M. J. Arlidge's "Gift for dying"

 

This book can be found here.

She heard their screams

she felt their fear.

now she's their only hope ...

This comes from the cover of the book. It's a nice introduction as it shows how a young teenager, Kassie, sees the deaths of anyone she looks in the eye. This is an important part of the character, given there is a serial killer on the loose who seems to be unable to be stopped. 

The other main character of this novel is Adam Brandt, a forensic psychologist. Adam is a character who is not supposed to believe in Kassie's abilities but help her to work through her trauma. The problem is for Adam that the more he hears and sees, the more he believes and becomes involved, which has larger consequences for him than allowing a teenager to live in supposed psychosis.

The book is set in Chicago and has a great gritty feel to it. Whilst I have mentioned the above two main characters, there are other points of view littered through the novel which adds depth to situations and the concept of fate and whether choices can change fate or if free will really doesn't exist because choices do not alter the future.

This theme was the most thought-provoking in the book and was one of my favourite parts about it. Some chapters read a little slower than others, which is possibly because of the shift in points of view of the characters; but the ending is quick, suspenseful and possibly even surprising (even factoring in the strength of its theme). 

I did find some grammatical errors in this book that may be distracting if you are that kind of reader, so just be aware. 

If you are a fan of Arlidge's 'Helen Grace' series, this is definitely a detour you might enjoy. Or you might find a detour from Arlidge's norm disappointing. The only way you'll know is if you read it 😊

Links for you:

Arlidge in the Library:

Pop goes the weasel

Love me not

Author read-a-likes in the Library:

Gone girl

Gillian Flynn

This book is dark and gritty, with suspenseful endings. The focus is psychological suspense like Arlidge's novel with characters that are flawed.

You can run

Steve Mosby

The characters in Mosby's work are flawed and the atmosphere is dark, gritty and psychologically suspenseful.