It is great to be invited to take part in the celebrations for the Sunday Times best-selling author, Jane Shemilt's latest thriller, How Far We Fall. The hardback is published on 26th June and here is a little more about it from the publishers:
How Far We Fall takes us behind the closed doors of a
marriage warped by ambition, lies and revenge, set in the intense world of
neurosurgery, where ambitions and morality collide at the cutting edge of
science. Sharing elements of Macbeth, How Far We Fall is an intelligent, twisty
thriller set in the medical world, rife with power, manipulation, egos and
politics. At its heart is love story driven by desire, spiralling into danger.
Jane is a GP, and her husband a neurosurgeon so the book is
imbued with the author’s personal experience and offers an authentic insight
into the medical world. The book is
particularly timely, publishing days before the NHS celebrates their 70th
Birthday on the 5th of July.
The perfect couple
Meeting Albie gave Beth a fresh start - a chance to leave
her past behind. Now she has her new husband; an ambitious, talented young
neurosurgeon, a rising star at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The perfect marriage
Their marriage gives Beth the safe haven she's always wanted
- with just one catch. Albie has no idea of the secrets she's keeping. He
doesn't know that years ago, Beth had an affair with Ted, the boss helping
Albie's star ascend. Nor that the affair's devastating ending will have
consequences for their own future.
The perfect storm
So when Ted's generous patronage begins to sour, Beth senses
everything she's built could crumble. And she sees an opportunity. To satisfy
Albie's ambitions, and her own obsessive desire for revenge . . .
She'll keep her marriage and her secret safe.
But how far will the fall take them?
My Thoughts
This is an arresting and inventive read. The allusions to Macbeth are evident from the start and the style of writing adds to the sense of deep emotion and subterfuge swirling beneath the surface. There is a literary feel to the language used and this makes the novel really stand apart from other thrillers. There is a strong use of colour and imagery. The book is structured into 4 Acts and there is definitely a theatrical feel to the action.
Each of the characters seem to exist in their own worlds with their own motivations. What you see is certainly not what you get with them but as the story evolves, the layers are stripped back. It is a tense, taut story with surprising developments. The ethics of the professional actions of the medics are fascinating and it certainly makes you question what lies behind their actions.
In short: A first rate read full of tension with some glittering characters and heart-stopping situations.
About the Author
While working as a GP, Jane Shemilt completed a postgraduate
diploma in Creative Writing at Bristol University and went on to study for the
MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa, gaining both with distinction. She was
shortlisted for the Janklow and Nesbit award and the Lucy Cavendish fiction
prize for Daughter, her first novel, which went on to be selected for the
Richard & Judy Book Club.
Be sure to check out the rest of the tour!
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