Prime Deception by Carys JonesMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 1 day
Publisher - Carina UK
Pages - 304
Source - NetGalley
Blurb from Goodreads
When Lorna Thomas is found dead in her car everyone believes she killed herself. But the day after her death Lorna was set to sell a scandalous story to one of Britain’s biggest tabloid papers. For six months she had been the Deputy Prime Minister’s mistress.
Will Lorna’s secret die with her? While her family try to move on and come to terms with her death one person refuses to believe that Lorna killed herself. Her twin sister, Laurie is convinced that Lorna was murdered and she’ll stop at nothing to prove it, even if that means teaming up the very man her sister had been having an affair with…
My Review
When I read the blurb, I assumed this was going to be a crime/thriller/suspense - whilst there is a small element of two within the book, I have to say this is more of a romantic/feelings/loss type of story. The Deputy Prime Minister has been having an affair for 6 months with an intern, the story was about to become public knowledge but Lorna, the mistress, commits suicide before it happens. Her twin sister, Laurie, comes to town to investigate and ask questions as she doesn't believe her sister would do that. Laurie and Charles, the Deputy Prime Minister, team up to see if there is something more than meets the eye about Lorna's death or was is just a sad suicide neither of them saw coming?
Well I have to be honest, this book started really slowly for me. Apart from the young girls death and the Prime Minister actually finding out, not a lot happens! There is so much focus on how the death impacts upon Charles, his feelings, wondering what might have been and reliving the memories in Downing Street when he should be doing important Prime Minister duties. I was a bit worried there would be a lot of political chat in the book but there wasn't, for so long it is just how he feels, reacts, copes or rather fails to cope. Enter Laurie, feisty, grieving, angry and hurt, determined her sister didn't commit suicide and desperate for someone to help her look into it.
Then we have a lot of focus on Laurie, her feelings, her relationship with her parents and partner and how that all fares since Lorna's death. To be honest not much happens , I felt, until close to then end, then it kicks up a notch and we have excitement, danger, risk, revelations and not to mention a few red herrings within. I think the author has a good writing style however the decision of whether the book will be crime or feelings should be chosen and stuck to as putting the two together like that, I felt just didn't work. Despite a 2/5 rating, I would read this author again. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and introducing me to a new author.
I think that I would really like a book that centered on how such an event would impact people internally.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand sometimes when styles are mixed the combination just does not work.
From the description, I got the same impression as you. It doesn't sound like the author pulled it off well, combining the mystery with the more drama related story. Hopefully her next book will be better.
ReplyDelete