His and Hers Review: A Grim, Twisty Thriller That Left Me More Confused Than Shocked

Score: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟

This article examines the emotional appeal of the novel, its pacing and my overall impression of the storyline. It concludes by briefly outlining the challenges contemporary thriller novels face in the current market.

The Emotional Appeal

The writing is self-reflective, a style reminiscent of Feeney’s bestseller Rock Paper Scissors. This approach will appeal to readers on an emotional level, and that is why the language will appeal to readers emotionally. The narrative comes across as confessional in style, where we switch between understanding the perspectives of journalist Anna Andrews and her ex-husband, DCI Jack Harper.

The murder of Rachel Hopkins and the subsequent murders are investigated in the quiet and secluded town of Blackwaters, where crimes are relatively unheard of.

We dig into the childhood upbringing of Anna Andrews and how her childhood friends Rachel, Zoe, Helen and Catherine are connected to Jack and Anna in their investigation into the murders taking place in Blackwaters.

Source: Original

Pace of Novel

The novel reads as grim, where we learn more about morally questionable characters. Anna is having an affair with her cameraman Richard, who is also married, while the death of Anna and Jack’s three-month-old daughter further adds to the state of darkness depicted throughout the novel. The narratives of Anna, her mother’s declining health, as well as Jack’s own reflections, all read as dark elements in the story.

The setting of the scene, where we learn slightly about Anna’s world of journalism, and Jack’s reluctance to entertain Priya Patel, the young police officer in his team, serve as intriguing elements to the overall storyline.

The question readers ask themselves is whether we fully trust the narrative presented by Anna or Jack, as well as the narrative of the serial killer, who comes across as ambiguous. In the interplay of narratives, the novel tries to play its hand at narrative ambiguity, tricking the reader into unpacking the real culprit.

My Thoughts on The Central Twist

I personally did not find the twist, or the real culprit behind the murders, convincing enough. Competing themes and sub-plots blurred the actual investigation into the killer. For instance, we have the romantic sub-plot between Jack and the younger police officer, Priya Patel, as well as his subdued feelings towards his ex-wife, Anna Andrews. Furthermore, Jack’s potential relation with the first murdered victim, Rachel, and his own covering up of the evidence is not convincingly fleshed out. While he is marked as a prime murder suspect in his own investigation, this is glanced over as the novel hurriedly tries to shift the reader’s focus onto another story of how Anna, Jack’s sister Zoe, along with Rachel, Helen and Catherine, were close friends during their school years who engaged in catty and cruel behaviour towards others.

Without giving away much, there is a particular scene narrated where a woman is brutally assaulted, and this assault may suggest that the victim harboured a motive for committing the murders. The scene makes the reader uneasy and is not addressed sympathetically; it serves as a mere shock-value scene.

These competing themes blur out the joy for the reader in uncovering the real culprit(s) behind these murders, as the reader may get distracted by competing themes and narratives. In this way, the storytelling compounds confusion.

Challenges with Thriller Novels

I sometimes think that the space for psychological thrillers is competitive, which is why the need to add twists becomes imperative, even inescapable, in order for books to reach a mass audience. However, I still prefer novels where there is an order and method behind understanding the motive and psyche of the murderer(s), as this can be more compelling for readers to fully invest in.

Feel free to comment below and let me know your thoughts!