Every now and again you will come across an utterly phenomenal book that will prove to be so difficult to review. What Alice Knew by T. A. Cotterell is just one of those books that I’ve had the pleasure of reading recently and one thing I desperately hope is to do this incredible debut novel the justice it deserves whilst not giving too much away. Having seen so many people talking about this book on social media, prior to reading it I had very high hopes and this thoroughly addictive and engaging read certainly didn’t disappoint me in the slightest.
With a happy marriage, wonderful children and a job she clearly enjoys, it’s fair to say that Alice is very satisfied with her life. That is until one night when everything changes and her husband Ed, a successful and well-respected obstetrician fails to return home on time. As she soon receives a suspicious phonecall and sees her husband become increasingly unreliable, Alice is determined that she must find out exactly what is going on. However, when the truth is finally revealed, Alice is faced with a brutal choice, that has the potential to completely tear her family apart.
What Alice Knew is undoubtedly a psychological thriller and one which really stands out from the crowd, sending the reader on what can only be described as an incredible journey that’s full of ups and downs and twists and turns. As a book that deals quite heavily with moral dilemmas, I found that I became extremely connected with the characters I met throughout and found myself constantly questioning whether or not I agreed with the decisions they were making. Whilst I found myself siding with Alice in terms of what she did in her predicament, I never felt that Cotterell was influencing my decision and was instead giving me the choice about who and what to believe.
What Alice Knew drew me in and had me gripped from the very first page, something which is largely due to the author’s wonderful way of telling a story. As well as being a highly intense and very fast-paced novel, T. A. Cotterell provides a fabulously detailed insight into every situation that presents itself throughout the book. Whilst it is only told from the point of view of Alice, Cotterell offers different perspectives to every situation, really demonstrating how different actions have different consequences and how difficult it can be to make a decision when faced with a challenging situation.
What Alice Knew was a truly fantastic and impressive novel that is told by an exciting new voice in psychological thriller fiction. I predict great things for T. A. Cotterell’s future writing career and hope that there will soon be another of his books to discover. What Alice Knew is a book that has been and will be enjoyed by many readers so if you haven’t read it yet then my only question is what are you waiting for?
