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The Long Fall
How far would you go to protect your secrets?
Greece, 1980
Emma takes part in a shattering, violent event. An event to which she is anything but an innocent bystander.
She is only eighteen, but this marks her fall from innocence.
It will haunt her for the rest of her life.
London, now
Kate has the perfect existence: a glossy image, a glamorous home, a perfect family.
But there are cracks.
All is not what it seems.
And now the two worlds are about to collide.
Somebody's out for revenge.
Someone who has been waiting thirty years...
Greece, 1980
Emma takes part in a shattering, violent event. An event to which she is anything but an innocent bystander.
She is only eighteen, but this marks her fall from innocence.
It will haunt her for the rest of her life.
London, now
Kate has the perfect existence: a glossy image, a glamorous home, a perfect family.
But there are cracks.
All is not what it seems.
And now the two worlds are about to collide.
Somebody's out for revenge.
Someone who has been waiting thirty years...
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2014
25 people are currently reading
1486 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
July 2, 2014
The Long Fall, by Julia Crouch, is described as a revenge thriller about a mother trying to protect her family. I found this aspect of the plot weak. The protagonist irritated me as so many of her actions reeked of stupidity. Her background may have been sheltered, but a working class girl clever enough to have been offered a place at Cambridge would be capable of critical thinking. The way she acted suggested a distinct lack of cognitive awareness.
Having said that, the first half of the book succeeded in drawing me in. The use of journal entries worked well and the characters were believable enough at this stage. Given their ages and the loneliness of the protagonist whilst travelling, it was possible to accept that she would act as described. Each reader comes to a book with their own personal life experiences colouring how they will respond to the unfolding tale, and I have yet to meet a young person as foolish as Emma, but I could swallow that such a girl may exist.
Having created the background and teased with sparse plot details, the build up to the key act was well written. Even though I knew what was coming I was eager to find out the hows and whys. This middle section was tense and enjoyable. Its conclusion left me satisfied and ready to continue with what was to happen next, the revenge. It was this which disappointed.
As soon as Beattie reappeared I guessed what was coming; not all of the finer details, but the gist of what was happening. A supposedly intelligent woman, even one with the many issues described, would not have walked so blindly into every trap set, would not have complied so meekly. I found too many contradictions in Emma. Whereas I could accept some stupidity in a nineteen year old, alone and afraid in a foreign land, it was harder to believe that a woman with the life experiences described could be so blindly foolish.
My antipathy towards the second half of the book grew as it progressed. I could not believe that, given how these people had acted in the past alongside how they acted now, Emma would not have at least suspected that all was not as it seemed. Her unquestioning acceptance grated to such an extent that I struggled to continue with the story.
The concluding chapters went some way towards redeeming a book that I was no longer enjoying. There were a few pleasing plot twists, although some loose ends were perhaps tied up a little too neatly. It was not enough though. The book was about an act of revenge, and this was the aspect that I found weak. A person with the background and intelligence that the protagonist was given would have shown more sense.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Headline.
Having said that, the first half of the book succeeded in drawing me in. The use of journal entries worked well and the characters were believable enough at this stage. Given their ages and the loneliness of the protagonist whilst travelling, it was possible to accept that she would act as described. Each reader comes to a book with their own personal life experiences colouring how they will respond to the unfolding tale, and I have yet to meet a young person as foolish as Emma, but I could swallow that such a girl may exist.
Having created the background and teased with sparse plot details, the build up to the key act was well written. Even though I knew what was coming I was eager to find out the hows and whys. This middle section was tense and enjoyable. Its conclusion left me satisfied and ready to continue with what was to happen next, the revenge. It was this which disappointed.
As soon as Beattie reappeared I guessed what was coming; not all of the finer details, but the gist of what was happening. A supposedly intelligent woman, even one with the many issues described, would not have walked so blindly into every trap set, would not have complied so meekly. I found too many contradictions in Emma. Whereas I could accept some stupidity in a nineteen year old, alone and afraid in a foreign land, it was harder to believe that a woman with the life experiences described could be so blindly foolish.
My antipathy towards the second half of the book grew as it progressed. I could not believe that, given how these people had acted in the past alongside how they acted now, Emma would not have at least suspected that all was not as it seemed. Her unquestioning acceptance grated to such an extent that I struggled to continue with the story.
The concluding chapters went some way towards redeeming a book that I was no longer enjoying. There were a few pleasing plot twists, although some loose ends were perhaps tied up a little too neatly. It was not enough though. The book was about an act of revenge, and this was the aspect that I found weak. A person with the background and intelligence that the protagonist was given would have shown more sense.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Headline.
March 27, 2014
Publication Date: June 19th 2014 from Headline
Thank you to the author and publisher for the netgalley review copy.
Greece, 1980
Emma takes part in a shattering, violent event. An event to which she is anything but an innocent bystander.
She is only eighteen, but this marks her fall from innocence.
It will haunt her for the rest of her life.
In present day London Kate has the perfect existence: a glossy image, a glamorous home, a perfect family.
But there are cracks.
All is not what it seems.
And now the two worlds are about to collide.
Somebody’s out for revenge.
Someone who has been waiting thirty years..
I loved “Tarnished” so I dove right into The Long Fall and, well, it was positively full to the brim of brilliantly addictive characters, some wonderful twisty turny storytelling and plenty of emotion. From me as well. I did a lot of shouting, the odd bit of sighing and also shed a tear or two especially at the end.
The one thing I love about Ms Crouch and her novels is the amazing way she writes the relationships between her characters, with all the nuances and emotions that are just below the surface, those things that create or break a friendship or a love connection. And how all of them are so beautifully flawed in such utterly authentic ways. Add into that the life events that can overtake us all and you have the ingredients for a page turner of the highest order. Indeed.
I was extremely attached to Emma – on her first real life adventure so much goes horribly wrong for her, I felt her anguish and her horror. With an equal amount of attachment I wanted to kick Kate up the bottom for her complete inability to think straight half the time. This is how Ms Crouch gets you – you are so immersed into what is going on you half feel you COULD make comment and be heard.
As we read about Emma’s journey via her diary, and watch as Kate attempts to stop her life unravelling, it really is compelling stuff. On top of that there is an absolute sense of place, especially when it comes to the portions set in Greece – so the journey is taken by the reader as much as by the characters. And that folks is how to write a story with a heart of gold.
I had my favourite character – Tilly – and my least favourite character – nope not saying – I fell into the story at every opportunity I had and I loved every minute of it. Wonderful descriptive prose, a touch of social commentary on how violence affects us and a hugely engaging and intriguing read.
Terrific stuff. Recommended.
Happy Reading Folks!
Thank you to the author and publisher for the netgalley review copy.
Greece, 1980
Emma takes part in a shattering, violent event. An event to which she is anything but an innocent bystander.
She is only eighteen, but this marks her fall from innocence.
It will haunt her for the rest of her life.
In present day London Kate has the perfect existence: a glossy image, a glamorous home, a perfect family.
But there are cracks.
All is not what it seems.
And now the two worlds are about to collide.
Somebody’s out for revenge.
Someone who has been waiting thirty years..
I loved “Tarnished” so I dove right into The Long Fall and, well, it was positively full to the brim of brilliantly addictive characters, some wonderful twisty turny storytelling and plenty of emotion. From me as well. I did a lot of shouting, the odd bit of sighing and also shed a tear or two especially at the end.
The one thing I love about Ms Crouch and her novels is the amazing way she writes the relationships between her characters, with all the nuances and emotions that are just below the surface, those things that create or break a friendship or a love connection. And how all of them are so beautifully flawed in such utterly authentic ways. Add into that the life events that can overtake us all and you have the ingredients for a page turner of the highest order. Indeed.
I was extremely attached to Emma – on her first real life adventure so much goes horribly wrong for her, I felt her anguish and her horror. With an equal amount of attachment I wanted to kick Kate up the bottom for her complete inability to think straight half the time. This is how Ms Crouch gets you – you are so immersed into what is going on you half feel you COULD make comment and be heard.
As we read about Emma’s journey via her diary, and watch as Kate attempts to stop her life unravelling, it really is compelling stuff. On top of that there is an absolute sense of place, especially when it comes to the portions set in Greece – so the journey is taken by the reader as much as by the characters. And that folks is how to write a story with a heart of gold.
I had my favourite character – Tilly – and my least favourite character – nope not saying – I fell into the story at every opportunity I had and I loved every minute of it. Wonderful descriptive prose, a touch of social commentary on how violence affects us and a hugely engaging and intriguing read.
