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The Black Sheep
Francesca was widowed a year ago. Since then she has focused on her children, trying to soothe their grief as well as her own. Her husband and father never quite saw eye to eye but no one could have cared more for her in the past year than her close-knit family. Finally, she feels she might be ready to move on with life.
Until she is contacted out of the blue by someone who says he must get information to her. That her husband's death wasn't what it seemed. And that her family know more than they say ...
Who can Francesca trust? And what will happen to her if she puts her faith in the wrong person?
Until she is contacted out of the blue by someone who says he must get information to her. That her husband's death wasn't what it seemed. And that her family know more than they say ...
Who can Francesca trust? And what will happen to her if she puts her faith in the wrong person?
416 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2017
22 people are currently reading
697 people want to read
About the author
Sophie McKenzie
83 books1,485 followersHey there! Welcome to my Goodreads page where you can keep up with all my stories - both the ones that are already published and the works in progress!!
I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.
I'm really excited right now because of...
Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)
For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com
I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.
I'm really excited right now because of...
Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)
For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
March 1, 2017
Oh my. This was not a good book at all. I thought it was going to be fast paced and exciting. But it was neither of those things. I thought it was going to be a controversial rollercoaster sadly it was not. It was a rather dull, no suspense book. With hardly any storyline and plot twists I guessed a mile away. Sadly extremely dissatisfied in this book.
July 21, 2017
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
#3.5 stars
In 2014, I recall enjoying Sophie McKenzie’s domestic psychological thriller offering, Trust in Me. Sophie McKenzie returns with a brand new novel, The Black Sheep. This is another tense psychological mystery, based around a tight-knit and highly devoted catholic family.
Just shy a year after the unexpected and unsolved death of her husband Caspian, Francesca and her family join together in their grief, still fresh, in a memorial service for Caspian. At this service, Francesca is approached by two men. The first is Simon, who was a colleague of Caspian’s. Simon takes insensitivity to the next level when he attempts to ask Francesca out on a date – at her deceased husband’s memorial. It is an offer Francesca immediately refuses. At the same service, Francesca is also approached by Harry, a stranger who claims to have vital information pertaining to Caspian’s death. Francesca desperately wants to know more about Caspian’s death. The police ruling that Caspian was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, has never really sat well with Francesca. Now, she finally has proof in the form of Harry’s admission that someone close to both Caspian and Francesca wanted him dead.
After reading The Black Sheep, I was dismayed to see a number of negative reviews attached to this novel. It seems a shame, as there are many elements in this novel that I enjoyed. I could see some of the holes and areas other readers picked up on, but on the whole, I believe The Black Sheep is a solid read.
Sophie McKenzie is an author that knows the key ingredients needed to create a good domestic thriller. The Black Sheep is told in a shifting perspective style of narrative, where the narrative is split between lead Francesca, her sister Lucy and outsider Harry. This works to heighten the tension in the novel. I found myself glued to this novel for the first half and then my attention seemed to lag in the middle, then pick up again towards the close. There is a detailed back story involving each of the lead characters, as well as supporting players. Eventually, these are all linked to Francesca’s family and I think McKenzie does a good job of building these aspects of the story for the reader.
The main subject matter focus in The Black Sheep is religious fanaticism, entrenched family secrets and abortion. All of these heavy topics combine, to create an intricately woven mystery novel. A word of warning though, if you have difficulty with the delicate matter of abortion, this novel may incite a reaction. I recommend that you think twice about selecting this book to read. One of the main events in the novel that ties the whole purpose of the narrative, as well as central mystery together, is based around the after effects of an abortion.
McKenzie portrays the closeness of family in The Black Sheep. She also gives the reader a good sense of what life is like living with parents and other close relatives who are absolutely devoted to a religion. It allowed me to sympathise with Francesca, particularly her life growing up as a teenager and young adult under the shadow of this strong devotion. Francesca was a character I had empathy for from the beginning, due to the situation she finds herself in – a widow, bringing up two children on her own. The supporting characters that flesh out the story all drew my suspicion but in The Black Sheep’s case, I guessed the culprit very early on into my reading on this novel. I later realised the title of the book is one big clue as to who is responsible for the tragic events that unfold in this novel. This is one of the pitfalls of the novel that I have to agree with other readers on, the sense of mystery in discovering the perpetrator of the crime was given away with too much ease and prematurely. A few extra twists to the novel and some unexpected character actions from a supporting protagonist, did add to the mystery.
Despite the mixed reviews of this novel by others, it did not hamper my overall enjoyment of The Black Sheep. A domestic thriller that rips apart the practices of an extreme family and tries to put an unsolved murder to rest, The Black Sheep is a good contribution to the mystery genre.
#3.5 stars
In 2014, I recall enjoying Sophie McKenzie’s domestic psychological thriller offering, Trust in Me. Sophie McKenzie returns with a brand new novel, The Black Sheep. This is another tense psychological mystery, based around a tight-knit and highly devoted catholic family.
