Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Picador (5 July 2012)

From the back of the book:

A quiet English town is left reeling when twelve-year-old Daniel Blake is discovered to have brutally murdered his schoolmate Felicity Forbes.

 For provincial solicitor Leo Curtice, the case promises to be the most high-profile – and morally challenging – of his career. But as he begins his defence Leo is unprepared for the impact the public fury surrounding Felicity’s death will have on his family – and his teenage daughter Ellie, above all.

 While Leo struggles to get Daniel to open up, hoping to unearth the reasons for the boy’s terrible crime, the build-up of pressure on Leo’s family intensifies. As the case nears its climax, events will take their darkest turn. For Leo, nothing will ever be the same again . . .

My Review:

Once more, this is a book I would not normally choose for myself, It was another thriller! My friend chose it for book club and we all had varied thoughts on it.

I thought it was slow to get started, I was confused and I didn’t really “get” what was going on – nor did i care! I think that was down to the writing style, i have learnt that i am not a fan of male writers – i prefer my fluffy girly writing rather than wordy, and overly-descriptive-without-describing-anything writing. That said, I did persevere and i am glad i did.

A friend of mine who really didn’t enjoy “before i go to sleep” really enjoyed this book.  For me, the book kept you guessing and you didn’t see most of the twists coming. There were a few moments where my heart was racing and I wasn’t sure if i wanted to carry on (I don’t like being scared!) but overall I’m glad I did.

I’m not sure if it’s a holiday read or not – for me, it really isn’t a beach read! It’s one to read at home. Would I read it again? No. Would i recommend it? Probably not but it was an ok book.