Terrific stuff. Recommended.
Happy Reading Folks!
July 2, 2018
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, my thanks to the publishers and the author for the opportunity.
A fantastic intriguing and fast paced novel from Julia Crouch. I could not put this one down once I started reading.
The book covers a tragic event that occurs on a backpacking holiday in Greece in 1980, the book weaves it's way through the events leading up to the tragedy in great detail, a young woman is linked to the tragedy, and indeed her journey up to that point is somewhat of a tragedy also. She's a complex, messed up, damaged young woman.
Fast forward many years and we hear how she is getting on, her life being very different to what it was back then. But suddenly the two journeys collide with a bang and all is not what it seems.
The book flips back and forth from the different time frames until it all comes together, the pace of the book is fantastic and the twists and turns keep you wanting more. The characters in the book are really well written, very real, gritty descriptions of people that you can connect with and "be there with" in the book.
I loved the whole book, my first novel from Julia Crouch that I have read, possibly not the last however. I particularly enjoyed the ending, I thought I had it figured out, but not quite, the book still had some surprises to throw up at me.
The descriptions of backpacking in Greece in the 80's was fantastic, no doubt very accurate of journeys taken in those times, the smells, the sounds, the ouzo, the people, the food, the beaches, the heat and young people everywhere having a good time. But make no mistake the book takes a sinister twist away from all these good times and I loved it, just loved it.
A fantastic intriguing and fast paced novel from Julia Crouch. I could not put this one down once I started reading.
The book covers a tragic event that occurs on a backpacking holiday in Greece in 1980, the book weaves it's way through the events leading up to the tragedy in great detail, a young woman is linked to the tragedy, and indeed her journey up to that point is somewhat of a tragedy also. She's a complex, messed up, damaged young woman.
Fast forward many years and we hear how she is getting on, her life being very different to what it was back then. But suddenly the two journeys collide with a bang and all is not what it seems.
The book flips back and forth from the different time frames until it all comes together, the pace of the book is fantastic and the twists and turns keep you wanting more. The characters in the book are really well written, very real, gritty descriptions of people that you can connect with and "be there with" in the book.
I loved the whole book, my first novel from Julia Crouch that I have read, possibly not the last however. I particularly enjoyed the ending, I thought I had it figured out, but not quite, the book still had some surprises to throw up at me.
The descriptions of backpacking in Greece in the 80's was fantastic, no doubt very accurate of journeys taken in those times, the smells, the sounds, the ouzo, the people, the food, the beaches, the heat and young people everywhere having a good time. But make no mistake the book takes a sinister twist away from all these good times and I loved it, just loved it.
May 27, 2016
If you don't see The Big Twist coming in the early parts of the book, you'd better check your pulse to ensure you're still alive. I have concluded that the author believes her readers are as dense and clueless as her protagonist Kate.
June 20, 2016
The Long Fall sets out with an irresistible premise, posing the question of just how far each of us would go to protect our secrets and those we hold nearest and dearest. Julia Crouch explores this through the eyes of fifty-year old Kate Barratt, wife of wealthy hedge fund manager, Mark, mother to eighteen year old daughter, Tilly and prominent charity campaigner at the helm of Martha's Wish. When her younger daughter, Martha, died from an inoperable brain tumour at the age of eight, Kate established the charity to promote education in some of the most impoverished countries in Africa. As an image of Kate wings its way around the world via social media dubbed as the "Face of Kindness", does anyone really know the woman hidden behind the opulence and beautiful facade? More importantly, how will Kate respond when a mistake she made over three decades ago threatens her picture perfect existence and everything she treasures?
As an eighteen year old Kate made an admittedly very big mistake when she spent a month InterRailing through Europe, but she considers that she has more than paid her penance with the loss of Martha, a situation she holds herself partially responsible for. Yet when Tilly announces her own plans to travel to the Greek islands and the very scene of Kate's nightmare, the memories of those events collides with the comfort and security of the present day. As Tilly plans her journey, Kate battles with her neuroses and self-critical behaviour, but the appearance of an 'old friend' from her time travelling threatening to expose a truth that she knows could ruin everything is looming ominously. Kate is prickly before Tilly's news and there is something anxious about her days, filled with superstitions and routines surrounding food and cleaning and her refusal to 'repurpose' Martha's former bedroom. As her fears grow these are exacerbated as she seeks to regain control and there is a palpable sense of both Tilly and Mark bearing with her idiosyncrasies.
It is thinly veiled throughout the early part of the novel that the travelogue of naive northern teenager Emma James, is an earlier day incarnation of Kate. The first part of the novel interweaved snapshots of Kate's current life with extracts from the 1980 diary of Emma and this had the effect of seeing the story unravel from the point of view of the same person but at drastically different points in their life which worked very well. The second portion focuses on the travelling experience of Emma and the two American travelling companions that she meets along the way, Beattie and Jake. Both are older with strong personalities and a rather more louche attitude to experiencing the joy of travelling in Europe. I would have appreciated the opportunity to see how the trio interacted but the focus was firmly on the alcohol, slimming pills and Valium consumption and did became slightly repetitive as days passed in a haze. The final third brings events full circle as Kate is forced to confront a past she has desperately tried to forget for the last thirty years with the arrival of one of her former travelling companions.
I know that other reviews had difficulty forging any kind of attachment to the principal character, with many finding the teenage Emma overly naive and her older incarnation of Kate as lacking backbone. In mitigation, that Emma went InterRailing in 1980 must surely allow for some of the decisions she made as the teenagers of the eighties were a markedly different quantity than the street smart and cynical teens of today. Emma is well drawn in terms of being achingly self-conscious and desperate to impress her companions. Kate is highly sensitive and not easy to be around, and by virtue of her very issues she becomes someone your sympathies do not naturally lie with, yet I could glimpse the truth behind the portrayal.
I do think some colour on the transition that Emma underwent to re-emerge as Kate Barratt would have added something and on finishing the book I couldn't help wondering if perhaps looking more closely at how Emma coped in the aftermath of her InterRailing experience would have added another dimension to The Long Fall. I was far from convinced that the easily led Emma would have pulled herself up by the bootstraps to re-emerge as the adult Kate, especially when she still seemed so fragile herself.
Whilst I have gained a fair idea into where the novel was headed a dramatic denouement was resolved well and delivered a few pleasant surprises, including Kate's first display of fighting spirit. Whilst I didn't think the characters were the most realistic, The Long Fall was still an interesting read which highlights three very different responses to one life changing experience on the idyllic Greek island of Ikaria. Julia Crouch also dealt thoughtfully with the various coping strategies which a growing propensity of the population, including Kate, find comfort in at times of crisis.
I felt this novel lacked guile and made its points in a slightly heavy handed manner. Whereas I would have preferred to observe and make my own inferences and judgements I felt that Crouch had a tendency to signpost how she wanted her readers to interpret situations. At just over four hundred pages The Long Fall felt a little like it ran out of steam, and the growing number of implausibilities towards the end certainly diluted the impact of the novel. In conclusion, The Long Fall suffers from making its ambitions too clear from the start and my inability to sustain interest in four of the five principal characters did nothing to help. An interesting novel which I felt lacked the strong characters needed to be at its most effective, but the narrative style worked well.
As an eighteen year old Kate made an admittedly very big mistake when she spent a month InterRailing through Europe, but she considers that she has more than paid her penance with the loss of Martha, a situation she holds herself partially responsible for. Yet when Tilly announces her own plans to travel to the Greek islands and the very scene of Kate's nightmare, the memories of those events collides with the comfort and security of the present day. As Tilly plans her journey, Kate battles with her neuroses and self-critical behaviour, but the appearance of an 'old friend' from her time travelling threatening to expose a truth that she knows could ruin everything is looming ominously. Kate is prickly before Tilly's news and there is something anxious about her days, filled with superstitions and routines surrounding food and cleaning and her refusal to 'repurpose' Martha's former bedroom. As her fears grow these are exacerbated as she seeks to regain control and there is a palpable sense of both Tilly and Mark bearing with her idiosyncrasies.