Just shy a year after the unexpected and unsolved death of her husband Caspian, Francesca and her family join together in their grief, still fresh, in a memorial service for Caspian. At this service, Francesca is approached by two men. The first is Simon, who was a colleague of Caspian’s. Simon takes insensitivity to the next level when he attempts to ask Francesca out on a date – at her deceased husband’s memorial. It is an offer Francesca immediately refuses. At the same service, Francesca is also approached by Harry, a stranger who claims to have vital information pertaining to Caspian’s death. Francesca desperately wants to know more about Caspian’s death. The police ruling that Caspian was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, has never really sat well with Francesca. Now, she finally has proof in the form of Harry’s admission that someone close to both Caspian and Francesca wanted him dead.
After reading The Black Sheep, I was dismayed to see a number of negative reviews attached to this novel. It seems a shame, as there are many elements in this novel that I enjoyed. I could see some of the holes and areas other readers picked up on, but on the whole, I believe The Black Sheep is a solid read.
Sophie McKenzie is an author that knows the key ingredients needed to create a good domestic thriller. The Black Sheep is told in a shifting perspective style of narrative, where the narrative is split between lead Francesca, her sister Lucy and outsider Harry. This works to heighten the tension in the novel. I found myself glued to this novel for the first half and then my attention seemed to lag in the middle, then pick up again towards the close. There is a detailed back story involving each of the lead characters, as well as supporting players. Eventually, these are all linked to Francesca’s family and I think McKenzie does a good job of building these aspects of the story for the reader.
The main subject matter focus in The Black Sheep is religious fanaticism, entrenched family secrets and abortion. All of these heavy topics combine, to create an intricately woven mystery novel. A word of warning though, if you have difficulty with the delicate matter of abortion, this novel may incite a reaction. I recommend that you think twice about selecting this book to read. One of the main events in the novel that ties the whole purpose of the narrative, as well as central mystery together, is based around the after effects of an abortion.
McKenzie portrays the closeness of family in The Black Sheep. She also gives the reader a good sense of what life is like living with parents and other close relatives who are absolutely devoted to a religion. It allowed me to sympathise with Francesca, particularly her life growing up as a teenager and young adult under the shadow of this strong devotion. Francesca was a character I had empathy for from the beginning, due to the situation she finds herself in – a widow, bringing up two children on her own. The supporting characters that flesh out the story all drew my suspicion but in The Black Sheep’s case, I guessed the culprit very early on into my reading on this novel. I later realised the title of the book is one big clue as to who is responsible for the tragic events that unfold in this novel. This is one of the pitfalls of the novel that I have to agree with other readers on, the sense of mystery in discovering the perpetrator of the crime was given away with too much ease and prematurely. A few extra twists to the novel and some unexpected character actions from a supporting protagonist, did add to the mystery.
Despite the mixed reviews of this novel by others, it did not hamper my overall enjoyment of The Black Sheep. A domestic thriller that rips apart the practices of an extreme family and tries to put an unsolved murder to rest, The Black Sheep is a good contribution to the mystery genre.
July 3, 2017
Sophie McKenzie is an author I’ve been meaning to pick up for quite some time. So many people I know have read Girl, Missing and seemed to enjoy it – not to mention the fact it always seemed to be pride of place when I’m hunting bookstores for my next read – leaving me curious what the fuss was about. As you can probably guess, I planned to pick up Girl, Missing at some point. However, my introduction to the author came through The Black Sheep instead. Were it not for a Goodreads giveaway, I would be highly unlikely to have picked this one up off the shelf. When I saw the giveaway, however, I thought ‘why not’. I did not expect to win, yet I did. Hence, my introduction to the author.
I’ll be completely honest and say I went into this one tentative. There were so many negative reviews up by the time I received my copy of the book. It left me fearful, yet I would not let it put me off the book. After all, the synopsis did seem interesting. Moreover, initial bad reviews do not mean a book is bad – merely that it isn’t for everyone. Basically, I found ways to convince myself the reviews might have been wrong. Nobody wishes to admit their thoughts of a book are influenced by prior reviews, yet our thoughts so often are.
Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when I found this book to be much better than the other reviews had me believing it would be. I’ll be honest and say it is not a full four star rating. The past few months I’ve read a lot of books that are sitting somewhere between the three-star and four-star ratings. As I read this when I was first entering the bout of between star books, I was more than willing to round up. Had I read it later into the bout, I may not have been quite so willing. Nevertheless, as the book was not the nightmare I had expected it to be, I opted to round up.
Yes, there are issues with this book. Lots of things are extremely predictable. There were many slow points in the book. It is not as controversial as it could be. The editing could have done with a bit of work before it was published (paragraphs told in conflicting perspectives to the rest of the chapter). However, there were things that are quite good as well. It was addictive. You’re curious about the particulars of how things come together (yes, there is predictability, but you do hold out on the particulars in some cases). You’re pulled into the lives of the characters.
