It’s 1931. 

Nothing much has gone right for Jack since he graduated last year. His career has failed to take off, his fiancée has ditched him for someone with better prospects and now he’s received an invitation to their wedding. He dreads going to the wedding alone, surrounded by his high-achieving friends, so when he meets a beautiful girl who offers to accompany him he jumps at the chance.

But by accepting her invitation he finds himself drawn into a world of intrigue and murder.

I bought this book after hearing from a friend how much she was enjoying it. I duly downloaded (or is it uploaded?) it to my Kindle and decided I’d read the first couple of chapters before bed.

Fast forward to half past three in the morning, and I finally switched off the Kindle, having finished the entire book. I couldn’t put it down. No matter how tired I got, I had to keep reading, because this book had me intrigued from the start.

I have to say, I think the cover and title don’t really do the book justice. If I hadn’t trusted the word of my friend, I wouldn’t have been drawn to this novel at all, but I’m so glad I found it. I absolutely loved the style of writing. It was similar, in some ways, to a Daphne du Maurier novel. As I read it, I was never quite sure who was telling the truth, whose version of events was correct, who to believe …

The protagonist, Jack, meets Giselle on a train, and his entire life changes. But who is Giselle? What does she want? Where did she come from and where is she going? As his life becomes unexpectedly entangled with hers, an obsession begins that will endure through the years, affecting his other relationships,  leading him into danger, and driving him to despair and distraction.

The mystery of Giselle drives him on, possessing his mind as he tries to put the past behind him and make a new life for himself. Her shadow is constantly hanging over him, as he tries to discover the truth about her. But who can he believe? Does anyone really know who this woman truly is?

I was completely gripped by this story, desperate to uncover the secret of Giselle and find out how Jack’s life would turn out. There were so many twists and turns that I was never quite sure where we were heading, and I had no idea what to expect, which was quite thrilling. There are layers galore to peel away, and some shocks and surprises lurking beneath, which send the story in a completely new direction and ensures you just can’t stop reading until the tale is told.

I really hope this book gets the audience it deserves, because I truly think it’s quite amazing. I look forward to reading more from this author. 5/5

You can buy Lies, Mistakes and Misunderstandings here.