It is thinly veiled throughout the early part of the novel that the travelogue of naive northern teenager Emma James, is an earlier day incarnation of Kate. The first part of the novel interweaved snapshots of Kate's current life with extracts from the 1980 diary of Emma and this had the effect of seeing the story unravel from the point of view of the same person but at drastically different points in their life which worked very well. The second portion focuses on the travelling experience of Emma and the two American travelling companions that she meets along the way, Beattie and Jake. Both are older with strong personalities and a rather more louche attitude to experiencing the joy of travelling in Europe. I would have appreciated the opportunity to see how the trio interacted but the focus was firmly on the alcohol, slimming pills and Valium consumption and did became slightly repetitive as days passed in a haze. The final third brings events full circle as Kate is forced to confront a past she has desperately tried to forget for the last thirty years with the arrival of one of her former travelling companions.
I know that other reviews had difficulty forging any kind of attachment to the principal character, with many finding the teenage Emma overly naive and her older incarnation of Kate as lacking backbone. In mitigation, that Emma went InterRailing in 1980 must surely allow for some of the decisions she made as the teenagers of the eighties were a markedly different quantity than the street smart and cynical teens of today. Emma is well drawn in terms of being achingly self-conscious and desperate to impress her companions. Kate is highly sensitive and not easy to be around, and by virtue of her very issues she becomes someone your sympathies do not naturally lie with, yet I could glimpse the truth behind the portrayal.
I do think some colour on the transition that Emma underwent to re-emerge as Kate Barratt would have added something and on finishing the book I couldn't help wondering if perhaps looking more closely at how Emma coped in the aftermath of her InterRailing experience would have added another dimension to The Long Fall. I was far from convinced that the easily led Emma would have pulled herself up by the bootstraps to re-emerge as the adult Kate, especially when she still seemed so fragile herself.
Whilst I have gained a fair idea into where the novel was headed a dramatic denouement was resolved well and delivered a few pleasant surprises, including Kate's first display of fighting spirit. Whilst I didn't think the characters were the most realistic, The Long Fall was still an interesting read which highlights three very different responses to one life changing experience on the idyllic Greek island of Ikaria. Julia Crouch also dealt thoughtfully with the various coping strategies which a growing propensity of the population, including Kate, find comfort in at times of crisis.
I felt this novel lacked guile and made its points in a slightly heavy handed manner. Whereas I would have preferred to observe and make my own inferences and judgements I felt that Crouch had a tendency to signpost how she wanted her readers to interpret situations. At just over four hundred pages The Long Fall felt a little like it ran out of steam, and the growing number of implausibilities towards the end certainly diluted the impact of the novel. In conclusion, The Long Fall suffers from making its ambitions too clear from the start and my inability to sustain interest in four of the five principal characters did nothing to help. An interesting novel which I felt lacked the strong characters needed to be at its most effective, but the narrative style worked well.
March 23, 2019
This review was originally posted on Between My Lines
This one was a page turner and a half! Not for the twists, not for the shock value but for two fascinating characters whose stories command your attention. So I’m warning you now, before you start it, clear the decks as all you will want to do is read and read and read.
My Thoughts on The Long Fall by Julia Crouch
As soon as I saw the 1980s Greece setting, I had to have it. And while reading, I was thoroughly immersed in the seedier side of Athens, drowning in cheap booze and experiencing the fear and exhilaration of a young girl exploring the world for the first time.
The story is told in dual point of view. You have Emma who is eighteen, on a whirlwind tour of Europe before she starts University. Her story bubbles with naivety and youth. Then there is Kate who is living in present day London with the picture perfect life. Both characters draw you in but the one the held my attention the most was Emma even if half the time I wanted to shake some much needed sense in to her.
Emma’s story is told though journal entries and I loved this. They perfectly captured a young girls voice. They showed her cocky attitude before she set off and how her confidence crumbled as she realised she wasn’t ready for the big bad world. She was so vulnerable and the tone of her journal just made me feel everything that she was feeling. The 1980s setting was perfect also as it made her seem very isolated. She couldn’t just text home or facetime friends. It was just Emma on her own with no one to depend on.
The Greece setting was spot on and captured the chaotic atmosphere perfectly. The London setting was calm and settled in comparison. Until suddenly, it wasn’t. You get a birds eye view of both Emma and Kate’s lives derailing fast and furiously. And the plotline hooks you in and holds you firmly in place. I was going nowhere till I got to the bottom of this mess.
I did find the twist was predictable and I didn’t mind in the slightest. I was so caught up in both characters, the settings, the dramatic events unfolding in both storylines that the lack of curveballs didn’t reduce my pleasure at all. In fact, it nearly enhanced it as I couldn’t wait for it all to play out and for the characters to catch up with events.
It’s also not the darkest thriller you will read but it has some intense chilling moments. Other parts of the book feel like a gritty coming of age book. Together they meshed together and made it a really enjoyable, exciting read for me.
Who should read The Long Fall by Julia Crouch?
I’d highly recommend this to all those who like psychological thrillers that focus more on great characters and settings than on twisty twists. I loved it and think that if you are a fan of Sophie Hannah, Linwood Barclay or Samantha Hayes then you would also enjoy this one. If you have a loved one heading off for a gap year; maybe skip this one! Or wait until they are safely home at least.
Thanks to Bookbridgr and Headline for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
This one was a page turner and a half! Not for the twists, not for the shock value but for two fascinating characters whose stories command your attention. So I’m warning you now, before you start it, clear the decks as all you will want to do is read and read and read.
“There were two truly unforgettable days in the life of Giorgios Moraitis.”
My Thoughts on The Long Fall by Julia Crouch
As soon as I saw the 1980s Greece setting, I had to have it. And while reading, I was thoroughly immersed in the seedier side of Athens, drowning in cheap booze and experiencing the fear and exhilaration of a young girl exploring the world for the first time.
The story is told in dual point of view. You have Emma who is eighteen, on a whirlwind tour of Europe before she starts University. Her story bubbles with naivety and youth. Then there is Kate who is living in present day London with the picture perfect life. Both characters draw you in but the one the held my attention the most was Emma even if half the time I wanted to shake some much needed sense in to her.
Emma’s story is told though journal entries and I loved this. They perfectly captured a young girls voice. They showed her cocky attitude before she set off and how her confidence crumbled as she realised she wasn’t ready for the big bad world. She was so vulnerable and the tone of her journal just made me feel everything that she was feeling. The 1980s setting was perfect also as it made her seem very isolated. She couldn’t just text home or facetime friends. It was just Emma on her own with no one to depend on.
The Greece setting was spot on and captured the chaotic atmosphere perfectly. The London setting was calm and settled in comparison. Until suddenly, it wasn’t. You get a birds eye view of both Emma and Kate’s lives derailing fast and furiously. And the plotline hooks you in and holds you firmly in place. I was going nowhere till I got to the bottom of this mess.
I did find the twist was predictable and I didn’t mind in the slightest. I was so caught up in both characters, the settings, the dramatic events unfolding in both storylines that the lack of curveballs didn’t reduce my pleasure at all. In fact, it nearly enhanced it as I couldn’t wait for it all to play out and for the characters to catch up with events.
It’s also not the darkest thriller you will read but it has some intense chilling moments. Other parts of the book feel like a gritty coming of age book. Together they meshed together and made it a really enjoyable, exciting read for me.
Who should read The Long Fall by Julia Crouch?
I’d highly recommend this to all those who like psychological thrillers that focus more on great characters and settings than on twisty twists. I loved it and think that if you are a fan of Sophie Hannah, Linwood Barclay or Samantha Hayes then you would also enjoy this one. If you have a loved one heading off for a gap year; maybe skip this one! Or wait until they are safely home at least.
Thanks to Bookbridgr and Headline for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
June 2, 2014
If you are looking for the perfect holiday read then this may just be it. Julia Crouch takes her readers on a journey to the island of Ikaria, taking in France and Athens on the way. This is the story of lone female traveller, Emma James, just eighteen in 1981, a girl determined to leave the northern town of Ripon behind, along with her boring parents and have an adventure before going to University but something terrible happens during the trip that changes her life forever.
In the present Kate is the ‘Face of Kindness’ having set up a charity to help young girls in Africa, a charity born out of despair following the death of her young daughter Martha. Having conquered her fear of flying to visit a newly opened school she is back at home with her hedge fund manager husband Mark and teenage daughter Tilly. When Tilly announces she wants to go travelling Kate’s tenuous grip on normality begins to unravel but worse is still to come, a bit of her past comes bounding back into her life and choices must be made.
