A Knock At The Door by T.W Ellis
Publisher: Little, Brown Group
Genre: Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by FernThey ask for your husband. They just want to talk. THEY’RE LYING.
Your husband isn’t who he says he is, say the people at your door. Come with us.
Don’t trust them, says a voice on the phone. Run.
Who would you believe?
In this terrifying first psychological thriller by bestselling author T.W. Ellis, one woman goes on the run and is forced to question everything she held dear . . .
Jem is a regular woman, happily married, a yoga instructor for her small town and slowly renovating the large house she owns with her loving husband. Until one morning – shortly after her husband leaves on his latest business trip – two FBI Agents knock on Jem’s front door. What quickly follows is a spiraling mess of confusion, fear and lies as her whole world comes tumbling down.
I’m a huge fan of Tom Wood’s Victor the Assassin series and so when I found out he had written – under a different pseudonym – a stand alone thriller I couldn’t resist. My faith absolutely was rewarded with this novel. An increasingly complex web of lies hidden within the truth within more layers of subterfuge made this a deliciously knotty plot that I feel should have most readers turned around at least a few times. At first glance it’s practically impossible to work out what everyone’s true motives are – and most are complicated enough that even as answers are found plenty more is left to chew over and work out. This is the best kind of thriller, where the reader is trying to sort everything out alongside the main protagonist.
I also really enjoyed the fact the pace of the story is set to quite a fast clip. Jem is rushing from one point to the next with very little breathing room or time to really settle and process all the different – and overlapping – stories she’s being fed. It’s understandable just how confused and twisted around she feels, and I heartily sympathized with her for much of the story. In her position I would find it equally impossible to fathom who, exactly, to trust and where to turn. This gives the story quite an edge and a real sense of urgency and pacing that lasts right up to the end of the story. Readers looking for a traditional or straightforward mystery/suspense might not find themselves satisfied with this. This is quite a complicated story and even in the last few chapters things continue to get turned upside down and I don’t feel this ending is at all traditional. For me, that was a lovely change and something I really enjoyed, but I understand it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Readers looking for a good thriller – more espionage/action based than gory or bloodthirsty – should find this an excellent standalone novel with believable characters and a great pacing throughout. Recommended.