It was far from perfect, but in the end I opted to round to a four star rating. It had the potential to be better, yet it wasn’t the horror I’d anticipated after reading so many negative reviews.
As for whether I’ll read Girl, Missing… I’m on the fence. I may very well do so, but it’s highly unlikely to happen in the near future. I have many books on my to-read list that are a much higher priority than the Sophie McKenzie book so many people seem to know so well.
Still, at least I can say I’ve now picked up something by the author.
I’ll be completely honest and say I went into this one tentative. There were so many negative reviews up by the time I received my copy of the book. It left me fearful, yet I would not let it put me off the book. After all, the synopsis did seem interesting. Moreover, initial bad reviews do not mean a book is bad – merely that it isn’t for everyone. Basically, I found ways to convince myself the reviews might have been wrong. Nobody wishes to admit their thoughts of a book are influenced by prior reviews, yet our thoughts so often are.
Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when I found this book to be much better than the other reviews had me believing it would be. I’ll be honest and say it is not a full four star rating. The past few months I’ve read a lot of books that are sitting somewhere between the three-star and four-star ratings. As I read this when I was first entering the bout of between star books, I was more than willing to round up. Had I read it later into the bout, I may not have been quite so willing. Nevertheless, as the book was not the nightmare I had expected it to be, I opted to round up.
Yes, there are issues with this book. Lots of things are extremely predictable. There were many slow points in the book. It is not as controversial as it could be. The editing could have done with a bit of work before it was published (paragraphs told in conflicting perspectives to the rest of the chapter). However, there were things that are quite good as well. It was addictive. You’re curious about the particulars of how things come together (yes, there is predictability, but you do hold out on the particulars in some cases). You’re pulled into the lives of the characters.
It was far from perfect, but in the end I opted to round to a four star rating. It had the potential to be better, yet it wasn’t the horror I’d anticipated after reading so many negative reviews.
As for whether I’ll read Girl, Missing… I’m on the fence. I may very well do so, but it’s highly unlikely to happen in the near future. I have many books on my to-read list that are a much higher priority than the Sophie McKenzie book so many people seem to know so well.
Still, at least I can say I’ve now picked up something by the author.
April 30, 2017
First of all I want it to be known that this book, to a certain extent, gripped me. Today I read from page 195 to page 486 (291 pages) and I'm a slow reader. This book must have done something right.
I reckon, however, that it was the complete stupidity of the story which engulfed me. This story is ludicrous. It concerns the death of Fran's husband Caspian (which is the name of a local takeaway restaurant where I'm from. this book made me hungry.)
The plot is terrible and halfway through the novel something happens that throws the story off balance and makes it STINK.
The writing is lazy too -
"Ruby's voice is thick and blurry" (how can a voice be blurry?)
"Ruby is smiling too, though her eyes are still wide with fear" (I tried that smiling/fearful eye combination and it doesn't work. I look manic. This is bad writing)
"He turns to Ruby and gives her a huge wink" (a wink is just a wink, I believe. so what is a huge wink? This is a serious situation - I don't think the character is being sarcastic with his gigantic wink. what does this all mean?!)
In other instances, characters would quote exactly what others characters have said to them. People don't speak like that - I'm so confused.
The climax did it for me. I had to stop sometimes and hit myself across the head with this book. The characters are so repetitive and annoying and whiny. (and blurry.)
I've heard great things about Sophie McKenzie, but this outing was dire. There just seemed to be no passion and I don't care for no passion.
sorry Sophie.
I reckon, however, that it was the complete stupidity of the story which engulfed me. This story is ludicrous. It concerns the death of Fran's husband Caspian (which is the name of a local takeaway restaurant where I'm from. this book made me hungry.)
The plot is terrible and halfway through the novel something happens that throws the story off balance and makes it STINK.
The writing is lazy too -
"Ruby's voice is thick and blurry" (how can a voice be blurry?)
"Ruby is smiling too, though her eyes are still wide with fear" (I tried that smiling/fearful eye combination and it doesn't work. I look manic. This is bad writing)
"He turns to Ruby and gives her a huge wink" (a wink is just a wink, I believe. so what is a huge wink? This is a serious situation - I don't think the character is being sarcastic with his gigantic wink. what does this all mean?!)
In other instances, characters would quote exactly what others characters have said to them. People don't speak like that - I'm so confused.
The climax did it for me. I had to stop sometimes and hit myself across the head with this book. The characters are so repetitive and annoying and whiny. (and blurry.)
I've heard great things about Sophie McKenzie, but this outing was dire. There just seemed to be no passion and I don't care for no passion.
sorry Sophie.
March 21, 2017
There are some very mixed reviews about this book, which initially almost put me off. I admit, it wasn't the greatest. The plot was a bit silly, and the characters were at times quite irritating. But it was readable. I'm probably being generous with 3 stars, but I've read worse.
