. After a school concert, she discovers her daughter has quite a good voice that she's been keeping under wraps and on the way out of the recital sees a former client of hers entering the school. This client, mind you, had lost his job for alleged indecency with a minor. It had never been proven but he was disgraced in the teaching world for his actions and even Jessica has misgivings about the guy. He comes up to her and flatly announces he's working with talent recruitment for new, young artists. He specifically indicates he has interest in representing her daughter. Jessica says "NO OF COURSE NOT THAT'S TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE."
No, I'm sorry that's what ANY OTHER MOTHER IN THE WORLD would have said. Jessica takes his business card and trusts her otherwise neanderthalish 16 year old daughter to have the right instincts and not do anything stupid, and LEAVES THE SCHOOL.
The book continues to unveil an unsolved murder that took place on the Morgan estate of a young au pair that worked for the family when Gwydion was very young. Gwydion decides to take his father to court based on memories he has recovered from a dream. Jessica decides that fool proof evidence like that is a good reason she should testify in court. Her husband, Bob, who is a lawyer and conveniently an old friend of Gwydion's father Evan Morgan decides it's not at all a conflict of interest to represent his old buddy convinced the man's being set up.
There are so many WTF's in that last paragraph that I don't know how it even got past an editor's desk. But here we are.
The rest of the book is entirely predictable and full of lots of other entirely inappropriate and unbelievable moments, including the ending which is so ridiculous in its "reveals" that I was practically laughing. I'll tell you what, if this is what your average psychotherapist is like in Wales than by all means, I do not recommend having any nervous breakdowns while visiting.
The things I liked about this book was the author's clearly skilled use of vocabulary and setting moods and locations. Her descriptions of environments pull you in, and each character is visible in the mind's eye. In fact, her ability to write these situations is the only thing that saved this book from one star. I think Charlotte Williams would do her talents a better service by writing a book involving mild supernatural elements, or perhaps a gritty detective story where you can take more liberties with rule-breaking. This entire book seemed torn between wanting to be a romance novel and a thriller and never could manage to quite do either. There are so many times it could have become extremely creepy but pulled back, as if shy. Other places it could have been quite erotic and similarly, pulled back.
Supposedly this is the first in a series of books that will feature Jessica Mayhew, but I certainly won't be reading anymore. It's a book that will quickly be forgotten.
Holy hell. Where to start.
OK our main character is a psychotherapist named Jessica Mayhew who lives in Wales with her husband Bob and two daughters, 16 year old Nella and 10 or 11 year old Rose. We come into this book learning that Bob has had an affair with a younger woman while on a business trip and Jessica is left to deal with whether or not she feels like salvaging her marriage as a result. Meanwhile, she has a new client named Gwydion Morgan coming to see her who has a button phobia and a whole heap of straight-from-a-soap-opera set of therapy issues that are the stuff psychologist's wet dreams are made of.
As many reviews have stated, it is very clear that the person who wrote this is not, in fact, a psycho therapists. That's fine. I've read plenty of perfectly enjoyable sci-fi by people who aren't astronauts and urban fantasy from writer's I'm pretty sure aren't vampires. Unfortunately, however, this book revels in pscyho babble involving dream interpretation, repressed memories, and Freudian theories (which even I know are not really taken seriously at this point anymore). Simply put Jessica is a terrible doctor and an even more annoying mother.
She simultaneously is not dealing with the emotional repercussions of her husband's one night stand and, almost instantly, starts having sexual thoughts about her new client Gwydion. We are almost immediately told with great description IN THEIR FIRST SESSION about how sexually attracted she is to him and she tries to rationalize it with pheromones. Yes, you read that right. PHEROMONES. Then, when that excuse isn't enough, she decides to blame it on transference of the anger she has at her husband's affair, and wanting to take spiteful revenge by having an affair with a younger man. Despite the obvious fact that she should immediately stop seeing this individual as a client, she instead gets ridiculously embroiled in his family situation by making a house call when he is bed ridden, learning of an unsolved death from Gwydion's mother, and Googling her client and his father - a rather famous figure in the movie industry and a well known womanizer.
At the same time, Jessica's 16 year old daughter Nella is growing up into the kind of awful teenager that a good smack upside the head tends to fix in short order. There's teenage angst and then there's just flat out being a disrespectful brat. Nella falls into the second category but, hey, Jessica is mom of the year and tries to give Nella her space and understand how hard it is to be a teenager. After a school concert, she discovers her daughter has quite a good voice that she's been keeping under wraps and on the way out of the recital sees a former client of hers entering the school. This client, mind you, had lost his job for alleged indecency with a minor. It had never been proven but he was disgraced in the teaching world for his actions and even Jessica has misgivings about the guy. He comes up to her and flatly announces he's working with talent recruitment for new, young artists. He specifically indicates he has interest in representing her daughter. Jessica says "NO OF COURSE NOT THAT'S TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE."
No, I'm sorry that's what ANY OTHER MOTHER IN THE WORLD would have said. Jessica takes his business card and trusts her otherwise neanderthalish 16 year old daughter to have the right instincts and not do anything stupid, and LEAVES THE SCHOOL.
The book continues to unveil an unsolved murder that took place on the Morgan estate of a young au pair that worked for the family when Gwydion was very young. Gwydion decides to take his father to court based on memories he has recovered from a dream. Jessica decides that fool proof evidence like that is a good reason she should testify in court. Her husband, Bob, who is a lawyer and conveniently an old friend of Gwydion's father Evan Morgan decides it's not at all a conflict of interest to represent his old buddy convinced the man's being set up.
There are so many WTF's in that last paragraph that I don't know how it even got past an editor's desk. But here we are.
The rest of the book is entirely predictable and full of lots of other entirely inappropriate and unbelievable moments, including the ending which is so ridiculous in its "reveals" that I was practically laughing. I'll tell you what, if this is what your average psychotherapist is like in Wales than by all means, I do not recommend having any nervous breakdowns while visiting.
