The Midwife by Victoria Jenkins
Genre: Psychological drama, Psychological thriller, Suspense
Read: 11th November 2022
Audio Links
Published: 14th November 2022
★★★ 3.5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
She’s there to keep your baby safe… Or is she?
I’ve always wanted a baby, more than anything. I never meant to do it alone, but it’ll be a fresh start. I can finally leave the past behind me.
I’m so lucky to have Jackie, my midwife, who understands how hard this is. She supports me more than anyone could have hoped or expected.
But as I sit in this cold white room, that was meant to be full of other mothers to be, a chill creeps up my spine. There’s only one other mother here, and she’s clutching her bump nervously. And as she squirms under Jackie's questions, Jackie can’t stop staring at me.
And then something clicks, and my blood freezes. She recognises me, doesn't she?
For fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Housemaid, this is a psychological thriller that will have you reading late into the night and gasping at the final twist!
MY THOUGHTS:
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Victoria Jenkins' tense thriller THE MIDWIFE.
I've been a fan of Victoria Jenkins since her King and Lane series so I was excited to dive into another one of her thrillers. THE MIDWIFE begins with a sense of foreboding though the reader isn't quite sure what about. It starts off with a lot of character building and scene setting...something of a slow burn but still enough to keep you engaged.
Lauren is a single mum to be having conceived through IVF at the age of 41. Her life has been one of secrets that are slowly revealed as the story unfolds and we learn more about her as it progresses. She has chosen to go it alone after a long term relationship and feels a need to protect this baby at all costs.
At thirty weeks, she meets her midwife Jackie who is there to support her throughout the rest of her pregnancy and impending birth. And Jackie, it seems, is eager to do anything to help her. But is she too eager? Does she have an ulterior motive? And if so, what?
Because Jackie seems to be acting somewhat mysterious, Lauren isn't sure she can trust her. After all, midwives are there to help you every step of the way...and what if she goes into labour and Jackie fails her just when she needs her the most? Is she genuinely there to help, or does she know the truth about Lauren's past and is there to punish her?
So the concept of this book is an intriguing one but I don't feel it completely played out as intended. Well, it didn't for me. But that's not to say I didn't enjoy it...I just didn't enjoy as much as her other thrillers. I figured out who was who and why before the reveal, finding it predictable though that never deters me or ruins my enjoyment of it, although it might for others.
THE MIDWIFE is a tough book to review because as I said I didn't not like it...I just didn't like it as much as her others. But I do want to put a positive spin on it because it is not a bad read. It is just a slow one with little in the way of thrills and twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. But if you stick it out, you will find things pick up about halfway through and the pieces all start to come together and begin to make more sense.
Overall, THE MIDWIFE is a good read but not a great one. It does have some secrets that will keep you guessing and that's enough to hold your interest throughout. It's not a thriller as such...more a psychological drama.
I would like to thank #VictoriaJenkins, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheMidwife in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
The series of novels features Detective Constable Chloe Lane and Detective Inspector Alex King, who are the lead investigative characters that solve some mysterious murders in their hometown.
Her first psychological thriller, The Divorce, was published in July 2019. The second, The Argument, was published December 10th 2019 and The Accusation was published June 9th 2020, followed by The Playdate, The New Family and The Bridesmaids.
Victoria lives with her husband and daughter in South Wales, where her series of crime novels featuring Detectives King and Lane is based.
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