Exquisite by Sarah Stovell

Exquisite the debut psychological thriller by Sarah Stovell is not just as the title says but this just exceptional. It is a precise and powerful thriller set among the rolling fells of the Lake District. It is a terrifying novel that is intended to keep you turning the pages long into the night until you get to the end.

I like nothing better than to curl up with a taught, dark and compelling thriller, and when I first heard of Exquisite and that it was set in the Lake District, I was already hooked, but as soon as I opened the first page I realised this was going to be an extraordinary debut. My goodness it delivers on fronts. It does everything you want a good thriller to give the reader.

I really enjoyed the way that Stovell has created her main characters in this thriller. Bo Luxton a successful author and mother of two children and married to a man some years younger than herself. The family live near the beautiful setting of Grasmere and surrounded by the fells of the Lake District. Then we meet Alice Dark who is desperate to succeed as a writer, she is in her twenties and seems to bounce from one job to another. The two meet at a writing retreat and they seem to hit it off instantly they have after all a love of writing. But this sudden friendship is destined to have dramatic and more frightening consequences as they embark on a relationship.

Both women had very difficult childhoods and may be this is why this was always going to be a fatal attraction. Both are flawed characters living lives that are so different, one very successful and living a life that that many could only dream of. But sometimes all that glitters are not gold. Sometimes the truth is somewhat different. A story of obsession and desire and truth and lies that some people live. This is a fast paced thriller that will have your pulses racing until the very last page. Not one to put down.

The setting is just stunning and the story-line is chilling. Exquisite is a thriller that is unforgettable and I am already looking forward to seeing what Sarah Stovell has in-store for us next. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

250 Pages.

Thank you to Karen Sullivan for the advanced review copy.

Exquisite by Karen Sullivan is published by Sarah Stovell and is available through Waterstones, Amazon and all good bookshops.