The things I liked about this book was the author's clearly skilled use of vocabulary and setting moods and locations. Her descriptions of environments pull you in, and each character is visible in the mind's eye. In fact, her ability to write these situations is the only thing that saved this book from one star. I think Charlotte Williams would do her talents a better service by writing a book involving mild supernatural elements, or perhaps a gritty detective story where you can take more liberties with rule-breaking. This entire book seemed torn between wanting to be a romance novel and a thriller and never could manage to quite do either. There are so many times it could have become extremely creepy but pulled back, as if shy. Other places it could have been quite erotic and similarly, pulled back.
Supposedly this is the first in a series of books that will feature Jessica Mayhew, but I certainly won't be reading anymore. It's a book that will quickly be forgotten.
February 24, 2014
This has to be one of the worst books I have ever read. I didn't offer it to a friend, didn't put it in the Goodwill box, but threw it away. Now, to someone who has never approached the mental health profession in any way, sense or form, this may have had some redeeming features, but as someone who has a lot of ties to the world of psycoanalysis this book is not only inaccurate ind insulting, but would make those who are in therapy run for the hills. Therapists are tightly bound by rules of confidentiality. They do not run all over two countries telling your problems to all concerned, they do not have any kind of relationships with their parents, and if any of this occurs,they should promptly have their licsence revoked. There are also many story lines going every which way that are so unessecary. Perhaps if Jessica had been a detective the story might have been more palatable. Also if you love REBECCA this story is a poor excuse so it might be for you.
I read between 80-100 books a year and this was the very worst I have read in a while. STAY AWAY!
I read between 80-100 books a year and this was the very worst I have read in a while. STAY AWAY!
February 27, 2013
This assured debut from Charlotte Williams is perfect for fans of the psychological thriller very much on a par with Erin Kelly, Sophie Hannah et al. Focusing on the professional and personal life of psychologist Jessica Mayhew, balancing the demands of a difficult family including a wilful teenage daughter and a snake-in-the-grass husband, Jessica’s life is further complicated by the arrival of a troubled new patient, Gwydion Morgan. Morgan places many demands on Mayhew emotionally and professionally, as events from his childhood reveal a dark tale of jealousy and murder.
Williams skilfully interweaves this two disparate areas of Jessica’s life into a fluid and engaging narrative, and although for me personally, the guilty party was quite evident in the murder plot, I was carried along quite nicely by the dilemmas facing Jessica. There was a good intergration within the book of psychological detail and the professional treatment of psychological disorders which made for an interesting curve in the central plot as Jessica’s professional life plays such a central role. Her family life, focusing on the demands of a difficult teenage daughter and the rebuilding of trust with her husband after his sexual indiscretion, also had an extremely authentic feel leading the reader to feel great empathy with Jessica’s woes. Her relationship with Gwydion Morgan also makes for an interesting dynamic, professionally and personally and likewise her interaction with other members of the Morgan clan, a family steeped in jealousy and untruths. One aspect of the book I felt was particularly good was William’s depiction of place and atmosphere especially in relation to the central setting of the rugged west coast of Wales. She captured perfectly the wild beauty of the area, and there was also a nice little sojourn in Sweden as Jessica attempts to untangle the complicated threads of Morgan’s troubled family history. All in all a good thriller and certainly an author I would read again.
Williams skilfully interweaves this two disparate areas of Jessica’s life into a fluid and engaging narrative, and although for me personally, the guilty party was quite evident in the murder plot, I was carried along quite nicely by the dilemmas facing Jessica. There was a good intergration within the book of psychological detail and the professional treatment of psychological disorders which made for an interesting curve in the central plot as Jessica’s professional life plays such a central role. Her family life, focusing on the demands of a difficult teenage daughter and the rebuilding of trust with her husband after his sexual indiscretion, also had an extremely authentic feel leading the reader to feel great empathy with Jessica’s woes. Her relationship with Gwydion Morgan also makes for an interesting dynamic, professionally and personally and likewise her interaction with other members of the Morgan clan, a family steeped in jealousy and untruths. One aspect of the book I felt was particularly good was William’s depiction of place and atmosphere especially in relation to the central setting of the rugged west coast of Wales. She captured perfectly the wild beauty of the area, and there was also a nice little sojourn in Sweden as Jessica attempts to untangle the complicated threads of Morgan’s troubled family history. All in all a good thriller and certainly an author I would read again.
February 26, 2016
- My Description -
Dr. Jessica Mayhew really didn't know what she was getting into when Gwydion Morgan comes in for sessions to cure his phobia.
At the beginning, Gwydion tells Jessica about a dream (or is it a memory?) he's having.
Through different sessions, more of the dream (memory??) unfolds.
It draws you inside.
Is Gwydion's dream really a past memory?
Gwydion's parents house draws Jessica in.
Gwydion's mother tells Jessica she thinks her son is depressed and contemplating suicide.
Jessica makes a house call.
There is something about that house and the water.
What is it trying to tell her?
Jessica is also trying to fight off the growing attraction she is having to Gwydion.
It's not easy to do, especially considering her husband had a one night stand with another woman. This leads Jessica to be more than a little peeved and more than a little curious.
She is also having to protect her daughter from a former client.
Did I mention someone is watching Jessica?
Poor Jessica!
She might have to have doctor care for herself after it's all over with....
- My Review -
This book had so much going on inside, but it wasn't confusing at all.
Everything came together in the end. =)
Loved it. What a page turner! =)
I recommend it.
May 19, 2019
3.5
A lot better than i thought considering the reviews i read. Don't cross it off your list!
A lot better than i thought considering the reviews i read. Don't cross it off your list!
February 4, 2017
Not great but not bad for a debut
January 20, 2014
Forty-something psychotherapist Jessica Mayhew has a successful practice in Cardiff, Wales; a handsome husband, Bob; and two beautiful daughters, Nella and Rose. But appearances can be deceiving. At fifteen, Nella is at a difficult age and Jessica is finding it hard to keep the lines of communication open between them. And she's still trying to recover from learning that Bob had a one-night stand with a much younger woman while on a business trip in Europe a month ago.
