Review: The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton by Catherine Alliott

I read my first Catherine Alliott book, A Crowded Marriage a few months ago and loved it so when I heard that Penguin were publishing her new book, I couldn't wait to get hold of a copy!
It has only taken me two days to read as I was completely gripped from the very first page. Evie Hamilton lives in Oxford with her best-selling author husband and their beautiful daughter Anna. They have a charming life but this is about to come to an end when a letter arrives on Evie's doormat. Suddenly her whole life feels as though it is under attack and nothing will be the same again. I don't want to give too much away about the plot but there are many twists and turns and a very big surprise at the end that I really did not see coming.
Catherine Alliott sets the scene perfectly; I love how she conjured up Evie's idyllic life in Oxford, surrounded by the university and the rich culture it has to offer. Equally as lovely and believable was the setting of Evie's family home, a farm in rural Oxfordshire, run by Evie's worn-out brother Tim and sister-in-law Caro. I could totally imagine these places and Catherine Alliott takes you below the surface to show you that things are not always as perfect as they seem and that you should not always assume that people are blissfully happy and content with their lot in life.
I really identified with the character of Evie Hamilton and her insecurities. Her strength lies in her honesty about how she is feeling; many people put on a facde but it seems that she is almost unable to.
I think that I am going to become a big fan of Catherine Alliott's books! I find her similar to Lisa Jewell and Marian Keyes in that her writing style is extremely witty and entertaining, especially the dialogue but the poignant moments are still there and always beautifully created.
If you want a book that will make you giggle but also stop and think then I would definitely recommend giving this a go!

Dot Scribbles Suggests...

I am always coming across new books that I would like to read and I have decided to start sharing them here with you on Dot Scribbles! These are the four that have caught my eye recently and they're all out this month so not too long to wait!

The Wake by Jeremy Page, published by Penguin on 30 July 2009

A field, a perfect morning, a family destroyed in a single moment.

Every night before he cuts the engine and lets the boat drift, Guy writes the diary of the man he should have been- of a husband with his wife and their young daughter; of a new family that may not have been perfect, but who were, at least, together. And every morning, as he's rocked in his berth by the waves all around, he wakes to the memory of that fateful day and the knowledge that things can never be the same.

Embarking on a moving and eventful journey from the calm estuaries of East Anglia to the southern states of America and the storm-filled waters of the North Sea, Guy meets Marta and her daughter Rhona who are on a life-affirming journey of their own...

The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton by Catherine Alliott published by Penguin on 9th July, 2009

I'm really excited about this book having only just read my first Catherine Alliott book, here's the idea behind this one:

Evie Hamilton has a secret. One she doesn't even know about. Yet...
She's blissfully unaware that her charmed and happy life is about to be turned upside down. And it all begins one sunny, Oxford morning when a letter- a ticking time bomb- lands on Evie's immaculate doormat. Something she never anticipated threatens to sabotage all that she holds dear. It's time for her to reappraise everything in her carefully arranged universe.
Is Evie string enough to fight for what she loves? What will be left and what will change forever? And can her world really be as fragile as her best china?

When Good Friends Go Bad by Ellie Campbell, published by Arrow on 30th July 2009.

All through school tomboy Jen, snobby Georgina, hippy Meg and gentle Rowan were inseparable. But when a childish prank turned bad their friendship was torn apart.
Twelve years later Rowan organised a reunion dinner and all did not go well. Rowan never appeared; Georgina's shocking secret was revealed; Meg behaved outrageously; and Jen finally decided it was time to move on. And that's just what she did for the following ten years...
Until now, when in the midst of her divorce Jen receives a desperate call from Meg. On a personal mission to track down Rowan, Meg manages to convince Georgina and Jen to put aside their differences and help her. But none of them even begin to imagine the extent to which their loyalties will be tested as their past finally catches up with them.

Temples of Delight by Barbara Trapido, published by Bloomsbury on 20th July, 2009.

Jem is a joyful mystery to Alice. She is something to give thanks for. And when she disappears from Alice's life, as suddenly as she entered it, a whirl of glamour, subversion and literary references, Alice is left bereft. But then she meets Giovanni, presumptuous and hectoring, passionate and beautiful, who leads her back to her childhood friend and the mystery and chaos still surrounding her. Alice find herself being seduced all over again...

I love the front cover for this book and I think that the character of Giovanni sounds extremely interesting!! Have you heard anything about any of these books?