Title: When I Was Ten
Author: Fiona Cummins
Publisher: Pan Macillan
Synopsis:
She had lived a lie for thirteen years, and the perfect life as she had known it was about to change forever.
Everyone remembered Sara and Shannon Carter, the little blonde haired sisters. Their Dad was the local GP and they lived in the beautiful house on the hill. Their best friend, Brinley Booth, lived next door. They would do anything for each other but everything shifted on that fateful day when Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela were stabbed fourteen times with a pair of scissors in what has become the most talked about double murder of the modern age.
The girls were aged ten and twelve at the time. One, nicknamed the Angel of Death, spent eight years in a children’s secure unit accused of the brutal killings. The other lived in foster care out of the limelight and prying questions. Now, on the anniversary of the trial, a documentary team has tracked down one of the sisters, persuading her to speak about the events of that night for the first time.
Her explosive interview sparks national headlines and Brinley Booth, now a journalist, is tasked with covering the news story which brings to light fresh evidence and triggers a chain of events which will have devastating consequences.
My review:
This book blew me away! I loved The Neighbour and have wanted to read Fiona Cummins’ The Bone Collector series for ages, so I was so excited to have the chance to review Fiona’s newest novel, When I Was Ten. And it absolutely lived up to the brilliance of The Neighbour – it’s addictive, tense, sharp reading that had me feeling like I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
For me, When I Was Ten is the perfect combination of grittiness, mystery and thriller without being too unbelievable. From the tension building as we read about the two sisters and their horrible home life, knowing what was coming (or we thought we did) to the present-day unravelling of a person’s life as those closest to her discover the truth about her family’s past – it all completely absorbed me.
The novel has twists and surprises which keep you guessing, and it makes you really think about the reality of having to always keep your past hidden from everyone, even your closest family.
Definitely a recommended read – one you won’t want to put down!
Rating: 5/5
Many thanks to the publisher, Pan Macmillan, for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest review.
Fab review Laura. I loved this one too!
Thanks Lynne – it was a great read wasn’t it!