LoveReading Says
Crossing a number of genres, this is a read that both challenges and provokes thoughts. Gabriela works in the Foreign Office, Isobel is a journalist, both women have a drive to succeed that will ultimately put them in danger. This novel links to Part of the Family, and I would suggest starting there as though the main characters are different, there are connections that are needed in order to fully appreciate the plot. Charlotte Philby has created two women that aren’t particularly likeable, but you don’t have to become friends with them in order to experience the story. The focus here is family life, with an investigation sitting brooding and waiting with menaces. The prologue, so short, has huge impact and left questions buzzing around in my mind spoiling for a fight. The two women and two different time frames remain separate until information slowly bleeds into and connects each story. The ending arrived in an unexpected way, and leaves the story wide open for more. With hovering suspense and intrigue, A Double Life is a provocative and stimulating novel.
Liz Robinson
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A Double Life Synopsis
The Times Thrillers of the Year 2020
'Superbly crafted with heart-stopping twists and chills galore. A new star has arrived in the thriller firmament' The Times, Book of the Month
Gabriela is a senior negotiator in the Foreign Office. When she returns to her young family after a seven-month stint in Moscow, something doesn't seem right.
Isobel is a journalist on the local paper in Camden. After witnessing a violent attack, she starts to investigate. But someone saw her watching, and is making themselves known in increasingly frightening ways.
As Gabriela's life begins to unravel, Isobel gets closer to the truth, and the two women's lives converge in this deeply chilling examination of deceit.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780008365219 |
| Publication date: |
15th April 2021 |
| Author: |
Charlotte Philby |
| Publisher: |
The Borough Press an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
480 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Family Drama
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Charlotte Philby Press Reviews
Superbly crafted with heart-stopping twists and chills galore. A new star has arrived in the thriller firmament - The Times, Book of the Month
A seriously stylish, hugely compelling mystery: Charlotte Philby redefines a male-dominated genre with her brilliantly complex female characters. I was utterly gripped. - LUCY FOLEY
I fell into the vivid, frightening world Charlotte Philby creates so skilfully and didn't resurface until long after I'd turned the last page. Her characters are so real you genuinely fret over their safety in their jobs and personal lives. Everything about this book feels as plausible as if it might happen tomorrow. She is a hugely original and talented writer. - JANE CASEY
A Double Life confirms Charlotte Philby as the master of a sub-genre she basically invented, dealing in the dangerous area where working motherhood and international espionage collide. Heart-breaking, gripping and always beautifully written, I can't wait to see what she does next. - ERIN KELLY
Philby is creating her own niche of beautifully observed, fast-paced, multi-layered novels... In Gabriela and Isobel, Philby develops two fascinating characters who have to face challenges that women the world over will recognise, but rarely get to read about on the page. A Double Life is a wonderful novel. - HOLLY WATT, winner of the 2019 CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger.
'Brilliantly executed and tense' Sunday Times
'Terribly compelling... persuasive and absorbing.' The Observer
'A pacy, gripping read that kept us on the edge of our seats' The Independent
'Dark and compelling' Bella
'I like a novel where the intrepid investigative journalist and the Foreign Office rising star are both women. And where two separate stories eventually converge around a conspiracy that touches the very top of the establishment and destroys everything' Evening Standard
About Charlotte Philby
Now a freelance journalist, Charlotte Philby worked for the Independent for eight years as a columnist, editor and reporter, and was shortlisted for the Cudlipp Prize for her investigative journalism at the 2013 Press Awards. A former contributing editor and feature writer at Marie Claire, she is founder of the online platform Motherland.net, and has contributed to all the major newspapers, as well as the BBC, Channel 4 and numerous magazines and books. Charlotte is the granddaughter of Kim Philby, Britain's most famous communist double-agent, the elusive 'third man' in the notorious Cambridge spy ring. She has three children and lives in London.
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