March 6, 2017
Goodreads win.
I'm glad I won this book, it was such a brilliant book. Normally soon after I start reading things come together and I know what's gonna happen before it happens... but not this time. Honestly didn't figure it out till the author stated then what had happened... and I can't half say I was shocked! Such a brilliant book I loved every second and couldn't put it down!
I'm glad I won this book, it was such a brilliant book. Normally soon after I start reading things come together and I know what's gonna happen before it happens... but not this time. Honestly didn't figure it out till the author stated then what had happened... and I can't half say I was shocked! Such a brilliant book I loved every second and couldn't put it down!
January 8, 2018
I really enjoyed this book - the storyline was good and the hooks at the end of each chapter meant you couldn’t put it down easily. Will definitely be reading more books by this author in the future!
June 18, 2018
To tell you the truth I didn't think I would really like this book. But whammo half way through it really started to soar. I loved the way it was written and loved how it kept you guessing. You don't find out till the last three chapters. I look forward to reading more of Sophies books.
October 1, 2018
Don’t bother with this one. Some people know how to write and others don’t.
March 4, 2017
So I won this book in a goodreads giveaway which I'd put in for due to enjoying the girl missing and medusa project series Sophie McKenzie had written.
Thank you Simon and Schuster for the book.
This story starts at the memorial service for the husband of one of the main characters where she is met by two men. Slimy, sleazy Simon who seems to think this is a good time to ask her out and mysterious Harry who says he has information for her, that he met her husband just before he was murdered.
From there it continues told from differing view points as the mystery is built and back story is added. McKenzie does a great job of keeping you guessing along with the characters and tying all the strands together at the end.
For me this was a 4 star read as it dragged a little in the middle and is not a book I'd consider rereading. In places it focuses on extreme religious views and how they can affect your life, alongside abortion and the after affects of that. Both would be highlighted as trigger warnings for this novel.
Overall a good murder mystery but mixed with family drama, not your average tale.
Thank you Simon and Schuster for the book.
This story starts at the memorial service for the husband of one of the main characters where she is met by two men. Slimy, sleazy Simon who seems to think this is a good time to ask her out and mysterious Harry who says he has information for her, that he met her husband just before he was murdered.
From there it continues told from differing view points as the mystery is built and back story is added. McKenzie does a great job of keeping you guessing along with the characters and tying all the strands together at the end.
For me this was a 4 star read as it dragged a little in the middle and is not a book I'd consider rereading. In places it focuses on extreme religious views and how they can affect your life, alongside abortion and the after affects of that. Both would be highlighted as trigger warnings for this novel.
Overall a good murder mystery but mixed with family drama, not your average tale.
August 5, 2022
I think this book really fits its title. There's so many "black sheep" to blame in this book. The Black Sheep is about a widowed Francesca, who was determined to investigate her husband's death that was believed to be a murder, not a random attack. Together with a freelance journalist, Harry Elliot, they uncovered the truth one by one.
To be honest the beginning of the book is quite a bore to me, and personally, I think this Francesca character is quite, I don't know, dumb? It's not a really good idea when she immediately confront everyone in her family when Harry came with the news to her that her husband was potentially murdered. That, will immediately alert the murderer and of course, and I be like "come on, why couldn't Francesca investigated first and confront later, that was a dumb move seriously".
The plots after that were quite okay. But as I said earlier, there's so many black sheep to blame. I kept getting my guesses wrong on who was the murderer until the very end. The author did a great job on this book. I just wish that Francesca was not that slow and be bold with her words and actions. Other than that, I like this book enough.
To be honest the beginning of the book is quite a bore to me, and personally, I think this Francesca character is quite, I don't know, dumb? It's not a really good idea when she immediately confront everyone in her family when Harry came with the news to her that her husband was potentially murdered. That, will immediately alert the murderer and of course, and I be like "come on, why couldn't Francesca investigated first and confront later, that was a dumb move seriously".
The plots after that were quite okay. But as I said earlier, there's so many black sheep to blame. I kept getting my guesses wrong on who was the murderer until the very end. The author did a great job on this book. I just wish that Francesca was not that slow and be bold with her words and actions. Other than that, I like this book enough.
October 3, 2017
Oh yawn....all a bit predictable but some excitement to be had occasionally.Not keen on subject matter and bunny boiler spotted in the early pages.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2025
A slow start to this book but at some point in the story I just wanted to keep on reading and not put the book down. Plenty of twists and turns.
May 20, 2023
Didn’t enjoy this one, scan read most of it, quick easy read, predictable in places and just wasn’t invested in the plot or the characters sadly.
March 22, 2020
A crime thriller involving murder, religious extremism and family secrets. Told from various view points easily distinguished from each other by character headings.
Someone is bumping off doctors who perform abortions and Francesca suspects her husband, who died in mysterious circumstances is also a victim.