On the day Jess's story starts, she meets a potential new client on his first appointment. Gwydion Morgan is a young and extremely handsome local actor, whose best known for his on-going role in a popular Welsh TV soap. His father is the renowned stage director, Evan Morgan, who is equally famous for his numerous affairs and dalliances with other women, while his wife, Arianrhod, once a beautiful actress, wastes away at the family home, a forbidding stone mansion on the rocky Welsh coast. Gwydion has no love for his father but is close to his mother, and no other siblings.
Gwydion comes to Jessica with a fairly typical button phobia, which is a concern now that he's been picked to star in a new costume-drama (the costume he'll have to wear will have numerous buttons). Then he opens up to her about a recurring nightmare he's been having, in which he's a terrified little boy trapped in a dark box. Each time he returns to her office, he recounts the dream as it progresses, and each time, Jessica is sure she thinks she knows where it is going.
As much as she tries, she can't quite keep her own, very human, sense of curiosity out of Gwydion's case. Her friend, an actress called Mari, once had an affair with Evan and imparts some random bits of gossip about the family. And when Jess agrees, against her own rules, to visit the Morgan home in person when Gwydion falls into a deep depression, she is taken on a tour of the cliff-top garden by Arianrhod. At the edge of the cliff, at the top of a steep flight of stairs cut into the rockface, she sees a plaque, written in Swedish, memorialising the death of a young, pretty Swedish backpacker who drowned there.
As the Morgan family's secrets come bubbling to the surface, Jess gets more and more deeply involved in uncovering the truth in the hope of helping Gwydion recover and move on. But all is not as it seems with the Morgans, and Jess is not as in-control of the case as she believes.
I'm a bit torn over this one. While it had many qualities of good writing: swift, smooth, consistent pacing, a well-developed protagonist, some atmosphere and enough details to keep me interested, it was a bit predictable and a bit thin, plot-wise.
The setting - the Welsh coast, in particular - was a good one, and lively for the imagination. There was some atmosphere, but not as much as I would have liked; not as much as would have added tension and real suspense to the story.
Jessica was an interesting character, intelligent and honourable but flawed in the sense that she's a bit over-confident in her own analytical abilities and her own sense of righteousness, and she makes mistakes. She can be a bit unlikeable at times, which actually made me like her more because it made her feel more human. She could be surprisingly slow on the uptake at times, despite being intelligent overall, and she came across as rather cold and unfriendly. The reasons why Bob had a brief affair are hinted at, and as much as it doesn't excuse it, Jess has something to do with it. Her analysis of her own marital difficulties is patchy, and no wonder: it's all very well to look deep into someone else's problems while they sit on your couch, and discreetly guide them to the answers buried in their own minds, but quite another thing to accurately and honestly reflect on yourself. It takes Jess quite a while to realise that, and in the meantime - I can hardly believe it - I actually felt slightly sorry for Bob. Sorry for him in that he's a bit of a pathetic figure (anytime a 50+ year old man shags a 20-something woman, it's a bit sad, really. Mid-life crisis and all that), but also sorry for him because he could use a therapist himself, no doubt.
I am always very fascinated by the descriptions of therapy. Never having attended any kind of therapy session myself, I feel like a real voyeur, peeping in on someone else's. And it speaks to our all-too-human curiosity as to what's going on in other people's lives, partly to see what we can learn about coping techniques for ourselves. I studied some Freud at uni, in a couple of English courses, and was not impressed, but while his ideas were a bit ludicrous at times, I can see the merit in the principals of psychotherapy for some people, at least in the way Jessica works with her clients. As in Liane Moriarty's excellent novel, The Hypnotist’s Love Story , I love getting that intimate access to a therapist's room, and hearing about the processes behind it.
But the plot, oh dear the plot. It really was rather predictable, and Jessica's family drama with Nella was more interesting to me than the murder mystery. It just felt a bit too contrived, a bit too convenient, and a bit too flawed. The concept for the set-up - which I don't want to explain as it would spoil the story, and I don't like giving spoilers if I can help it - seemed flimsy to me, and too obvious. After all, Jessica's dealing with a whole family of actors here, which she notes in the beginning and then forgets, so dazzled is she by Gwydion's beautiful face. (Was it just me or was the flirtation between them just plain creepy?)
As far as a quick mystery read goes, this was certainly quick. As far as a satisfying, suspenseful thriller goes, it was decidedly lacking. I didn't wholly dislike it, for the reasons mentioned above, but by the time I got to the ending I had rather lost interest in the whole family-secret-murder-mystery plot, and just wanted to hear more about human nature and Jessica's internal analysis.
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via TLC Book Tours.
On the day Jess's story starts, she meets a potential new client on his first appointment. Gwydion Morgan is a young and extremely handsome local actor, whose best known for his on-going role in a popular Welsh TV soap. His father is the renowned stage director, Evan Morgan, who is equally famous for his numerous affairs and dalliances with other women, while his wife, Arianrhod, once a beautiful actress, wastes away at the family home, a forbidding stone mansion on the rocky Welsh coast. Gwydion has no love for his father but is close to his mother, and no other siblings.
Gwydion comes to Jessica with a fairly typical button phobia, which is a concern now that he's been picked to star in a new costume-drama (the costume he'll have to wear will have numerous buttons). Then he opens up to her about a recurring nightmare he's been having, in which he's a terrified little boy trapped in a dark box. Each time he returns to her office, he recounts the dream as it progresses, and each time, Jessica is sure she thinks she knows where it is going.
As much as she tries, she can't quite keep her own, very human, sense of curiosity out of Gwydion's case. Her friend, an actress called Mari, once had an affair with Evan and imparts some random bits of gossip about the family. And when Jess agrees, against her own rules, to visit the Morgan home in person when Gwydion falls into a deep depression, she is taken on a tour of the cliff-top garden by Arianrhod. At the edge of the cliff, at the top of a steep flight of stairs cut into the rockface, she sees a plaque, written in Swedish, memorialising the death of a young, pretty Swedish backpacker who drowned there.
As the Morgan family's secrets come bubbling to the surface, Jess gets more and more deeply involved in uncovering the truth in the hope of helping Gwydion recover and move on. But all is not as it seems with the Morgans, and Jess is not as in-control of the case as she believes.
