The Marriage by KL Slater
Genre: Domestic thriller, Domestic drama, Psychological thriller, Suspense
Read: 15th May 2021
Published: 20th May 2021
★★★★★ 5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Ten years ago he killed my son. Today I married him.
Ten years ago my darling son Jesse was murdered and our perfect family was destroyed. My strong, handsome boy, so full of life, became a memory, a photo I carried with me everywhere.
But today I’m finally close to finding happiness again. My ash-blonde hair has been curled into ringlets. Carefully placed white flowers frame my delicate features. The small, drab chapel has been prettied up with white satin, and there are tiny red hearts scattered on the small table where I will soon sign the register with my new husband.
The man who killed my son.
My friends and family can’t understand it. My neighbours whisper in the street whenever I walk past. How can I love a man like Tom?
They don’t really know me at all…
The most unputdownable psychological thriller you’ll read this year from the bestselling author K.L. Slater. If you love The Wife Between Us or Gone Girl, you’ll be totally hooked on The Marriage.
MY REVIEW:
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for K.L. Slater's exciting new thriller THE MARRIAGE.
Would you marry the man who killed your son?
Ten years ago, Bridget Wilson's world collapsed when her 18 year old son Jesse was killed with one punch by his best friend Tom Billinghurst. The pair had been ejected from a local nightclub for aggressive and violent behaviour, taking their grievances outside. But then suddenly, Jesse was unconscious on the ground and Tom was in handcuffs. What lead two young men who had been best friends for most of their lives to argue so publicly? What lead Tom to throw the one punch that would change his life forever?
Unbeknownst to them, their altercation was witnessed by elderly dog walker Mavis who often walked her dog Harry late at night which helped with her insomnia, therefore allowing her to sleep upon her return. She saw the boys, recognised them but didn't want to get involved. She hurried away and called the ambulance knowing one would be needed in any event, hanging up before her details could be taken. No one ever knew of the part she played or what she saw that night.
Due to the fact that Tom was an amateur boxer, the judge and jury decided he was best placed to cause significant damage with a single punch , his fists being considered a lethal weapon, and therefore found him guilty. He was sentenced to ten years in prison.
As part of coming to terms with what he did, Tom took part in a restorative justice programme, bringing the victim's families and the perpetrator together to find peace and move forward. Bridget also signed up to the programme and together she and Tom exorcised their demons of the past, finding forgiveness and friendship in one another. But as their visits increased beyond the programme, Bridget and Tom fell in love and six months before his release, they married in a simple ceremony in the prison chapel.
Now Tom has served his time and is preparing for his release. As expected, his mother is also preparing for his homecoming. She has found him a two bedroom flat nearby, bought him new clothes and even lined up a job for him at the library where she used to work. Jill is in her element when she is in control. But Tom knows it's all going to hit the fan as soon as he tells his parents of his marriage.
And then the whispers begin. Everyone has an opinion on Tom and Bridget's marriage and therefore plenty to say about the match. Tom's parents, Jill's best friend Audrey and even Jesse's former girlfriend Coral who had been six months pregnant at the time with the now 9 year old Ellis. Nobody is happy with the marriage and aren't afraid to tell them. While Jill, Tom's mum, will stop at nothing to expose Bridget and what she is trying to do to her family. But this marriage is just the start of a tangled web of secrets woven into events both past and present that have the capacity to derail all those involved...and beyond.
But the question on everyone's lips - besides the 20 year age gap - is why would you marry the very person who ended your own son's life? His best friend, no less. Does Bridget really love Tom? Or has she a hidden agenda? Has she found the perfect way to move on? Or has she set herself up in a carefully laid plan to get the ultimate revenge on her son's killer?
Told in multiple perspectives - Bridget, Tom and Jill (mainly) as well as Audrey, Ellis, the police and even Mavis - THE MARRIAGE has a wealth of intriguing characters that each bring their sides of the story to the table. Some have secrets while others merely want to expose those secrets. From the start, the reader will most likely assume the obvious motives of each character...but Kim, true to form, instead takes us on a journey tangled with lies, secrets and illusions.
THE MARRIAGE probably has one of the most daring and provocative plot lines I have ever read. Not only was Bridget twenty years Tom's senior, not only was she the mother of the boy he killed, but she was an ever present figure throughout his childhood as his best friend's mother! It is so twisted and so creepy it made my skin crawl. My spidey senses were tingling over the whole scenario whether Bridget was up to something or not. The whole concept is just wrong on so many levels...but gosh, it made for brilliantly twisted reading! And I loved it! Even if it was a tad creepy...
A deliciously disturbing tale, THE MARRIAGE is a treasure trove of secrets and web of mysteries that lead right back to the night of Jesse's death and turn everything on its head.
I read this book in one day. It is that addictive. Despite the whole creepy undertone of Bridget and Tom...together...married...eewww...I just couldn't stop turning the pages, finishing around 3am! I just had to know if what I suspected was true...and it was. But it didn't ruin the story in any way because I love guessing and working out what's what and then seeing if I'm right or not in the end. It's the enjoyment in the ride that the author takes me on...and boy, was this one hell of a ride!
And then there is that ending. The ultimate twist that takes everything up a notch, that is worthy of Shalini Boland, and makes the entire tale worth it in the best possible way. One of the best twists sure to leave you shocked and satisfied in perfect synchronicity that I have read in a while.
A definite step up from her recent offerings which, although still enjoyable, didn't pack the punch that this one did. Ladies and gentlemen, Kim Slater is BACK!!
So make a date for the wedding of the year and ensure you're a guest at what is truly a most extraordinary, explosive and memorable story.
I would like to thank #KLSlater, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheMarriage in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
After years of trying to get published and never getting further than the slush pile, Kim went back to university at the age of 40 where she gained a first-class honours degree in English & Creative Writing and an MA in Creative Writing with distinction.
Kim's first adult psychological thriller for Bookouture, ‘Safe with Me’, actually started life as a dissertation on her English & Creative Writing degree in 2010. She says" he creepy voice of Anna came to me strong and insistent . . . she wanted to be written, she wouldn’t go away. I’m so glad I listened!"
Kim first became published writing Young Adult fiction for Macmillan Children’s Books under the name Kim Slater. Her award-winning YA debut, SMART, started life as a short story for her MA in Creative Writing in 2012.
Kim is now a full-time writer. She has a daughter and two stepsons and live with her husband Mac in Nottingham and Yorkshire.
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