LK Chapman

There's a lot packed into this story but it's not a difficult read. There's a mere double handful of characters, some of whom we only know about from hearsay. The plot unfolds gently with many journeys back in time. But not in a jolting jump from present to past and back again. Instead, the protagonist, Poppy, gradually reveals the events of the last 17 years to her previously estranged friends.

Sisters Harriet and Jessica offer Poppy their hospitality and practical help but both Poppy and the reader often ponder whether each of them have hidden motives and private agendas. Jessica, especially, often behaves unpredictably. The beauty of this is that it causes each nuance of the dialogue to be examined, suspiciously. I red-herringed myself several times but I couldn't accuse L.K. Chapman of leading me astray - I really did it all by myself! Clever stuff!

Due to having a bout of ill-health I had to set the novel aside for a few weeks. When I came back to it I was surprised to find I could just pick it straight back up. The plot and characters were still clear in my mind.

The pace is deceptively rapid considering most of the settings are domestic. There is plenty of drama as well as the difficulties of single mothers raising their sons. The denouement took my breath away. I went back and reread it only to find it really was consistent with everything the author had previously outlined. I thoroughly enjoyed No Safe Haven and was very impressed. I'll try more of her novels.… (mehr)

This book was very well written. I was hooked right until the very end. I would have given this book five stars but for the ending. I was so worried about how Michael fared, and as there is no sequel, I felt like something was missing and that the ending wasn't complete. I think a few words would have helped readers to come to the conclusion that the murder charge is slightly alleviated since Paul deserved what came to him. But, I was glad to find Celeste doing better and happier with her little girl.

I don't think that there was any other way for Michael to handle this situation; he did his best. And I wonder, if something like this did happen to any of us, how would we react? Would we be able to do what Michael did for Rae? Would we be able to deal with it?

For me, just reading about the perverts that exist in this world made me sick. My stomach churned, my head ached, and I felt so depressed. I just don't get it, how some people can be so depraved.

I had a hard time with Rae; sometimes I believed her, and sometimes I didn't know what to make of her unusual stories. Sometimes I was so annoyed with her; but whatever she said about her baby, I felt that there was some truth in it.

And when I read:
"Her hands were shaking, and her skin felt ice cold. But for once, this wasn’t just speculation – some wild idea that she’d never be able to convince anyone of. If this was about Paul’s relationship to Madeline, it could be proved one way or the other. She looked down at her trembling hands. It was all about blood, she realised. Everything was about blood,"
I knew exactly what Paul's actual relationship to Tamsin was, and I was so extremely disgusted I could have thrown up.

This is a very good book with deep, complex issues, and the psychological aspects of the story convinced me that the author had to have studied about it. :)

Although I loved the way this author writes, I don't think I can handle the issues she writes. I would like to say that I look forward to reading more of her work, but I can't honestly say that.

I finished reading this book yesterday, but I needed time to process it all before I could rate and review it.… (mehr)