Before I retired and was commuting to London every day I used to dream about being ill. Not awful ill but just a nice gentle sniffle and cold so that I could loll in bed and read. Well, the reality is that if you are ill you feel lousy and simply cannot concentrate on reading at all so it is a non-starter. I was reminded of this dream of mine this week when I was struck down with some fluey lurgy thingy and took to my bed. Blood Orange was sitting on my bedside table saying Read Me. Oh how I wanted to but could not.
Two days passed and I decided I was feeling a bit more humanoid so decided to give it a whirl. Picture me Dear Reader propped up on my pillows, cup of tea to hand, looking like the Wreck of the Hesperus and reeking of Vick's Vapour rub. Or perhaps NOT picture me…
I opened the book up and OH NO I scream it is written in the present tense. Well I did not actually scream because I had no voice but I did internally. I am sorry but I do not like books written in the present tense or the future pluperfect whatever (does that even exist?) but I soldiered on.
And you know what?
After two pages, yes two, it DID NOT MATTER. I was hooked.
Ok so after all this burbling, what is it about?
According to the blurb "Alison has it all: loving husband, daughter and a career on the rise – she is about to defend her first murder case. Why is she risking everything for somebody who treates her with no respect?"
Alison's client killed her husband. Stabbed him to death. She is found sitting by the body covered in blood and makes no attempt to deny she is guilty. She seems curiously fatalistic about it all. Alison and her work partner, Patrick, interview her and gradually tease out of her the true story of her marriage and it was not as perfect as it appears. OK now here I have to say I guessed straight away what had happened, I have read far too many crime novels not to, but that was fine, no worries I wanted to see how it would work out.
Patrick – now Alison is having an affair with him. He is a womaniser, untrustworthy and treats her like dirt. And somebody knows she is involved and is sending her nasty vicious texts about it.
So we have a tangled web of deceit and lies and Alison trying to balance these complications and cope with her marriage which is slowly falling apart.
Right I cannot go on any further without delving into the plot and the ins and outs and I do Not Want to. I would make a poor fist of the intricacies and I also think it best if you nip out or go online and buy this book and sit down and read it yourself. Just bear in mind the murder victim, what a nasty piece of work he is. Contrast him with the wonderfull Carl, Alison's husband who looks after their daughter and runs a clinic for sexual disorders. Look at the parrallels and wonder.
Enough.
I read this book straight through in two hours. I could not put it down. My tea went cold and I forgot I was feeling lousy. I was totally gripped. And the ending! oh boy what an ending. Though I had my suspicions I was not prepared for this and I have to say I sat up in bed pumped my fist in the air and said YES!
Compelling, page turning and simply terrific this book has garnered great reviews and raves from everyone who has read it. Every time I tuned into Twitter over the last few weeks Blood Orange was being raved about and quite rightly too.
After reading it I do went on Twitter, immediately started to follow Harriet Tyce and started to harass her. WHEN is the next book coming out? I am working on it she says. Oh good.
All I can say is Well get a Move on.
Brilliant.
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