Just Like the Other Girls - Claire Douglas

I've read and enjoyed previous titles from Claire Douglas. She writes suspense, which is one of my favorite genres. I thought I would try listening to one of her titles as well - Just Like the Other Girls. 

"Carer/Companion wanted for elderly lady. Young female preferred. Competitive salary. Room and Board included."

Sounds like a good job, right? Una Richardson thinks so. She'll save some money and then take off travelling in a few months. But things are not quite idyllic in the McKenzie house. Elspeth is mercurial in her moods, demands and demeanor. Her adult daughter Kathryn is downright rude. And it seems that Una is not the first companion. There have been at least two before her.....

I liked the premise - there's so many places this plot could go. I got a gothic feel from the set up - an elderly (but not really pleasant) woman in a large, well-to-do home, a bitter daughter and our protagonist living in a room in the attic. 

As listeners, we are privy to not just Una's thoughts, but also Kathryn's. And Kathryn's are more than a little disconcerting. I did find Una to be too trusting and naïve. But, of course that just adds to the tension. There's a number of supporting players (aka suspects). Una's best friend Courtney ended up being my favorite character.

Douglas surprised me with an abrupt change-up that I didn't see coming midway through the book. I did find the first bit of this change up to be very similar and repetitive to what has already occurred in part one. There were some bits that I found to be a bit far fetched and somewhat questionable, such as the police response and the rationalizing that the companions make about what's going on. The narrative definitely had that 'don't go in the basement', 'get out of the house' feeling! The ending provided a whodunit that was a surprise.

The reader was Georgia Maguire and she did an excellent job of presenting Douglas's work. She employs differing tones and accents to define and easily identify each character. She spoke clearly and is easy to understand. She captures and easily portrays the emotions of the characters and the suspense of the plot with her voice. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of Just Like the Other Girls.

Overall, an entertaining listen. I'm looking forward to her forthcoming novel - The Couple at Number 9.