I'm a bit torn over this one. While it had many qualities of good writing: swift, smooth, consistent pacing, a well-developed protagonist, some atmosphere and enough details to keep me interested, it was a bit predictable and a bit thin, plot-wise.
The setting - the Welsh coast, in particular - was a good one, and lively for the imagination. There was some atmosphere, but not as much as I would have liked; not as much as would have added tension and real suspense to the story.
Jessica was an interesting character, intelligent and honourable but flawed in the sense that she's a bit over-confident in her own analytical abilities and her own sense of righteousness, and she makes mistakes. She can be a bit unlikeable at times, which actually made me like her more because it made her feel more human. She could be surprisingly slow on the uptake at times, despite being intelligent overall, and she came across as rather cold and unfriendly. The reasons why Bob had a brief affair are hinted at, and as much as it doesn't excuse it, Jess has something to do with it. Her analysis of her own marital difficulties is patchy, and no wonder: it's all very well to look deep into someone else's problems while they sit on your couch, and discreetly guide them to the answers buried in their own minds, but quite another thing to accurately and honestly reflect on yourself. It takes Jess quite a while to realise that, and in the meantime - I can hardly believe it - I actually felt slightly sorry for Bob. Sorry for him in that he's a bit of a pathetic figure (anytime a 50+ year old man shags a 20-something woman, it's a bit sad, really. Mid-life crisis and all that), but also sorry for him because he could use a therapist himself, no doubt.
I am always very fascinated by the descriptions of therapy. Never having attended any kind of therapy session myself, I feel like a real voyeur, peeping in on someone else's. And it speaks to our all-too-human curiosity as to what's going on in other people's lives, partly to see what we can learn about coping techniques for ourselves. I studied some Freud at uni, in a couple of English courses, and was not impressed, but while his ideas were a bit ludicrous at times, I can see the merit in the principals of psychotherapy for some people, at least in the way Jessica works with her clients. As in Liane Moriarty's excellent novel, The Hypnotist’s Love Story , I love getting that intimate access to a therapist's room, and hearing about the processes behind it.
But the plot, oh dear the plot. It really was rather predictable, and Jessica's family drama with Nella was more interesting to me than the murder mystery. It just felt a bit too contrived, a bit too convenient, and a bit too flawed. The concept for the set-up - which I don't want to explain as it would spoil the story, and I don't like giving spoilers if I can help it - seemed flimsy to me, and too obvious. After all, Jessica's dealing with a whole family of actors here, which she notes in the beginning and then forgets, so dazzled is she by Gwydion's beautiful face. (Was it just me or was the flirtation between them just plain creepy?)
As far as a quick mystery read goes, this was certainly quick. As far as a satisfying, suspenseful thriller goes, it was decidedly lacking. I didn't wholly dislike it, for the reasons mentioned above, but by the time I got to the ending I had rather lost interest in the whole family-secret-murder-mystery plot, and just wanted to hear more about human nature and Jessica's internal analysis.
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via TLC Book Tours.
February 25, 2014
Some of the best mystery/thrillers that I have read have belonged to the genre of "psychological thriller", so when I read the synopsis for Charlotte Williams' debut novel, The House on the Cliff, I was immediately intrigued. Therapist Jessica Mayhew has just met her new client, the brooding Gwydion Morgan. As an aspiring actor, Gwydion has just been offered the role of a lifetime, but he suffers from an unlikely phobia that could end his ability to handle the part. As Jessica tries to help him overcome the phobia, she becomes aware of another problem that threatens not only Gwydion, but her life as well.
If I had to categorize The House on the Cliff, I would have a hard time choosing the type of thriller it is. There were definitely elements of the psychological thriller in the book, but at times it almost had a "Gothic" feel to it. You have a young women hired to help a brooding, dark man under whose spell she increasingly falls, a domineering mother, a forbidding house on windswept cliff above the sea, and a decades old unsolved death. At times it reminded me of the books of either Victoria Holt or Georgette Heyer, only this one was set in the current time period. In fact, I thought the book worked much more as a Gothic than as a psychological thriller. I loved that the author included the uniquely Welsh spelling of the names, also. It gave the book a more real feel to me. And although I was able to figure out the ultimate resolution to the murder early on, in a Gothic story that is not necessarily a drawback.
There were a few things, though, that kept the book from being a 4 or 5 star read for me. For one thing, the original phobia that Gwydion is trying to overcome has really nothing to do with the rest of the book. After using it to introduce the main two characters, the author lets it fall in the cracks. Unfortunately for me, I found myself wondering why the phobia developed and whether it could have played a more integral part of the story. There were a couple of other plot disconnects similar to that that I found myself wondering about and wishing were either left out of the story altogether, or were integrated in the story more successfully.
All in all, I enjoyed this debut novel. I believe Charlotte Williams definitely has a future as an author of thrillers, and look forward to reading more from her in the future.
I would like to thank the publisher for making a copy of this eARC available through Eidelweiss in exchange for a review.
If I had to categorize The House on the Cliff, I would have a hard time choosing the type of thriller it is. There were definitely elements of the psychological thriller in the book, but at times it almost had a "Gothic" feel to it. You have a young women hired to help a brooding, dark man under whose spell she increasingly falls, a domineering mother, a forbidding house on windswept cliff above the sea, and a decades old unsolved death. At times it reminded me of the books of either Victoria Holt or Georgette Heyer, only this one was set in the current time period. In fact, I thought the book worked much more as a Gothic than as a psychological thriller. I loved that the author included the uniquely Welsh spelling of the names, also. It gave the book a more real feel to me. And although I was able to figure out the ultimate resolution to the murder early on, in a Gothic story that is not necessarily a drawback.
There were a few things, though, that kept the book from being a 4 or 5 star read for me. For one thing, the original phobia that Gwydion is trying to overcome has really nothing to do with the rest of the book. After using it to introduce the main two characters, the author lets it fall in the cracks. Unfortunately for me, I found myself wondering why the phobia developed and whether it could have played a more integral part of the story. There were a couple of other plot disconnects similar to that that I found myself wondering about and wishing were either left out of the story altogether, or were integrated in the story more successfully.