Her family, father and uncles come under suspicion, at about this point, the book doesn't know what it is in terms of genre as goes back and forth between family saga and romance.
The book is overwritten with too many details that are not needed.
Fran comes across as a character who cares for her kids, which is fine, but when these children are put in peril, for reasons which don't make sense she won't go to the police.
In fact involving the police from the start would be what normal people would do. She becomes unbelievable as do other characters through their actions.
This plods along and in the end who really cares about anything?
Someone is bumping off doctors who perform abortions and Francesca suspects her husband, who died in mysterious circumstances is also a victim.
Her family, father and uncles come under suspicion, at about this point, the book doesn't know what it is in terms of genre as goes back and forth between family saga and romance.
The book is overwritten with too many details that are not needed.
Fran comes across as a character who cares for her kids, which is fine, but when these children are put in peril, for reasons which don't make sense she won't go to the police.
In fact involving the police from the start would be what normal people would do. She becomes unbelievable as do other characters through their actions.
This plods along and in the end who really cares about anything?
February 23, 2017
There's actually 486 pages in the paperback edition.
I've literally just finished this so I'm going to ruminate over it before I write a review. But it did go a bit bonkers...I did finish it though; that's something!
I've literally just finished this so I'm going to ruminate over it before I write a review. But it did go a bit bonkers...I did finish it though; that's something!
February 9, 2017
Too many flaky characters for me
Francesca (Fran) is attending the memorial service for her husband, Caspian Hoffman, who was murdered just over a year ago, when she is approached by a stranger who delivers some news that will totally change her life. The stranger tells Fran that Caspian, a leading gynaecologist who had legally carried out terminations, had been threatened by somebody close to her.
From here on in, Fran is chasing shadows. Shadows from her past, particularly those to do with her teenage rebellions and nervous sister Lucy, and shadows of the future, wondering who close to her could have had anything to do with her husband’s murder.
The plot revolves around her ‘tight’ Catholic family and a pivotal event in her sister’s childhood. However, virtually all of the characters seem to be weak and ambivalent in their views and actions. This includes her main family members, the stranger – Harry, who at least provides some romantic relief – and Fran herself. In fact the strongest character in the book turns out to be Fran’s friend Ayesha.
I note that the author, Sophie McKenzie, has written many books for the teenage/young adult audience, and although dealing with adult situations in this book, I believe that this, too, is suited for the younger market. For me, there just was not enough ‘punch’ in the characterisations or the plot.
Sméagol
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
Francesca (Fran) is attending the memorial service for her husband, Caspian Hoffman, who was murdered just over a year ago, when she is approached by a stranger who delivers some news that will totally change her life. The stranger tells Fran that Caspian, a leading gynaecologist who had legally carried out terminations, had been threatened by somebody close to her.
From here on in, Fran is chasing shadows. Shadows from her past, particularly those to do with her teenage rebellions and nervous sister Lucy, and shadows of the future, wondering who close to her could have had anything to do with her husband’s murder.
The plot revolves around her ‘tight’ Catholic family and a pivotal event in her sister’s childhood. However, virtually all of the characters seem to be weak and ambivalent in their views and actions. This includes her main family members, the stranger – Harry, who at least provides some romantic relief – and Fran herself. In fact the strongest character in the book turns out to be Fran’s friend Ayesha.
I note that the author, Sophie McKenzie, has written many books for the teenage/young adult audience, and although dealing with adult situations in this book, I believe that this, too, is suited for the younger market. For me, there just was not enough ‘punch’ in the characterisations or the plot.
Sméagol
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
March 10, 2017
This book was very poorly written. The style was rather too 'stream of consciousness' and every single character lacked any genuine human thought (particularly the main character, Fran, and her sister Lucy). There was very little depth, and as such no intrigue.
I also thought that the plot and twist were rather weak.
I also thought that the plot and twist were rather weak.
February 19, 2017
This might be the dumbest story I've ever read.
March 13, 2017
I thought this was a very thin plot, the story wasn't very engaging and was quite repetitive. I was bored with it and skim read from half way through.
December 27, 2017
This is a good, quick read with a few surprises.
October 22, 2020
Definitely held my interest till the end. So many twists, an excellent psychological thriller
June 6, 2019
I really had high hopes for this book but it just fell flat for me unfortunately. Black Sheep is focussed around the events and the fallout after Francesca’s husband, Caspian is murdered in an apparently random attack. It deals with the effects within her close-knit Catholic family. Some reasons why it just didn’t work for me;
Flaky Character building.
We meet Francesca, a widowed mother of two. She is attending her deceased husband’s memorial service (he was murdered 16 months ago). She is approached by a stranger that flips her entire world upside down for the second time. The information that she receives from this man is that he had received threatening messages from someone that was close to them both. From this point forward she’s looking for any link to what he has told her, it also seems like since she got this information that everyone is know acting differently around her. She’s chasing ghosts, shadows in order to hold onto the possibility that her husbands murder wasn’t just random.
