Book Review: The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale
I think Aussie author Pip Drysdale will have a long and successful career if her subsequent novels are as good as this debut.
Sunday Girl is an addictive psychological thriller along the lines of Girl on the Train. Written in the first person point of view of our female lead, Taylor, it starts off with the usual woman scorned seeking revenge plot.
Taylor has just left her boyfriend, Angus, after learning he has gone on a skiing holiday with his ex-girlfriend. It’s soon revealed that Taylor knows not only Angus’s email password but how to break into his flat without being detected on the building’s security cameras and his work credit card details.
Taylor’s plan to wreak havoc is foiled when Angus returns from his holiday and begs forgiveness. It’s here that the tension starts to build as Angus gains the upper hand when it comes to playing confidence tricks and mind games.
I flew through the second half of the book, eager to find out how Taylor was going to sort herself out of the mess of an abusive relationship she soon finds herself in with Angus.
Instead of the big shock twist, Drysdale just keeps the tension on one blood pumping level. She has a knack of making even the most mundane moments feel frightening. From a parrot squawking to a yellow ribbon, you just know, as you read, that these small things will be dangerous.
I took a half a star off for the ending though. After such a thrill of a ride up to this point, I think I was expecting more.
The book’s short chapters along with Drysdale’s writing style make it an easy read. It also had a very modern feel to it. The technology felt contemporary and fresh without being forced. The characters too acted their age and their dialogue seemed spot on.
The other half star came off as there seemed to be some characters and situations introduced into the book for no reason. I’m unsure if this was an editing issue, but I just felt that some things were initially an integral part of the plot until they were not fully explained or used by the last page.
Maybe Drysdale is thinking of a sequel? I must note, however, that I doubt most people would notice or care.
Anyway, the book is still a strong 4 out of 5 and I’d recommend grabbing a copy.
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