Release: September 7th, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Gallery Books
Source: Netgalley
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, Kobo.
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“Meticulously crafted and deeply satisfying, a first-class psychological thriller.” Charlotte Philby, author of Part of the Family
A twisty, whip-smart debut thriller, as electrifying as the #1 New York Times bestseller The Girl on the Train, about impending motherhood, unreliable friendship, and the high price of keeping secrets.
Helen’s life, handsome husband, Victorian house, and a cherished baby on the way begin to change the day she attends her first prenatal class and meets Rachel, an unpredictable single mother to be. Rachel doesn’t seem very maternal. She smokes, drinks, and professes little interest in parenthood. Still, Helen is drawn to her. Maybe Rachel needs a friend. And to be honest, Helen’s a bit lonely herself. At least Rachel is fun to be with. She makes Helen laugh, invites her confidences, and distracts her from her fears.
But her increasingly erratic behavior is unsettling. And Helen’s not the only one who’s noticed. Her friends and family begin to suspect that her strange new friend may be linked to their shared history in unexpected ways. When Rachel threatens to expose a past crime that could destroy all of their lives, it becomes clear that there are more than a few secrets lying beneath the broad-leaved trees and warm lamplight of Greenwich Park.
About the Author:
Katherine Faulkner studied History at Cambridge, then completed a postgraduate diploma in Newspaper Journalism. After working as an investigative reporter, she won the Cudlipp Award for public interest journalism. And as an editor, she is now joint Head of News at The Times.
Katherine wrote her debut novel while on maternity leave, juggling a newborn to complete the Faber Academy novel-writing course. She lives in Hackney, where she grew up, with her husband and two daughters.
Greenwich Park is her first novel.
Greenwich Park Review:
Firstly, I have to commend the author for doing a terrific job on a debut novel. The story had me glued from page one! The plot starts slowly, but you immediately get a sense that something is not correct. Halfway into the book, you begin to see all the characters’ secrets and wonder how it will end. I could not put this book down!
Helen is a complex character, and it was interesting reading her various emotions. She is jealous of Serena, conflicted over her feelings with Daniel, and doesn’t know what she is getting into when she meets Rachel. Rachel is one of those characters who unnerved me because I did not know how she would react to the situation. At times, I wanted to shake Helen to be so naive and give her so much freedom with her life and family.
Moreover, the climax shocked me because it is not what I expected. I love mysteries that throw me off in the end, and “Greenwich Park” executed it brilliantly. Right when you think you have figured everything out, the author turns the table. This story has one of those endings that tempts you to re-read the entire story to figure out if the author filled all the open subplots.
However, there were times where I felt the story staggered a bit, mainly revolved around Katie’s courtroom scenes. The subplots seemed to divert from Helen’s storyline, which I loved reading. But, later in the story, I realized why the author added these elements. Still, I feel the story could have trimmed in a few areas.
Apart from that, I loved “Greenwich Park” and look forward to reading many more stories by the author in the future.
