Land of the Living

Another very good offering from the duo known as Nicci French. Straight into the meat of the book from the very first sentence and building psychological tension as the book goes on. An enjoyable book that kept you wanting to read on and on and on to the ultimate climax. Had my theories who was behind it but not surprisingly I was wrong! Did get frustrated at the authorities at points during he book and I do feel the main character was let down by her friends. Happy to recommend the book to others. 4.5 stars.

This was compelling but kind of inconsistent. I didn’t buy her whole memory loss. It seemed to focused, too specific. For example; she couldn’t remember the days that led up to her storming out of work. Wouldn’t something like that have been building up for a while? How could a person suddenly snap like that? I don’t buy it. She had no memory of the actual incident of storming out, but she should have remembered resentments or examples of things that made her angry with her employers in the first place. Same with her leaving her boyfriend, Terry. She can’t remember why in particular she left, but she can remember that she had fights with him in the past and that he hit her. At the same time, she’s convinced that he didn’t show more murder his new girlfriend Sally. How can she remember one thing but not another? It didn’t hang together for me.

I didn’t like Abbie very much either. She seemed too spastic and too easy at the same time. One minute she can’t stand Ben Brody and the next minute she’s in bed with the guy. Then, because of a cryptic inscription inside a book of poetry, she flips out and runs away from him. Maybe the blow to the head was more severe than just memory loss.
And how she followed the trail of the never to have been cat of her roommate (who she also didn’t remember but got really chummy with over a period of 4 days – as if). She goes from one weirdo to another who either collects cats or has saved a few from time to time. Why on earth would anyone get a cat in this way?? It was too unbelievable. Then when she finds the guy actually in the process of dealing with another captive and she puts his eyes out with her thumbs?? I didn’t buy that either. Too bad it wasn’t more like Beneath the Skin – that one was good. show less

Seven roommates are living together in London house. When a neighbor is found dead on their lawn, it becomes apparent one housemate is trying to frame another for murder. The isolated setting of the run-down house adds tension as infighting sets in amidst the romances within the group. With the extreme claustrophobia, you start to wonder if you can ever really know who are your friends?

Nicci French does it again! Gripping suspense from start to finish.... and hard to put down. For what it's worth: first night I started reading this, and stayed up too late doing so; and too bad, because it brought disturbing dreams! Next night, I read until sleep came, but just had to get up early the next day, just to finish it. I could quibble with aspects of Land of the Living, but suspenseful popular fiction doesn't get much better than this.

The story starts with Abbie in the dark. Kidnapped at the hands of a man who promises to kill her. He has her hooded and bound and she's clinging to her sanity by a thin line. When she gets free she finds herself doubted and finds that there's an important week missing in her mind. Add to that that that police doubt her story and you have a very messed up situation.

The first part of the book where she's kidnapped is very interesting but the second part where she's looking down the gaping pit of memory is the best part of the story. This isn't an amazing book but is a very good read.

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I really liked the first part of this book. I think it to be the strongest opening we've seen from Nicci French. It is intriguing and full of suspense. After that, unfortunately, the story looses quite some of its power. It starts become almost Bridget Jones like, and it is very clear from the moment the second part starts, where this will all eventually end. I think it's a shame, because the book started so well, that it had to end like the way it does.

This book was fantastic - most of the way through. However, I'm afraid that the ending totally ruined it for me. Without giving too much away, I felt that it was a total anti-climax and that such a great story was deserving of a far better finale.

Abbie has been kidnapped, but she doesn't know who by. All she knows is that she has to get away because otherwise she will probably die. She does indeed manage to escape, but is nowhere nearer to finding out who her captor was.

Abbie begins her own investigation into matters, all the time having to deal with sceptical Police Officers, who aren't even convinced that she was kidnapped in the first place.

Read this if you like psychological thrillers, but be warned that you may come away feeling show more unsatisfied. show less