I love books that flip backwards and forwards through time particularly when the past is in the form of journal entries, and this one has the added distinction of the past being set during a trip where the life’s normal boundaries are different. I felt I was there with Emma, drinking at the tavern, sleeping on the roof and meeting new people. The spell only breaking momentarily when modern phrases crept into the journal that wasn’t exactly authentic to the time it was set in, but I was able to forgive this and favour instead the fast-moving plot and maternal feelings towards Emma, alone and unsure in a foreign land.
To enjoy this book you do have to leave some logic behind especially in relation to some of Kate’s decisions and I have to admit I guessed most of the outcome but I wasn’t quite sure enough that it spoilt my enjoyment of this fast-paced and disturbing book.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers Headline ahead of the publication date of 19 June 2014.
In the present Kate is the ‘Face of Kindness’ having set up a charity to help young girls in Africa, a charity born out of despair following the death of her young daughter Martha. Having conquered her fear of flying to visit a newly opened school she is back at home with her hedge fund manager husband Mark and teenage daughter Tilly. When Tilly announces she wants to go travelling Kate’s tenuous grip on normality begins to unravel but worse is still to come, a bit of her past comes bounding back into her life and choices must be made.
I love books that flip backwards and forwards through time particularly when the past is in the form of journal entries, and this one has the added distinction of the past being set during a trip where the life’s normal boundaries are different. I felt I was there with Emma, drinking at the tavern, sleeping on the roof and meeting new people. The spell only breaking momentarily when modern phrases crept into the journal that wasn’t exactly authentic to the time it was set in, but I was able to forgive this and favour instead the fast-moving plot and maternal feelings towards Emma, alone and unsure in a foreign land.
To enjoy this book you do have to leave some logic behind especially in relation to some of Kate’s decisions and I have to admit I guessed most of the outcome but I wasn’t quite sure enough that it spoilt my enjoyment of this fast-paced and disturbing book.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers Headline ahead of the publication date of 19 June 2014.
September 8, 2014
Its 1981 and a young girl goes off on her travels through Europe. She's young, she's naive and inexperienced.
The book starts off with what looks like a struggle on a mountain top, but when she peers closer, its two people struggling. One goes over the edge.
The next part of the book covers entry's similar to data in a diary.
We move on to where she has married, and what appears from the outside a perfect home and family life. But cracks in the family life seem to appear bigger and larger as times goes on, opening and bringing in reminders of long past.
This is a case of where the past comes back to haunt you.
The ending was not a surprise, but it didn't spoil the book for me one little bit.
I loved this thriller and would like to than Headline via Net Galley for granted me a complimentary copy to read and give my honest review on.
The book starts off with what looks like a struggle on a mountain top, but when she peers closer, its two people struggling. One goes over the edge.
The next part of the book covers entry's similar to data in a diary.
We move on to where she has married, and what appears from the outside a perfect home and family life. But cracks in the family life seem to appear bigger and larger as times goes on, opening and bringing in reminders of long past.
This is a case of where the past comes back to haunt you.
The ending was not a surprise, but it didn't spoil the book for me one little bit.
I loved this thriller and would like to than Headline via Net Galley for granted me a complimentary copy to read and give my honest review on.
July 26, 2014
Published by headline on 19th June 2014. Thanks to Sam Eades at headline for the proof copy of this book, which I received in return for an honest review.
Set in part on the beautiful Greek island of Ikaria, this book is about secrets.'How far would you go to protect your secrets?' asks the back cover header. Promising intrigue and more than a little danger, this novel appealed to my love of suspense. I was not disappointed.
We follow main character Kate as she goes about her life as a housewife to mega-rich Mark. Kate's life seems idyllic - she lives in a magnificent house, has access to more money than she knows what to do with, a wardrobe full of designer labels and a perfect family. Sound too good to be true?
We also follow teenager Emma as she travels alone in 1980, ending up in Greece. Here she makes friends with fellow Americans Jake and her lookalike Beattie. The trio throw themselves into the party lifestyle, with alcohol galore and more than a handful of Valium and slimming pills thrown in for good measure.
I found the characters well written and endearing, and the use of descriptive language made Greece and Ikaria come to life. The parallel stories were each given appropriate time to develop, so I felt I really got to know Kate and Emma.
Around the middle of the book I was floundering a bit, as I could feel that something big was approaching and I wasn't getting there fast enough!
There are a couple of big twists in this novel that I'd already sussed out before they were revealed, which was a little disappointing, but this didn't detract from the fact that this is a thoroughly good read. I'd recommend this to anyone with a love of suspense and/or thrillers particularly, but I'm sure it will appeal to a wide range of readers. 4.5/5 stars
Set in part on the beautiful Greek island of Ikaria, this book is about secrets.'How far would you go to protect your secrets?' asks the back cover header. Promising intrigue and more than a little danger, this novel appealed to my love of suspense. I was not disappointed.
We follow main character Kate as she goes about her life as a housewife to mega-rich Mark. Kate's life seems idyllic - she lives in a magnificent house, has access to more money than she knows what to do with, a wardrobe full of designer labels and a perfect family. Sound too good to be true?
We also follow teenager Emma as she travels alone in 1980, ending up in Greece. Here she makes friends with fellow Americans Jake and her lookalike Beattie. The trio throw themselves into the party lifestyle, with alcohol galore and more than a handful of Valium and slimming pills thrown in for good measure.
I found the characters well written and endearing, and the use of descriptive language made Greece and Ikaria come to life. The parallel stories were each given appropriate time to develop, so I felt I really got to know Kate and Emma.
Around the middle of the book I was floundering a bit, as I could feel that something big was approaching and I wasn't getting there fast enough!
There are a couple of big twists in this novel that I'd already sussed out before they were revealed, which was a little disappointing, but this didn't detract from the fact that this is a thoroughly good read. I'd recommend this to anyone with a love of suspense and/or thrillers particularly, but I'm sure it will appeal to a wide range of readers. 4.5/5 stars
July 27, 2014
Great description of backpacking holidays in youth and how things can spin out of control. A slow-burning mystery with a bit of an implausible end, but very interesting set-up.
February 18, 2015
Greece, 1980 - Emma takes part in a shattering, violent event. An event to which she is anything but an innocent bystander. She is only eighteen, but this marks her fall from innocence.It will haunt her for the rest of her life.
London, now - Kate has the perfect existence: a glossy image, a glamorous home, a perfect family.
But there are cracks. All is not what it seems. And now the two worlds are about to collide. Somebody's out for revenge. Someone who has been waiting thirty years...
I really enjoyed this book and yes, you do need to suspend belief quite a bit, especially towards the end, but the long section where Emma's diary outlines her travels in Greece is truly atmospheric and mesmerizing. I wanted this to go on and on. I did InterRail myself at 18, so there were a lot of nostalgic reminders. Shame we had to come back to London for the grown up Emma, but then there was a whole convoluted plot to get through after that! Suspension of belief aside, I did find this gripping. I had some ideas about 'how it was done', but there was always a twists and then another twist after that. So many, in fact, that I did end up a bit dizzy! Will certainly read more, though.
London, now - Kate has the perfect existence: a glossy image, a glamorous home, a perfect family.
But there are cracks. All is not what it seems. And now the two worlds are about to collide. Somebody's out for revenge. Someone who has been waiting thirty years...
I really enjoyed this book and yes, you do need to suspend belief quite a bit, especially towards the end, but the long section where Emma's diary outlines her travels in Greece is truly atmospheric and mesmerizing. I wanted this to go on and on. I did InterRail myself at 18, so there were a lot of nostalgic reminders. Shame we had to come back to London for the grown up Emma, but then there was a whole convoluted plot to get through after that! Suspension of belief aside, I did find this gripping. I had some ideas about 'how it was done', but there was always a twists and then another twist after that. So many, in fact, that I did end up a bit dizzy! Will certainly read more, though.
August 28, 2014
This one was a page turner and a half! Not for the twists, not for the shock value but for two fascinating characters whose stories command your attention. So I’m warning you now, before you start it, clear the decks as all you will want to do is read and read and read.
My Thoughts on The Long Fall by Julia Crouch
As soon as I saw the 1980s Greece setting, I had to have it. And while reading, I was thoroughly immersed in the seedier side of Athens, drowning in cheap booze and experiencing the fear and exhilaration of a young girl exploring the world for the first time.
The story is told in dual point of view. You have Emma who is eighteen, on a whirlwind tour of Europe before she starts University. Her story bubbles with naivety and youth. Then there is Kate who is living in present day London with the picture perfect life. Both characters draw you in but the one the held my attention the most was Emma even if half the time I wanted to shake some much needed sense in to her.
