The Night She Died by Jenny Blackhurst

The Night She Died
By Jenny Blackhurst
Published by Headline (November 2018)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher

Publisher's description

On her own wedding night, beautiful and complicated Evie White leaps off a cliff to her death. 

What drove her to commit this terrible act? It's left to her best friend and her husband to unravel the sinister mystery. 

Following a twisted trail of clues leading to Evie's darkest secrets, they begin to realize they never knew the real Evie at all...

My verdict
The Night She Died is yet another dark psychological thriller from Jenny Blackhurst.

It's the story of Evie and her best friend Rebecca - and what led Evie to jump off a cliff to her death on her own wedding night. It sounds like a straightforward suicide but, as expected, there's far more to the plot than that. The narrative is split mainly between Evie and Rebecca, opening up a complex and twisty plot of secrets, lies and betrayal.

I had no idea which way this book was going - right through to the end. The book has been cleverly plotted and cleverly written to confuse as much as possible. As soon as I thought I had worked it out, the author threw something else into the mix, jumbling up my thoughts yet again. And made me question whether I even trusted any of the characters,

I love Jenny Blackhurst's books and should have read The Night She Died sooner. It means I'm now a book behind, as Someone is Lying is out in ebook already - but it's on my shopping list (paperback out in November!).

BEST OF CRIME with Jenny Blackhurst

Welcome to my latest BEST OF CRIME feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. 

Today I'm delighted to welcome 

JENNY BLACKHURST

to share her BEST OF CRIME ...

... AUTHORS

Sophie Hannah. She’s an incredibly clever writer with an acute observational talent. Her books are like reading a social commentary wrapped in a twisty mystery with a sprinkle of comedy. The proudest moment of my career was when my quote was included on the hardback of Did You See Melody? It was on the back but still, pretty cool.

... FILMS/MOVIES

Se7en. A killer uses the seven deadly sins against his victims, sounds like just another serial killer thriller but there’s a wicked twist and some beautiful use of character. What’s in the box?

... TV DRAMAS

Broadchurch. Aside from the David Tennant factor, Broadchurch was one of the nation’s biggest water cooler TV dramas in years. I loved it for the tight, claustrophobic feeling for the small town where everyone has something to hide. It’s not even a particularly original theme, young boy is killed… whodunnit, but an amazing cast and perfect setting set it apart from the rest. 

... FICTIONAL KILLERS

Gretchen Lowell. A beautiful but deadly serial killer who manages to infiltrate the investigation looking for her and make the lead detective fall madly in lust with her. If it wasn’t for the killing people aspect I’d totally want to be her. 

... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES 

Dr Gideon Fell. I feel like Dr Fell is one of the most underestimated detectives in fiction. Although I’m cheating a little here – he’s not a real detective in the sense that he works for the police force but then again neither was Sherlock Holmes, was he? Gideon Fell has all the ingenuity of Mr Holmes, just without the recognition. 

... MURDER WEAPONS

Umbrella spike. I picture a debonair killer in a smoking jacket, played by Tom Hardy, killing people with a very sharp ended black umbrella. Perhaps there would be a scene where it rains and he has to use the umbrella, rain washing droplets of blood onto the street and swirling into the drain.

    

... DEATH SCENES

Any from a Saw movie. Or at least the two inches of screen I could see through my fingers. I love those films, and the murder scenes are always ingenious.

  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES

www.chrisfoxwrites.com/. Some great videos on Chris’ website on how to plot, how to increase productivity etc – also love his books, 5,000 words an hour and Lifelong Writing Habit. 

... WRITING TIPS

Don’t try to write on an empty stomach. You’ll only have to get up twenty minutes in for crumpets. Best to keep a drawer full of snacks and a thermos of hot chocolate on your desk. Like the Girl Guides say – Be Prepared. 

... WRITING SNACKS

Crumpets. With oodles of melted butter oozing from the squishy holes. Maybe some cheese melted on top. And caramelized onion chutney… Excuse me… I have to go.

About JENNY BLACKHURST

Jenny Blackhurst grew up in Shropshire where she still lives with her husband and children. Growing up she spent hours reading and talking about crime novels - writing her own seemed like natural progression. The Night She Died is Jenny's fourth novel. 

Find Jenny Blackhurst on her Facebook page and on Twitter - @JennyBlackhurst

About THE NIGHT SHE DIED

Publisher's description

On her own wedding night, beautiful and complicated Evie White leaps off a cliff to her death. 

What drove her to commit this terrible act? It's left to her best friend and her husband to unravel the sinister mystery. 

Following a twisted trail of clues leading to Evie's darkest secrets, they begin to realize they never knew the real Evie at all... 

The Night She Died was published in paperback by Headline on 1 November 2018.

Look out for more BEST OF CRIME features coming soon.

Click here to read more BEST OF CRIME features.

The Foster Child by Jenny Blackhurst

The Foster Child
By Jenny Blackhurst
Published by Headline (16 November 2017)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher.

Publisher's description

When child psychologist Imogen Reid takes on the case of 11-year-old Ellie Atkinson, she refuses to listen to warnings that the girl is dangerous.

Ellie was the only survivor of a fire that killed her family. Imogen is convinced she's just a sad and angry child struggling to cope with her loss.

But Ellie's foster parents and teachers are starting to fear her. When she gets upset, bad things seem to happen. And as Imogen gets closer to Ellie, she may be putting herself in danger...

My verdict
The Foster Child is without doubt one of the eeriest psychological thrillers I've read in a while. It's dark, disturbing and creepy - a very twisty read with more than a hint of Carrie-esque horror within its pages.

