Book Review | A Dark and Twisted Tide by Sharon Bolton

With Sharon Bolton being my favourite author, I couldn't believe my luck when I was granted the opportunity to read an ARC of her latest Lacey Flint novel, courtesy of both the publishers and NetGalley. I'd like to give my deepest thanks to them both for the opportunity.

Convinced she'd put the treacherous events of the past behind her, Lacey Flint feels at home now living on a house boat in a little creek off the Thames, working once again in uniform but now for the "river police", as described within the book by a particularly colourful character. And yet if you know Lacey Flint at all, you will know that trouble always finds her. This book is no exception.

I've said it before and I will say it again, Sharon Bolton is the absolute supremo of psychological thrillers. Her novels throw you around left and right, up and down, and every direction in between, until you no longer know which way you'er even meant to be standing. I think, for me, the thing that makes her novels the most terrifying is the fact that they're real. They could genuinely happen. And the fact that they could happen quite plausibly makes the thought of the plot absolutely spine chilling. Throw into this mix an ending that you will never in a million years see coming, not because it's not plausible but because you've been thrown so many red herrings that you could never work your way through them, and you have an absolute gem of a thriller novel.

Over the course of the four books, Sharon's characters have come to life for me and I actually consider them real people. I laugh when they laugh, I cry when they cry, and I flinch when they flinch. Never do the characters act against their nature or abilities or act out of character. They all have strengths and weaknesses, and all of them have that fine line between good and bad. Just one wrong move and they can switch, which I think is a major theme for these novels.

As always, the book is well written. Bolton really knows how to manipulate the English language well and to her utmost advantage. It's easy to read, I believe the real definition of a page turner, and I could not put the novel down. It is a delight to read. I read the whole book in a day. Just one day. Almost 24 hours exactly, actually, but I digress...

As a series progresses, a lot of authors lose the magic that the first book held, but not Sharon Bolton. Her books are just consistently good. Thrilling plots, awesome characters, spine chilling revelations, and all around wonderful writing. Sharon Bolton is truly the master, and I am honoured to have been able to read this diamond of a novel.

* This book was sent to me for free through the publisher in exchange for an honest review.