Her Sister Lucy, is a very nervous, timid character due to an event that happened in her youth. She still lives at home with their father and step-mother (decidedly odd). I found her behaviour to just be weird for someone of her age group and didn’t feel her character really brought any substance to the story.
Predictability
From the first few chapters I had worked out the endgame of the story. This was despite twists and turns taken within, it just didn’t provide the shock factor that I think the author was looking to portray. The story was often very slow and points and unfortunately, I found myself thinking that I wish I was reading something else. I also think that the author wanted the subject matter to be controversial, maybe even a bit taboo but for me personally it didn’t have that desired effect. But, it could be a trigger novel for many people. I think it just lacked that Punch!
The Writing was disjointed
Although the main character had suffered such incredible loss, I didn’t really feel any real feeling for her. I wasn’t really feeling connected to any of the characters, which is a real pity as the story as a whole had huge potential. The strongest character, from a written perspective was the best friend Ayesha. The other characters just lacked depth. The paragraphs felt repetitive and in places quite contradictory.
Overall, I just think this book promised more than it delivered which is a real shame.
2 Stars
Flaky Character building.
We meet Francesca, a widowed mother of two. She is attending her deceased husband’s memorial service (he was murdered 16 months ago). She is approached by a stranger that flips her entire world upside down for the second time. The information that she receives from this man is that he had received threatening messages from someone that was close to them both. From this point forward she’s looking for any link to what he has told her, it also seems like since she got this information that everyone is know acting differently around her. She’s chasing ghosts, shadows in order to hold onto the possibility that her husbands murder wasn’t just random.
Her Sister Lucy, is a very nervous, timid character due to an event that happened in her youth. She still lives at home with their father and step-mother (decidedly odd). I found her behaviour to just be weird for someone of her age group and didn’t feel her character really brought any substance to the story.
Predictability
From the first few chapters I had worked out the endgame of the story. This was despite twists and turns taken within, it just didn’t provide the shock factor that I think the author was looking to portray. The story was often very slow and points and unfortunately, I found myself thinking that I wish I was reading something else. I also think that the author wanted the subject matter to be controversial, maybe even a bit taboo but for me personally it didn’t have that desired effect. But, it could be a trigger novel for many people. I think it just lacked that Punch!
The Writing was disjointed
Although the main character had suffered such incredible loss, I didn’t really feel any real feeling for her. I wasn’t really feeling connected to any of the characters, which is a real pity as the story as a whole had huge potential. The strongest character, from a written perspective was the best friend Ayesha. The other characters just lacked depth. The paragraphs felt repetitive and in places quite contradictory.
Overall, I just think this book promised more than it delivered which is a real shame.
2 Stars
June 12, 2024
📚 Francesca baru saja menjadi janda setahun yang lalu, karena suaminya telah meninggal dunia. Meski suami & ayahnya tidak akur, tetapi keluarganya mendukung dia untuk melanjutkan hidupnya.
Namun, ketika dia siap menata hidup baru. Tiba-tiba ada seseorang menghubunginya & mengatakan bahwa kematian suaminya tidak seperti yang dikira. Orang itu mengatakan bahwa keluarganya tahu lebih banyak dari yang mereka ucapkan.
Lantas, apa yang sebenarnya terjadi❓
🕵️♀️ Gaya narasi dalam novel ini menggunakan sudut pandang orang ketiga terbatas yang berfokus pada Francesca. Bahasanya emosional & deskriptif, tempo ceritanya cepat, dialognya natural, dan ada flashback.
Cerita ini penuh dengan intrik. Dari awal, aku diajak untuk ikut serta dalam misteri kematian suami Francesca & rahasia yang disembunyikan oleh keluarganya 🙈 Sedangkan, alur ceritanya ada plot twist yang membuatku terus ingin tahu apa yang akan terjadi selanjutnya 😂
Di sisi lain, Francesca digambarkan sebagai karakter yang kompleks. Dia adalah seorang ibu yang berduka, tetapi berusaha untuk tetap kuat demi anak-anaknya 🙈 Perkembangan emosionalnya di sepanjang novel terlihat jelas, dari seorang wanita yang hancur bertahap berubah menjadi seseorang yang berani mencari kebenaran 💪
Penulis berhasil menggambarkan emosi & perasaan karakter dengan baik ❤️ Deskripsi tentang momen-momen refleksi pribadi Francesca, di mana dia merenungkan kehilangan suaminya & dampaknya pada kehidupannya, aku bisa merasakannya 😔
Namun, beberapa karakter sampingan dalam novel ini kurang dikembangkan oleh penulis. Sebagai contoh, beberapa anggota keluarganya tidak diberikan latar belakang atau pengembangan yang cukup.
Meskipun plot twist & misteri di awal sangat menarik, tetapi menurutku penyelesaian misteri kematian suami Francesca terasa sedikit terburu-buru.
