I’m really not sure why I never read a book by this author before. Having spent time with The It Girl, I will now always be looking for her new releases. I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy psychological thrillers.
The It Girl could be described with words that are used too often for thrillers, words like compelling, page turner, claustrophic (at times) and suspenseful. All would be true. What the author also does is create settings that live and become a part of the story, be it the the impressive Oxford colleges or neighborhoods in Scotland. Ms. Ware, in addition, brings characters to fully, sometimes scary, realized life.
This is a dual time line novel. The early time period centers on the student days of a group of friends. These include the wealthy, privately educated April and the girl who isn’t sure she really belongs at Oxford, Hannah. There are also one other woman, Emily, and the men who include Hugh, Will and Ryan. All come together as term begins when they play a rather tense game of strip poker.
One of these students, the It Girl, is murdered. Another testifies at the trial of the man accused of the crime. BUT…what if there was a miscarriage of justice? How will looking into this impact the lives of those who remain?
In the present time line, there have been couplings, a pregnancy, careers, attempts to move on in life and more. How will it be when a group that was once so close is in contact again? What if one of them is guilty?
The suspense is truly intense, enough to almost make me want to put the novel down at times. Publishers Weekly stars this one and I can really see why. Make it part of your summer reading.
Many thanks to NetGallery and Gallery Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 12 July 2022
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 