Review: THE GIRL IN SEAT 2A, Diana Wilkinson

• 
  this edition an e-book supplied by my library on Libby
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boldwood Books (19 January 2024)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 358 pages

Synopsis (Amazon)

Funny how one lie can spiral…

One thing about me: I HATE flying. That’s why I book seat 2A every time.

Since my big win, I’ve been booking 2B and 2C as well. They’re my comfort seats, and at last I can afford them.

I am now determined to live the life of luxury. I deserve it, after all.

And if anyone learns my secret, they better watch their back. Because I will stop at nothing to get what's mine…

My Take

A very intriguing plot with a gaslighting con man at the very centre. But ask yourself after you've read it, whether the central character Jade is not also a con-man.

An engaging plot with plenty of mystery and a series of intriguing twists and turns.  

My Rating: 4,7

About the author

Diana Wilkinson (née Kennett) was born and bred in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during the height of the civil unrest. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in geography, she settled in England.

Diana spent most of her working life in the business of tennis development. A former Irish international player, Diana recently stepped off the court to become a full-time writer. The inspiration for much of her work has come from the ladies she coached over the years and from confidences shared over coffee.

Previously published by Bloodhound Books, Diana’s debut novel, 4 Riverside Close became an instant international bestseller, and its success was soon followed by the release of 6 more psychological thrillers. You Are Mine. Right Behind You. The Missing Guest. The Couple in Apartment C. The Woman in my Home......and the Number One Bestseller......The Girl in Seat 2A. All these titles are published by her new publisher, Boldwood Books. Thriller number 8, The Girl in the Window, is due out 13th December, 2024

Review: ONE OF US IS MISSING, B. M. Carroll

• 
  this edition borrowed from my local library
  
• first published by Affirm Press 2024
• ISBN 978-1-923022-12-6
• 362 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

There's no such thing as safety in numbers ...

Rachel and Rory Sullivan decide to celebrate making it through a difficult year by taking their teenagers, Emmet and Bridie, to their first stadium concert. By the end of the night, one of the four has vanished without a trace.

As the police investigation intensifies, suspicion is cast on the remaining family members. Everyone has been deceiving one another, but who is to blame for what went wrong? The passing of each hour amplifies their terror that life will never be the same again.

One of Us is Missing is a dark domestic thriller about the dangers lurking right in plain sight.  

My Take

Set in Sydney, this thriller makes you contemplate the risks you take when allowing your kids to attend a concert, or a similar public event, even when you are also there. The author has based the plot on personal experience. She depicts a "worst case" scenario with vivid possibilities.

She also shows us that there are often preliminary events that spark this sort of scenario, as well as consequences that last for years.

In this case the disappearance came out of left field, no-one could have predicted it, even though it was carefully planned.

There is an interesting set of reading group discussion questions in the final pages.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

• 4.5, THE MISSING PIECES OF SOPHIE McCARTHY
• 4.5, WHO WE WERE 
• 4.6, YOU HAD IT COMING