#52BookClub
Prompt: 300 – 400 pages long
Serial: 08/52
Book: Last Seen Alive
Author: Claire Douglas
Pages: 393
Publication: Penguin
Genre: Thriller
I received this book as a gift from a dear friend during a book swap event conducted by an FB group. The blurb looked interesting, and despite never having read the author before, I dived into it. After all, nothing can go wrong with a thriller.
Plot:
Accepting the offer of a house swap, Libby and Jamie spend some time in a beautiful mansion in Cornwall. However, things get spookily disturbing, as Libby’s hitherto hidden past catches up with her. Is it paranoia? Or is there something more than meets the eye?
Review:
The premise begins on such an illogical note that Hollywood’s done-to-death trope of foolish families and haunted houses looks convincing. For a woman whose past is as shady as an honest politician, Libby is as foolish as they come. All she needs is a leaflet with an offer that is too good to refuse, and she is on board. Don’t the Brits have an Aadhaar card equivalent? Wouldn’t someone sane confirm that the affluent Heywoods would really want to live in a 1-BHK flat in Bath?
However, if you manage to suspend logic, Last Seen Alive makes for a thrilling read.
The first-person point of view of Libby and Beth allows the reader to delve into their not-so-holy psyches. As the novel progresses, the readers realise that despite harming each other, they complement each other eerily. Possessing feet of damp clay, they are real, worthy of hatred, and yet memorable. The three parts of the book, set in Cornwall, Thailand, and Bath, respectively, give the women enough scope to flesh out their characters.
Every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, making the book an unputdownable read. Libby’s initial fear that seemed irrational makes sense as the plot thickens. However, Hannah’s presence and her subsequent betrayal looked dubious to me. Otherwise, the pace of the novel makes the readers sit on the edge. Characters like Jamie, Sylvia, and Evelyn play their parts well, leaving no scope for complaints.
The twists have been well executed. Regular readers of thrillers might anticipate a couple of them, but that doesn’t take away the credit from the author. I just wish that the premise that set the ball rolling could have been more realistic. But fiction often takes creative liberties. So, I would overlook that concern.
Do I recommend Last Seen Alive?
If you’re a fan of this genre, then you can opt for it. There is more to this novel than the ludicrous house swap.
