The Stalker by Sarah Alderson
Publication Date: 8th July 2021
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Drama
3.5 Stars
Liam and Laura go to a remote island in Scotland for
their honeymoon. It’s supposed to be only the two of them for a week. But soon,
they discover that the island is haunted by a tragic past. Add to it, there
seems to be another person sharing the island with them.
Who is this person? What do they want, and why are
they stalking the couple? When did their perfect honeymoon turn into a deadly
nightmare?
The book starts with Laura and Liam going to a local
Scottish pub before heading off to the Island of Shura. The weather is gloomy
and matches Laura’s mood. We come to know that she’s fighting the depression of
losing her mother.
As the story progresses, Laura tells us her story as
the couple explores the island’s ruined castle, chapel, burrows, beaches, and
more. She feels someone stalking them, and soon enough, the evidence is visible
as a craving on the window glass.
The narration is fast-paced though nothing much
happens during the first few pages. The setting makes it easy to create an
atmosphere of tension and fear. As a fan of Scotland-based stories, I was
looking forward to reading this book. The cover added to the vibe, and I had
quite a few expectations.
The author does tick a few boxes for a heady
thriller. The plot had merit, and her narration was good enough to carry the
story. However, towards the end, the plot losses steam. Of course, there needs
to be a sort of closure, but it fell a little flat.
There’s a twist in the second half that explains the
red flags I noticed in the first half. I can’t go into details because even the
tiniest hint would be a spoiler. Suffice to say, I re-adjusted my guesses based
on the hints the writer scattered around.
I did find a few inconsistencies, though I’m not
sure if they were deliberate or if the author missed them. If it’s the former,
readers (thriller fans) would know the storyline before the twist is revealed.
I didn’t relate to the character, but that’s not
uncommon. I don’t relate to a lot of them. And this one felt like I was
watching a show on the screen. For a thriller, that’s not a bad thing. It just
didn’t involve me as much as I would’ve liked.
Overall, the author did a decent job of creating a suspense thriller with the right atmosphere and good narration.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon Books UK
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#NetGalley
No comments:
Post a Comment