Watching Edie, Camilla Way

Watching Edie; Camilla Way

(NAL) Harper Collins - 2016

Watching Edie is a psychological thriller that takes place around London and it's a story that grabs the reader early on.  Edie and Heather have a shared past and in their teens had been friends. Edie was the popular and confident one and, Heather was shy and overweight. Both girls came from fractured families but, then something happened to end the friendship.  Full details are not know until the end of the novel but, the incident was significant enough to end their relationship.

Fast forward 17 years and Edie is a waitress, single and pregnant. After giving birth she is unable to cope with motherhood and its demands. She lives alone in a bare bones flat and can't even care for herself never mind newborn Maya.  Just when she's at her lowest Heather shows up and, like a good friend might, she steps up to the plate and begins to care for Maya and Edie.  Before long her helpful ways seem controlling and stalker like making Edie want to put space between them once again.

The chapters alternate from "before and after", Edie tells the present and Heather tells the past.  As tension builds at times it's hard to discern who is more disturbed and then comes a shocker of an ending once all is revealed.

Readers who like an unsettling story should definitely give this one a try.  At times the story felt a little bogged down but, it was still a terrific psychological thriller.

4/5 stars

(review copy)

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Watching Edie; Camilla Way

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where I share the first paragraph sometimes two, of a book that I'm reading or plan to read soon. 

Watching Edie; Camilla Way

(NAL) New American Library - 2016

AFTER

Outside my kitchen window the long afternoon empties of light.  I look at London stretched out far below, my dripping hands held poised above the sink.  The doorbell rings, one long high peal; The broken intercom vibrates.  The view from up here, it's incredible, as if you're flying.  Deptford and Greenwich, New Cross and Erith, then the river, and beyond that there's the Gherkin, over there the Shard.  From my top floor flat here on Telegraph Hill, you can see forever and as usual it calms me, soothes me: how big it is, how small I am, how far from where I used to be.

The doorbell rings more urgently--whoever it is is putting their finger on the buzzer and holding it there.  The night hovers.

What do you think -- keep reading or pass? 
(Feel free to join in this week by posting your intro below?

Mailbox Monday - New Books

It felt like Christmas everyday last week and the mail lady was none too pleased as I also had several large boxes arrive from a few different places. (Hey, she gets a gift at Christmas and it is her job so she should suck it up and smile --right?)

Here's the book loot that arrived by mail. I'm anxious to get started.

• Among the Ten Thousand Things; Julia Pierpont (Random House)
• 100 Days of Happiness; Fausto Brizzi (Pamela Dorman Books)
• The Dressmaker; Rosalie Ham (Penguin)
• The Language of Hoofbeats; Catherine Ryan Hyde (purchase - Lake Union Pub)
• A Remarkable Kindness; Diana Bletter (William Morrow)
• Rainy Day Sisters; Kate Hewette (NAL)

• Wind/Pinball; Hakuri Murakami (Random House Audio)
• Saint Mazie; Jami Attenberg (Hachette Audio)
• The Night Sisters; Jennifer McMahon (Random House Audio)

above books sent by 

author/illustrators Wendell & Florence Minor

(inscribed as well)

• This is the Earth;  Shore & Alexander with Wendell Minor (illustrator)
• Trapped; Robert Burleigh with Wendell Minor (illustrator)

The Minor's were very kind to have sent me inscribed copies of these 2 books for my 3 grand daughters after they read my reviews last week.