They All Fall Down by Tammy Cohen

They All Fall Down
By Tammy Cohen
Published by Transworld (13 July 2017)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher.

Publisher's description

Hannah had a normal life – a loving husband, a good job. Until she did something shocking.

Now she’s in a psychiatric clinic. It should be a safe place. But patients keep dying.

The doctors say it’s suicide. Hannah knows they’re lying.  

Can she make anyone believe her before the killer strikes again?

My verdict
Tammy Cohen has done it again with this twisty psychological thriller. They All Fall Down is a brilliant read and I highly recommend it.

Set in a private psychiatric clinic, the book has the perfect claustrophobic setting and a whole host of unreliable fragile characters who all have something to hide. It's clear that you probably can't trust the patients, who suffer from a range of mental health problems and emotional traumas, but can you trust anyone else in the book either?

The story is told from several points of view - all potentially unreliable and very convincing. It's an emotional read and highly thought-provoking, looking into the often-taboo topic of severe depression and hospitalisation. A brave decision to use this setting, I thought when I first saw the blurb, as there's the potential to get it wrong. Yet Tammy Cohen has handled her characters' mental health issues with sensitivity and compassion, carefully weaving them into her plot and raising awareness of some difficult psychiatric issues. She has an amazing ability of getting right inside her characters' heads.

The book is cleverly plotted, unpredictable and different from the current psychological thriller trend. So many layers to peel back, and so many twists, turns and surprises that kept me guessing - and they kept on coming right until the very end. I ignored the rest of the world while I read the book, unable to put it down. This wasn't always an easy read in terms of subject matter, but the gentle dark humour helped to break up the tension.

Tammy Cohen's books get better and better. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

BEST OF CRIME with Tammy Cohen

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 

TAMMY COHEN

to share her BEST OF CRIME ...

... AUTHORS

I’ve loved both of Liz Nugent’s books because they’re so fresh and different. Belinda Bauer’s originality makes her stand out in the crowded terrain of psychological thrillers. I’ve always loved Lisa Jewell’s writing, but her more recent venture into psychological suspense has given her books a darker edge, but still with her trademark focus on totally rounded, utterly believable characters, which is an unbeatable combination. Recently I’ve loved The Dry by Jane Harper, set in the parched outback in Australia. You can feel the relentless heat coming off the page. 

... FILMS/MOVIES

Strangers on a Train is still the ultimate crime movie for me. The central concept of the Patricia Highsmith novel on which it is based – two random strangers swap murders - is so neat and perfectly self-contained. And the character of Bruno Anthony is such a brilliant psychological study. Oh, and all the most crucial action takes place in an amusement park, ending in an out-of-control carousel ride. Who could resist? 

... TV DRAMAS

Like millions of others, our household was hooked on the first two series of Narcos where two DEA officers try to bring Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar to justice. It’s the combination of a powerhouse central performance from Wagner Moura which shows the violence and cruelty of Escobar, who went from nothing to being one of the richest men in the world, and at the same time his vulnerability. But also the psychological interplay between the DEA agents and their quarry, and between Escobar and his various key henchmen. And all set against the breathtaking backdrop of Colombia itself.

... FICTIONAL KILLERS
As soon as I read Caroline Kepnes’ brilliant psychological thriller ‘You’, I fell a little bit in love with Joe Goldberg, a charming, witty, razor-smart New York bookseller, who just happens to be a stalker. And a psychopath. But somehow that doesn’t stop the reader from secretly willing him on. Genius.

... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES 
Commandant Camille Verhoeven, the invention of French crime writer Pierre Lemaitre is a brilliant creation. At just four foot eleven (due to his mother’s heavy smoking during pregnancy), what he lacks in height he makes up for in intellect and determination and old-fashioned nobility. His own tragic past, which involved the murder of his beloved wife, has made him more intuitive to evil, but also to love.

... MURDER WEAPONS
I’m such a total wuss, I can’t read or watch very graphic violence. However, Robert Harris’s Mason Verger being fed to his own beloved pet pigs whom he has been cultivating purely for the pleasure of seeing them eat his nemesis Hannibal Lecter, has stuck in my mind.