All in all, I enjoyed this debut novel. I believe Charlotte Williams definitely has a future as an author of thrillers, and look forward to reading more from her in the future.
I would like to thank the publisher for making a copy of this eARC available through Eidelweiss in exchange for a review.
January 16, 2014
Therapist Jessica Mayhew's professional life is good but her personal life is in turmoil. Her husband cheated on her with a younger woman. Although he said it was a one time thing , Jessica can not help easily forgive and forget. That is why when her newest client, Gwydion has a freak out moment and needs Jessica's help, she decides to pay Gwydion a house visit and stay for a while. To give herself space from her husband. When Jessica arrives at the house, she learns a secret about Gwydion's family. One that drags Jessica into the mix and into danger.
I was really looking forward to reading this book. It sounded a little like it might be a gothic psychological thriller or maybe it had to do with the book cover. Sadly, I was not feeling this book as much as I had hoped to. Don't get me wrong as it is alright but none of the characters reached out and connected with me on an emotional level. In addition, I found them to be somewhat dull. I know if I had connected with the characters better then I would have liked this book more. The story line was fine as I did read this book really fast. The mystery surrounding Gwydion and his family was not really a big secret. The author tried to make the secret dark but it did not come off that way. Finally, the ending was a little of a let down. I was like "really, this is how it is going to end regarding Jessica and Gwydion?"
I was really looking forward to reading this book. It sounded a little like it might be a gothic psychological thriller or maybe it had to do with the book cover. Sadly, I was not feeling this book as much as I had hoped to. Don't get me wrong as it is alright but none of the characters reached out and connected with me on an emotional level. In addition, I found them to be somewhat dull. I know if I had connected with the characters better then I would have liked this book more. The story line was fine as I did read this book really fast. The mystery surrounding Gwydion and his family was not really a big secret. The author tried to make the secret dark but it did not come off that way. Finally, the ending was a little of a let down. I was like "really, this is how it is going to end regarding Jessica and Gwydion?"
December 12, 2013
received a copy from the goodreads giveaway... a well written story that I found myself really getting lost in not sure how it would end. very pleasantly surprised with the ending she left where there is hope for the future, but not everything is neatly tied up in an automatically happily ever after, even the ending keeps her characters seeming real
February 23, 2023
I've not delved into the crime genre but this was a really good first dive into it. Been struggling with reading lately but the twists and turns in this plot kept me wanting more just enough to get back to it.
I felt like I was one step ahead for pretty much the entirety of the book but the last few chapters change that. I don't know if I should be a better detective than the main character in these things or visa versa but my 3 star rating should give you an indication on my opinion there.
Despite not reading much crime, I did feel like this was a unique take on the genre, with characters and a situation that wouldn't usually lend itself to that sort of story structure. Very much enjoyed but nothing ground-breaking.
I felt like I was one step ahead for pretty much the entirety of the book but the last few chapters change that. I don't know if I should be a better detective than the main character in these things or visa versa but my 3 star rating should give you an indication on my opinion there.
Despite not reading much crime, I did feel like this was a unique take on the genre, with characters and a situation that wouldn't usually lend itself to that sort of story structure. Very much enjoyed but nothing ground-breaking.
August 9, 2019
It was good- a ez listen - I didn’t guess the ending , so that’s always good - not a super thriller-
But I like the story 3.5 stars
But I like the story 3.5 stars
October 9, 2023
Not bad! Predictable. I read this as a teenager and I remember liking it more so maybe that’s influencing my review.. just didn’t live up to my memory of it
April 29, 2015
KABBELEND NAAR DE FINALE
Psychotherapeute Jessica Mayhew begeeft zich op glad ijs: zij onderhoudt buiten haar praktijk om contact met (ex-)patiënt Gwydion Morgan en diens familie. Dat is niet te doen gebruikelijk, noch raadzaam. Jessica is geïntrigeerd door een gebeurtenis in het verleden van Gwydion. Berusten diens herinneringen op waarheid of zijn het pseudoherinneringen? En hoe zit het met de overige leden van de familie Morgan?
Tegelijkertijd heeft Jessica privéproblemen. Manlief is vreemdgegaan en oudste dochter denkt zelf te kunnen beslissen wat goed voor haar is.
Locatie: Wales. Verwachting: beschrijvingen van de prachtige natuur aldaar en een goed geschreven spannend verhaal, want 'literaire thriller'. De natuurbeschrijvingen blijken summier, de spanning is - voor zover aanwezig - subtiel, onderhuids. Goed geschreven dan? Nou nee, het is aardig, maar niet bijzonder. Eén keer papieren zakdoekjes uit de tas halen is voldoende, zoals ook één keer de term thuisblijfmoeder voldoende is en de keren dat de leeftijd van dochter Nella aangeduid wordt - ze is 16 - zijn niet te tellen. Charlotte Williams schrijft omslachtig, gebruikt enorm veel woorden om situaties beeldend te maken. Voorbeeld: "Ik liep naar de kapstok, pakte mijn jasje en keek in de spiegel. Ik had alweer donkere wallen onder mijn ogen. Mijn gezicht was een beetje rood, mijn wangen vlekkerig. En mijn haar had ook weleens beter gezeten. Wanneer ik moe ben, heeft mijn haar de gewoonte om zo te gaan zitten dat het er slordig uitziet, met overal plukken, en het proberen glad te strijken heeft dan geen enkele zin. Maar hoewel ik er moe en lichtelijk slonzig uitzag, had mijn gezicht die dag vreemd genoeg ook iets ongewoons, vond ik, in mijn ogen speelde een glinstering van nieuwsgierigheid, van levendigheid. ..."
Het verhaal is goed, voldoende boeiend, zit mooi in elkaar. Verdieping wordt ingebracht door de psychologische bespiegelingen van Jessica en de uitleg over de werking van de geest met betrekking tot herinneringen. Interessante materie, waar best iets meer uit gehaald had kunnen worden.