Emma’s story is told though journal entries and I loved this. They perfectly captured a young girls voice. They showed her cocky attitude before she set off and how her confidence crumbled as she realised she wasn’t ready for the big bad world. She was so vulnerable and the tone of her journal just made me feel everything that she was feeling. The 1980s setting was perfect also as it made her seem very isolated. She couldn’t just text home or facetime friends. It was just Emma on her own with no one to depend on.
The Greece setting was spot on and captured the chaotic atmosphere perfectly. The London setting was calm and settled in comparison. Until suddenly, it wasn’t. You get a birds eye view of both Emma and Kate’s lives derailing fast and furiously. And the plotline hooks you in and holds you firmly in place. I was going nowhere till I got to the bottom of this mess.
I did find the twist was predictable and I didn’t mind in the slightest. I was so caught up in both characters, the settings, the dramatic events unfolding in both storylines that the lack of curveballs didn’t reduce my pleasure at all. In fact, it nearly enhanced it as I couldn’t wait for it all to play out and for the characters to catch up with events.
It’s also not the darkest thriller you will read but it has some intense chilling moments. Other parts of the book feel like a gritty coming of age book. Together they meshed together and made it a really enjoyable, exciting read for me.
Who should read The Long Fall by Julia Crouch?
I’d highly recommend this to all those who like psychological thrillers that focus more on great characters and settings than on twisty twists. I loved it and think that if you are a fan of Sophie Hannah, Linwood Barclay or Samantha Hayes then you would also enjoy this one. If you have a loved one heading off for a gap year; maybe skip this one! Or wait until they are safely home at least.
Thanks to Bookbridgr and Headline for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
My Thoughts on The Long Fall by Julia Crouch
As soon as I saw the 1980s Greece setting, I had to have it. And while reading, I was thoroughly immersed in the seedier side of Athens, drowning in cheap booze and experiencing the fear and exhilaration of a young girl exploring the world for the first time.
The story is told in dual point of view. You have Emma who is eighteen, on a whirlwind tour of Europe before she starts University. Her story bubbles with naivety and youth. Then there is Kate who is living in present day London with the picture perfect life. Both characters draw you in but the one the held my attention the most was Emma even if half the time I wanted to shake some much needed sense in to her.
Emma’s story is told though journal entries and I loved this. They perfectly captured a young girls voice. They showed her cocky attitude before she set off and how her confidence crumbled as she realised she wasn’t ready for the big bad world. She was so vulnerable and the tone of her journal just made me feel everything that she was feeling. The 1980s setting was perfect also as it made her seem very isolated. She couldn’t just text home or facetime friends. It was just Emma on her own with no one to depend on.
The Greece setting was spot on and captured the chaotic atmosphere perfectly. The London setting was calm and settled in comparison. Until suddenly, it wasn’t. You get a birds eye view of both Emma and Kate’s lives derailing fast and furiously. And the plotline hooks you in and holds you firmly in place. I was going nowhere till I got to the bottom of this mess.
I did find the twist was predictable and I didn’t mind in the slightest. I was so caught up in both characters, the settings, the dramatic events unfolding in both storylines that the lack of curveballs didn’t reduce my pleasure at all. In fact, it nearly enhanced it as I couldn’t wait for it all to play out and for the characters to catch up with events.
It’s also not the darkest thriller you will read but it has some intense chilling moments. Other parts of the book feel like a gritty coming of age book. Together they meshed together and made it a really enjoyable, exciting read for me.
Who should read The Long Fall by Julia Crouch?
I’d highly recommend this to all those who like psychological thrillers that focus more on great characters and settings than on twisty twists. I loved it and think that if you are a fan of Sophie Hannah, Linwood Barclay or Samantha Hayes then you would also enjoy this one. If you have a loved one heading off for a gap year; maybe skip this one! Or wait until they are safely home at least.
Thanks to Bookbridgr and Headline for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
February 18, 2015
I've enjoyed reading two previous Julia Crouch novels but I'm sorry to say that this one didn't really work for me. The first half of the story is the slowest and told by way of journal entries kept by Emma. The main story is set in Greece, back in 1980 when 18 year old Emma is free from the stifling care of her parents and backpacking her way around Europe. After a traumatic event in France, she comes to Greece and is seduced by the hot summer heat and the booze and the drugs. She pals up with a couple of fellow backpackers, Jake and Beattie, and this is where her troubles really begin.
The biggest problem I had with this first half was the inability to feel much empathy with Emma. For an 18 year old, she seemed far too gullible and even though I could accept that she was lonely and out of her depth, I found some of her decisions highly questionable. However, the positive for me was the excellent description of the Greek countryside. There was a great sense of place and I could almost feel the searing summer heat and the atmospheric towns and bars.
The second half of the story centres around Kate and this is where the story really nosedives. Kate is in her fifties, married to a very wealthy businessman and has a daughter, Tilly - who is determined to save up and go backpacking...in Greece. Having lost a young child, Kate and her husband have set up a children's charity called Martha's Wish. It is Kate's charity that will be the catalyst for what is to follow.
I don't often guess the outcome of a thriller correctly but in this case as soon as we got to Kate's story it was obvious where the story was heading and I was proved correct; it was a pity because this took away the element of surprise and suspense and I spent the rest of the book waiting for the characters to catch up. As a mature character, Kate had even less backbone and was more annoying than the much younger Emma; some of her decisions were beyond stupid and I couldn't believe that somebody of her age, and with her supposed intelligence could behave in such a way.
The story isn't really bad by any means and there are some good twists and turns but in my view for this to work as a thriller, it requires the suspension of too much belief but, if you can get past the bizarre and unlikely turn of events, then you may well enjoy this.
The biggest problem I had with this first half was the inability to feel much empathy with Emma. For an 18 year old, she seemed far too gullible and even though I could accept that she was lonely and out of her depth, I found some of her decisions highly questionable. However, the positive for me was the excellent description of the Greek countryside. There was a great sense of place and I could almost feel the searing summer heat and the atmospheric towns and bars.
The second half of the story centres around Kate and this is where the story really nosedives. Kate is in her fifties, married to a very wealthy businessman and has a daughter, Tilly - who is determined to save up and go backpacking...in Greece. Having lost a young child, Kate and her husband have set up a children's charity called Martha's Wish. It is Kate's charity that will be the catalyst for what is to follow.
I don't often guess the outcome of a thriller correctly but in this case as soon as we got to Kate's story it was obvious where the story was heading and I was proved correct; it was a pity because this took away the element of surprise and suspense and I spent the rest of the book waiting for the characters to catch up. As a mature character, Kate had even less backbone and was more annoying than the much younger Emma; some of her decisions were beyond stupid and I couldn't believe that somebody of her age, and with her supposed intelligence could behave in such a way.
The story isn't really bad by any means and there are some good twists and turns but in my view for this to work as a thriller, it requires the suspension of too much belief but, if you can get past the bizarre and unlikely turn of events, then you may well enjoy this.
July 11, 2014
A summer page-turner from Julia Crouch, The Long Fall is a tale of innocence lost wrapped up in a murderous revenge plot.
1980: Aspiring writer Emma writes in her journal of having left her small-town life -and her small-minded parents- behind. She’s better than that; better than them. Emma plans on living a life full of adventure. She’s gone travelling to broaden her horizons, and as such she plans on her time abroad being culturally rich and populated with interesting characters with whom she’ll have much more in common than the boring folk back home. However, travelling on her own is not all Emma’s cracked it up to be, especially since, at eighteen, she isn’t exactly worldly wise. A devastating incident in Marseille derails Emma, changing her outlook on life and leaving marks on her soul that will last a lifetime. But Emma is a survivor. She carries on, and in Athens, with is relentless sun, dusty streets, strong alcohol and readily available supply of drugs, she finds her travelling feet: courtesy first of a boy with beautiful eyes, and then with a girl who looks just like Emma, so much so that they could be twins.
But Emma’s story doesn’t have a happy ending. Emma’s life is one that ends with a murder.
2013: Kate doesn’t believe in happy endings, she gave up on them long ago. She knows that she at least, doesn’t deserve a happy ending, not after what she did. And yet, to the world at large, it looks like Kate has the perfect life, along with the perfect husband, one who has, in the past, been mistaken for George Clooney. Kate knows all about pasts; what she doesn’t know is that hers is about to come back to haunt her in a case of revenge from beyond the grave.
