Today I’m really excited to be part of the blog tour for In The Wake, described as ‘a gripping feminist crime thriller’ – read on to find out what I thought!
Title: In The Wake
Author: Helen Trevorrow
Publisher: Urbane Publications
[Synopsis]
When a body is found floating in London’s Royal Albert Dock, successful public relations expert Kay Christie is sent to quiet the media, but things get complicated when it emerges that she knew the victim. As events spiral out of control, Kay discovers that those close to her may be harbouring another secret – the story of a missing girl. Can Kay discover the truth before her life unravels and she risks losing everything? In the Wake questions whether we can ever truly leave our pasts behind and explores the lengths that we will go to protect the people that we love.
[My Review]
This is a tense, original debut thriller from Helen Trevorrow, whose writing style I love. It’s descriptive without being too much, has a strong plot that makes you want to read more, and features strong female characters who I loved reading about.
I don’t want to give too much away about the plot, but it addresses some serious themes and issues, and I have to say that some parts of the story are pretty dark, so prepare yourself. It all helps to build the tension in the story though, and it never feels gratuitous. I felt a true hatred for certain characters, which certainly helped me feel invested in the plot, and in what would end up happening to the brilliant main character, Kay Christie. The book also explores sexuality, desire and and female empowerment, which I really enjoyed reading about.
I really liked that this novel is based around a crime and investigation, but actually centres around characters from the world of PR and marketing, making a change from the oft-used detective and investigative journalist characters. It’s also based in London, which I always enjoy!
I didn’t want to put this novel down, racing through it in a matter of hours, but never feeling a need to skip past any of the satisfying prose. Every page is beautifully written and, for me, In The Wake stands apart from other books in the genre. Helen Trovorrow has crafted an entertaining, powerful novel which I’d really recommend.
[Rating: 4.5/5]
Many thanks to Urban Books and LoveBooksTours for providing a copy of this novel, on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review, and inviting me onto the blog tour!
Buy In The Wake on Amazon here.
[About the author]
Helen Trevorrow is a graduate of the 2016 Faber Academy creative writing programme. She studied at Leeds University and has worked in marketing and public relations in London. She is a specialist food and drink PR. Helen’s debut novel IN THE WAKE is a feminist crime thriller about family, unrealised trauma and alcoholism. Helen has ghost-written many articles for newspapers, magazines and websites. She lives in Brighton, Sussex with her wife and child.
Follow Helen and Urbane Books on Twitter.
Follow the rest of the tour