💌 Selesai baca novel ini, aku bisa menarik maksud penulis menciptakan cerita ini. Bahwasannya, novel ini menekankan pentingnya kepercayaan dalam keluarga & bagaimana rahasia dapat merusak hubungan. Keluarga yang erat adalah tema sentral, tetapi juga diperlihatkan bagaimana ketidakjujuran dapat mengancam ikatan tersebut 🔥
Namun, ketika dia siap menata hidup baru. Tiba-tiba ada seseorang menghubunginya & mengatakan bahwa kematian suaminya tidak seperti yang dikira. Orang itu mengatakan bahwa keluarganya tahu lebih banyak dari yang mereka ucapkan.
Lantas, apa yang sebenarnya terjadi❓
🕵️♀️ Gaya narasi dalam novel ini menggunakan sudut pandang orang ketiga terbatas yang berfokus pada Francesca. Bahasanya emosional & deskriptif, tempo ceritanya cepat, dialognya natural, dan ada flashback.
Cerita ini penuh dengan intrik. Dari awal, aku diajak untuk ikut serta dalam misteri kematian suami Francesca & rahasia yang disembunyikan oleh keluarganya 🙈 Sedangkan, alur ceritanya ada plot twist yang membuatku terus ingin tahu apa yang akan terjadi selanjutnya 😂
Di sisi lain, Francesca digambarkan sebagai karakter yang kompleks. Dia adalah seorang ibu yang berduka, tetapi berusaha untuk tetap kuat demi anak-anaknya 🙈 Perkembangan emosionalnya di sepanjang novel terlihat jelas, dari seorang wanita yang hancur bertahap berubah menjadi seseorang yang berani mencari kebenaran 💪
Penulis berhasil menggambarkan emosi & perasaan karakter dengan baik ❤️ Deskripsi tentang momen-momen refleksi pribadi Francesca, di mana dia merenungkan kehilangan suaminya & dampaknya pada kehidupannya, aku bisa merasakannya 😔
Namun, beberapa karakter sampingan dalam novel ini kurang dikembangkan oleh penulis. Sebagai contoh, beberapa anggota keluarganya tidak diberikan latar belakang atau pengembangan yang cukup.
Meskipun plot twist & misteri di awal sangat menarik, tetapi menurutku penyelesaian misteri kematian suami Francesca terasa sedikit terburu-buru.
💌 Selesai baca novel ini, aku bisa menarik maksud penulis menciptakan cerita ini. Bahwasannya, novel ini menekankan pentingnya kepercayaan dalam keluarga & bagaimana rahasia dapat merusak hubungan. Keluarga yang erat adalah tema sentral, tetapi juga diperlihatkan bagaimana ketidakjujuran dapat mengancam ikatan tersebut 🔥
September 27, 2021
This was predictable and very silly, but I read it in one go and it kept me interested. More a 2.5 rounded up to 3.
Francesca is at a memorial service for her husband, who was murdered about 18 months earlier. She's approached by a handsome stranger who tells her the death was no mugging-gone-wrong. In fact, he was the victim of an anti-abortion terrorist group, and he's not the only victim. Even worse, the rumour is that Francesca's own father is the head of this terrorist group! Oh no!
The silliness begins when Francesca simply doesn't go to the police with this information, and instead blabs her suspicions to everybody in her family, despite being unsure if one of them is behind it. Then when she does tell the police, the silliness continues when they refuse to believe her. Four doctors who performed abortions are dead and the police won't consider any connection? Seemed unlikely to me.
This actually felt very YA (young adult) to me as Francesca and Harry intrepidly investigate the terrorist group, all while Francesca goes on and on and on about how much she fancies Harry, but can she trust him? Blah, blah, blah. So it wasn't surprising to learn that Sophie McKenzie used to write YA, and this is actually her last adult book (published in 2017), and she has since returned to writing YA. It's what she should probably stick with.
But the plot kept me entertained. It lacks many of the tropes common in so much modern thriller fiction these days, so it was a welcome change from the norm. I can put aside predictability and silliness if I'm having a good time.
Francesca is at a memorial service for her husband, who was murdered about 18 months earlier. She's approached by a handsome stranger who tells her the death was no mugging-gone-wrong. In fact, he was the victim of an anti-abortion terrorist group, and he's not the only victim. Even worse, the rumour is that Francesca's own father is the head of this terrorist group! Oh no!
The silliness begins when Francesca simply doesn't go to the police with this information, and instead blabs her suspicions to everybody in her family, despite being unsure if one of them is behind it. Then when she does tell the police, the silliness continues when they refuse to believe her. Four doctors who performed abortions are dead and the police won't consider any connection? Seemed unlikely to me.
