Thriller

But of a slow starter but thoroughly enjoyed ( )

This is the story of 3 girls who have worked as a companion to Mrs Elspeth McKenzie. Elspeth is old, a bit frail, but mainly pining for her daughter who disappeared 30 years before. Her second daughter Kathryn is adopted and feels she may be overlooked in her mother's will. She sees all of the companions as gold-diggers. Her mother chooses them because of their resemblance to her lost daughter Viola.

In Part One, we see much of the narration through the point of view first of all of Una, and then finally Kathryn. The house is called The Cuckoo's Nest, which seems to have unfortunate connotations particularly in Kathryn's case. From various people Una learns about the two girls who preceded her, Mathilde and Jemima, to whom she bears an uncanny resemblance.

And then Una is gone and in Part Two she is succeeded by Willow, and the search for what happened to Una is on. The police become more seriously involved and the identity of who "dealt" with Una becomes clear.

An enthralling mystery. Highly recommended. ( )

ust Like the Other Girls had an interesting premise and while ti did have some twists and turns, there was one abrupt twist that actually ruined the book for me, not because I have a problem with such abrupt twists, but because the story kind of descended into the improbably versus the realistic, with everyone being involved in some fantastical way. There is only so much that you can let go before you finally have enough.

The first half of the book was actually quite interesting, with a few caveats. I really liked Una and the author definitely set up some moments that were questionable and uncomfortable and made you wonder what was really happening behind those walls. Una had just lost her own mother and was grieving, so she was unprepared for the mind games and manipulations being played out between the woman, Elspeth, to whom she was a companion, and her jealous daughter. These family dynamics drive the story rather than the suspense, but it was interesting enough that it worked. Una was a bit timid, and Elspeth was just...creepy, someone who pretended to be frail and weak just to use that as an excuse to be demanding. There were some scenes that were uncomfortable simply because the author was trying to set up a creepy vibe and all it did was make me wonder why she had to use those tropes to try and create such an atmosphere when there were so many other things that could be done. And while I did enjoy this half, I also wanted to shake Una. In an age of digital technology, whereby those under twenty-five pretty much document their whole lives, why would Una not take pictures of everything she saw that was weird or creepy? Or even have recordings of conversations? While I liked how the author revealed the evidence, I did find Una's behaviour a bit unrealistic, especially upon learning there were two companions before her who met untimely ends. Why in the world would you meet with somebody, alone, upon learning all of this information and suspecting there are things going on under your roof that are questionable?

Then suddenly we are in the second half. And this is where the book takes a sharp nose-dive into the 'stretch the belief system to the nth degree' mode. While I had already picked out the culprit as well as figured out some of the story background with regards to Elspeth's daughter, the way it all came together at the end was a bit pat for me. The first half was interesting, but I had to really fight to keep going through the second half. The tension was completely lost and so was the momentum being built in the first half. I was not opposed to what happened, I just think the rest of the book could have been done a bit differently to keep that tension going.

Verdict
Just Like the Other Girls did start fairly strong, and definitely had a lot of potential. The relationship between Elspeth and her daughter drove the first half and I enjoyed the psychological power-play that played out and left Una desperate and searching for answers. Unfortunately, the story didn't live up to its potential as the second half took a steep nosedive into a muddled mess, as if the author was trying to decide exactly what to do with the information, and both the tension and momentum was lost leaving the ending to be disappointing, at best. As there was a lot of potential here, I would definitely read something by this author again in the future. ( )

Is family defined by blood or by bonding? This perennial question lies at the heart of Claire Douglas’ novel Just Like the Other Girls. Other major themes are about secrets that cause festering resentment, and the general concept that wealth always corrupts. This first of many characters acting as narrator, Una Richardson interviews for an excellent opportunity— a job that pays a good amount of money without much effort. Being a paid companion to Elspeth McKenzie will allow Una to realize her dreams of travel. Elspeth is a bit odd and controlling, and her daughter Katherine is cold and unwelcoming. Despite some misgivings, Una jumps at the offer and moves out of her cramped apartment to the grand McKenzie mansion. As Una explores her new posh accommodations, she feels a growing sense of unease. When she learns the fate of the young women who held the position before her, her suspicion turns to fear. Douglas evokes a sinister atmosphere and portrays a deeply unhealthy and dysfunctional family dynamic. Though it can be tricky for an author to interweave different timelines and a multitude of characters without confusing the reader, Claire Douglas skillfully does so. Topped off with a surprising twist at the end, Just Like the Other Girls promises to be an excellent fit for fans of the suspense/thriller genre.

Thanks to the author, Harper and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. ( )