The Only Suspect by Louise Candlish

Book Blurb

Wrong time. Wrong place. Wrong man.

Alex lives a comfortable life with his wife Beth in the leafy suburb of Silver Vale. Fine, so he’s not the most sociable guy on the street, he prefers to keep himself to himself, but he’s a good husband and an easy-going neighbour.

That’s until Beth announces the creation of a nature trail on a local site that’s been disused for decades and suddenly Alex is a changed man. Now he’s always watching. Questioning. Struggling to hide his dread . . .

As the landscapers get to work, a secret threatens to surface from years ago, back in Alex’s twenties when he got entangled with a seductive young woman called Marina, who threw both their lives into turmoil.

And who sparked a police hunt for a murder suspect that was never quite what it seemed. It still isn’t.

No one else could have done it. Could they?

My Review

I have to admit that I haven’t read any of Louise Candlish’s previous novels but had heard a lot of good things about her writing. The Only Suspect has a split timeline in 1995 and in the present. In the present Alex is the protagonist, married and leading a good life in Silver Vale, until the residents raise enough money to have a nature trail on a piece of unused land. Alex dispalys signs of fear and paranoia, worried that something or someone will be found linked to his past. In 1995 the plot is the story of Rick, 25 years old and living in London. Rick embarks on a reltionship with Marina who works in the same office block as himselself, but it’sa relationship made on secrets and lies and is doomed to fail. This slow burner thriller is riddeld with tension and lies that slowly entwine to bring the stories of Rick and Alex together.

I found that I prefered Rick to Alex as a character; he was young with his life ahead of him, sensible with his money and had an air of caution about all that he did. Like many in their early twenties he fell in love, but unfortunately with the wrong girl, but still he stayed with her even though her circumstances could get him in trouble. I liked his constant optimism, and kindness, the complete opposite of Alex. Alex has his own problems, a lodger he doesn’t want in his house that is causing tension between him and his wife, and paranoia about the opening of the new nature trail. He seems very self obsessed and not surportive to his wife, taking chances that sees like they could self implode on his life. As his story progresses I did understand him more but still didn’t like him very much.

This is a real slow burner, with Louise Candlish gradually dropping hints as to where the book was going. I did think I had the ending all worked out, but I was well off the mark, I even flicked back to certain chapters to work out how I got it so wrong. Louise Candlish’s writing and plotting was detailed and intelligent, that kept me on my toes and second guessing myself. I did feel there were a few slower parts where I wished the plot would move along a bit quicker, but on the whole the tension and sinister tone kept me engrossed in the story.

I really enjoyed reading The Only Suspect, with it’s twists and turns and shocking ending. The tension was kept throughout, and I liked that I was proven wrong in the conclusion of the book. This maybe the first book I have read by Louise Candlish, but it certainly won’t be the last. This is a compelling, disquieting and unnerving read, a brillianty plotted thriller.

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in return for my honest review.