The Breakdown by Arianne Richmonde
Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense
Read: 17th April 2022
Published: 11th April 2022
★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)
DESCRIPTION:
My family keep telling me I’m safe. But why don’t I believe them?
I stand at the very edge of the cliff face, looking at the roaring ocean below my feet. I’m in no danger, in fact my husband and his sister talk just feet away from me, watching my every move. They’re worried I’m losing my mind, and I sense their nerves as they watch me looking down on the jagged rocks below.
Behind them sits our summer house. Apparently it’s my favourite place in the world, not that I can remember. Since the car accident, I’ve struggled to recall a lot of important things in my life, like giving birth to my daughter, Violet, just days after the crash. Or my supposedly perfect marriage…
As I stare at the huge expanse of blue below, I have a flashback to the day of the crash—an argument, my husband’s face red with anger. Why is it so different to what everyone else is telling me about my life? Beads of sweat gather on my neck.
If my memory is true, my life and my children’s lives are in danger. What really happened the day of the accident? And is there anyone I can trust?
An absolutely gripping psychological thriller for fans of Gone Girl, The Wife Between Us and Mark Edwards’s Here to Stay. The Breakdown will have you hooked!
MY REVIEW:
I really enjoyed Arianne Richmonde's previous thriller "The Guilty Sister" so was eagerly awaiting the unravelling of THE BREAKDOWN. And what a tangled web it is! Everything is smoke and mirrors and nothing is at all what it seems.
Twenty-three year old Jayne Smith has travelled from England to take up the position as au pair to two young children, Liam and Lizzie, while their mother Celeste recovers from a traumatic car accident in which she and Lizzie very nearly died. Husband Max is there to meet her when she steps off the ferry after a somewhat stormy crossing to the small Cliff Island off the coast of Maine. No sooner has she arrived than she has been thrown into the deep end with entertaining the children before she has even been shown her cottage, let alone settled in. Max has stressed the importance of keeping the children out of their mother's way so as not to tire her. And it isn't long before Jayne begins to wonder just exactly what she has signed up for.
Celeste Wainwright was heavily pregnant when she drove her car into the lake with four year old Lizzie strapped in the back. If it wasn't for a quick thinking passerby both she and her daughter would now be dead, as well as that of her unborn child. Celeste was rushed to hospital, an emergency caesarian performed and baby Violet was born. It soon becomes clear in the aftermath that Celeste's memory of events leading up to and surrounding her accident are hazy. Some days she lucid, others she's not. Traumatic brain injury, the doctors say. And so as soon as she she's discharged. Max decides to take her and the children to their summer home on Cliff Island, her favourite place in the whole world, and where she can safely rest and recuperate.
When Jayne arrives she hardly sees Celeste who appears to be heavily guarded by her private nurse, Nurse Sharpe. Even Max and his sister Marjorie, who has come over to help with the running of Celeste's business in the interim, are on the mainland more than the island. Jayne thought he would want to be at his wife's side. And then there is Dr Stephen he brought in as Celeste's psychotherapist...there's something well dodgy with him, though she isn't sure what. But one thing Jayne is sure of and that's how much she adores the two children...Lizzie especially, who reminds her a little of her own sister at that age. She spends most of her time entertaining the children on the beach or in her cottage, colouring or drawing or playing games.
And then one stormy night a few days after Jayne's arrival, Lizzie disappears. There is little evidence as to what happened to her except for a few carefully laid pieces...but are they to be trusted or overlooked? What could have happened to Lizzie? Did Celeste do something without realising? Or was it Jayne? Or maybe Dr Stephen? Or maybe there is something evil lurking in the hidden depths of the island. And what about baby Violet?
The story unfolds through multiple narratives - predominantly Jayne, Celeste and Dr Stephen. There is a third person narrative titled "The Disappearance" in which Detective Adele Alba follows the clues into what could have happened to Lizzie. The other characters factor in the background to these narratives but still each play an important part. Everyone seems to have a hidden agenda and nothing is what it seems.
THE BREAKDOWN is slow to begin with despite drawing the reader in at first it then starts to peter out where nothing much seems to be happening when in actual fact it is. To take your eye off the ball would be to miss something important but I admit it is hard to remain engaged when Jayne seems to be a little sketchy, Celeste somewhat flaky and Dr Stephen downright creepy. But don't be fooled...something is amiss and even bigger is at play.
I must say I loved the location. Not only is it secluded with sketchy internet, the setting of Cliff Island off the rugged coast of Maine is subject to stormy and unpredictable weather patterns just adds to the sinister undertones and makes for an atmospheric read...complete with layers and layers of secrets and lies.
Although THE BREAKDOWN is an entertaining read, I was disappointed in the ending a little. Not in the ending as such...but a few of the "loose ends", shall I say, without revealing any spoilers. The story was a tangled web indeed but it also left the ending in a bit of tangle that was a little more ambiguous than I would have liked. But it still was a good ending...I just think it could have been tidier.
Overall, THE BREAKDOWN is an addictive, atmospheric and oppressive psychological thriller that is intense, dark and twisted.
I would like to thank #ArianneRichmonde, #Netgalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheBreakdown in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Social Media links:
PUBLISHER:
No comments:
Post a Comment