Friday, March 4, 2022

The New Girl

Ruth Heald is one of my newest favorite authors.  I read her The Wedding and I Know Your Secret, both of which were fantastic psychological thrillers. When I saw an ad for her newest book, I couldn't wait to get it. Heald now has a respectable six novels to her credit. She only writes the psychological thriller genre and is superb with this type of writing. Heald studied Economics at Oxford University and then worked in a mix of sectors from nuclear decommissioning to management consulting. She worked at the BBC for nine years before leaving to write full time. Heald stated on her website that she is fascinated by psychology and finding out what drives people to violence, destruction and revenge.

Sophie Williams has moved from Dorset to London in order to escape her past. She thought that she could keep her past a secret by moving with no possessions other than a few clothes. She soon lands her dream job in advertising and it comes with a bonus. Sophie is offered the use of an apartment that her new employer owns for free. She is attracted her boss James and he feels the same about her. With James by her side, Sophie begins to feel safe again, more secure than she has felt in years. However, Sophie begins to hear odd noises at night and has a feeling that she is being watched. James convinces her that she is imagining things but when a new dress appears in her closet, Sophie wears it to work the next day. She is stunned when the atmosphere becomes chilled. 

Wow! This was a page turning mystery with many twists and turns. I found my heart beating fast everytime something happened to Sophie. I thought she was pretty gullible and knew she would be in danger because of her poor decisions. She should have known that all of the gifts that her new employer gave her were for a reason, a reason not good for her. I think most women would have had their antenna up and swirling furiously. I began dreading each new chapter because I knew she would find a simple reason to excuse all the bad things that were happening and ignore the obvious. The author did a great job of writing suspense into each chapter. The suspense was so high that I was scared for Sophie. It's been a long, long time since I cared this much for a character. However, I have had similar experiences with men and recognized every trap that she fell into. 

5 out of 5 stars.

No comments:

Post a Comment