Book Review: Greenwich Park

by Joan Hall
on October 12, 2021

It’s Tuesday, so that means it’s time for another book review. I read this back in July and had originally scheduled this post for early next year since the book releases on January 4, 2022. However, I decided to go ahead and post my review.

Blurb

Helen’s idyllic life—handsome architect husband, gorgeous Victorian house, and cherished baby on the way (after years of trying)—begins to change the day she attends her first prenatal class and meets Rachel, an unpredictable single mother-to-be. Rachel doesn’t seem very maternal: she smokes, drinks, and professes little interest in parenthood. Still, Helen is drawn to her. Maybe Rachel just needs a friend. And to be honest, Helen’s a bit lonely herself. At least Rachel is fun to be with. She makes Helen laugh, invites her confidences, and distracts her from her fears.

But her increasingly erratic behavior is unsettling. And Helen’s not the only one who’s noticed. Her friends and family begin to suspect that her strange new friend may be linked to their shared history in unexpected ways. When Rachel threatens to expose a past crime that could destroy all of their lives, it becomes clear that there are more than a few secrets laying beneath the broad-leaved trees and warm lamplight of Greenwich Park.

My Review

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I read a lot of psychological and thriller fiction and most of the time, I’m able to figure out the villain’s identity long before the end of the book. Not so with Greenwich Park. While I had several suspects, the author wove a tangle of events that kept me wondering.

Helen lives a life many people would envy—a lovely Victorian home, a husband with a great career, and her first baby on the way. But all is not well in paradise. When Helen arrives at her first prenatal class, she’s disappointed that her husband won’t be able to make it. Neither will her sister-in-law and brother, who had agreed to attend the same classes.

So, she finds herself alone. In comes Rachel, a single mother-to-be with an outgoing personality and an unconventional way of looking at pregnancy. The two strike up a friendship and soon Helen begins to see Rachel everywhere—when she’s at lunch with her friend Katie, in a local pub, in the park.

Then Rachel shows up on Helen’s doorstep, saying she’s in trouble, and begging to stay the night. One night turns into two weeks and there’s no indication Rachel intends to leave. Helen suspects she is stealing from them and later asks her to leave.

But when Rachel turns up missing, the police begin asking questions. What did happen to her and who is responsible?

This book is a slow-burner. I admit after the first two chapters, I wondered if I’d like it. But once I moved on, I became engrossed and found it to be an extremely satisfying read. Greenwich Park is Katherine Faulkner’s debut novel, but I can see her becoming a successful author.

Thanks to Net Galley and Bloomsbury Publishing for a free ARC.

Categories:

Uncategorized

Tags:

Book ReviewsDomestic FictionDomestic ThrillersGreenwich ParkKatherine FaulnerNet GalleyPsychological Fiction

36 Responses

  6. I have this ARC. I’m glad to see you enjoyed it so much! I’m always glad for the warning about it being a slow-burn. If I don’t know ahead of time, I tend to get frustrated with that style. Excellent review!

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