Jacqueline Ward

Ria Taylor runs SafeMe, a refuge and support centre for women (and their children) who have suffered domestic abuse at the hands of their partners. She is married to Danny, with whom she has two children, and she cherishes the loving relationships within her nuclear family and will do all she can to protect them. She is equally passionate about offering a safe and caring environment for the women she cares deeply about, always prepared to work hard on their behalf, including devoting time to the never-ending fund-raising which is necessary to provide a continuity of service. Competition is fierce for grants from the local authority, with many councillors unconvinced of the need to support these women. However, Ria, with the support of her co-workers, is determined to fight on their behalf – earning herself the nickname of “Superwoman”.
When the story starts Danny has just gone abroad for a month, to work on a job which will give him a large bonus. Neither of them is happy about this but, as it will give them a much-needed boost to their income, enabling them to clear their debts and then buy their own house, they are prepared to tolerate it, keeping in touch several times a day via loving text messages and phone calls. However, soon after Danny leaves, Ria is sent a cheap mobile phone, complete with a sinister message. She has no idea who sent it but, from the content of the continuing stream of messages, whoever did appears to know everything about her, and to know in minute detail, where she is and what she is doing. She feels increasingly threatened and terrified, especially when she feels her children could be at risk, and yet she feels paralysed with indecision about what she can do about it.
The story is told from the perspectives of two characters, Ria and Tanya, with the latter’s story emerging through her entries from her diary. The typeface for these diaries is both smaller and fainter and, as the story progresses it becomes clear that this reflects the mindset of a woman who feels insignificant and almost invisible. It soon becomes apparent that her husband, Alan, is not only very controlling, but is also physically and sexually abusive. Although Tanya does go to work, she is taken and picked up by him, her wages are paid directly into his bank account and she can never go out socially with colleagues. At home his behaviour is equally controlling; she is allowed no access, other than when he is there, to anything sharp (which she might be tempted to use against him!), no free access to the telephone, books or the television, and he has had shutters fitted to all windows and doors, which are rolled down and locked whenever he goes out, making her a prisoner in her own home … except, of course, nothing belongs to her. I found the tension and despair in this part of the story almost unbearable at times and, in spite of guessing quite early on how Tanya’s situation intersected with Ria’s, this in no way detracted from the power of this strand of the storytelling.
In fact, I very quickly found myself caught up in the lives of all the characters in this deeply disturbing and upsetting exploration of domestic abuse. I have some professional knowledge of the work done in this field and it very quickly became clear to me, from the many ways in which she used her characters to so credibly convey the complexity of the subject, that the author had done considerable research into all aspects of it. I think that she captured particularly well the power which perpetrators of domestic violence exert over their partners. So often you will hear people say, “but why did she put up with that, why didn’t she just leave him?” However, this is to underestimate the myriad ways in which someone’s self-confidence can be gradually undermined by a manipulative, violent partner, particularly one who, in the early stages of the relationship, will be profusely apologetic after being violent, swearing it will never happen again. This enables a cycle of violence to escalate, the woman begins to feel she must have “done something to deserve it” and, if there are children, she is likely to want to ensure that the violence isn’t directed at them, so she stays, frozen in her fear, unable to see any way out or any hope for a different future. This despair is likely to be compounded by two external influences. Firstly, in all too many instances the police are unlikely (or unable) to act unless the man does something so abusive that they have grounds to charge him … but then he’s likely to be released on bail, free to abuse her again! Then, if she does eventually summon up the courage to leave, will there be a safe refuge for her to escape to? I think the author’s depiction of Ria’s feelings of psychological powerlessness when faced with her stalker, demonstrated very effectively how even someone as apparently strong as Ria can, in certain circumstances, feel powerless and unable to react in a self-protective, “sensible and rational” way. The storyline also demonstrated just how powerless the police are in certain circumstances: I think when we read reports of stalking ending either in serious injury, or even death, we’ve probably all asked the question “why didn’t the police do anything?” … all too often the answer is that they couldn’t.
The author also used her characters to offer insights into the many reasons why abused women, even those who have “escaped” to a place of safety, will often return home, either because they can’t cope with their new-found “freedom” and feel a need to go back to a situation which feels familiar, or because they believe their abuser’s claim to have changed. I think that she did an excellent job in helping readers to understand the psychology of why this happens, rather than just feel critical of women who appear to be acting in a self-destructive way. However, the story did demonstrate that, given the right levels of support, and a huge amount of courage, eventually some women are able to create new lives for themselves and their children.
As the story progresses the reader learns more about Ria’s own background, her teenage years, her estrangement from her father, her ambivalent and troubled relationship with her mother and certain secrets about her past she has kept from Danny. As these revelations emerge, not only does her behaviour in terms of how she does (and doesn’t!) deal with the threats from her stalker begin to make sense, but so too does the reader begin to understand her motivations for devoting her working life to victims of abuse. I think that the author very effectively conveyed how people who work in the caring professions are often, albeit unconsciously, motivated by unresolved problems of their own!
With its themes of sexual grooming, domestic violence, rape, coercion, stalking, the limited powers of the police to act until domestic violence has escalated and is provable and the shortage of places of safety when women do summon up the courage to leave an abusive partner, this was, at times, a very difficult story to read. However, with the latest figures for domestic violence, including murder, rising it is a timely reminder that there are all too many women whose lives are defined by the suffering they endure at the hands of men who are violent, but who all too often blame the women for this behaviour … “look what you made me do”. At one point in the story, Ria asks about one character’s behaviour “why is he doing this?” … the answer all too often comes down to the simple fact that “they can”, that no one has found a way of stopping them.
It seems so obvious that, rather than closing down existing provision, society needs to be providing more refuges, half-way houses and permanent accommodation so that when women feel ready to extricate themselves from abusive partners, there is somewhere safe for them to escape to, and enough social workers to support them as they make the necessary psychological adjustments in order to be able to move on. Although the story demonstrates that the outcome for some women is often tragic, there is also a message of optimism that, with the right support, at the right time, life can get better.
With such topical themes this book would make an excellent choice for group discussion.
With thanks to Corvus and Readers First for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (altro)

