
Review: The Long Fall by Julia Crouch

Published by headline on 19th June 2014. Thanks to Sam Eades at headline for the proof copy of this book, which I received in return for an honest review.
Set in part on the beautiful Greek island of Ikaria, this book is about secrets.'How far would you go to protect your secrets?' asks the back cover header. Promising intrigue and more than a little danger, this novel appealed to my love of suspense. I was not disappointed.
We follow main character Kate as she goes about her life as a housewife to mega-rich Mark. Kate's life seems idyllic - she lives in a magnificent house, has access to more money than she knows what to do with, a wardrobe full of designer labels and a perfect family. Sound too good to be true?
We also follow teenager Emma as she travels alone in 1980, ending up in Greece. Here she makes friends with fellow Americans Jake and her lookalike Beattie. The trio throw themselves into the party lifestyle, with alcohol galore and more than a handful of Valium and slimming pills thrown in for good measure.
I found the characters well written and endearing, and the use of descriptive language made Greece and Ikaria come to life. The parallel stories were each given appropriate time to develop, so I felt I really got to know Kate and Emma.
Around the middle of the book I was floundering a bit, as I could feel that something big was approaching and I wasn't getting there fast enough!
There are a couple of big twists in this novel that I'd already sussed out before they were revealed, which was a little disappointing, but this didn't detract from the fact that this is a thoroughly good read. I'd recommend this to anyone with a love of suspense and/or thrillers particularly, but I'm sure it will appeal to a wide range of readers. 4.5/5 stars.