Little Deaths by Emma Flint

Little Deaths
By Emma Flint
Published by Picador (Hardback & e-book - 12 January 2017; Paperback - 24 August 2017)

Publisher's description

It's the summer of 1965, and the streets of Queens, New York shimmer in a heatwave. One July morning, Ruth Malone wakes to find a bedroom window wide open and her two young children missing. After a desperate search, the police make a horrifying discovery.

Noting Ruth's perfectly made-up face and provocative clothing, the empty liquor bottles and love letters that litter her apartment, the detectives leap to convenient conclusions, fuelled by neighbourhood gossip and speculation. Sent to cover the case on his first major assignment, tabloid reporter Pete Wonicke at first can't help but do the same. But the longer he spends watching Ruth, the more he learns about the darker workings of the police and the press. Soon, Pete begins to doubt everything he thought he knew.

Ruth Malone is enthralling, challenging and secretive - is she really capable of murder? 

My verdict
Little Deaths is a compelling whodunnit set in the 1960s, based on a real case. It's more character led than plot led, with a focus on morality and society at that time. I'd read a lot of hype about this book and was interested to see if it lived up to expectations.

Ruth Malone is a mother on the verge of divorce. She's struggling to make ends meet and wants more out of life. She's prepared to take risks to do so, going beyond society's norms, even when her children go missing. Her neighbours steer clear of her, her soon-to-be ex-husband doesn't understand her and the police suspect her of murder. Little Deaths is a fascinating look at the attitudes of disproving neighbours, intrusive press and bigoted police towards women at the time.

The mystery of what happened to Ruth Malone's two young children intrigued me, with lots of twists, turns and red herrings. The mesmerising writing certainly sucked me into the story straight away. The characters felt very real and the interaction between them is what, for me, kept the story going. Ruth, in particular, was a complex character, judged by her appearance and behaviour rather than what was inside. The period setting was very well described and highly atmospheric, transporting me right into the heart of 1960s New York, with the sights, sounds and smells of city life in the summer heat.

I wasn't 100% sure about the ending, feeling it was a little neat and rushed. But overall, I really enjoyed Little Deaths.

The Followers by Rebecca Wait

The Followers
By Rebecca Wait
Published by Picador (21 May 2015)
ISBN: 978-1447224730

Publisher's description
Judith has been visiting her mother, Stephanie, in prison once a month for the last eight years. Nearly a hundred stilted half hours - hundreds of failed conversations, hundreds of topics avoided. Neither of them can bring themselves to talk about what brought them here - or about Nathaniel . . .

When Stephanie first meets him, she is a struggling single mother and Nathaniel is a charismatic outsider, unlike anyone she's ever known. In deciding to join the small religious cult he has founded high on the moors, Stephanie thinks she is doing the best for her daughter: a new home, a new life, a new purpose.

Judith has never trusted Nathaniel, but even she can't foresee the terrible things that lie ahead. From the moment they arrive, the delicate dynamic of Nathaniel's followers is disturbed. Judith's restlessness and questions unsettle the children who've never known life outside the cult - all except loyal Moses, who will do anything to be her friend. Meanwhile, as Stephanie slowly surrenders herself to Nathaniel's will, tensions deepen, faith and doubt collide, and a horrifying act of violence changes everything. In the shattering aftermath, no one seems safe, and for Judith and Moses the biggest leap of faith is still to come...

My verdict
As soon as I heard about The Followers, I was desperate to read it. Religious cults are a fascinating topic and I'm a big fan of the TV series The Following.

When struggling single mum Stephanie meets Nathaniel, she is sucked deep into his world, along with her 12-year-old daughter Judith. Moving into his small village in the Yorkshire moorlands, little did any of them know that life will never be the same again.

The Followers grabbed my attention from the first page, as 22-year-old Judith visits her mother in prison, one of many similar visits over the years. As the story then flips back to the past (10 years ago), it slowly unravels the events leading up to the present day.

The Followers made me gasp, cry and hold my breath several times. I loved all of the characters, as they felt so authentic and passionate about what they believed in, with a vulnerability that made them all easy to control.  I couldn't help but feel great empathy for Judith, whose world was turned upside down by her mother's irresponsible and rash decision to move in with a man she hardly knew.

I read the book in two short sittings, ignoring the household and unable to stop reading until I reached the final page. It's a sad, creepy, and horrifying story, in a chilling atmospheric setting - so well plotted that it flows seamlessly from beginning to end. The narrative gave me little time to breathe, as I swiftly turned the pages to see what would happen next.

The Followers is a brilliant book and left me thinking about the story and characters for a long time afterwards.

I won a copy of the book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.