I was delighted last year to see that Lynda Renham had signed up with Bloodhound Books to republish her thrillers: the first, Remember Me, will be published for kindle on 6th February, and it’s just 99p for pre-order (also available in paperback). I read this book when it was originally published in 2017, and I can still remember my trepidation – I was more used to reading Lynda’s wonderful romantic comedies, and really wasn’t too sure whether a “gripping psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist” would be something I’d enjoy. But as she was already a favourite author, I decided to give it a try… and really, really loved it.
Let’s take a closer look…
A young mother befriends a new neighbour—but soon finds her an unwelcome presence, in this psychological thriller with a powerful twist.
Sharni and her husband have just moved into 24 The Pines, and they appear to be ideal new neighbours to Clare and Chris. Sharni seems especially fond of Clare. She admires her and is always there to help, especially with childcare for Clare’s two-year-old son.
But Clare is starting to wonder whether Sharni just wants to be a good neighbour—or wants something more. Like Clare’s husband. Or her child. Or her life. And her anxiety starts to build every time Sharni comes near.
Is she just being overprotective, or are her worries justified? As Sharni’s influence touches everyone around her, Clare finds herself fighting for both her sanity and her family…
And I’m delighted to share my original review just once more…
I have to say that this book totally gripped me from the first page – I neglected everything else I’d planned for the afternoon, and read the entire book in one sitting. Lynda has always had a talent for creating characters, and I was completely transfixed by Clare and Sharni. It’s clear from outset that Clare has a few issues that might make the reader question her reliability as a narrator, but this book totally sucks you into her world – to such an extent that you see everything through her eyes and feel the same sense of acute discomfort that she does as Sharni’s impact on her life relentlessly increases.
That “jaw-dropping twist” – and I’ll admit I was so absorbed in the story that I’d totally forgotten its presence had been announced, and I certainly didn’t see it coming – is magnificently handled: everything thereafter is absolutely unmissable, and there was absolutely no way I was going to put this book down before its explosive ending. Quite apart from the superb character development, the whole structure and construction of this book is incredibly clever – OK, there’s an undeniable element of “Single White Female” about the story, but the handling is highly original. This was a massive change from the author’s usual books and style of writing, and a transition that she should be incredibly proud of. More, please…!
A book I’d really recommend very highly – with more to come from this very talented author…
About the author
Lynda Renham is author to many popular romantic comedy and gripping psychological thriller novels. She lives in Oxford, UK. She has appeared on BBC radio discussion programs and is a prolific blogger, Twitter and when not writing can usually be found wasting her time on Facebook.
Lynda lives in Oxfordshire with her second husband and cat.
Her web page is here, and you can follow her on Twitter and through her Facebook author page.
