Tuesday 26 May 2020

Books Read: The Devil You Know by Emma Kavanagh

Up until yesterday I knew who I was.
Up until yesterday my life wasn't a lie.
Rosa Fisher is the smart girl, the good girl. At twenty-five and mid-way through a PhD in the psychology of fraud, she thinks she has herself all figured out. Until that night, when the house is dark and she is all alone, and she hears an intruder on the stairs.

But the intruder isn't looking for Rosa Fisher. He's after someone else. And everything Rosa has ever known about her world is about to be turned upside down.

Determined to find out who she really is, Rosa traces her origins back to a small Canadian town, to a fire in a barn and a devastating family tragedy. Which forces her to question - if she can lie with such ease, was she ever really the good girl after all?

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I'd like to thank Alainna at Orion Books for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour and for my copy of The Devil You Know which I received to review via NetGalley.

I think it's safe to say that my reading mojo is finally back, after being awol over the last couple of months, as no sooner had I started reading I was drawn into the drama that was unfolding before my eyes. Emma Kavanagh is a talented and skilful writer who definitely knows how to build the tension and suspense that will have you questioning everything that you're reading and it's clear that she uses her personal experience as a psychologist to good use.

The Devil You Know certainly explores the mind of a psychopath as psychology student Rosa Fisher's world is turned upside down when an apparent home burglary turns out to be anything but. Everything she thought she knew about her life is a lie but little does she know what she's letting herself in for when she sets out to find out her family background, and what dangers lie ahead for her and everyone close to her.

From the first page to the last there is mystery and intrigue to the max as we are drip fed clues as to events in the past that have led Rosa to this stage in her life, some complete red herrings to throw us readers off track and others a little more obvious the further the story progresses. Although I had one theory in my head as to who she was searching for, eventually this proved to be wrong although I was closer than I thought.

Rosa as a character was clearly driven, she was obviously intelligent as her studies would attain but yet some of her actions were reckless and ill-thought-out putting herself and others in danger. She was determined to get to the truth but yet the fear and paranoia she was feeling was palpable to the reader that I can honestly say I wish I hadn't read it quite so late especially when there was a creak on the stairs outside my flat! As the title clearly says its 'the devil you know' and Rosa needs to try and work out who in her life is behind it all and why.

It wasn't until I reached the end and read the authors note at the end that I realised that this book is linked to her previous book To Catch a Killer which I had read but had forgotten that Rosa had made a brief appearance. But as the author says each book is a standalone on its own merit but featuring recurring characters, in particular the elusive but dangerous Jackson Wolf - a man of many personnas but not someone you want to cross paths with!  And it looks like we're not done yet so I'm looking forward to reading Beth's story whenever that might be.

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