The Fall by Louise Jensen

Today I am sharing my thoughts on The Fall, the brand new thriller from Louise Jensen. I love the Louise’s work and have read pretty much all of her books since the beginning. I am extremely grateful to her for sending me an early copy of The Fall for review. Here’s what it’s all about:

About the Book

She promised not to tell. They made sure she couldn’t…

At her surprise 40th birthday party, Kate Granger feels like the luckiest woman in the world but just hours later her fifteen-year-old daughter, Caily, is found unconscious underneath a bridge when she should have been at school.

Now, Caily lies comatose in her hospital bed, and the police don’t believe it was an accident. As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes clear that not everyone in the family was where they claimed to be at the time of her fall.

Caily should be safe in hospital but not everyone wants her to wake up. Someone is desperate to protect the truth and it isn’t just Caily’s life that is in danger.

Because some secrets are worth killing for…

My Thoughts

I’ve been having a few spooky moments with music on the radio of late. Read a book on Vietnam and songs from Miss Saigon played, same when I came to write the review. Same happened with The Fall, only this time it was songs from La La Land which, by spooky coincidence, is the show that Caily is meant to rehearsing when she has her accident – a fall from a bridge near her home. It is this fall that forms the basis of the mystery in this book and sends her mother, Kate, and her previously safe and happy family life, into a kind of free fall. The police are convinced Caily didn’t fall but was pushed, and with everyone, including her rock, normally reliable twin sister, Beth, acting suspiciously, Kate really doesn’t know who t trust anymore.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s not a particularly fast paced book, although there are some scenes in which the tension, and the pace, skyrocket, moments when the threat levels really peak and you get that edge of the seat kind of feeling as you read. But to be honest, it suits the nature of the story. It’s about a seemingly normal family, staving off normal pressures including, in the case of Kate and her husband Matt, trying to keep a farm afloat in the increasing pressures forced on them by the aftermath of Brexit and the pandemic. But it’s also a suspenseful and atmospheric read, the isolation of the farm adding to the feeling that anything could have happened to result in Caily’s fall.

I liked that way in which Louise Jensen has managed to introduce a wide variety of suspects and, in spotlighting some moments from the days leading up to Caily’s accident, adds more confusion and suspicion to fuel the fire. It this a case of bullying gone too far, school room jealousy that has boiled over, or something far more sinister? And believe me, there is plenty of sinister in the mix and some characters who make the skin crawl through even the simplest of actions. Desperate times lead to very desperate measures, but as to how this informs the story, the truth was cleverly shielded by the author until the perfect moment.

There are some surprising reveals in this book too, things I wasn’t expecting, as well as some very tender and poignant moments. Louise Jensen has done a brilliant job in creating a family that I grew to care about, from Kate, Matt and Caily, to Beth and her daughter, Tegan, and even the grandparents. It makes what comes to pass all the more emotional, and this is a book that toys with your emotions every bit a much as it plays with the mystery and suspense over what really happened to Caily. I liked the way in which the bond between Kate and Beth is reflected in the next generation, but also the way that the author has highlighted the fragility in even the strongest looking ties.

With chapters moving between points of view, it is still easy to keep track of the action. There are even chapters in the voice of the person who was likely responsible for Caily’s fall, and although it will be a long time before we know who this person is, the scenes are both chilling and comforting, and the contradiction of the actions and the thoughts really add to the level of mystery and misdirection.

Another really great novel that fans of the author are going to love. Recommended.

About the Author

Louise Jensen is a global No.1 bestselling author of psychological thrillers. Louise has sold over a million copies of her books and her novels have been sold for translation in twenty-five countries, as well as being featured on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestsellers’ lists. Louise was nominated for the Goodreads Debut Author of 2016 Award and the Guardian’s Not the Booker 2018. Louise’s thrillers have been optioned for TV and film.