How to Play Dead – A book that makes you think

It is not often that I have to stop and think about a book I am reading. It has taken me five days after finishing the novel to decide how I can best express what I felt and thought about this book. How to Play Dead is an excellent story, something that will leave a deep impression on you.

For a man to read a book that deals with domestic violence, both physical and psychological it has deeply affected me. I have had to think of my own behaviour and attitudes towards females, and there are times when I have fallen short. I have never resorted to violence, but I am sure there are many of us need to check our behaviour.

Ria Taylor, a mother, a wife and manager of a women’s refuge in Manchester, is the central character. Very likable, hardworking, giving everything to her family and work life. When her husband has to go overseas for a month, she starts getting sinister messages. She starts to feel she is being watched and stalked.

Tanya, she hates him, but she is to afraid to leave, she knows he would rape her and beat her black and blue. Even at work she is still in fear of him, he takes her wages and gives her nothing at all. She is never given anything sharp, or anything she would like. She has to sleep alone and has no access to the television. When he goes out Tanya is locked in the house, and the shutters are over the windows she cannot escape. Even when she has not seen him in nearly a week and with no food left to survive.

Ria has to manage what is happening at the refuge, and spending bids from the council need preparing. But one of the clients’ husbands is trying to put pressure on the spending review, as to influence not only Ria but give him access to his own wife.

As Ria starts discovering the truth, the world comes crashing down for someone, and can Tanya escape or will she be discovered. Not that anyone will know she is locked in nobody knows she is there. As the stories collide there is a devastating end for a client, and maybe just a happy ending, for someone.

This is a book that will make you stop and think.… (altro)

Our main character Caroline, is reeling after a messy break up with her husband. His controlling behaviour led to Caroline losing her herself and her kids and she's now alone with a drinking problem. One day a delivery to the door sparks an opportunity to get to the bottom of her ex husband's secretive behaviour and expose Jack for the type of man he really is.

Perfect Ten is a tense domestic noir novel exploring themes of revenge and retribution against a backdrop of danger and uncertainty. I haven't been this tense watching a female character obsess about a man since reading The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton.

Caroline uses the power of social media to bring down Jack and while I would have executed a different plan, I think that's the point. Caroline is a wrecking ball in her own life, and the reader is left to find out whether she can come out of it on top or not.

Perfect Ten by Jacqueline Ward is recommended for psychological thriller fans and readers who enjoy domestic noir. However I advise readers to ignore the tagline: rage before beauty. It had nothing to do with the plot in my opinion.

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *… (altro)

Perfect Ten is one of those books that was on my radar and was attracting my attention all over social media so I couldn't wait to read it. I was not disappointed! It's such a fantastic story of revenge, one of the best I've read actually.

I was cringing all the way through. Surely that's not a good thing, you're probably thinking, but it was the main character's behaviour I was cringing over. Caroline Atkinson is a fantastic creation - a psychologist so fully aware of the way people's minds work, but also unhinged by the way her ex-husband, Jack, treated her.

Jack gaslighted her. That means he manipulated her psychologically into doubting the sanity of her own mind. He caused her to lose her children and become an alcoholic hoarder who sleeps around. Hmm, what a great guy! When some of Jack's things are delivered to her address by mistake she finds a journal in which he details every woman he's slept with and gives them marks out of ten. Caroline uses the contents of the journal to launch a social media campaign, not just against Jack but against the women he slept with too, who most definitely knew that Jack had a wife.

This book is utterly addictive. I read it a stave a day through The Pigeonhole and I couldn't wait to find out what Caroline would do next. Some of it was read through my fingers as she does some quite shocking things in her mission for revenge. But honestly, when you've had your life ruined by a manipulative control freak, what have you got to lose? I was most definitely #teamcaro throughout and just hoped that she wouldn't jeopardise getting her kids back one day.

This is such a clever book too. I don't know how the author kept up with the plot but she did a brilliant job of pulling it all together and staying on top of Caroline's exploits. It's dark, disturbing, thrilling, exciting and, despite everything that happened, moving - I felt a tear emerge from my eye at the outcome. I absolutely loved every minute I spent reading it.… (altro)