My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“I am living in hell from one day to the next. But there is nothing I can do to escape. I don't know where I would go if I did. I feel utterly powerless, and that feeling is my prison. I entered of my own free will, I locked the door, and I threw away the key.”
----Haruki Murakami
Sam Baker, an English author, pens a thrilling crime fiction in her new book, The Woman Who Ran that unfolds the story of a war photographer who settles in a tiny, forgotten village in Yorkshire after an accident that she only remembers in fragments and hazes of memory glimpses, but what makes her stand out among the friendly and warm villagers is her secretive, non-friendly and indeterminate behavior. What is she hiding? Or rather what/who is she hiding from?
Synopsis:
When someone is under your skin, there is only so far you can run...She can run. But can she hide?
Helen Graham is a new arrival in a tiny Yorkshire village, renting dilapidated Wildfell Hall. The villagers are intensely curious - what makes her so jumpy and why is she so evasive? Their interest is Helen's worst nightmare. Looking over her shoulder every day, she tries to piece together her past before it can catch up with her. With everything she knows in fragments, from her marriage to her career as a war photographer, how can she work out who to trust and what to believe? Most days she can barely remember who she is.
Helen Graham's arrival in this tiny village in the Yorkshire Dales brings a lot of excitement among the villagers, mostly because she has rented the haunted Wildfell House, a rich, dilapidated ancient house. But what Helen thinks is that she is safe from whatever she is running from in this village. But her demeanor strikes as bit odd towards the villagers, especially to Gil, a divorced and a retired journalist. Digging into her identity as well as in her past, leads Gil to the fact that this woman is a war photographer and is suspected of killing her husband. But what Helen is trying to figure out is what exactly happened in their flat in Paris and whose dead body actually she stumbled upon while trying to save herself from the burning fire in their flat.
The author's writing is eloquent and is laced with horror and suspense to keep the readers engaged into the heart of the story till the very last page. The narrative is fascinating and free-flowing and has enough ability to leave the readers in doubt so as to think of the possible outcome. The pacing is really fast as the story moves swiftly with Helen trying to piece her fragments of her memory, and with Gil digging to learn more about Helen's past life. The story is addictive from the very first page itself and does not lose its charm till the very last page.
The mystery concocted by the author is quite strong and exciting. The story will keep the readers guessing until the very end, although near the end, it becomes quite obvious about the biggest twist. The twists and turns will make the readers even more confused and misdirected and will make the readers anticipating the climax. The mystery is laced with some raw-violence, fear, and quite a lot of action that makes the story as one hell of a roller-coaster ride of thrills.
The characters are nicely developed, especially the central character, Helen, who is confused as she cannot remember the night of the accident that is making her run and hide. Her indeterminate demeanor is aptly captured by the author as that makes the readers contemplate and root for her till the very end. The character of Gil is someone who is constantly curious despite the fact that he is fighting a personal family battle every day. The supporting characters are also quite well-etched out that will intrigue the readers.
In a nutshell, the story is compelling and equally edgy that is set mostly across the picturesque backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales and that deals with a current day social issue.
Verdict: A riveting thriller.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Sam Baker's publicist for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
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Author Info:
Sam Baker grew up in Hampshire and after a degree in politics at Birmingham University became a journalist, going on to edit some of the UK's biggest magazines. For six years she was Editor in Chief of Red magazine, where she set up the Red Hot Women Awards recognising achievement across politics, science, tech, the arts, media and charity, as well as championing support for Refuge, the charity for victims of domestic abuse.
In 2015 she co-founded and launched The Pool with Lauren Laverne, the online platform that makes inspiring and original content for busy women.
Sam is married to the novelist Jon Courtenay Grimwood and lives in Winchester. When she’s not working or writing she escapes by devouring crime novels or watching box sets.
Visit her here
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