J. L. Butler

Considering this was a book about an editor, its was surprisingly badly edited/proofread. It was riddled with grammatical errors and incorrect words.

There was a lot going on in the plot, and I did suspect various people of being Rachel's stalker during the course of the book. At times I found the plot unconvincing - would Rachel really have walked into such a perfect job after being at home for 20 years? who are these women who let their husbands worry about money? why did Richard think Rachel should care for their elderly neighbours, rather than go back to work?

Anyway, it wasn't a bad book, all in all, but I didn't like any of the characters and it left me feeling a but grubby.… (mere)

Let's get the gripes over with: firstly, be prepared to suspend disbelief. I can't imagine any lawyer, divorce lawyer, would act so unprofessionally. But, as I said, suspend your disbelief because, but for that, this is a cracking thriller. Secondly, as a former journalist, I expected better editing from the author. Grammatical errors ('was sat'), an inability to differentiate between adverbs and adjectives, and spelling errors. Again, though, this is a good read and well written, so one can overlook it (but not forgive it).

Notwithstanding the above, I really enjoyed this thriller. Fran is a divorce lawyer who takes on a high-profile divorce between a rich, charismatic, handsome man and his very attractive high-maintenance wife. Seemingly, just a question of sorting out how many millions she's going to squeeze out of him. Until…until Mrs goes missing without a trace. What has Mr Money done to her? Has he done something to her? And the final plot ingredient to all this…Fran embarks on a passionate affair with the client. What a mess. (I did say you have to suspend disbelief.)

But…I couldn't put this down. Taylor can certainly write and produce some full-bodied characters. And you can't outsmart her: I thought I had it sussed many times. I really wasn't prepared for the final reveal.

My gripes may not be your gripes…so definitely worth a read.… (mere)

Francine "Fran" Day is an ambitious barrister who specializes in family law. She is a workaholic who manages her bipolar disorder with medication and a tightly regimented lifestyle. She works long hours and eschews relationships in order to maintain strict control over her emotions and life. In her newest case, Fran is representing wealthy hedge-fund manager Martin Joy in his divorce from his wife, Donna. A chance encounter one evening leads to torrid affair with her client and Fran is soon obsessed with her illicit relationship. When Donna disappears after spending the evening with Martin, he is the prime suspect in her disappearance. Fran is desperate to keep the truth about her affair with Martin under wraps, but will her risky decisions cost her career and possibly her life?

Fran is supposed to be an intelligent woman but she makes some very stupid choices once she becomes involved with Martin. She risks everything to spend time with him, including joining him for public dinner engagements and a surprising introduction to his business partner, Alex Cole and his wife Sophie. Even after Martin falls under police scrutiny, Fran makes some incredibly precarious and ill-thought out decisions that jeopardize her law career and her mental health.

For someone who has made it a point to avoid romantic entanglements, Fran falls fast and hard for Martin. She is completely enthralled by his smooth charm and alpha male posturing. Fran completely discounts the troubling information she learns about his ruthless business dealings and she disbelieves the more unsavory aspects of his relationship with Donna. In the aftermath of Donna's disappearance, Fran becomes completely unhinged and obsessed as she tries to single-handedly prove Martin's innocence.

Although the premise is initially very intriguing, Mine quickly becomes repetitive and unrealistic. Fran is an irritating character who easily turns into the helpless, hapless woman who is powerless to resist succumbing to her lust for a powerful business man. Martin is a slickly polished manipulator but it is Fran's neighbor Pete who turns out to be the most repugnant and despicable addition to the storyline. J.L. Butler brings the novel to a twist-filled conclusion but everything is wrapped up a little too neatly.… (mere)