Gedurende het lezen blijft lang onduidelijk wat de waarheid is en wie er liegt/liegen. Dat maakt het slot dan nog een beetje spannend, al was het wellicht voor een thriller beter geweest om enige onzekerheid over te laten. Is dit wel de echte waarheid? Voor lezers met een rijke fantasie is het een kleine moeite een theorie te ontwikkelen die haaks op het slot van 'Het huis op de klif' staat en het tot een onaf verhaal maakt ... Dat zou pas spannend zijn!
Al met al 'Het huis op de klif' met plezier gelezen, ik ga meteen door met deel 2, 'Zwarte vallei'. Helaas is de auteur in 2014 overleden, de reeks rond Jessica Mayhew zal op twee boeken blijven steken.
[spanning 3, plot 3, leesplezier 4, schrijfstijl 3, originaliteit 2, psychologie 3]
Psychotherapeute Jessica Mayhew begeeft zich op glad ijs: zij onderhoudt buiten haar praktijk om contact met (ex-)patiënt Gwydion Morgan en diens familie. Dat is niet te doen gebruikelijk, noch raadzaam. Jessica is geïntrigeerd door een gebeurtenis in het verleden van Gwydion. Berusten diens herinneringen op waarheid of zijn het pseudoherinneringen? En hoe zit het met de overige leden van de familie Morgan?
Tegelijkertijd heeft Jessica privéproblemen. Manlief is vreemdgegaan en oudste dochter denkt zelf te kunnen beslissen wat goed voor haar is.
Locatie: Wales. Verwachting: beschrijvingen van de prachtige natuur aldaar en een goed geschreven spannend verhaal, want 'literaire thriller'. De natuurbeschrijvingen blijken summier, de spanning is - voor zover aanwezig - subtiel, onderhuids. Goed geschreven dan? Nou nee, het is aardig, maar niet bijzonder. Eén keer papieren zakdoekjes uit de tas halen is voldoende, zoals ook één keer de term thuisblijfmoeder voldoende is en de keren dat de leeftijd van dochter Nella aangeduid wordt - ze is 16 - zijn niet te tellen. Charlotte Williams schrijft omslachtig, gebruikt enorm veel woorden om situaties beeldend te maken. Voorbeeld: "Ik liep naar de kapstok, pakte mijn jasje en keek in de spiegel. Ik had alweer donkere wallen onder mijn ogen. Mijn gezicht was een beetje rood, mijn wangen vlekkerig. En mijn haar had ook weleens beter gezeten. Wanneer ik moe ben, heeft mijn haar de gewoonte om zo te gaan zitten dat het er slordig uitziet, met overal plukken, en het proberen glad te strijken heeft dan geen enkele zin. Maar hoewel ik er moe en lichtelijk slonzig uitzag, had mijn gezicht die dag vreemd genoeg ook iets ongewoons, vond ik, in mijn ogen speelde een glinstering van nieuwsgierigheid, van levendigheid. ..."
Het verhaal is goed, voldoende boeiend, zit mooi in elkaar. Verdieping wordt ingebracht door de psychologische bespiegelingen van Jessica en de uitleg over de werking van de geest met betrekking tot herinneringen. Interessante materie, waar best iets meer uit gehaald had kunnen worden.
Gedurende het lezen blijft lang onduidelijk wat de waarheid is en wie er liegt/liegen. Dat maakt het slot dan nog een beetje spannend, al was het wellicht voor een thriller beter geweest om enige onzekerheid over te laten. Is dit wel de echte waarheid? Voor lezers met een rijke fantasie is het een kleine moeite een theorie te ontwikkelen die haaks op het slot van 'Het huis op de klif' staat en het tot een onaf verhaal maakt ... Dat zou pas spannend zijn!
Al met al 'Het huis op de klif' met plezier gelezen, ik ga meteen door met deel 2, 'Zwarte vallei'. Helaas is de auteur in 2014 overleden, de reeks rond Jessica Mayhew zal op twee boeken blijven steken.
[spanning 3, plot 3, leesplezier 4, schrijfstijl 3, originaliteit 2, psychologie 3]
July 14, 2014
The House on the Cliff was a novel that I liked, but which was different from what I expected.
The book's cover, description, and the fact that it was listed as similar to ghost stories like Wendy Webb's The Vanishing, led me to anticipate that The House on the Cliff would be a lyrical, gothic ghost story.
In fact, this drama by author Charlotte Williams does contain a house on a cliff, as well as murder, betrayal, and family secrets, but for all that, it is more rooted in the ordinary world than the mysterious.
The narrator and main character is Jessica Mayhew, a psychotherapist who follows in the Freudian tradition, in which she notes that clients come to her for years and don't always get better. Jessica has just the smallest hint of self-effacing humor, which makes her otherwise self-satisfied pontification seem bearable.
When we meet Jessica, she is dealing with the fallout from the recent discovery that her husband Bob, has cheated on her with a much younger woman. She is also struggling to communicate with two daughters, as they attempt to assert their teen/pre-teen independence.
The story itself is not bad, but it's more about Jessica's relationship to her family, rather than anything ghostly or mysterious. It feels like at its core, this story is about psychology, rather than about the magical or inexplicable.
Also, as noted above, none of the characters are very compelling. Jessica herself makes some callus life choices, and the other characters seem irritating or self-absorbed without having any redeeming qualities.
The House on the Cliff, and its characters, emanate a certain detachment, much like the professional relationship that Jessica strives to achieve with her clients.
Ultimately, The House on the Cliff had all the ingredients to be a haunting mystery. There is a crumbling gothic pile on a cliff, the mysterious drowning of a beautiful young woman, a tortured artist who might or might not be insane. But despite these tantalizing elements, the story stays firmly rooted in the everyday world of urban, contemporary life.
If you're looking for something with a bit more gothic sensibility, I'd recommend the following:
Cauldstane by Linda Gillard (contemporary ghost story set in Scotland)
A Cry in the Night by Tom Grieves (contemporary, disturbing, thriller set in the Lake District)
Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James (ghost story set in an insane asylum in 1919)
The book's cover, description, and the fact that it was listed as similar to ghost stories like Wendy Webb's The Vanishing, led me to anticipate that The House on the Cliff would be a lyrical, gothic ghost story.