    

... DEATH SCENES

See above. 

  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES

I’m a big believer in the old adage ‘the truth is stranger than fiction’ and when I’m at a loose end for plot ideas, I’ll invariably end up googling ‘weirdest real life crimes’ or some variant thereof and then spending the rest of the day lost down the wormhole of bizarre human behavior. Although all too often I’ll get enthused about an idea before ruling it out on the basis that if I tried to put it in a novel, readers would claim it was too far-fetched.

... WRITING TIPS

Don’t show your first draft to anyone – unless you want to find yourself pulled in a myriad of conflicting directions.

If your interest is flagging, chances are your readers’ will be too. Think about the most shocking thing that might happen at this point. And then write it. You might not end up keeping it in, but at least it might have re-energised you.

Accept that some people won’t like what you write. That’s fine. Most of my favourite books have a low to average rating on Amazon. That’s because the writer hasn’t played safe. Which, conversely, is why those are my favourite books! 

... WRITING SNACKS

I drink a lot of coffee and green tea (not together, that would be weird), so the ideal writing snack has to be one that is eminently dunkable. I’m going to sound very dull here, but I favour the plain, simple, noble digestive. Please don’t stop buying my books now I’ve shared that. 

About TAMMY COHEN

Tammy Cohen wrote three dark contemporary novels (The Mistress’s Revenge, The War of the Wives, Someone Else’s Wedding) under the name Tamar Cohen, before deciding to move into crime, principally because crime writers always seemed to be having the most fun. Her psychological thrillers The Broken, First One Missing, Dying For Christmas, When She was Bad and They All Fall Down, have all been published internationally and When She Was Bad has been optioned for television. Tammy’s first historical novel, A Dangerous Crossing, written under the pseudonym Rachel Rhys, came out in March 2017 and has been shortlisted for the 2017 HWA Golden Crown Award. A Dangerous Crossing is one of Richard & Judy's Autumn 2017 Book Club Selection. As well as writing fiction, Tammy has worked as a journalist for over twenty years, writing for newspapers such as The Times, The Telegraph and magazines including Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan and Woman & Home.

Find Tammy Cohen on her website, FB page and on Twitter - @MsTamarCohen

About THEY ALL FALL DOWN

Publisher's description
Orange is the New Black meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. They All Fall Down is set in a private psychiatric clinic for women at high risk of self harm where Hannah Lovell is a patient. From the outset it’s clear she’s done something shocking, but we don’t know what. When two of Hannah’s fellow patients die in quick succession, suicide is the obvious assumption. Only Hannah is convinced there's a serial killer at large in the unit, preying on her friends. But who will believe she's telling the truth when she's proved so expert in lying to herself? 

They All Fall Down was published by Transworld on 13 July 2017.

Look out for more BEST OF CRIME features coming soon.

Click here to read more BEST OF CRIME features.

Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys

Dangerous Crossing
By Rachel Rhys
Published by Doubleday (Hardback and Ebook now; Paperback - 10 August 2017)

Check out the fabulous new paperback cover:

Publisher's description

Sparkling cocktails, poisonous secrets ...

1939, Europe on the brink of war. Lily Shepherd leaves England on an ocean liner for Australia, escaping her life of drudgery for new horizons. She is instantly seduced by the world onboard: cocktails, black-tie balls and beautiful sunsets. Suddenly, Lily finds herself mingling with people who would otherwise never give her the time of day.

But soon she realizes her glamorous new friends are not what they seem. The rich and hedonistic Max and Eliza Campbell, mysterious and flirtatious Edward, and fascist George are all running away from tragedy and scandal even greater than her own.

By the time the ship docks, two passengers are dead, war has been declared, and life will never be the same again.

My verdict
Dangerous Crossing is a captivating journey back through time with a highly authentic feel. It's set in pre-war 1930s, an era filled with uncertainty and people hoping for a better life, bravely sailing off into the vast unknown. This is Lily's story, as she boards an ocean liner for Australia, leaving her family and loved ones behind.

