Second Life - S.J. Watson

Okay, here it is - the book I'll be recommending as required summer reading this year....Second Life by S.J. Watson.

Watson' debut novel, Before I Go to Sleep, was a runaway success. I absolutely loved it. (It's also a movie starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth) When I heard Watson had a new novel coming out, it immediately went on my must read list. But I did wonder if he could match the success of that first book. The answer is a resounding yes!

Julia and her husband Hugh have been raising Julia's nephew Connor as their son since he was a toddler. When her sister Kate is murdered in Paris and the crime remains unsolved, Julia feels compelled to try to see what she can find out for both her sake and Connor's.

Julia connects with Kate's roommate and learns that Kate was active in online hook up sites - casual sex online or in person. You can see it coming can't you.....yep, Julia joins the same site......

"I have another message, but it's not from him. This one is from someone new. As I open it I get the strangest feeling. A plunging, a descent. A door has been nudged open. Something is coming."

I'll tell you what's coming - one heck of a great read! Psychological, suspenseful twisty turny, keep you up late kinda read. I found myself breaking my rule (never peek ahead in a book) more than once - you know - just to see what happens and then going back to read a little slower.

Julia finds herself caught up in this online world......and then it spills over into her real life.....

"I wish I'd never met him. I don't know who he is, this man, this person I've let into my life. I want everything to go back to how it was before."

Uh, huh. It's too late Julia.

Watson's premise is not all that far-fetched. I'm sure many folks indulge in online anonymity. But he's taken that 'what if' to a whole new level. And even when I thought I knew what the ending would be (I refused to peek ahead that close to finishing) I was still surprised by the final twist.

Fair warning to gentle readers - there are some sexual scenes.

Absolutely recommended! I can't wait to see what Watson pens next! Read an excerpt of Second Life.

"S. J. Watson was born in the Midlands and lives in London. His first novel was the award-winning Before I Go to Sleep, which has sold over four million copies in more than forty languages around the world. It was recently adapted into a major motion picture starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, and Mark Strong. Find out more about S.J. at his website, and follow him on Facebook and on Twitter." See what others on the TLC book tour thought. Full schedule can be found here.