By CJ Skuse
Published by HQ (9 August 2018)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher
Publisher's description
If only they knew the real truth. It should be my face on those front pages. My headlines. I did those things, not him. I just want to stand on that doorstep and scream it: IT WAS ME. ME. ME. ME. ME!
Rhiannon Lewis has successfully fooled the world and framed her cheating fiancé Craig for the depraved and bloody killing spree she committed. She should be ecstatic that she’s free.
Except for one small problem. She’s pregnant with her ex lover’s child. The ex-lover she only recently chopped up and buried in her in-laws garden. And as much as Rhiannon wants to continue making her way through her kill lists, a small voice inside is trying to make her stop.
But can a killer’s urges ever really be curbed?
Sweetpea was one of my favourite books of 2017 - a perfect serial killer read filled with dark humour. In Bloom follows on from the moment Sweetpea ends, with Rhiannon pregnant and in a serious spot of bother.
I really didn't think CJ Skuse could top Sweetpea, but she certainly has. In Bloom is evil and dark, with plenty of shocks and surprises, and is certainly not for the faint-hearted. It's also emotional and even heartbreaking in places, as Rhiannon tries to come to terms with her impending motherhood and make some decisions about her future.
Yet again, I found myself rooting for Rhiannon when I really shouldn't, getting a better understanding of her background and why she's the way she is. While she appears fairly 'normal' on the outside with her love of her dog Tink and her Sylvanians collection, she's certainly not a 'people person' - although she has now made a friend, of sorts, called Marnie. The question that arises throughout the book is whether Rhiannon is 'mother material'.
The book reads like a totally twisted pregnancy guide. Rhiannon describes all of her aches and pains, angst and worries, as you would expect in any pregnancy, but then there are also her murderous tendencies and psychotic urges. Fortunately (or not so fortunately for her), she now has a conscience - her unborn baby. The book is cleverly (and hilariously) written as 'baby' makes Rhiannon choose between being a mother and being a murderer every time she 'gets the serial killer urge'.
In Bloom is another fantastic read from CJ Skuse, as long as you don't mind bad language, graphic descriptions and some uncomfortable reading! This book sets the scene perfectly for another book (although it does tie up loose ends too) and I'm now desperate to know what happens next!
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