S is for Stranger by Louise Stone
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Read: 11th August 2017
★★★★★ 5 stars
If you love psychological thrillers, then this book is bound to keep your attention from start to finish.
It is every mother's worst nightmare.
The story begins with mother Sophie on a Saturday visit with her daughter Amy, since her divorce from Paul, Amy's father. They play a game of "I spy", which Amy claims her mother is no good at but plays along anyway, giggling at her mother's answers. When it is Amy's turn she chooses "something beginning with S"..."S is for stranger, mummy. That woman has been watching us." Sophie looks and sees a familiar figure watching her and Amy, leaving her with a sense of unease.
A month passes and it is Sophie's birthday and she is meeting Paul and Amy at the fairground. When Sophie takes Amy to get some candy floss (fairy floss here in Australia and cotton candy in the US), her mobile rings. She turns to answer it and hears a familiar voice say "Happy birthday...your turn!" When Sophie looks up, Amy has gone!
And so begins the thrill ride which seriously messes with your mind. You don't know who to trust or what to believe, as Sophie delves into the past and the night her best friend was murdered 20 years ago on her birthday. No one else believes Sophie that Bethany was murdered. Her body was never found and it was assumed and then recorded as a suicide. But Sophie is certain. She has never trusted psychiatrists as none of them ever believed her, calling her delusional, but now she finds herself trusting a clinical psychiatrist, employed by the police, who tries helping her remember what happened 20 years ago...as she believes Amy's disappearance is linked to what happened the night Bethany died. I must admit I was more interested in finding out what happened to Bethany than the present day story arc.
It's a psychological thrill ride as you try to work out what is true and what isn't. But as you go, every piece is a clue that helps you, and Sophie, unlock the truth. You just have to look for them. I began to question the truth partway through but it wasn't until the climax began that I saw the truth of it all.
My only fault with this book, which was exceptionally written and certainly doesn't read like a debut, is the ending. While I think I know, I'm not entirely sure as there were no real details to give unequivocal closure. That is, closure that left no room for doubt. There are a few questions at the end which I felt were left unanswered...and could have been, without taking away from the impact of such an ending. I don't want to give anything away, but you have to read it to see what I mean...and see if you come to the same conclusions as I did.
However, the absence of clear closure and answered questions wasn't enough to subtract a star from my rating. It was still, by far, a 5 star thrill ride!
