REVIEW: The Accident by Daniel Hurst

The Accident by Daniel Hurst

Genre: Psychological drama, Suspense

Read: 7th July 2022

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Published: 3rd July 2022

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

One moment. Three lives changed forever.

Single mum Anni would do anything for her little boy, Tobi, he is the center of her world. So she is utterly devastated when Tobi is run over and killed by drunk driver, Carl.

Anni hates Carl for what he’s done and takes some comfort from the lengthy prison sentence he is serving. But she can’t live on hate and after a time spent grieving for her son, Anni returns to work and tries to move on with her life. She is lonely without Tobi and glad to make a new friend, Jo.

But Jo has a secret. She is connected to the fatal accident in a way that Anni never suspects. And Jo is determined that Anni will never discover the awful truth about what really happened that day.

As the two women grow closer, Anni begins to feel that her new friend is keeping something from her.

A terrible suspicion begins to dawn and Anni starts to dig deeper into Jo’s past. Will she discover the horrifying truth? Or will she find out just how far some people go to cover up their mistakes…

Three people. One accident. And several shocking twists…

The Accident – the stunning psychological thriller from the author of The Passenger and The New Friends.

MY THOUGHTS:

I only discovered Daniel Hurst late last year when I read "The New Friends" followed by "The Break" and totally loved them and his unique way of not just telling a story but still managing to add a little mystery and a few twists. Just when we thought we knew it all, Hurst throws a curveball into the mix and ruffles plenty of feathers to turn things on its head so that everything is about face all of a sudden. His skillful storytelling and penchant for the unexpected twist make his books a thrill-ride-a-minute and a definite must-read!

The story begins with a grid-locked traffic jam on a sunny summer Sunday afternoon. People are impatient wondering what the hold up could be on this single lane street. Until the ambulance arrives...and then the police... They can't get through so stop behind the build-up on cars and make their way hastily down the street. Where one impatient driver decided to venture in an attempt to find out what was holding them up. He wished he had stayed in his car.

Single mum Anni is walking down the street on her way home from a children's birthday party with her seven year old son Tobi. He is hyped up on sugar, cake and the excitement of the day. So when his dad calls he is eager to tell him all about his day. But when he and Anni begin to have words about his access arrangements, Tobi lets go of his mother's hand to run down the street chasing his errant balloon. As soon as Anni realises, she chases after him...but rounds the corner too late. Her boy is laying sprawled on the tarmac, a white mercedes in front of him with its driver standing there with his head in his hands. No. No. No. No! The moment it hit her that Tobi was gone, Anni's life changed forever.

Carl had spent the afternoon at the pub with his mistress Jo. They had been seeing each other for a year and she was growing impatient with him dragging his heels over when he was telling his wife that he was leaving her for Jo. So Jo gave him an ultimatum and Carl made the rash decision that he would tell his wife as soon as he got home. But first some Dutch courage. His second rash decision was to get behind the wheel of his car when Jo implored him to get a taxi. Twenty minutes later, Carl was standing with his head in his hands looking at the lifeless body of a little boy in front his car. What had he done?

Six months later, Carl is now serving a five year sentence for drink driving and killing little Tobi. It is of little comfort to Anni whose life has changed now that Tobi has gone from it. It is also of little comfort to Jo, who bears the guilt along with Carl for what happened that day. But life goes on, even if for Tobi it doesn't. Anni's compassionate leave has come to an end and she must return to work. It also happens that Jo, who had a successful career before the accident and resigned suddenly, is now looking for work if she is to survive the next four and a half years until Carl is released. But what she doesn't expect is to walk into the school she has gotten a substitute teaching position for and to find Anni sitting in the staffroom. 

What she should do is hand in her resignation before she has even begun. But she doesn't. Instead she and Anni become friends. And Jo discovers that she actually likes this woman. But Jo has a secret. And she needs to do everything she can to keep it hidden. What then ensues is a tangled web of lies that Jo creates trying to protect her secret, as well as from hurting Anni further. But Anni is so incredibly lonely after losing her son that the idea of a new friend in Jo is just what she needs.

It goes without saying it was all going to come out sooner or later. But how would Anni react to the news once it was discovered? How would she feel about it and her new friend? Despite it being a train wreck, or a car crash, I just couldn't look away. There is a twist but it wasn't surprising and I could see it coming, but that didn't ruin my enjoyment. The ending didn't sit quite right with me, although it was satisfactory, but to say why would spoil the reveal.

THE ACCIDENT is not a psychological thriller but it is a psychological drama that keeps you glued to the pages until the very end. That is the beauty of Daniel Hurst's books. He knows exactly how to reel a reader in and keep them there. The short snappy chapters always help to keep the pace moving along nicely.

The fact it isn't the psychological thriller it is marketed to be doesn't deter me. Daniel Hurst is an exceptional writer who keeps his fans absorbed from start to finish and you know you are in for a thrill ride with him at the helm. I know that whatever he offers will not disappoint. He is up there with Shalini Boland and Kim Slater in my opinion, and I am surprised I never heard of him before last December! Especially considering how many thrillers he actually has published! Where has he been all my life?

THE ACCIDENT may not be the thriller fans are expecting but he does explore the grief of a mother losing her son and the injustice of it, as well as the analysis of one involved with someone serving a prison sentence, and the effects it can have on loved ones. The story also examines that sometimes things are not always black and white...in fact, they almost always are not. It is cleverly told through the alternating narratives of the three people involved - Anni, Jo and Carl - and each one's grief is raw and real. All three lives were changed that day and they all paid a hefty price for what in essence was an accident.

I also loved the cover - which is almost haunting in nature - although I did wonder why it featured a red balloon when Tobi was carrying a yellow one.

Another brilliant offering by Daniel Hurst and I always look forward to more from him. I think I have just about all his books on my Kindle to try and get and read some time when I have a moment away from my other TBR list...lol And I can't wait to dive in and see what awaits. I know whatever I pick up, I won't be disappointed.

I would like to thank #DanielHurst, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheAccident in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Daniel Hurst writes psychological thrillers and loves to tell tales about unusual things happening to normal people. He has written all his life, making the progression from handing scribbled stories to his parents as a boy to writing full length novels in his thirties. He lives in the North West of England and when he isn’t writing, he is usually watching a game of football in a pub where his wife can’t find him.

Daniel writes psychological thrillers. The New Friends will be his fourth novel published with Inkubator Books.

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