This literary thriller from the bestselling author of Elizabeth Is Missing cleverly captures the insidious slow burn of a toxic relationship
, a compelling, million-copy-selling debut about a woman with dementia who attempts to solve the mystery of her missing friend. In 2019, it was made into a BBC film starringThe book opens two years after Cassie extricated herself from a coercive relationship with Liam, and five months since he stopped stalking her. A personal trainer, Liam had helped Cassie to get in shape and rebuild her confidence after she lost her job in a bank.
Readers may find themselves in the unsettling position of pitying the predator. But Cassie’s unapologetic glee begs the question of just how badly Liam treated her, and flashbacks build a picture of their increasingly dysfunctional relationship., who can’t believe Cassie let a “catch” like Liam slip through her fingers, we see why she lacked the self-esteem to walk away from Liam – at least until the day when he laces her favourite chocolates with an emetic administered to zoo animals.
As Liam’s trainer, Cassie is exhilarated by a taste of the power that Liam once exerted over her, even letting herself into his flat with her old spare key. But a disturbing discovery suggests that Liam had even darker plans for Cassie. And, when she discovers that Liam is due to have an operation to restore his sight, the stakes are suddenly raised., so isn’t as gripping as you might expect from a blurb. Healey’s prose is engaging and accessible, if not always concise.
Once you’ve noticed a tendency to use repetition for emphasis, it’s hard to un-notice it Dialogue, too, can be a little strained: “What’s your deal with him?… He said something to you, Cass? Tell me. Because I really don’t get it. He seems like a cool guy.’”’s characters will get under your skin. Cassie has an unerring knack for a bad decision and it’s to Healey’s credit that you long to stage an intervention – you can see why Tanya becomes so frustrated with Cassie that she severs ties.
The novel also cleverly captures the insidious slow burn of coercive control, a subtle drip feed absorbed so gradually that victims barely notice their lives being bent out of shape. Healey’s greatest achievement is to show us how, given the right – or rather the wrong – circumstances, what happened to Cassie could happen to any of us.BOB DYLAN
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