Book Review: Jane Corry's Bestselling mystery - The Dead Ex.

Ok ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to eradicate all of life’s stress and turmoil, unwind, open a bottle of wine (or stir up some tea / coffee with a healthy dose of cream), and reach for a mystery novel!

Ya’ all snuggled up and cosy?

Ok, let’s go.

For those peeps who are a fan of the Mystery or Thriller Genre then I highly recommend the Sunday Times labelled bestselling book I’m about to review. It's called The Dead Ex. 

But first, some background info:

It all started when a book store opened up at a mall near me, called Bargain Books.

*Cue sound of violins playing ever so melodically.*

Bargain Books, as I learnt that fateful day, sells a variety of fiction and non-fiction books, by well-known and not so well-known authors at VERY affordable costs.

To me that is the equivalent of eating Swiss chocolate and a medley of cheese and red wine…EVERDAY! (Like seriously, it cannot get any better than that!)

Anyway, I walked into Bargain Books, spent three hours there - my initial plan was to enter the store to JUST BROWSE through but that quickly changed - and I ended up walking out with a few novels.

Ok, maybe more than a few.

One of those books that was placed into my beautifully stitched, green hand-bag, was The Dead Ex. Written by Jane Corry.

I had never heard of her prior, but the book had an appealing cover and seeing as I was having trouble with my boyfriend at the time, the title seemed amusing too.

The resplendent blurb (which is the summary at the back of a novel) as well as the reviews all played a part in reeling me in.

One of those reviews stated, “Try as you might, you will never guess the ending of the book!”

Which basically is music (or f**kn' damn good Billie Eilish music) to any mystery fans ears, especially mine!

So here we go and I’m happy to announce there are no spoilers; feel free to read on!

The novel centres around an aromatherapist named Vicki Goudman whose life takes a drastic turn when the police show up at her doorstep.

Her ex-husband David has gone missing and possibly feared dead. Vicki is the main suspect, especially after the police find out that the reason David divorced Vicki was because he cheated on her with his then secretary and current wife Tanya.

Naturally this act of his left Vicki broken and hurt.

Part of the story is told from Vicki’s POV (Point Of View). We also learn early on that Vicki suffers with blackouts due to her epilepsy that she developed as an adult.

Other characters that are introduced to the novel, are Scarlet, an eight-year old girl whose mum is involved with drugs and who plays ‘kids’ games with Scarlet by making her collect packages containing illegal substances. Despite the controversial upbringing, Scarlet and her mum have a very close bond with each other.

Until Scarlet is taken away to foster homes and experiences the darker happenings of life.

Then there’s beautiful, sassy Helen- who becomes an intern for David at his company before he goes missing.

Along with Vicki, the story is also told through Scarlet and Helen’s POV.

Jane Corry does an excellent job of creating complex characters who are familiar with pain and inner conflict. Their issues, their actions, their thoughts are all displayed credibly. 
We also see a compelling weave form between the characters what with each chapter sailing us forward and revealing information about their lives. Or their past as in Vicki’s case.

Coupled with the fact that Vicki has blackouts, many questions, including “Is David dead?” and “What does Vicki really remember or can’t?” will be playing on your mind.

Now I have to mention that with a load of other mystery reads, I could guess the crime or killer maybe halfway or just after halfway through the novel. But not with this one! The book was beautifully paced and every time I thought I figured something out, I didn’t. Twists and turns were aplenty!

Jane also evoked a few sincere emotions in me throughout the book, which is what every writer strives for. For that, I praised the style well as the author’s instinct in knowing how to keep the mystery ignited. 

When it came to the time length it took to read this novel, I would love to have boasted that I read it all in one sitting! As a book reviewer I love reading but I don’t always have time to – although my hours are happily spent editing and copywriting- but when I get twenty or thirty minutes a day to read, I read!

And this was the type of book I loathed – when that specific period of leisure time ended for me. Purely because I wanted to know what was going to happen next! And I wanted to know if my thoughts and questions and answers were correct. Dammnit!

But I had to wait!

 Until I had free minutes again and sometimes that wasn’t always in the same day. I did manage to finish the book after three months though and boy did this have me guessing right up until the end!

With the conclusion, I’m happy to say that I was one satisfied gal!

This truly is a novel infused with a suspenseful flow and strong captivation that's kept wonderfully sustained throughout. A mesmerizing journey - it even inspired me to go back to Bargain Books to look for more Jane Corry novels!

Image courtesy of: Texas A&M University @Tamu. Via Giphy

So to those who love to be kept at the edge of their seats and where each chapter hooks you in with its daring twists - right up until the last page - trust me, you will enjoy this one.
I sure did! 

Katy yawned. But it was a good yawn, the type that reflected satisfaction. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off into dreamland. Tomorrow she was going to make her way to the book store...