7.3.19

BOOK REVIEW: Freefall by Jessica Barry

Surviving the plane crash is only the beginning for Allison.
The life that she's built herself- her perfect fiance, their world of luxury- has disappeared in the blink of an eye. Now she must run, not only to escape the dark secrets in her past, but to outwit the man who is stalking her every move.
On the other side of the country, Allison's mother is desperate for news of her daughter, who is missing, presumed dead. Maggie refuses to accept that she could have lost her only child and she sets out to discover the truth.
Mother and daughter must fight- for survival and to find their way through a dark web of lies and back to one another, before it's too late...

Publisher: Vintage
Pages: 351

Freefall is Vintage's lead debut thriller for 2019 and I think it's going to be be big! I flew through it in just over a day, it has the feel of a good thriller/adventure story. A relentless pace is set from the beginning and it is packed full of twists and turns.
Allison has survived a plane crash which is pretty terrifying on its own but we soon learn that she is still in grave danger. She knows that someone is after her with the objective to killer her, she must get to a place of safety if she is to survive.
Allison's mother, Maggie has not spoken to her daughter for two years when she hears of the crash. She will not believe that Allison is dead and starts investigating herself.
She is stunned to learn about the person her daughter has become, she is a stranger. Determined to get to the truth, Maggie continues delving into matters, unwittingly putting herself and Allison in danger.
Jessica Barry has written a fantastic debut. The chapters alternate between Allison and Maggie and we build up a picture of what happened in their past to lead them to be estranged. Both women hit their lowest points in this book which was interesting as the author showed them dealing with it in very different ways.
Barry is looking closely at the bond between  mother and daughter; Maggie and Allison's relationship has totally broken down  but that link is still there holding them together.
Freefall keeps you guessing, it was a very satisfying feeling when it all slotted into place. The clues are all there and Jessical Barry ties it all together beautifully at the end.
I want to say that this felt like a good, traditional thriller and I do not mean that in a derogatory way. I felt as though it had all of the perfect elements without trying to hard or relying on a shock-factor and so on.
Freefall is a brilliant debut from Jessica Barry and I hope that she writes many more.

Many thanks to Vintage for sending me a copy of the book to review, Freefall is available now!  

2 comments:

Carole said...

What a great review! I'd be honoured if you would share this with everyone over at Books You Loved: March edition. Cheers from Carole's Chatter

Dot said...

Thanks Carole!

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