Book Review: Other People's Lives by J.E. Rowney

My Rating:

⭐⭐⭐

It has been over six months since Sophie Portman lost her husband Jack. Jack a, a geologist by profession, had been selected for a project near the Arctic Circle, and from what we gather from her conversation with her psychiatrist Dr. Thacker disappeared during the expedition. Sophie, a teacher by profession, is yet to resume her work and spends most of her time at home. In addition to her difficulty in coping with the loss of her husband, she also has a feeling that she is being watched and assumes that someone is following her and tracking her every move, even when she is at home. In her initial sessions with Dr. Thacker, she finds it hard to talk about her marriage and her husband but gradually she opens up, giving us insight into her personal life. 

As the narrative progresses we also meet another of the psychiatrist's patients and his office staff. From what we can make out, Dr, Thacker seems to have some issues of his own, or does he? Is Sophie correct in assuming she is being stalked or she is losing her mind? Does Dr. Thacker truly have Sophie’s best interests at heart or does he have a personal agenda? What happened to Jack?

Other People's Lives by J.E. Rowney is a well-written psychological thriller in which only towards the end do we realize how the author cleverly manipulates our perceptions and interpretations of the characters and their interactions. Having said that, had this not been a relatively short novel (for which I am thankful! ) I do not think I would have finished reading it. Till about 60% of the novel, there’s nothing much to grab your attention and keep you engaged. To be honest, I felt a bit bored with the repetitive nature of the conversations in the psychiatrist’s office and found it difficult to sympathize with Sophie. The final 40% is fast-paced and suspenseful. It did feel a bit contrived though, and I felt that the author rushed the ending. The final revelation somewhat makes up for the long-drawn build-up and does make you rethink your understanding of the first half of the novel. The final twist is interesting and not entirely unpredictable if you follow the narrative carefully, though the author manages to throw in a few surprises.

Overall, this is a well-structured and interesting read and while I did not dislike it, I was not bowled over by it. However, mine is a minority opinion . Therefore I request that you go through other reviews before you decide on reading this book.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing an advance review copy of the novel via BookSirens. I am leaving this review voluntarily.