An absorbing page-turner, The Long Fall is perfect holiday reading. The mystery of the story isn’t too taxing, and the myriad twists and turns are predictable enough, but this is nonetheless a gripping read with a host of multi-layered characters and a compelling travel journal in which Crouch really captures the essence of Emma’s character, the places she visits, and the people she meets.
If you love the combination of travel and mystery in Emily Barr’s books – then The Long Fall by Julia Crouch is one to put right at the top of your summer reading list.
Read more like this at: http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
1980: Aspiring writer Emma writes in her journal of having left her small-town life -and her small-minded parents- behind. She’s better than that; better than them. Emma plans on living a life full of adventure. She’s gone travelling to broaden her horizons, and as such she plans on her time abroad being culturally rich and populated with interesting characters with whom she’ll have much more in common than the boring folk back home. However, travelling on her own is not all Emma’s cracked it up to be, especially since, at eighteen, she isn’t exactly worldly wise. A devastating incident in Marseille derails Emma, changing her outlook on life and leaving marks on her soul that will last a lifetime. But Emma is a survivor. She carries on, and in Athens, with is relentless sun, dusty streets, strong alcohol and readily available supply of drugs, she finds her travelling feet: courtesy first of a boy with beautiful eyes, and then with a girl who looks just like Emma, so much so that they could be twins.
But Emma’s story doesn’t have a happy ending. Emma’s life is one that ends with a murder.
2013: Kate doesn’t believe in happy endings, she gave up on them long ago. She knows that she at least, doesn’t deserve a happy ending, not after what she did. And yet, to the world at large, it looks like Kate has the perfect life, along with the perfect husband, one who has, in the past, been mistaken for George Clooney. Kate knows all about pasts; what she doesn’t know is that hers is about to come back to haunt her in a case of revenge from beyond the grave.
An absorbing page-turner, The Long Fall is perfect holiday reading. The mystery of the story isn’t too taxing, and the myriad twists and turns are predictable enough, but this is nonetheless a gripping read with a host of multi-layered characters and a compelling travel journal in which Crouch really captures the essence of Emma’s character, the places she visits, and the people she meets.
If you love the combination of travel and mystery in Emily Barr’s books – then The Long Fall by Julia Crouch is one to put right at the top of your summer reading list.
Read more like this at: http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
March 20, 2014
Thank you to the author and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
I am a fan of Ms Crouch's work, having previously enjoyed Cuckoo, Every Vow you Break and Tarnished. I was not disappointed with The Long Fall.
The novel centres around Emma's story from 1980 in Greece which is told through diary entries made at the time, and Kate's story in current day London.
Emma's longed for trip of a lifetime, travelling before uni, doesn't quite go to plan and you are drawn into the trials that she encounters along the way.
Kate appears to have the perfect life with the perfect husband and family, but as you look closer you see that not everything is as well as it seems. The cracks start to show the deeper into her story you get. When someone from her past find themselves in her present the cracks open even further and it is then when you find just how far someone will go to protect their secrets and to keep the past in the past.
The Long Fall is an engaging novel that I read over a few days, forgoing watching TV so I had extra time to read. I found that the story flowed well and I liked how Emma's story was told via diary entries. This, to me, made Emma's story feel more authentic. All the characters have likeable elements are well rounded and written well and I found that I was interested in what happened to all of them. The story is told at an appropriate pace and I didn't feel that it dragged at any point, nor did it feel rushed.
I really enjoyed this book and if you have read Ms Crouch before you won't be disappointed, if you haven't then you will find this a great book to start with.
I am a fan of Ms Crouch's work, having previously enjoyed Cuckoo, Every Vow you Break and Tarnished. I was not disappointed with The Long Fall.
The novel centres around Emma's story from 1980 in Greece which is told through diary entries made at the time, and Kate's story in current day London.
Emma's longed for trip of a lifetime, travelling before uni, doesn't quite go to plan and you are drawn into the trials that she encounters along the way.
Kate appears to have the perfect life with the perfect husband and family, but as you look closer you see that not everything is as well as it seems. The cracks start to show the deeper into her story you get. When someone from her past find themselves in her present the cracks open even further and it is then when you find just how far someone will go to protect their secrets and to keep the past in the past.
The Long Fall is an engaging novel that I read over a few days, forgoing watching TV so I had extra time to read. I found that the story flowed well and I liked how Emma's story was told via diary entries. This, to me, made Emma's story feel more authentic. All the characters have likeable elements are well rounded and written well and I found that I was interested in what happened to all of them. The story is told at an appropriate pace and I didn't feel that it dragged at any point, nor did it feel rushed.
I really enjoyed this book and if you have read Ms Crouch before you won't be disappointed, if you haven't then you will find this a great book to start with.
August 6, 2014
Firstly thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. Much appreciated.
This is the first of Julia's that I've read so I have nothing to compare to. I found this a difficult read, in so much that it just failed to engage me in any way. It got off to a really slow start so much so that I truly struggled with it and it just didnt't really improve for me. Nothing much about this book appealed to me. I didn't particularly take to the characters, I just didn't much care for them. I found the lead character, Emma/Kate to be mostly annoying, even as a young girl I just found her irritating and her decision making abilities questionable. I found myself asking 'why would you do that?' a lot.
The settings and characterisations were described well and you really got a feel for Greece, the heat, dust and smells etc. Many a time I thought, 'girl have a shower!!' which if you read the book you would understand!
I did see a lot of the twists and turns coming and the ending didn't come as any real surprise. That said, the ending was satisfactory and I thought fitting. A tale really of people who if they had listened rather than just acted on impulse it could all have been very different. It's not a bad book by any means, just a book that didn't appeal to me so much.
This is the first of Julia's that I've read so I have nothing to compare to. I found this a difficult read, in so much that it just failed to engage me in any way. It got off to a really slow start so much so that I truly struggled with it and it just didnt't really improve for me. Nothing much about this book appealed to me. I didn't particularly take to the characters, I just didn't much care for them. I found the lead character, Emma/Kate to be mostly annoying, even as a young girl I just found her irritating and her decision making abilities questionable. I found myself asking 'why would you do that?' a lot.
The settings and characterisations were described well and you really got a feel for Greece, the heat, dust and smells etc. Many a time I thought, 'girl have a shower!!' which if you read the book you would understand!
I did see a lot of the twists and turns coming and the ending didn't come as any real surprise. That said, the ending was satisfactory and I thought fitting. A tale really of people who if they had listened rather than just acted on impulse it could all have been very different. It's not a bad book by any means, just a book that didn't appeal to me so much.
June 9, 2014
This is a gripping, chilling tale of a backpacking trip in 1980 to Greece that ends in a single horrific violent event.
Fast forwarding 33 years into the future, we join a woman who was party to that event. Now in her early 50s and outwardly successful, she has lived a life riddled with guilt over her part in the violence all those years ago but has covered her tracks well and believes she can never be linked to it. Nobody knows what happened all those years ago and she believes she is safe, but her past is now going to come back to haunt her.
Alternating between Greece of 1980 and modern day London, It is an absolutely cracking read, which really draws you in from the start and doesn’t let go. I was literally sitting bolt upright to read the last 30 or 40 pages. It is the story of guilt and how it can eat you up, revenge and retribution. How far would someone go for revenge? How far would someone go to achieve atonement? What would you do to keep your secrets safe? What would you do to protect someone you loved? If I were a parent of an 18 year old just about to go off backpacking, I would not want to read this book. But, I would thrust a copy in their hands and order them to read it, take note, and to stay safe.
Fast forwarding 33 years into the future, we join a woman who was party to that event. Now in her early 50s and outwardly successful, she has lived a life riddled with guilt over her part in the violence all those years ago but has covered her tracks well and believes she can never be linked to it. Nobody knows what happened all those years ago and she believes she is safe, but her past is now going to come back to haunt her.
Alternating between Greece of 1980 and modern day London, It is an absolutely cracking read, which really draws you in from the start and doesn’t let go. I was literally sitting bolt upright to read the last 30 or 40 pages. It is the story of guilt and how it can eat you up, revenge and retribution. How far would someone go for revenge? How far would someone go to achieve atonement? What would you do to keep your secrets safe? What would you do to protect someone you loved? If I were a parent of an 18 year old just about to go off backpacking, I would not want to read this book. But, I would thrust a copy in their hands and order them to read it, take note, and to stay safe.
November 19, 2014
A masterclass in suspense and psychological turmoil.