In fact, this drama by author Charlotte Williams does contain a house on a cliff, as well as murder, betrayal, and family secrets, but for all that, it is more rooted in the ordinary world than the mysterious.
The narrator and main character is Jessica Mayhew, a psychotherapist who follows in the Freudian tradition, in which she notes that clients come to her for years and don't always get better. Jessica has just the smallest hint of self-effacing humor, which makes her otherwise self-satisfied pontification seem bearable.
When we meet Jessica, she is dealing with the fallout from the recent discovery that her husband Bob, has cheated on her with a much younger woman. She is also struggling to communicate with two daughters, as they attempt to assert their teen/pre-teen independence.
The story itself is not bad, but it's more about Jessica's relationship to her family, rather than anything ghostly or mysterious. It feels like at its core, this story is about psychology, rather than about the magical or inexplicable.
Also, as noted above, none of the characters are very compelling. Jessica herself makes some callus life choices, and the other characters seem irritating or self-absorbed without having any redeeming qualities.
The House on the Cliff, and its characters, emanate a certain detachment, much like the professional relationship that Jessica strives to achieve with her clients.
Ultimately, The House on the Cliff had all the ingredients to be a haunting mystery. There is a crumbling gothic pile on a cliff, the mysterious drowning of a beautiful young woman, a tortured artist who might or might not be insane. But despite these tantalizing elements, the story stays firmly rooted in the everyday world of urban, contemporary life.
If you're looking for something with a bit more gothic sensibility, I'd recommend the following:
Cauldstane by Linda Gillard (contemporary ghost story set in Scotland)
A Cry in the Night by Tom Grieves (contemporary, disturbing, thriller set in the Lake District)
Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James (ghost story set in an insane asylum in 1919)
January 8, 2014
I really wanted to like this book. When I read the back of the book it sounded like an intriguing mystery. The reviews on it weren't great but they weren't horrible and I figured I'd give it a shot.
Unfortunately, what was said in the good reviews I found not to be true. This book, for me, was not a quick read, mostly because I didn't find it that mysterious. I read it slowly because I didn't find myself addicted. It wasn't really BAD, it just wasn't GREAT either. And the mystery? I guessed it nearly from the get go. The entire time I found myself gathering clues for an ending I had already guessed.
The part that I did like from the book was that it had interesting back stories. I wanted to find out what would become of Jessica and her husband after his affair. And I wanted to know what kind of trouble Jessica's daughter was getting herself into. Although the main mystery didn't really interest me, I did like the other storylines and almost wished that the author would have gone further into them.
All in all I can't highly recommend this read, but it also wasn't a total waste. I'd say if someone wants to lend you their copy it's worth a shot but don't go out and buy it.
Unfortunately, what was said in the good reviews I found not to be true. This book, for me, was not a quick read, mostly because I didn't find it that mysterious. I read it slowly because I didn't find myself addicted. It wasn't really BAD, it just wasn't GREAT either. And the mystery? I guessed it nearly from the get go. The entire time I found myself gathering clues for an ending I had already guessed.
The part that I did like from the book was that it had interesting back stories. I wanted to find out what would become of Jessica and her husband after his affair. And I wanted to know what kind of trouble Jessica's daughter was getting herself into. Although the main mystery didn't really interest me, I did like the other storylines and almost wished that the author would have gone further into them.
All in all I can't highly recommend this read, but it also wasn't a total waste. I'd say if someone wants to lend you their copy it's worth a shot but don't go out and buy it.
July 26, 2014
Apparently everyone hated this book but it is the first book I've read in a long time where I just read and enjoyed it and wasn't distracted by how much I HATED EVERYTHING, and that is all I ask for in a book. Also I hate supposedly "good" books (I'm looking at you, The Fault In Our Stars, and your ironic hipster drivel) so maybe I should start looking for more 2 star reviews.
This book was so devoid of strong feelings of hatred that I loved it. Not because it was great, because it wasn't. But because it was actually good enough. In the same way that Nancy Drew is good enough. I just read it and enjoyed it and that was all.
I had absolutely no expectations going in, no idea what it was about, nothing, and it was blissful.
This book was so devoid of strong feelings of hatred that I loved it. Not because it was great, because it wasn't. But because it was actually good enough. In the same way that Nancy Drew is good enough. I just read it and enjoyed it and that was all.
I had absolutely no expectations going in, no idea what it was about, nothing, and it was blissful.
September 21, 2014
I'm being pretty generous with 2 stars. This book is terrible. The therapist is an idiot and completely unbelievable. I mean, I hope to hell if there are therapists like this out there that someone has already identified them and revoke their licenses... kissing clients, private consultations about adult client with parents, trolling clients on the internet, visiting people in other towns to investigate client, recovered memories... I found myself yelling at the main character throughout the book. I think the author should have done their homework to find out what a real therapist would likely do in these scenarios. I wish I read the reviews before I chose this title. I downloaded this from the library as an audio book so I just stuck it out.
January 21, 2014
Elegantly written and a very good story. Easy to quickly become immersed in the life of Jessica Mayhew, the main character, a psychotherapist who becomes embroiled in the life of one of her patients. There are quite a few twists and turns in the story and some good surprises. Overall, a great book, will be looking out for the next from Charlotte Williams.
December 18, 2014
A fast paced psychological thriller that delivered on all levels. Liked it.
October 17, 2018
Hmmm…yet another book about a therapist whose life is in shambles. This time it’s Jessica Mayhew in Charlotte Williams’ novel The House on the Cliff.
Jessica is married to Bob and they live in Wales with their two young daughters. Their marriage isn’t rock-solid: Bob has recently admitted to a one-night stand, and Jessica is having a difficult time forgiving him. Understandably.
Enter Gwydion Morgan.
I noticed immediately when he walked into the room that he was a remarkably handsome man, tall and broad-shouldered, with a natural grace in the way he carried himself. I judged him to be in his late twenties, or thereabouts.
…
Up close I could see that his eyes were green, fringed with thick, black lashes. I looked away. It seemed indecent to do anything else.
That instant attraction is bound to cause some professional conflict, just sayin’. Anyway, Gwydion has come to Jessica with a fear of buttons. Apparently it’s a thing: Koumpounphobia.
