REVIEW: Friends Don't Lie by Nell Pattison

Friends Don't Lie by Nell Pattison

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 2nd October 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 29th September 2022

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

The new addictive, compelling and immersive thriller from Nell Pattison, with enough dark twists to give you whiplash…Fans of Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell will be hooked.

My name is Isabel Butterworth. Your name is Isabel Butterworth.

We’re around the same age. We live in the same town.

But your life is more exciting than mine, isn’t it? Richer, dramatic, more fulfilling.

Imagine if I’d never found out about you…

But I have. Because someone mistook me for you.

And now I can’t stop thinking about you because I know you’re in trouble. You need my help.

And I need a way to get to know you.

To save you.

To be you…

MY THOUGHTS:

Friends don't keep secrets...friends don't lie...

We've all heard of doppelgangers but what about someone not only the same name as you but who lives in the same town and is relatively a similar age? You wouldn't read about it...or would you? I guess I just did. Because we have not one but two Isabella Butterworths living in Lincoln, a great cathedral city of England. But that is about where the similarities end. Because the two women have equally separate lives vastly different from the other. And one woman would never have found about the other had she not been mistaken for her in the first place.

Izzy Butterworth lives a quiet and isolated existence. She once had a circle of friends at uni with whom she has since grown apart, made especially clear when Izzy began to lose her hearing and socialising became something she dreaded. A misheard word turned into an entire missed conversation and Izzy found it easier to stop frequenting those places she found it difficult to follow conversations, despite her hearing aids.

Then one day, an email lands in her inbox that is addressed to her but is obviously not for her as the email attachments contained photographs that were clearly not her nor the husband and family she doesn't have. But this isn't the first time she's received an email for Isabella Butterworth - another Isabella Butterworth - and she's just binned them, citing them having been sent to her in error. 

And then something strange happens. As she leaves her flat to grab a takeaway for dinner, she is accosted by a stranger demanding to see Isabella Butterworth and threatening to kill her. The incident shakes her to the core as he obviously believes the woman he seeks to be living in her flat. He obviously knows the other Isabella Butterworth which is why he didn't mistake her for the other woman. So why is he so desperate to find her? And why did he say he wanted to kill her?

Izzy is so intrigued by the turn of events that she uses the emails sent to her in error to learn more about this Isabella Butterworth. And what she discovers is that the other Isabella has everything that she doesn't. A handsome husband. Two beautiful children. And a gorgeous palatial home. But what should she do with this information? Warn her that she is in danger? But what if she doesn't believe her? And what if her attacker comes back looking for her? Is she putting them both in danger? No...she befriends her. And discovers that she likes this woman called Bella and through her finds a new confidence she was otherwise lacking in her own lonely and isolated life.

What an amazing read this is! I certainly never expected things to play out as they did when I started it last night. In fact, a few of the reviews left me feeling a bit "meh" about it and wondering if this was going to be a waste of my time...but it most certainly wasn't. I absolutely loved this psychological thriller that is so unique but well played from start to almost the finish. The one thing letting it down from being a five start read was the ending. Without giving anything away and my reasons why I feel this way, I just felt a little cheated at the end. But aside from that, it was an outstanding read.

I have read one other of this author's thrillers, "The Silent House", but have yet to read the rest of that series. I like the fact that it factors in hearing loss and the deaf community and how something like that may hinder one's ability in such a story. But the author uses it as an aid rather than a disability, which I find refreshing. Although in this story, Izzy's hearing impairment is really only featured in the beginning and doesn't actually play in the bigger picture...you will understand why that is in the end.

The story unfolds through the alternating perspectives of both Izzy and Bella, but in blocks of several chapters rather than an alternating chapter each. I think maybe the author should have thus divided the book into Part One - Izzy, Part Two - Bella and so forth for easier identification for some. I didn't have a problem with the alternating perspectives and actually found Bella's life a lot more interesting than Izzy's, for good reason I expect. Though I hated Bella's husband Ian with a passion. The man was a self centred git. And I could sympathise with Izzy as well because I could relate to her in some ways also...and found her somewhat sad.

