Plot:
Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.
Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.
A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.
Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.
But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.
Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?
Review:
It’s been within 3 days that I read this page by page!
First time in forever I have started and finished a book this quick especially as time passes which must mean one thing. This novel was so gripping!
First time coming across this author as this novel was probably mentioned in a YT video. Definitely need to discover more of Lisa’s other novels if they are anything like this one oh my god.
There was so much within this novel and yet at the same time you think you could try to predict what is going to happen in some angle but nope. Each time you think you got the gist of it, it changes. But not in a this is fake writing type of way, but in a way that you genuinely could see happening as there are real life documentaries out there that show how people can be like this.
To sum up this novel to at least get you hooked a little bit to read it in the first place:
“She’s not who she makes out to be. Not at all”
There are two main characters: A Podcaster named Alix and a lady that works part time altering clothes called Josie.
They first encounter each other when Josie randomly decides to eat out for her birthday. When she discovers it is also this glamorous lady Alix’s birthday too. So it turns out they are both the same age. Born in the same hospital on the same day.
Josie feels a draw to Alix. Alix can read people’s auras very well.
Although, as with all characters like in real life they all have their flaws.
Josie has a story to tell which is apparently going to be a good story to tell for Alix’s podcasts. Alix is intrigued.
Overall, I feel there were alot of characters along the way that are not telling the full truth for whatever reason. As well as that if each person mentioned in their lives had of done or said something even Slightly different then altogether situations might be different for better perhaps.
I found myself too captivated to put this down so every free moment I have had I needed to finish it. It is a twisted story but like with some sad historical based on real situation novels I JUST COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN!
I do wonder about the ending though, who is telling the truth, which bits are true, can there be a sum up like either a before or after version of this novel to kind of give us the readers some closure?
4.5/5 Stars
C’s La Vie 