Review - Cuckoo by Julia Crouch

I’ve just finished reading Cuckoo by Julia Crouch, the author’s debut novel, and quite seriously all I can say is WOW! I wanted to read a thriller, something I could really get my teeth stuck into, and this gem of a novel that I’ve had sat on my bookshelf for a few years now honestly did not disappoint me in the slightest. 

In this book we meet Rose who lives with her husband, Gareth, and two children, Anna and Flossie, in a large property surrounded by green fields. One day Rose receives a telephone call from Polly, an old friend who’s spent the last few years of her life living in Greece. However, instead of just ringing to catch-up with Rose, Polly is ringing to share the news that her husband and the father of her two children has died in a terrible accident. Upon hearing this news, Rose feels devastated for her friend who now wants to return to England and, therefore, without hesitation invites Polly along with her children to come and stay in the annexe. Nothing unordinary there as to be honest if, God forbid, a friend ever rang me with such terrible news I, much like Rose, would be looking to do whatever I could to help them. 

However, it soon becomes evident that inviting Polly to stay was quite possibly one of the worst decisions of Rose’s life. Indeed, the reader witnesses Polly cause complete disruption, wanting to play too large a part in not just looking after the house but also the children - not just her own but Rose’s also. From the moment she arrives it becomes clear that she has intentions to rather outstay her welcome and, quite literally, do anything to avoid having to move on. 

This book is, without a doubt, superbly written with many twists and turns throughout many of which had me gasping out loud with shock because they were so unexpected. I think Julia Crouch really did save the best until last with the biggest twist coming in the last few pages - I really could not have predicted what ended up happening. 

Cuckoo is an incredibly strong debut novel by an author who has gone on to write several more since this one was published. It goes without saying that I look forward to getting my hands on more of this author’s work, so watch this space for another review of a book written by Julia Crouch.