I read and loved Lucie Whitehouse's first novel, The House at Midnight last year, so I was very excited to be sent a copy of her new book by the lovely people at Bloomsbury.
The Bed I Made is just as tense and atmospheric as Lucie's previous book but I would say that this one has a much darker and more dangerous edge to it.
One fateful night, Kate meets Richard in a Soho bar and they begin a reckless and intense relationship. However, eighteen months later we follow Kate as she flees the familiarity of her London life for the obscurity of a rented cottage on the Isle of Wight. It is winter on this tiny island and Kate finds herself extremely isolated. She learns about the disappearance of local woman, Alice Frewin who many suggest has taken her own life. Kate is drawn to Alice's story, it almost provides a distraction yet she still cannot escape the clutches of Richard who has not given up on finding out where she has escaped to.
Lucie Whitehouse begins building the chilling atmosphere from the first page of the book. The story builds slowly like the fog that rolls in and envelops Kate's cottage on the island. We begin to gain an understanding of why she is so frightened of this man who she had once loved and admired. There were times when I did not want to read on as I was frightened as to what was lurking around the next corner but I could not stop myself from turning the pages.
Critics have compared Lucie Whitehouse to Daphne Du Maurier and I believe that this is a fair assertion, even more so after reading this second book. Through her clever use of language, Whitehouse creates a chilling and sinister atmosphere as she gradually builds up the suspense. Words carry a lot of power throughout the story. Other than Kate's memories, Richard's main presence is via text messages and emails that she receives whilst on the island. He uses few words but the power that they have over Kate is terrifying and you get a real sense of the oppressive fear that she is experiencing.
Lucie Whitehouse has created a perfect thriller. The Bed I Made grabs you from the very first chapter; it is not one to be missed but certainly not one that I would recommend reading just before you turn the lights off!