The book is a slow burning murder mystery amid political and social unrest, as a young girl is thrown into a world of glamour, cocktails, romance, deception, lies and scandal. It's definitely a book to be savoured, with compelling writing and rich descriptions. Every detail is so clearly described that I couldn't fail to picture the setting in my mind - each of my senses stimulated on every page. The characters are diverse, not only in terms of social class but also their mannerisms and quirks, as if they were truly alive. I could definitely see this on the big (or little) screen - it's crying out for adaptation.

The murder mystery itself is only one thread within the multi-layered plot. This is a book about life, change and social etiquette. It's gripping, mesmerising and intriguing from beginning to end. I look forward to more books from Rachel Rhys.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher.

Killer Women Week - Day 2: Tammy Cohen

It's Day 2 of my Killer Women Crime Writing Festival Feature Week. 

Today I have Tammy Cohen on my blog talking about how writer's block affects her working day. Tammy's latest book, When She Was Bad, was published by Black Swan (Penguin Random House UK) in April 2016. 

The Killer Women Festival is taking place at Shoreditch Town Hall, London, on 15 October 2016 - more details at the end of this blog post and on Friday. 

Writer's Block

By Tammy Cohen

There’s always a blissful split second when I wake up where my mind is a merciful blank and all’s well with the world. Then I remember the days and weeks of false starts and empty pages that lie behind me and am flooded with panic as I do my mental calculations. How many months until my next book is due? How many weeks? Days?

After rattling off my last novel in almost indecent haste, the new book is stubbornly refusing to get written. It seemed like such an excellent idea when I scribbled down the two-page synopsis that my agent and editor fell in love with. But stretching out those two pages into a hundred thousand words is proving a challenge*. And my November deadline is fast approaching.

It’s not through want of trying. Every day, after walking the dog, I sit down to write. But so far I’m struggling to find a way of getting into the story. And it’s precisely when you’re struggling that the Internet suddenly becomes so irresistible. A YouTube clip of dogs acting guilty? Don’t mind if I do. When work is going badly, social media is a black hole that swallows me up and spits me up some hours later having come up with several witty entries on the #BrexitMovies hashtag, but no usable words.

By evening, panic has usually given way to a low level nausea that I try to assuage by watching something mindless and ranting at the 10 o’clock news (and sometimes gin). After which, finally, fully-fledged fear might prompt me to get out my laptop and get down some words. Any words. In any order.

When I go to bed I remind myself that I’ve been here before. Writing When She Was Bad, I was completely stalled until one evening, in the bath, a voice came into my head that became a totally new thread and the whole book instantly fell into place. That’s what I’m looking for – the magical key that unlocks this new book and lets me in to write it. I know it’s there, it’s just a question of finding it. And in the meantime, ooh look a clip of a fireman rescuing a kitten…

* I’ve substituted ‘challenge’ for ‘total impossibility’, just in case my editor is reading.

About Tammy Cohen

Tammy Cohen is the author of seven novels. Her latest, When She Was Bad, came out in April 2016 and is a psychological thriller set in an office. She shares a birthday with the Killer Women Festival and can't imagine a better way of spending it than hanging out with all her favourite crime writers, not to mention seeing all-time heroes like Val McDermid. And no, she's not saying which birthday it is.

Find out more about Tammy on her website and follow her on Twitter - @MsTamarCohen

The Killer Women Festival

The FIRST EVER Killer Women Crime Writing Festival takes place on Saturday 15th October 2016 at Shoreditch Town Hall, London EC1.

Founded in 2014, Killer Women is a collective of female crime writers from London and the South East. As well as the Killer Women themselves, other high-profile authors taking part in the Festival include Ann Cleeves, Martina Cole, Mark Billingham and Val McDermid.

The day-long programme includes readings and debates, masterclasses, an exclusive Murder Mystery, Killer Women cocktails and much more.

Tickets cost £75 and are now available to book here!

Learn more through the Killer Women website and follow Killer Women on Twitter - @killerwomenorg

Read my other Killer Women Festival Week blog posts:

Day One - DE Meredith
Day Three - Erin Kelly
Day Four - Sarah Hilary
Day Five - The Killer Women Crime Writing Festival