READ: The review on Amazon.
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My reaction when I discovered the twist… !
I’m reviewing Did You See Melody? by Sophie Hannah. This is an Amazon Vine review of a free copy I received. Here are my thoughts:
This is a strange one, an unusal ‘who dunnit’ with one hell of a twist! I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like this.
^^ Mum, Cara Burrow, is at breaking point with what’s going on in her life, she’s already got grownup kids and now she’s discoverd she’s pregnant, but no-one seems to be taking her pregnancy seriously. So to get her head her life, and what to do next, she flies off to America and treats herself to a spa break. She can’t afford it, but her mind’s a mess. She just needed to get away and get her head straight before going back to her family with her decision.
^^ Once in America she takes a wrong turn when trying to find her hotel room and lets herself into another room, which turns out to be occupied by a man and his daughter. The next day they are gone, and when Cara learns the little girl could be the missing girl called Melody. No one seems to believe her, except for a mad old lady who saw the pair flee in the middle of the night. But that mad woman always sees Melody. That’s why everyone thinks she’s crazy. Could this really be the Melody everyone is looking for? Why would they hide in plain sight and risk all the other hotel guests spotting them? Or is it just Cara’s need for something to distract her from her own life?
^^ With the help of another hotel guest, a rather brash, over-confident and overpowering American lady, Cara sets out to work out the truth, and gets so engrossed in solving the mystery she forgets about her own problems for a while.
^^ I found this to be a cleverly writen story, and very different to Sophie Hannah’s other books. There’s an element of satire in this story, which blends into the plot really well. Cara goes all the way to America for rest and peace and quiet, only to be thrown into the deep end at a holiday resort, where ‘Did you see Melody?’ becomes the latest American Internet craze, a TV news sensation, and Cara is in the centre of it all. Why? Melody died seven years ago, and just like Elvis, there are still some people around who think she’s not dead because a body was never found. Some of the forum chatters even think they’ve seen her, too! Crazy, huh?
^^ The rest of the story is about Cara and the other hotel guest, Tarin, playing detective. But is there something to discover, or is this new obsession just Cara’s overactive imagination, which Tarin is easily feeding?
Overall: This is an intriguing read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There’s a great twist at the end and I can safely say I never saw any of that coming. I love it when a book takes you by surprise in that way. Happy to recommend. It’s a gripping, suspenseful read, with the author’s humourous views on American society sprinkled throughout.
#ISawMelody!
View all my reviews over at Goodreads.
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Ooh! A psychological thriller with a killer twist. I’m sold! Thanks for the recommendation. Love the kitty!