Book Synopsis:
Fragile is a modern Gothic psychological thriller with a contemporary twist on the classic novel Rebecca from award-winning and critically acclaimed writer Sarah Hilary
Everything she touches breaks . . .
Nell Ballard is a runaway. A former foster child with a dark secret she is desperately trying to keep, all Nell wants is to find a place she can belong.
So when a job comes up at Starling Villas, home to the enigmatic Robin Wilder, she seizes the opportunity with both hands.
But her new lodgings may not be the safe haven that she was hoping for. Her employer lives by a set of rigid rules and she soon sees he is hiding secrets of his own.
But is Nell’s arrival at the Villas really the coincidence it seems? After all, she knows more than most how fragile people can be – and how easily they can be to break . . .
Fragile is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.
My Review:
I’ve been a huge fan of this author’s Marnie Rome series for ages so I was very intrigued to read Fragile, a new psychological thriller from her.
The two main characters are interesting creations who I enjoyed finding out more about throughout the book. Nell has obviously had a hard childhood which the reader slowly gets to know more about. Her time in foster care has had a big impact on her and I did feel a great deal of sympathy with her. The synopsis of the book hints at her having some dark secrets that’s she hiding and I found myself very curious about what they might be. I kept wondering whether she was at Roberts house by accident or design so had to keep reading to find out. Robert was a very sinister character who I disliked the moment I met him. I kept hoping Nell would leave his employment and I felt very nervous about her safety when she was with him. His wife was another chilling character who I loved to hate. The two of them soon had me reading faster as I wanted to find out what would happen and if Nell would be ok.
I felt drawn into the story from the start and soon found the book hard to put down. It is a bit of a harrowing read at times but there are moments of hope scattered within too which stops it becoming too much. The author slowly increases the tension in the book until I could almost not bear it and I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat as I read. (Quite literally at one point as my husband had to ask me if I was ok). This author’s books always leave an emotional mark on me, whether it’s not being able to leave my kid in the car anymore while I put the trolley away to making me creep into my kids rooms to give them a huge hug as they slept. She makes the scenarios seem so real that I feel very invested in the story and think I can imagine how they are feeling.
I’d definitely be interested in reading more of this type of book from her in the future, though I am also keeping my fingers crossed for another Marnie Rome book soon.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Sarah Hilary’s debut novel, Someone Else’s Skin, won the 2015 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and was a World Book Night selection. The Observer’s Book of the Month (‘superbly disturbing’) and a Richard and Judy Book Club bestseller, it has been published worldwide. No Other Darkness, the second in the series, was shortlisted for a Barry Award in the U.S. Her D.I. Marnie Rome series continues with Tastes Like Fear, Quieter Than Killing, Come and Find Me, and Never Be Broken. Fragile is her first standalone novel.
Over The Rainbow Blog 