This actually felt very YA (young adult) to me as Francesca and Harry intrepidly investigate the terrorist group, all while Francesca goes on and on and on about how much she fancies Harry, but can she trust him? Blah, blah, blah. So it wasn't surprising to learn that Sophie McKenzie used to write YA, and this is actually her last adult book (published in 2017), and she has since returned to writing YA. It's what she should probably stick with.
But the plot kept me entertained. It lacks many of the tropes common in so much modern thriller fiction these days, so it was a welcome change from the norm. I can put aside predictability and silliness if I'm having a good time.
March 19, 2018
I received this book in a goodreads giveaway.
The premise was interesting, but the execution of the book itself was a let down. The characters were all unlikeable and unrealistic, at points the way the female protagonist acted made it seem as if she was bipolar. Constantly switching back and forth between thoughts and conclusions, not based on what she’d found but on what other people told her, even if the person telling her another “truth” was the person she was suspecting a page before. A character who committed a rape against his underage cousin, and murdered a bunch of people somehow was described as “vulnerable” and “used” at the end. Seriously. How do you get to that conclusion? A lot of the choices made no sense whatsoever.
The writing is somewhat lacklustre, repetitive, and drawn out. Could have been edited down more. Towards the end of the book I found a section repeated word by word on another page after. And the ending itself was a letdown and again, unrealistic. A murderer is on the loose? Let’s stand around and chat about the whole thing for a couple dozen more pages before we try and move again...
Very disappointed in the book, doubt I’ll try another of the authors works if they’re much similar to this.
The premise was interesting, but the execution of the book itself was a let down. The characters were all unlikeable and unrealistic, at points the way the female protagonist acted made it seem as if she was bipolar. Constantly switching back and forth between thoughts and conclusions, not based on what she’d found but on what other people told her, even if the person telling her another “truth” was the person she was suspecting a page before. A character who committed a rape against his underage cousin, and murdered a bunch of people somehow was described as “vulnerable” and “used” at the end. Seriously. How do you get to that conclusion? A lot of the choices made no sense whatsoever.
The writing is somewhat lacklustre, repetitive, and drawn out. Could have been edited down more. Towards the end of the book I found a section repeated word by word on another page after. And the ending itself was a letdown and again, unrealistic. A murderer is on the loose? Let’s stand around and chat about the whole thing for a couple dozen more pages before we try and move again...
Very disappointed in the book, doubt I’ll try another of the authors works if they’re much similar to this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2019
Imagine that your husband has been dead a year, killed in a random mugging gone wrong, according to the police. At the end of a memorial service in his honour, someone tells you that he was murdered, and that they think that someone in your family, probably your father, was involved. What do you do? Who can you trust? Francesca is the elder daughter in a staunch catholic family, and her family has been everything to her since her husband's murder. Her father, Jayson, who has long been involved in campaigns against abortion. His two brothers Perry and Graham. Her younger sister Lucy, who has been very fragile since having an abortion at age 15. Her cousin Dex, a couple of months younger than Fran and one of her closest friends since childhood. Her children, not yet teenagers, Rufus and Ruby. Oh, and just to complicate things, her husband was a gynaecologist who performed abortions. Who can she trust?
What can I say about this book? It is certainly gripping, but not always very believable. Many of the characters are pretty unlikeable. It includes a pretty graphic rape scene, described by the victim. You do want to find out what happens!
What can I say about this book? It is certainly gripping, but not always very believable. Many of the characters are pretty unlikeable. It includes a pretty graphic rape scene, described by the victim. You do want to find out what happens!
February 5, 2019
I didn’t enjoy this at all and found myself wishing it was over to I could start something else. I skim read whole paragraphs of unnecessary repetition and characters giving a dull round up of the plot so far to one another; shoehorned into clunky dialogue.
The plot was thin, the characters were implausible and the endless questions grated by the end.
“But who can I trust? Should I trust this character? But the other character said they were a bad guy? Shall I run away to safety? If I did that, would I feel sad at missing out on a chance to recap the plot with another character? Is there a maximum number of mindless questions you can ask in one paragraph before an editor DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT?”
The plot was thin, the characters were implausible and the endless questions grated by the end.
“But who can I trust? Should I trust this character? But the other character said they were a bad guy? Shall I run away to safety? If I did that, would I feel sad at missing out on a chance to recap the plot with another character? Is there a maximum number of mindless questions you can ask in one paragraph before an editor DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT?”
January 5, 2022
There are so many good books out there. Don't waste your time with this one. Set over the course of about a week, the main character meets a man who shares an "explosive" secret with her. She immediately starts running around and accusing all her extended family (who are all devoutly, possibly fanatically, religious) of horrible crimes, finds out she's been lied to, accuses a different family member of being the bad guy, falls in love, suspects yet another family member of being a criminal mastermind, and learns who the real bad guy is. The plot itself is terrible. On the plus side, the story is fast-paced, I bought it in a charity shop for only £2, and I'm stuck in a 6-day hotel quarantine for Covid so I didn't have anything else to do anyway.
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