A Face in the Crowd by Kerry Wilkinson
Genre: Suspense
Read: 31st May 2019
Purchase: Amazon
(release date: 6th June 2019)
★★★★ 4 stars
A FACE IN THE CROWD is Kerry Wilkinson's newest standalone thriller, and while not his best, it does feature the best character any book could - a gorgeous snuggable staffy! However, I may not have enjoyed it as much as much as I probably could have had I not spent the entire book on tenterhooks waiting for something untoward to happen to Billy. That constant shadow remained with me throughout the whole book and if it hadn't then I am sure I would have enjoyed it more. Having said that, I DID really enjoy it...just probably not as much as I could have.
Lucy's Life hasn't turned out the way she thought it would. Five years ago she was engaged to charismatic Ben Peterson and they seemed like the perfect couple. They were happy, they had plans, they had a future. Then it all came crashing down when Ben was killed in an horrific train crash. Suddenly she found herself in debt. Now she lives day to day, pay cheque to pay cheque, working as a cashier at a supermarket struggling to make ends meet while the new love of her life - her dog, a staffy - waits for her at home in their small one bedroom flat.
One day however, everything changes. Lucy is on her usual way home one Friday evening on the bus - standing room only - trying to keep her head down while armpits are shoved in her face and elbows in her back. Just waiting to get back home to Billy. She has the sense that someone is watching her and when she reaches her stop something feels different...but she doesn't know what. When she discovers a strange blank envelope in her bag, she is shocked to discover that it is filled with thousands of pounds! Upon finding it she vows to turn it in to the police. But as the hours stretch into the night and then into the next day, Lucy still has the envelope and its contents and can't help but wonder how it got there. That's when strange things start to happen. Coincidence? Or something more sinister?
Then Lucy begins to hear music coming the flat directly opposite her, abandoned by previous tenant Jade, and a shiver runs through her as the melodic sounds of "Rocket Man" by Elton John emanate from behind the closed door. But when she knocks, no one ever answers. There is no sound but the music. Who is her new neighbour and why do they constantly play what was once her favourite song over and over? Is it Harry? The new man she met on a dating app? Has he been stalking her? He is a computer hacker, after all, or is she being ridiculous? But then he is attacked after leaving her apartment one night. Or is it Melanie? Ben's mum. Lucy has seen her everywhere she goes lately. Is SHE stalking her? She knows she blames Lucy for her son's death. But whoever it is, where ever she goes, Lucy has the constant feeling of being watched.
When she discovers her best friend and neighbour Karen also has an envelope of money, Lucy begins to wonder what secrets her friend may be harbouring? Has Karen received an envelope as well? Or is she responsible for her's?
And then Jade's body is found and the police are treating it as murder. Someone they know could be a cold-blooded killer. Could life get any worse?
But when Billy suddenly takes ill, Lucy is beside herself with worry! What is wrong with him? She takes the envelope of cash and hurries to the vet where she awaits tests that reveal he has been poisoned. Who would poison Billy? Why would they poison him?
Lucy may have thought the envelope of money would save her life but nothing could be further from the truth.
A slow burn to begin with, A FACE IN THE CROWD is an intriguing tale of suspense that is woven with an every day story of an every day person in their ever day life. Nothing exciting, nothing extravagant. Just someone like you or me living week to week, struggling to make ends meet...when something extraordinary happens. I like how Kerry Wilkinson has drawn on that. Not someone who has it all.
I think it is because of this that I can relate to Lucy. She could be me. I know what it is to struggle from pay cheque to pay cheque, trying to make ends meet. And yes, much of that goes on rent and bills with not a lot left over for groceries. I could relate to trying to balance the cost of a meal and opting for the cheapest option. Lucy could be me. But thankfully, in this case, she wasn't. But I could relate to her. And the fact that she has a completely lovable and snuggable staffy only cements that fact. I have two staffies of my own and am familiar with their love, loyalty and devotion to their master. I could relate to the dead weight of them when they decide to sprawl across your lap your legs. Or anywhere that is comfortable. Staffies view life as if it is completely for their benefit. And in my world, it is.
I enjoyed the cast of characters in A FACE IN THE CROWD. We've already established I liked Lucy, but I also enjoyed her interactions with Karen, Vicky and Nick. Mark is someone I wouldn't want in my complex either, which is precisely why I don't live in a flat. I even liked Harry, though I was suspicious of him at times. And because Melanie was not a fan of Lucy, I wasn't a fan of her. But I enjoyed their interactions. However, there wasn't a vast array of characters and those that were only had a small part to play because the story highlighted Lucy's isolation. In essence it was about her and Billy. And Billy was, above all, my favourite character. I could sit and snuggle with him all night.
I wouldn't call A FACE IN THE CROWD a thriller as such. It is more of a mystery suspense. It lacked the twists of Wilkinson's other standalones, and I already guessed the "big reveal" about halfway through, but it is still compelling. I was still drawn into the story, losing track of time as read until the early hours. It did not have that huge climatic ending we naturally come to expect but I felt it was a good ending. And Billy was the hero of it all...as it should be.
My only real fault was in Kerry's "note" at the end when he referenced Billy with being a "big arse dog". This is the kind of misconception that gives staffies a bad name. They are not "big arse dogs". They are huge snugglebugs who love people and regardless of their size, believe they are lap dogs. That aside, as it was not part of the story, and Kerry cleverly did not portray Billy as a "big arse dog" in my opinion either. I think he portrayed him rather well, except that at 10, Billy would still be a little more active. Though the fact he is kept indoors would be why he is indeed a lounge lizard, as staffies are quite capable of being.
I would like to thank #KerryWilkinson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #AFaceInTheCrowd in exchange for an honest review.
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