Gwydion is an actor on the cusp of his big break. He has a certain theatrical pedigree, too, because his father, Evan, is a brilliant but volatile theatre director. His mother, Arianrhod, is worried about her son’s mental health. Their relationship seems, to the casual observer, a tad co-dependent. When she calls Jessica concerned that Gwydion is suicidal – even though Jessica had seen no signs of this in their therapy – Jessica drives out to their house on the – you guessed it – cliff.
From the minute Jessica steps into the Morgan house, her life becomes entangled with theirs. There is definitely something going on in the house and with the family and Jessica is drawn to them, particularly Gwydion who is both erratic and impossibly attractive. The more time she tries to figure out what is going on, the more she drops the ball in her own life.
There is a Morgan family scandal at the centre of Gwydion’s story. Jessica begins behaving more like a detective and less like a therapist, but whether or not you actually believe someone would make some of the choices she makes or not is actually beside the point. It’s all page-turning fun.
Jessica is married to Bob and they live in Wales with their two young daughters. Their marriage isn’t rock-solid: Bob has recently admitted to a one-night stand, and Jessica is having a difficult time forgiving him. Understandably.
Enter Gwydion Morgan.
I noticed immediately when he walked into the room that he was a remarkably handsome man, tall and broad-shouldered, with a natural grace in the way he carried himself. I judged him to be in his late twenties, or thereabouts.
…
Up close I could see that his eyes were green, fringed with thick, black lashes. I looked away. It seemed indecent to do anything else.
That instant attraction is bound to cause some professional conflict, just sayin’. Anyway, Gwydion has come to Jessica with a fear of buttons. Apparently it’s a thing: Koumpounphobia.
Gwydion is an actor on the cusp of his big break. He has a certain theatrical pedigree, too, because his father, Evan, is a brilliant but volatile theatre director. His mother, Arianrhod, is worried about her son’s mental health. Their relationship seems, to the casual observer, a tad co-dependent. When she calls Jessica concerned that Gwydion is suicidal – even though Jessica had seen no signs of this in their therapy – Jessica drives out to their house on the – you guessed it – cliff.
From the minute Jessica steps into the Morgan house, her life becomes entangled with theirs. There is definitely something going on in the house and with the family and Jessica is drawn to them, particularly Gwydion who is both erratic and impossibly attractive. The more time she tries to figure out what is going on, the more she drops the ball in her own life.
There is a Morgan family scandal at the centre of Gwydion’s story. Jessica begins behaving more like a detective and less like a therapist, but whether or not you actually believe someone would make some of the choices she makes or not is actually beside the point. It’s all page-turning fun.
June 30, 2021
Very predictable. I didn't really get the whole "fall into lust with a younger man" to punish her husband. Like who even does that? Could she seriously not see what Arianrhod (sorry can't be bothered to look up the spelling) was up to? None of the characters felt real, none of the situations felt real. I didn't like the main character and her morals/belief system.
Borrowed the book from the Little Free Library across the street. Took it back as soon as I finished. I'm sorry to the next person who takes it to read.
Borrowed the book from the Little Free Library across the street. Took it back as soon as I finished. I'm sorry to the next person who takes it to read.
March 21, 2024
I did like the book. It was compelling and I was invested in the story, but as it ended I found the mystery itself to be lackluster.
But my main issue was more so that Jessica was an awful mother. Treating her daughter as if she was an adult while still under her care and letting her put herself in ridiculously unsafe situations that are totally unavailable. You’re her mother, not her friend. And it’s not even put forth as, wow she’s being a bad mom. It feels more like it’s supposed to be thought of as good mothering? Idk.
In the end this book was fine.
But my main issue was more so that Jessica was an awful mother. Treating her daughter as if she was an adult while still under her care and letting her put herself in ridiculously unsafe situations that are totally unavailable. You’re her mother, not her friend. And it’s not even put forth as, wow she’s being a bad mom. It feels more like it’s supposed to be thought of as good mothering? Idk.
In the end this book was fine.
December 16, 2024
At first I wondered why this book was rated so low, but after reading it, I can understand why. There is just so much going on. The main plot line of Jessica, the therapist, and the Morgan family and they’re attempt to cover up a murder would’ve been enough to suffice, but with the added plot lines of Jessica’s daughter and one of her ex-clients (who may or may not be a pedophile) and Jessica and her husband’s shaky marriage just overwhelmed me and made me forget what the real story was about here. I also don’t like how stubborn the main character, Jessica, is. Even though she is a therapist and helps people change and talk about their feelings, she doesn’t seem to move on from her husband cheating on her until literally the last 2 pages of the story. She also develops a relationship with one of her clients, who happens to be part of the Morgan family.
November 7, 2025
This is such a... nothing book. The shoehorning of incredibly basic Freudian analysis is extremely wearing. If she's been a therapist for 20 years, how the hell is she Wikipedia page level familiar with Freud? And giving it any credence? Given the fact that pretty much everything the sex obsessed coke head came up with has been largely rubbished? Baffling. Also baffling is how dull each character is. And the protagonist's inner monologue made me want to stick pins in my eyes. Wish she had drowned.
May 4, 2018
Typical of the genre, didn't add any significant twists or surprises. The author made a big deal about the main character being a Freudian psychoanalyst. She may have done her research on Freud but seemed unaware most of Freud's theories have been disproven or are regarded as ridiculous. The main character was too wishy-washy to be taken seriously and the author failed to make the reader care much about the character or the story.
June 12, 2024
The unnecessary details in this book was ridiculous, i don't care about how a kettle sounds. However the plot was surprisingly well though of and was truly unexpected. I don't think this makes up for the rest of the book seeing as there was a romance that was just grooming.
May 27, 2019
I absolutely hated this book. I don't believe in throwing out books and yet I can not in good conscience pass this one on to my friends. Very pathetic storyline and very poorly written.
December 27, 2019
The story line kept me interested but I did skip over a lot of the psychoanalysis. I t read like someone had just read three text books on analysis and then just fit the theories into the story.
December 24, 2020
Solid. Very enjoyable.
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