There are a couple of twists even I didn't foresee coming - one is just over halfway through and the others are closer to the penultimate climax. The first twist I was like...what?? I did not see that coming! The other couple I figured out just before they were revealed. But wow! I really loved this read. And I can see why it is compared to Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell because the style is so very similar to the dark tone which is found in their writing.

The plot is very intricate and complex but not confusing. You always know at which point you are and whose narrative you are reading. But equally so, both characters do appear to be unreliable and there is that air of not knowing how much you can really trust them.

FRIENDS DON'T LIE is a dark psychological thriller that has a creepy and often sinister edge to it. I wanted to read it one sitting but I was too tired to finish overnight, completing it this morning. An outstanding thriller that's only flaw is the ending, for which I knock off a half star. Some readers may love it, but not me. But it still didn't ruin my overall enjoyment of this exceptional and intriguing read.

I would like to thank #NellPattison, #NetGalley and #AvonBooks for an ARC of #FriendsDontLie in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Nell Pattison is the USA Today bestselling author of THE SILENT HOUSE, SILENT NIGHT and THE SILENT SUSPECT, the crime thriller series featuring British Sign Language interpreter Paige Northwood, and two standalone psychological thrillers, HIDE/NOWHERE TO HIDE and FRIENDS DON'T LIE.

After studying English at university, Nell Pattison became a teacher and specialised in Deaf education. She taught in the Deaf community for 15 years in both England and Scotland, working with students who use BSL. 

Nell began losing her hearing in her twenties, and is a strong believer in the importance of disability representation in fiction. She lives in North Lincolnshire, England, with her husband and children.

Social Media links:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Silent House by Nell Pattison (ARC)

The Silent House by Nell Pattison

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller, crime fiction

Read: 10th June 2020

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 1st March 2020)

★★★★★ 5 stars

As soon as I read the premise for THE SILENT HOUSE, I was excited by the concept because I am no stranger to the deaf. My uncle was profoundly deaf and while I never learnt sign language (in Australia it is known as Auslan), I knew a few basic signs and finger spelling. I am familiar with the deaf community being such a small one that they see even getting cochlear implants (so they can hear) as traitorous to the world they know and are comfortable in. The hearing world is so much more different to that of the deaf, to the point the deaf are actually quite comfortable with being deaf. Particularly those who have been deaf all or most of their lives that the hearing world is a strange concept to them and being deaf is normal and comfortable.

Different and somewhat unique, THE SILENT HOUSE by Nell Pattison is her debut and takes the reader into the world of the deaf. Most of the characters are deaf and we are given plenty of background into everyone from signing and deaf clubs and how the deaf community is a small and tight-knit one.

This makes it difficult for Paige Northwood, a BSL (British Sign Language) interpreter, who is part of that community being the only hearing member of her family. In the way that it is not always easy to separate yourself from the situation she finds herself in as an interpreter and the deaf community...because she already knows most of those embroiled within the case.

The story begins with an atmospheric and somewhat chilling prologue in which six year old Jaxon wakes in the night to see a shadow in the bedroom doorway and something wet and sticky on his sister Lexi's bed. Being from Jaxon's perspective, we see the spooky scene through his eyes and it is chilling.

The following morning sees Paige called to the Hunter house by police with no information bar that she is needed to interpret for a deaf family at a crime scene. She arrives to discover she knows this house and the people in it. What has happened? Elisha Barron is in tears, covered in blood and is in the arms of her partner Alan Hunter. Her thoughts goes straight to the children. The couple have an 18 month old girl Kasey and Alan has two children with his previous girlfriend Laura - Jaxon and Lexi. She attempts to find out what happened but no one will tell her anything. She is informed that she is there purely to inform Elisha that she needs to hand over the clothing she is wearing to police as she has refused so far. When she accompanies Elisha upstairs to change, Paige catches a glimpse of the children's bedroom and is horrified by what she sees. Little Lexi Hunter, the same age as Kasey, laying in a pool of blood her head bashed in.

