The Nurse by J A Corrigan

The Nurse by J.A. Corrigan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 336

Publisher - Canelo

Source - Netgalley and bought copy

Blurb from Goodreads

When you hear her story, will you believe her?

Rose Marlowe is a hard-working nurse, a loving wife, and a merciless killer. Or so she says. Despite her confession, it is hard to believe that this beautiful, kind woman could have killed her vulnerable patient in cold blood.

Down-on-his luck author and ex-journalist, Theo Hazel, is convinced that there’s more to what happened than Rose is telling, and so decides to visit her behind bars to write her story. His first surprise comes when Rose reveals that the victim was not a stranger to her.

As time goes on, it seems that Rose is letting Theo see behind her perfect mask. With each new visit, he learns terrible new things about her heart-breaking past. With each new visit, he becomes more and more convinced that she can’t be a killer. But is he trying to free an innocent victim, or falling prey to a calculating murderer?



My Review

Rose has committed the worse offense ever, she is a nurse and has murdered her patient, she has confessed and been sentenced. She is very much resigned to her fate, declined to give out anything that would possibly help her and yet she doesn't come across as a cold killer. She has refused interviews and limits her visits, until now. Accepting to see a journalist turned author she decides to tell her story, her way, he has his own agenda, he will exploit the case and Rose for money and all it will bring. However when Theo meets Rose and starts to hear her story he can't help but be drawn in as Rose reveals her secrets that could change everything.

The book comes at you quite different from a lot of those I have read over the years, Rose admits to the crime but is quite cagey in what she reveals. We flip between Rose and Theo, Rose telling her story so taking us way back to Theo, present day, processing what he has been told and carrying out his own interviews.

The book has some very difficult themes, murder, betrayal, grief, loss and some of the shadier sides of humanity. I had no idea where the book was going nor saw it going in X directions, I love when a book pulls a punch. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE are words I said more than once. The characters are a bit random, her mother I didn't know what to make of, Rose herself comes across one way, kind, considerate, calming and yet we know she has admitted to murder in such a heinous way.

You know something is coming, just not what so I was loathe to put the book down because I wanted to know what was happening. 4/5 for me this time, I think this was my first time reading this author, won't be my last.

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