This psychological thriller kept me guessing, but oh dear, reading it was a slog. The book didn’t match my expectations, which weren’t especially high as I hadn’t read this author before.
The story is narrated by Alice, a translator who works from home. She has just moved into a posh house in The Circle, a gated community in London, with her partner Leo. It turns out that the woman who previously lived in the house, Nina, was murdered. Alice becomes obsessed with finding out the truth of what happened and thinks that her neighbours are covering something up.
I liked the claustrophobic nature of the gated community as a setting. The number of potential suspects is very intriguing and there were some unexpected twists towards the end. However, I wasn’t really gripped by the writing. Mostly it’s Alice repeating the same information to different people, saying the word ‘lovely’ or ‘perfect’ a lot and having nice meals out or at neighbours’ homes. Details didn’t seem right – for example, why would someone who wants to keep their previous name a secret not destroy their expired passport? And you can’t just walk into the British Library and use their computers straight away, you have to register for a pass.
I felt impatient with this novel as it’s supposed to be a thriller. I was only turning the pages quickly to find out who the murderer was while not enjoying the process. I couldn’t relate to the characters and the writing style wasn’t for me.
Published in 2021.
What a mixed bag of a reading experience this was for you. I’ve been eyeing this book but have been undecided about whether I wanted to get it or not. I’m still not sure. Excellent review!
I know, I really hoped I’d like it more. I would still consider trying one of the author’s other books but I’m not in a hurry. Thanks for reading! 🙂