Paige is haunted by the image of Lexi's bloodied body and wonders how she will break the news to her sister Anna, who is Lexi's godmother. Laura, Jaxon and Lexi's mother, is Anna's best friend and she knows that as soon as her sister hears of the tragedy she will want to return to Scunthorpe. Which is exactly what Anna does...after finding out on Facebook.

But Paige doesn't disclose to the police her connection to the families involved, which could possibly be a conflict of interest, as she wants to remain privy to as much information as she can in the hope that she will find out who ended Lexi's life in such a tragic way. With the deaf community being such a small one, there are bound to be crossovers as an interpreter which is how she justifies her continued involvement. To find another BSL interpreter would require the police to look further afield and it could be weeks before they could be allocated one. And in the case of a child's murder they need to act now.

As an interpreter, Paige is indeed privy to the interviews conducted on the deaf families and suspects. Using the knowledge she has gleaned from them, she endeavours to conduct her own investigation when the police seem intent on focusing in the wrong place. But then Paige finds herself the target of sinister threats - first as notes or texts sent from untraceable mobile numbers to setting her flat on fire. It seems someone is afraid that Paige knows more that she actually does about Lexi's murder.

But one thing is clear. There was no sign of a break in and as the whole family is deaf, no one heard a thing. So who walked into the Hunter home and brutally murdered little Lexi? How did they gain access? Or is it someone in the house? Someone closer to home, maybe?

THE SILENT HOUSE is in the third person primarily from Paige's perspective with every third chapter providing a narrative of one of the other characters - Alan, Laura, Elisha, Max, even Jaxon (to name a few). It is very cleverly done, giving the reader an insight to the various aspects of the story yet without giving too much away. It made for highly addictive reading, despite the slow pace at times.

The middle section of the story did appear to be somewhat slow with seemingly little progress on the case but then the reader has to remember that the story is from Paige's perspective, not the police, so she only knows the aspects to which she was privy and not the bigger picture. That being said, there were times it did feel there was little progress and not a lot happening but yet there was also a lot of to and froing with interpreting. It certainly made for interesting reading to get a glimpse into the lives of those live in a world of silence. The pace most definitely picks up with a race to the end to uncover the truth behind the unjust murder of a child.

What makes THE SILENT HOUSE so chilling is that everyone in the house is deaf so no one could hear a possible intruder enter and brutally murder a child. People assume that you would just know but in reality you wouldn't...particularly if you cannot hear. It highlighted the vulnerabilities the deaf can face in such situations. And when it comes to interpreting between the deaf and the hearing, it shows us how much the deaf rely on the hearing to translate for them accurately.

Take Laura's mum, Bridget. She is hearing and appears to have her own agenda and proceeds to converse with doctors, solicitors, teachers etc. about Laura or her children without interpreting a single word for her daughter who is profoundly deaf. Laura is completely confused and has no idea what is going on. This angered me when I read these instances as Laura had every right to know. I don't blame her for engaging an interpreter instead of relying on her mother.

I did think it was a brilliant idea to include conversations that are in sign as italicised text so that the reader can separate the signed with the spoken conversations.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE SILENT HOUSE and am eagerly awaiting Nell Pattison's second book featuring Paige Northwood once again in "Silent Night" which set for publication in November. This debut thriller is addictive, thrilling and chilling despite its slow pace at times and I devoured the story in record time.

A unique concept featuring the deaf community, THE SILENT HOUSE is a must read for fans of psychological/domestic thriller and crime fiction...particularly those looking for something different.

I would like to thank #NellPattison, #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #TheSilentHouse in exchange for an honest review.