Tasmina Perry – I so loved her earlier books, and her latest book was always a must for summer sunbed reading. I loved Daddy’s Girls – and then Gold Diggers, Guilty Pleasures and Original Sin. If you spot any of them on your holiday bookshelves, I guarantee a total escapist and unputdownable read. But something’s gone wrong. I wasn’t too taken by her last book, Perfect Strangers– instead of the Jackie-Collins-for-the-next-generation reads I loved, it was rather a long and rambling murder mystery which never really won me over. I hoped it was a temporary departure from her usual style, but sadly not – while this one was considerably better, others write this genre so much better, and I’m really sad that I think my love affair with her writing might be over.
Julian Denver, head of a large corporation involved with pharmaceutical development, is found dead. It appears to be suicide, but there were no signs leading up to it and his past depression doesn’t convince his widow Diana. Diana asks her sister Rachel, an ex-journalist now running a scuba diving school in Thailand, to investigate. There are a number of people with a considerable amount to gain from Julian’s death, and Rachel’s investigations soon put her in danger of losing her life.
The usual Perry ingredients are here – the lifestyles of the rich and famous, the exotic locations, the caricatures of the evil and greedy. Unfortunately, I didn’t think any of the characters really developed beyond caricatures. I failed to engage with either of the sisters – Diana’s behaviour after her husband’s death is quite disgraceful – and the ending telegraphed itself from the halfway mark. I read to the end hoping I’d enjoy the journey – it was OK, but not something I’d want to do again. I do hope she’ll go back to what she does best – I know there are a lot of people writing the same sort of thing, but, for a short time, Tasmina was the very best.
This book was published by Headline in Kindle, hardback and paperback editions on 18 July 2013. For more information about the author and her books, please visit Tasmina Perry’s website.
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I don't think I have read this author before but it sounds like a good wee holiday read or something in between.
Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net
Wouldn't recommend this one though Lainy – try some of her earlier ones…