Woman On The Edge is a cracker of a novel – fast paced with great characters and short, snappy chapters. And to top it off, practically every chapter ends on a cliff hanger! Yes, I was gripped reading this; and yes I zoomed through it.
Only published a few days ago (26th November 2019) this is a book that is getting rave reviews everywhere – and in my opinion, deservedly so. I was desperate for a good psychological thriller that would hook me in, and crikey, Woman On The Edge did just that.
As soon as you start reading this book, you find yourself right in the crux of this tense, emotionally charged story. It opens with the words “Take my baby.” We soon discover that it is new mother Nicole frantically whispering these words to Morgan on the edge of a subway platform. But as Nicole is a ‘disheveled‘ stranger to Morgan, why does she want Morgan to take her baby? Then as soon as Morgan takes hold of the baby, Nicole suddenly jumps of the platform in front of a moving train and dies! Don’t worry, that is not a spoiler.
Why has Nicole jumped to her death? And why does nobody believe Morgan or any witnesses corroborate her version of events? Is it because of Morgan’s dark history that haunts her? And what about Morgan also longing for a baby?
The novel is written from the point of view of both Morgan and Nicole. Morgan’s chapters are written in first person and set in present day as she desperately tries to prove her innocence. She also senses that Nicole’s baby is in danger and is driven to protect the child, even putting her own life in danger to do so.
Nicole’s chapters are written in third person and detail the last days of her pregnancy in which she is introduced to us a confident and sophisticated business woman. However following the birth of her baby and the first few weeks of the baby’s life, Nicole increasingly struggles with what many people around her perceive as post natal depression and paranoia. But what exactly is the cause of the paranoia?
Woman On The Edge is a powerful, fraught and tense portrayal of a mother’s love as Nicole sacrifices herself to protect her child. It is also an emotionally charged portrayal of a woman desperate to be a mother.
With a chilling plot full of betrayal, deceit and twists. I swear I didn’t trust any of the characters as I was reading it. It is called Woman On The Edge and believe me, I was a woman on the edge reading it – but I loved it for that.
Thank you to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in the blog tour to help publicise the UK publication of this great book. Thank you also Anne, along with Headline Publishing for arranging my advance copy. But most of all, thank you Samantha M. Bailey for a cracking debut novel. I’m excited to read more from you.
To follow the reviews of Woman On The Edge from my fellow book bloggers also on the blog tour, please see below:
Happy reading everyone! 🙂
My rating:
Thanks for the blog tour support Kirsty x