"How far would you go to protect your secrets?...two worlds are about to collide. Somebody's out for revenge. Someone who has been waiting thirty years..."
Told partly through the journal kept by 18 year old Emma on her travels in 1980, and partly the story of present day Kate, this is a gripping and spellbinding book with some moments of real horror. The author blends the two strands of the story skilfully, building tension in both 'time zones'.
The story was all the more poignant for me as my age matches Kate's in the present and, like Emma, I was travelling in the south of France in the summer if 1980. The authenticity of the book suggests the author was doing the same. I swear I could feel the baking heat while I was drinking in the descriptions of people, places and relationships.
This is the first Julia Crouch book I've read but I've made sure another is already lined up in my TBR pile.
Highly recommended for psychological thriller fans or anyone who enjoys a well written and absorbing read.
Thank you to the publisher via Bookbridgr and Netgalley for the advance copy.
"How far would you go to protect your secrets?...two worlds are about to collide. Somebody's out for revenge. Someone who has been waiting thirty years..."
Told partly through the journal kept by 18 year old Emma on her travels in 1980, and partly the story of present day Kate, this is a gripping and spellbinding book with some moments of real horror. The author blends the two strands of the story skilfully, building tension in both 'time zones'.
The story was all the more poignant for me as my age matches Kate's in the present and, like Emma, I was travelling in the south of France in the summer if 1980. The authenticity of the book suggests the author was doing the same. I swear I could feel the baking heat while I was drinking in the descriptions of people, places and relationships.
This is the first Julia Crouch book I've read but I've made sure another is already lined up in my TBR pile.
Highly recommended for psychological thriller fans or anyone who enjoys a well written and absorbing read.
Thank you to the publisher via Bookbridgr and Netgalley for the advance copy.
February 21, 2019
If you like a quick entertaining read The Long Fall is for you. Part of the novel is set in the 1980s when Emma's holiday in Greece goes horribly wrong. I quite liked her but certain things I didn't care for, mainly her attitude towards her parents.
The other half is set in modern day. Now known as Kate, and living in a completely different world from 30 years earlier she is horrified when a face from the past brings back the horror of that holiday.
I loved the descriptions of Greece, back packing was never for me but Julia Crouch showed why it was so popular amongst the younger generation.
I guessed fairly early on what was going to happen but still really enjoyed the book.
Thanks to the publisher and the author for the copy via NetGalley.
The other half is set in modern day. Now known as Kate, and living in a completely different world from 30 years earlier she is horrified when a face from the past brings back the horror of that holiday.
I loved the descriptions of Greece, back packing was never for me but Julia Crouch showed why it was so popular amongst the younger generation.
I guessed fairly early on what was going to happen but still really enjoyed the book.
Thanks to the publisher and the author for the copy via NetGalley.
June 10, 2014
Netgalley Review Copy. I love Julia Crouch, so I was excited to get this sent to me - and it was fab. A brilliant story, good twists and just dark enough.
October 21, 2016
A total drag... unremarkable writing, cardboard characters and the main character is thick/naïve beyond belief.
September 23, 2016
An outstanding book that has a great many virtues and few, small flaws.
I have to admit that I started off being quite sceptical. The main protagonist (I don't think it's a spoiler to say she's Emma in 1980 and Kate in 2013) is a school leaver destined to read English at Cambridge. Regular readers of my reviews will know that 'reading English at Cambridge or Oxford' is a red flag to me. It's usually a sign of laziness, or imagination fail, on the part of the writer (more below*). However, as the reader will eventually find out, this isn't as clichéd here.
I've read several books that are fundamentally 'something awful happened in my gilded youth, I have avoided all the other participants ever since, and now it's come back to haunt me'. But someone said, there are only seven stories to tell (I don't actually believe it's so few, maybe it's a bloke thing), and 'quality' is how you tell them.
I also seem to have read several books recently where men work all hours to earn extremely high incomes while the idle vain women do - what? nothing? But although this was Kate's life, like the 'read English at Cambridge' it is subverted in this book.
You can take this book on several levels. Perhaps if you read it solely as a thriller, as a plot that eventually gets explained, it might not be much above average. But what makes this book outstanding is all the other levels.
Emma/Kate was a compelling character, one of the best drawn characters I've come across. The 1980 sections are large;y drawn from Emma's contemporaneous journals and strike me as very real - this is a contrast to my previous read History of the Rain by Niall Williams, who clearly had no idea how a teenage woman thinks. Emma was obviously academically intelligent, and capable of self-reflection, but she was also naive and unworldly. Some of these passages really struck a chord that reminded me of myself at the same age. She tagged onto people with more life experience and didn't have the skills to read other people.
I especially liked the character development. This was two-fold. It's easy enough gradually to reveal aspects of a character that contradict early impressions - this was particularly well done with Kate as her numerous mental health problems were gradually revealed. Harder is to make the character change, and this was done superbly well with Emma, as a result of her experiences inter railing.
Like many reviewers I was impressed by the sense of place conveyed by the writer. The heat of Athens and the basic accommodation in backpackers' hostels. But more than that. She seemed to capture an atmosphere of pointless hedonism - or, at least, seeming hedonism. All these Interrailers and backpackers who travelled Europe basically to get wrecked in bar after bar, actually no different from the sort of static package holiday that they would have looked down on, as their less sophisticated contemporaries went to Magaluf or Ibiza, or Blackpool, to take drugs and get drunk. She really conveys the inertia and ennui that accompanies the getting wasted.
I suspected, and the writer implied as much in the acknowledgements, that some of this was based on her own experience. I'm guessing that she didn't have quite the awful experience that Emma had. But, again, this is a sign of good writing, write what you know but also use your imagination.
I'm trying to think of flaws to this book but I'm struggling. Nothing leapt off the page as being erroneous or implausible. Of course, with any crime/thriller type book you have to ask, how likely is this? The simple answer is 'very unlikely', but real life tells us that the 'very unlikely' does happen. so, for fiction, you have to ask, given that the story is based on the 'unlikely' how well does the author explain it, how clear are the motives, how in character are the actions (or what causes them to be out of character)? This author carried this off very well.
I saw a twist coming. Perhaps not a twist, an explanation, but it wasn't predictable.
This book doesn't ask the big philosophical questions like a book from literary fiction genre would. But I thought it a marvellous exposition of the vulnerabilities of a naive school leaver, and, to be honest, encapsulates why I never went InterRailing and am rather relieved I didn't. (I was 29 before I left the UK without either a family member or a friend!)
I have re-read the synopsis/blurb for this book and I do feel it sells it short. I TBRd this more in hope than expectation, somewhat anxious that it would be too fluffy. Also, the blurb screams 'clunking cliché' which is really really not an accurate description of this book.
*'Read English at Oxbridge'. I've got nothing against real people who happened to do a degree in English Literature at Oxford or Cambridge, but it seems to crop up ten times more often in books than all other degrees at all other Universities combined. Especially for women.
I went to Nottingham Uni in 1986 to study Politics, and my corridor in hall included women who were doing degrees in Maths, Genetics, Production Engineering, Pharmacy and Medicine as well as Geography, Psychology, Law Archaeology/Ancient History and Social Administration.
Female friends from school and post-Uni went to Universities as diverse as Durham and Bangor, Queen's Belfast and Birmingham, Keele and various London Unis, Aberystwyth and Southampton, Hull and Bristol, and have degrees in Dietetics, Agriculture, Languages, Music and Accountancy (bad degree!). And that's before what were, to my contemporaries, Polytechnics and Colleges of Higher Education, which are now institutions such as Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Roehampton.
There is, and was, much more to Higher Education than English at Oxford or Cambridge.
I have to admit that I started off being quite sceptical. The main protagonist (I don't think it's a spoiler to say she's Emma in 1980 and Kate in 2013) is a school leaver destined to read English at Cambridge. Regular readers of my reviews will know that 'reading English at Cambridge or Oxford' is a red flag to me. It's usually a sign of laziness, or imagination fail, on the part of the writer (more below*). However, as the reader will eventually find out, this isn't as clichéd here.
I've read several books that are fundamentally 'something awful happened in my gilded youth, I have avoided all the other participants ever since, and now it's come back to haunt me'. But someone said, there are only seven stories to tell (I don't actually believe it's so few, maybe it's a bloke thing), and 'quality' is how you tell them.
I also seem to have read several books recently where men work all hours to earn extremely high incomes while the idle vain women do - what? nothing? But although this was Kate's life, like the 'read English at Cambridge' it is subverted in this book.
