Published by
Sphere,
16 July 2019.
ISBN: 978-0-7515-7480-7 (TPB)
16 July 2019.
ISBN: 978-0-7515-7480-7 (TPB)
When you When you pick up a novel in the crime or thriller fiction
genre, it's never a surprise when you encounter a dead body. In that regard, The
Other Mrs Miller runs true to form. But in every other way this twisty,
unusual psychological thriller is full of surprises – including the identity of
that dead body.
Phoebe Miller is a poor
little rich girl. Her billionaire father has recently died (of natural causes
in case you were wondering), leaving in his wake a whole raft of lawsuits from
women who claim he sexually assaulted them, and consequently a lot of hassle
from the press. Phoebe takes comfort in far too much wine and the upmarket
version of junk food, and between that and her refusal to continue with IVF
after four failed attempts, her marriage to psychotherapist Wyatt begins to
fall apart.
Then a new family moves into
the neighbourhood, including Jake, an alluring eighteen-year-old son. Phoebe
starts a secret affair with him, and also becomes friends with his mother
Vicki, who might just possibly be an abused wife – and these new interests
almost make her forget the blue car which has parked across the street every
day for months, making her wonder if she's being spied on.
And then there's a blackmail
note.
It mostly takes place in and
around Phoebe and Wyatt's upscale suburban home (quartz worktops in the
kitchen, knives costing a thousand dollars) and Vicki's spartan and dilapidated
one (folding metal chairs, rotting hoses on the kitchen appliances), with
occasional forays into the moneyed surrounding area (Italian cake shops,
designer clothes). It's all vivid and colourful, even (or perhaps especially)
the one brief trip outside this affluence into poorer agricultural territory.
As if a great sense of place
and a plot with more going on than an episode of EastEnders wasn't
enough, Allison Dickson has peopled this scenario with slightly larger than
life characters who would be quite at home in a soap opera. Jake could be a
young Jason Donovan. Martine McCutcheon could play histrionic-prone Vicki, with
Ross Kemp as his combustible dad. Phoebe herself might have stepped out of Dynasty.
And then there's Nadia. Did I
mention Nadia? She's the one who turns everything on its head...
If I haven't tempted you to
read this novel yet, let me have one more try. There's a massive twist, and I
challenge the most experienced thriller reader to see it coming. No, it's not another
attempt at Gone Girl. The Other Mrs Miller plays by its own
rules. I loved it. So will you.
-------
Reviewer: Lynne Patrick
Allison
M. Dickson
is the author of several well-reviewed independently published novels and short
stories covering everything from horror and sci-fi to suspense. Her
major debut thriller, The Other Mrs. Miller,
was published by Putnam on 7/16/19Allison M. Dickson
is the author of several well-reviewed independently published novels and short
stories covering everything from horror and sci-fi to suspense. Her
major debut thriller, The Other Mrs. Miller,
was published by Putnam on 16 July 2019.
Lynne Patrick has been a writer ever since she could pick up a pen,
and has enjoyed success with short stories, reviews and feature journalism, but
never, alas, with a novel. She crossed to the dark side to become a publisher
for a few years, and is proud to have launched several careers which are now
burgeoning. She lives on the edge of rural Derbyshire in a house groaning with
books, about half of them crime fiction.
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