Monday, September 12, 2016

Blood Wedding - Pierre Lemaitre

I first discovered Pierre LeMaitre back in 2013 when I picked up his (terrifying) novel Alex. I loved it (my review) and have been a fan ever since. His latest book - Blood Wedding has just released - and it's just as creepily terrifying as his previous works.

Sophie is working as a nanny to a young boy. When she awakes one morning she find the boy dead - with one of her shoelaces around his neck. And Sophie can't remember a thing.

Hoping she hasn't killed the boy (She couldn't have done such a thing - could she?) and knowing no one will believe her Sophie runs, creates a new identity and tries to hide. Why? Well, that little dead boy isn't the first time Sophie can't remember things. Working as a nanny was the latest stop in a downward spiral from successful, married businesswoman to frightened, forgetful and unstable woman she is today. What has happened to her and her life? She has no idea - but someone else does....

I enjoyed getting immediately caught up in Sophie's maelstrom. As I read the first half, I thought the novel was going to go one way, looked at the number of pages left and thought 'oh, that's too much for this storyline'. And then LeMaitre knocked all my preconceived notions as to how the book would unfold out the window in the second half. I truly don't want to ruin the book for anyone. But there is someone 'helping' Sophie on her downward spiral.

"I know her so well. I knew how she would react, what would interest her. "It's important not to overdo it. The important thing is to maintain the atmosphere."

Just as I thought I now knew where LeMaitre's story was going, he threw in a few more twists. I love that gotcha moment when you read a single sentence, sit stunned for a second, and then read it again just to confirm.

This is a one sided cat and mouse game, with the reader fully aware of what is happening to Sophie. Until........

Deliciously creepy! Stephen King calls LeMaitre "A really excellent suspense novelist." I think so too.  Read an excerpt of Blood Wedding.

1 comment:

Kay said...

This one sounds good, Luanne! Putting it on my list.