You can take this book on several levels. Perhaps if you read it solely as a thriller, as a plot that eventually gets explained, it might not be much above average. But what makes this book outstanding is all the other levels.
Emma/Kate was a compelling character, one of the best drawn characters I've come across. The 1980 sections are large;y drawn from Emma's contemporaneous journals and strike me as very real - this is a contrast to my previous read History of the Rain by Niall Williams, who clearly had no idea how a teenage woman thinks. Emma was obviously academically intelligent, and capable of self-reflection, but she was also naive and unworldly. Some of these passages really struck a chord that reminded me of myself at the same age. She tagged onto people with more life experience and didn't have the skills to read other people.
I especially liked the character development. This was two-fold. It's easy enough gradually to reveal aspects of a character that contradict early impressions - this was particularly well done with Kate as her numerous mental health problems were gradually revealed. Harder is to make the character change, and this was done superbly well with Emma, as a result of her experiences inter railing.
Like many reviewers I was impressed by the sense of place conveyed by the writer. The heat of Athens and the basic accommodation in backpackers' hostels. But more than that. She seemed to capture an atmosphere of pointless hedonism - or, at least, seeming hedonism. All these Interrailers and backpackers who travelled Europe basically to get wrecked in bar after bar, actually no different from the sort of static package holiday that they would have looked down on, as their less sophisticated contemporaries went to Magaluf or Ibiza, or Blackpool, to take drugs and get drunk. She really conveys the inertia and ennui that accompanies the getting wasted.
I suspected, and the writer implied as much in the acknowledgements, that some of this was based on her own experience. I'm guessing that she didn't have quite the awful experience that Emma had. But, again, this is a sign of good writing, write what you know but also use your imagination.
I'm trying to think of flaws to this book but I'm struggling. Nothing leapt off the page as being erroneous or implausible. Of course, with any crime/thriller type book you have to ask, how likely is this? The simple answer is 'very unlikely', but real life tells us that the 'very unlikely' does happen. so, for fiction, you have to ask, given that the story is based on the 'unlikely' how well does the author explain it, how clear are the motives, how in character are the actions (or what causes them to be out of character)? This author carried this off very well.
I saw a twist coming. Perhaps not a twist, an explanation, but it wasn't predictable.
This book doesn't ask the big philosophical questions like a book from literary fiction genre would. But I thought it a marvellous exposition of the vulnerabilities of a naive school leaver, and, to be honest, encapsulates why I never went InterRailing and am rather relieved I didn't. (I was 29 before I left the UK without either a family member or a friend!)
I have re-read the synopsis/blurb for this book and I do feel it sells it short. I TBRd this more in hope than expectation, somewhat anxious that it would be too fluffy. Also, the blurb screams 'clunking cliché' which is really really not an accurate description of this book.
*'Read English at Oxbridge'. I've got nothing against real people who happened to do a degree in English Literature at Oxford or Cambridge, but it seems to crop up ten times more often in books than all other degrees at all other Universities combined. Especially for women.
I went to Nottingham Uni in 1986 to study Politics, and my corridor in hall included women who were doing degrees in Maths, Genetics, Production Engineering, Pharmacy and Medicine as well as Geography, Psychology, Law Archaeology/Ancient History and Social Administration.
Female friends from school and post-Uni went to Universities as diverse as Durham and Bangor, Queen's Belfast and Birmingham, Keele and various London Unis, Aberystwyth and Southampton, Hull and Bristol, and have degrees in Dietetics, Agriculture, Languages, Music and Accountancy (bad degree!). And that's before what were, to my contemporaries, Polytechnics and Colleges of Higher Education, which are now institutions such as Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Roehampton.
There is, and was, much more to Higher Education than English at Oxford or Cambridge.
June 7, 2021
I started off wondering if I even wanted to read this, but then quickly got into it.
It was enjoyable until unrealistic situations started happening, and I could predict certain people being “in on it”
It started to really get frustrating, when things just were just far too unbelievable- “Oh my high end money manager husband will never suspect nor will he look into our accounts where I stole millions of pounds, not once, or twice ( oh I’ll just steal from our Charity ) because I’m being extorted/blackmailed because I murdered a guy 25 years ago by the same guy I actually Never really killed !!
Oh wait he’s threatened our daughter and wants more money. I’ll pawn all my high end designer jewelry and steal some priceless art work, max out our credit cards, fly to the exact place my daughter travelled to (where I “killed” the man ) because he has now kidnapped Her despite being completely paralyzed!!
I’ll just deal with it on my own - why explain to my husband or call the police ??!
Don’t even get me started on the “friend” who’s lies were so bad- I just knew she was in on this !!
I read this in a few hours so not too much time was wasted.
It was enjoyable until unrealistic situations started happening, and I could predict certain people being “in on it”
It started to really get frustrating, when things just were just far too unbelievable- “Oh my high end money manager husband will never suspect nor will he look into our accounts where I stole millions of pounds, not once, or twice ( oh I’ll just steal from our Charity ) because I’m being extorted/blackmailed because I murdered a guy 25 years ago by the same guy I actually Never really killed !!
Oh wait he’s threatened our daughter and wants more money. I’ll pawn all my high end designer jewelry and steal some priceless art work, max out our credit cards, fly to the exact place my daughter travelled to (where I “killed” the man ) because he has now kidnapped Her despite being completely paralyzed!!
I’ll just deal with it on my own - why explain to my husband or call the police ??!
Don’t even get me started on the “friend” who’s lies were so bad- I just knew she was in on this !!
I read this in a few hours so not too much time was wasted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2025
An okay read but one that I found rather predictable. In Greece 1980 we have Emma who suffers "a shattering, violent event" & in London in the present time we have Kate who, on the face of it, leads a perfect life - but of course that's all about to change! It's obvious what the connection between the two is from the off & the story follows an expected path of revenge.
Kate wasn't a character I warmed to & as her life began to fall apart it was hard to sympathise - I just couldn't see how she could be so clueless & not see something was wrong with the situation. Talk about naive & gullible...
To be fair, maybe the fact that I've read soooo many of these sort of thrillers meant I spotted the twists before they were revealed but as a result of that, it held no surprises for me.
Kate wasn't a character I warmed to & as her life began to fall apart it was hard to sympathise - I just couldn't see how she could be so clueless & not see something was wrong with the situation. Talk about naive & gullible...
To be fair, maybe the fact that I've read soooo many of these sort of thrillers meant I spotted the twists before they were revealed but as a result of that, it held no surprises for me.
August 7, 2024
I read for the sheer entertainment. I definitely enjoyed this by poolside! I agree with some of the comments in the negative reviews but the story was engaging and entertaining. I don’t feel the need to pick apart the characters. -Just like watching a movie. If you want reality and true to life characters, maybe choose some nonfiction. I have great respect for anyone that can complete 387 pages of a story about 6 different people. I would definitely read this author again. Good book!
November 2, 2016
Emma is scarred by a dreadful incident in her past. But thirty years on, it comes back to haunt her.
I was a bit disappointed in this read. I struggled to side with Emma and her friends either in the then or the now. It is a well structured plot, even if it is a bit irritating, but it did take a very long time to sort it all out.
I was a bit disappointed in this read. I struggled to side with Emma and her friends either in the then or the now. It is a well structured plot, even if it is a bit irritating, but it did take a very long time to sort it all out.
October 3, 2017
I enjoyed the book right up until Part 3: After when the past catches up to the present. From that point on, I was just incredibly frustrated with Kate/Emma. She was so naive, I actually found her to be unbelievable. I also found the ending unsatisfying as everything wrapped up too neatly. This book left me feeling irritated, annoyed, and unfulfilled.
January 13, 2019
The twist is so obvious it bears down on this book like a freight train. I found this book a bit irritating to be frank, and nearly put it down twice. The writing isn't amazing, the lead protagonist, Emma/Kate isn't all that likeable or relatable, and it cultivates fear of outsiders. I don't rate it.
March 19, 2020
I don’t like not finishing a book, but I reached 1/3 of the way through and didn’t feel like persevering. The story did nothing for me - it appeared that the main character travelled around Greece drinking and taking drugs and getting into one scrape or another. The story may start to improve, but I lost interest and didn’t want to find out.
I gave it one star
I gave it one star
May 21, 2017
Page turning read. A plot that keeps you gripped and wanting to read 'just one more page'. Two very strong characters with twists and turns sprinkled through out the storyline that keep you guessing.
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