About the book…
Gary and I have always been happy. Our fridge is covered in the love notes I leave him every morning, we always start the day on the doorstep with a goodbye kiss, and I make sure we never, ever fight. But since Gary’s sister Lisa moved in, things have been different…
The day Lisa arrived at the school where I work, asking for help, I knew we had to welcome her into our home. Gary hasn’t spoken to his parents in years, and his childhood was far from perfect. But now every time Lisa enters a room, I watch him sneak out the door. He’s no longer home for dinners, spending more and more time at the office. It’s me who’s chatting to Lisa all night as we cook. Learning more and more about the family Gary told me nothing about.
And then I spot them through the front window on my way home from work. Arguing. Shouting. Gary thrusts an envelope into Lisa’s hand. He looks nothing like my sweet, caring husband. Lisa won’t tell me what’s going on, but she whispers to me that I shouldn’t trust the man I married.
When I met Gary, I thought I was finally safe. But Lisa’s arrival in Roosevelt Avenue is forcing my husband’s secrets to surface. She thinks I’m innocent, that my own past is picture-perfect, but she has no idea how far I’ll go to protect the ones I love.
A rollercoaster psychological thriller full of twists and turns that will have you gasping for breath. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena and The Housemaid.
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About the author…
Wendy Clarke was a teacher until the small primary school where she worked closed down. Now she is a writer of psychological suspense but is also well known for her short stories and serials which regularly appear in national women’s magazines.
Wendy has two children and three step-children and lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex. When not writing, she is usually indulging in her passion for dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!
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My thoughts…
It’s not often you pick up a book that feels heavy and oppressive but Make Yourself at Home by Wendy Clarke did that to me. The prologue written to raise tension and heartbeat that for me didn’t drop for most of the book.
The prologue at odds with the first chapter where we meet Catherine and she describes her relationship with husband Gary - pretty damn perfect in her eyes by all accounts but the words on the pages hint at this possibly being a veneer, how hard to crack would be found out soon enough!
This book moved at a terrific pace, that made me feel a little bit anxious, finding myself reading faster to get past the multiple plot twist - some that didn’t even appear relevant until the end. So many hints and clues dropped like confetti but impossible to catch. Imagine finding out after ten years of marriage that your husband had a sister, a person you’d tucked under your wing - supporting her in her new teaching role and offering her somewhere to stay whilst she found a place for herself when you discovered she was homeless.
This is a book that won’t fail to touch your heart, it will make you gasp and bite hard on your back teeth with the tension, the sheer emotion leaps from the pages with Catherine and Gary’s lives teetering on the edge, when past meets present. When actions are driven by emotion and that emotion is fear and with revenge anything is possible. I'm sure I stopped breathing several times as I read Make Yourself at Home - a title that speaks comfort, happiness and welcoming that proves to be anything but, it is gritty and unexpectedly perfect for the emotions and feelings evoked for both the characters and readers alike.
I highly recommend this adrenalin filled book.
I highly recommend this adrenalin filled book.
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