I love Jenny Blackhurst's writing and how she really gets into her character's heads, looking into the psychology of 'why' as well as 'how'. All of her characters are so compelling, realistic and well-drawn that I changed my opinion of them throughout the book several times. This book is a very emotional thought-provoking read as well as being an intriguing one. There's so much going on, not only in the words on the pages, but also under the surface.

The Foster Child gave me many 'gasp out loud in horror/surprise' moments, as it's filled with suspense and tension. Jenny Blackhurst manages to drip-feed little pockets of information like a trail of breadcrumbs - which kept me guessing and hanging on tenterhooks right until the end.

With so many similar-themed psychological thrillers on the market, The Foster Child totally stands out from the crowd. Highly recommended!

November First Monday Crime... Jenny Blackhurst

Come along to First Monday Crime at London's Library Club on November 7th. 
As always, there's a fantastic panel lined up, with Jenny Blackhurst, Belinda Bauer, Cathi Unsworth & Adam Hamdy - chaired by Barry Foresaw. This is then followed by drinks and socialising with book-loving like-minded people. What more could you want?

See below for details of how to buy tickets.

Today I have an Author Spotlight on... the brilliant Jenny Blackhurst!

About Jenny

Jenny Blackhurst rediscovered her childhood love of writing after the birth of her son in 2011 and wrote her first novel between feeds and nappy changes.

Jenny has a Masters degree in Psychology, and when she isn’t writing she works as the Fire Safety Systems Administrator for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. Her debut novel, How I Lost You, was published in paperback in Spring 2015.

Her latest novel, Before I Let You In, has been described by B.A. Paris as ‘an outstanding and original thriller’.

Find Jenny on her FB author page here and follow Jenny on Twitter - @JennyBlackhurst 

Before I Let You In
By Jenny Blackhurst
Published by Headline (3 November 2016)
ISBN: 978-1472235275

Publisher's description

Karen is meant to be the one who fixes problems.

It's her job, as a psychiatrist - and it's always been her role as a friend.

But Jessica is different. She should be the patient, the one that Karen helps.

But she knows things about Karen. Her friends, her personal life. Things no patient should know.

And Karen is starting to wonder if she should have let her in . . .

I love this book. Jenny has evil & twisted mind (a good thing for a crime/psychological thriller writer). Read my review here.

Buy Before I Let You In here.

First Monday Crime - November

Murder, mayhem and wine return to the Library Club on London's St Martin's Lane on 7th November at 6.30pm. The evening will be sponsored by Headline, with goodie bags! Amazing value at just £5 for the event.

Follow First Monday Crime on Twitter to keep up with the latest news - @1stMondayCrime

Click here to book your tickets. And I look forward to seeing you there!

Before I Let You In by Jenny Blackhurst - Blog Tour Review

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for Jenny Blackhurst's latest psychological thriller - Before I Let You In. Before I Let You In is published in paperback by Headline on 3 November 2016.

Before I Let You In
by Jenny Blackhurst
Published by Headline (E-book out now; Paperback - 3 November 2016)
ISBN: 978-1472235275

Publisher's description

Karen is meant to be the one who fixes problems.

It's her job, as a psychiatrist - and it's always been her role as a friend.

But Jessica is different. She should be the patient, the one that Karen helps.

But she knows things about Karen. Her friends, her personal life. Things no patient should know.

And Karen is starting to wonder if she should have let her in . . .

My verdict
Jenny Blackhurst has an evil and twisted mind! That's the first thing I have to say. Secondly, her latest book Before I Let You In is a definite winner! She made me think twice to check what I had read. And that doesn't happen very often.

This psychological thriller is a brilliant page turner that will keep you guessing, with lots of surprises, twists and turns. It's dark, compelling and disturbing, about the friendships between three different women, who believe they tell each other everything. But do they?

The story is narrated by each of the three women, plus there's another narrator who seems to know them all well, clearly spying into their lives. I loved all of the characters - they're well rounded and believable - and the plot gripped me from beginning to end.

I enjoyed the author's first book - How I Lost You - but Before I Let You In is definitely a much darker, more intense and misleading read!

I received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Follow the Blog Tour

How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst

How I Lost You
By Jenny Blackhurst
Published by Headline (Kindle edition - 9 October 2014, Paperback - 23 April 2015)
ISBN: 978-1472218964

Publisher's description
They told her she killed her son. She served her time. But what if they lied?

I have no memory of what happened but I was told I killed my son. And you believe what your loved ones, your doctor and the police tell you, don't you?

My name is Emma Cartwright. Three years ago I was Susan Webster, and I murdered my twelve-week-old son Dylan. I was sent to Oakdale Psychiatric Institute for my crime, and four weeks ago I was released early on parole with a new identity, address and a chance to rebuild my shattered life.

This morning, I received an envelope addressed to Susan Webster. Inside it was a photograph of a toddler called Dylan. Now I am questioning everything I believe because if I have no memory of the event, how can I truly believe he's dead?

If there was the smallest chance your son was alive, what would you do to get him back?

My verdict
Wow - what an emotional roller coaster. How I lost You made me smile, cry, worry and breathe a sigh of relief throughout its 368 pages.

This is the story of Susan Webster who was convicted of killing her baby son, Dylan. She can't remember much from that time, but certainly doesn't remembering wanting him dead. Susan has now been released from prison, after a three-year sentence, and is living under the name Emma Cartwright, desperately trying to make a new life for herself. But someone keeps sending packages to Susan Webster, telling her that her son is still alive.

How I Lost You was a well-written fast-paced thriller. It kept me guessing all the way until its dark creepy end, when the final twists were revealed. Not everything in the story was realistic or believable, and I questioned at times how Susan/Emma could be so trusting after everything she had experienced. However, this was a great debut, and compelling page turner, and I will be looking out for more books from Jenny Blackhurst.

I received a paperback copy from the publisher through BookBridgr in exchange for an honest review (and I bought the ebook version too).