A thriller about revenge!
This debut novel had me gripped and I really wanted to know what happened and how the conclusion came about.
The book opens with Philip's funeral, it's clear from the off that no one is sad that he is gone, which is intriguing and gets you wondering why.
The book then moves back to days before the funeral, and the story builds to show what kind of man Philip was.
The main characters are his wife (who he is separated from), his ex wife and his current girlfriend.
When his wife locks him in the cellar after he threatens their son, the situation escalates and he is held captivate, he does escape which leads to some tense scenes, there is a game of cat and mouse between all 3.
As the book begins with his death you are expecting him to die but when he does it wasn't how I expected and I loved that twist and thought the ending was very fitting.
The characters are well written and it's a great debut. I look forward to reading more from this author.
A fast paced and tense thriller that looks behind the closed doors of domestic abuse.
It took me a while to get into this debut thriller, but once I did I ripped through it. The novel starts with a funeral and then it looks back at the events that led up to the death of policeman Phillip Rochester, an apparent pillar of the community. But it scratches the surface of the relationships he had with three different women in his life, two wives and the latest girlfriend, to expose him for the complete scumbag that he was. It paints a vivid picture of domestic abuse in stark reality. It also creates a good deal of tension, making us anxious to see this man get his comeuppance. Some bits of it seem a bit implausible but it’s pacey and taught. Well worth a read and a writer I’ll look out for on the bookshelves in the future for her ability to capture the attention of the reader.
A brilliant thriller addressing domestic abuse in all its forms, and how people can break free of this and rise up.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, its a good thriller and although there are no major twist, the little twist throughout the book are very satisfying.
I enjoyed very much that it starts at the end, so I was happy knowing the outcome would be the correct one, but there was still enough mystery over how it happened to keep me reading.
The book is written brilliantly, I enjoyed the flashback style, telling us that the part we were reading was so many days 'before' the particular incident happened. I felt it added to the tension.
It addressed the issues of domestic abuse and the different ways it can manifest, not just physical abuse, but the more mental and hidden manipulative abuse.
Its a really great read and I recommend it highly.
A gripping story right from the start, leading you in many different directions before reaching a very satisfying conclusion.
This is not the sort of book I would normally read. The blurb is interesting, but wouldn’t draw me in enough to buy it. However, having started it I struggled to put it down!
This is a story mainly about one woman’s fight for justice and to free herself from an incredibly domineering man, but during her story she becomes part of a team, which becomes a family. The descriptions of abuse are horrific enough to make you wince and want to give the man a bloody good hiding, but not graphic enough to make you put the book down. The language used is easy enough. The way the novel is written, flitting back and forth through time explains differing elements at the right time in the story to explain things further. Jo Jakeman gives you just enough information for you to start drawing conclusions or to work out what is around the corner, before suddenly throwing in a curveball and sending the story off in a different direction. I absolutely LOVED this book.
This is a great read and I can't wait to find more of the author's books in the future.
This is a roller coaster of a ride in a read. You wont want to get off it though! Sticks and Stones is an emotional and harrowing read with the subject that happens far too often but goes under the radar too often too. There are different women telling their own story. Each has their own version of the villain in this book and tell their sides back and forth in the book until we finally find out what really happened. They all have secrets but they all share a bond that ties them together.
A great read I can't wait to find more of the authors books in the future.
Absolutely fantastic thriller with lots of twists. I highly recommend this book.
Absolutely fantastic thriller with lots of twists. I highly recommend this book.
It's punchy, fast paced, but at times slightly messy in it's delivery. I think I struggled with knowing how the book ended from the beginning. There wasn't the twist I was expecting at the end. Domestic abuse comes in both physical and mental torture, and the women's fight to stick together was comforting, but at times unbelievable. It is however, an easy summer read.
How far would you go for revenge on your ex? Imogen's husband is a bad man. And now he's given her an ultimatum: get out of the family home in the next fortnight or I will fight you for custody of our son.
This book starts with the funeral of Philip Rochester, a policeman. Present at his funeral are three women who all have something in common, they have all been abused by Philip Rochester. Ruby is his ex-wife, Imogen is estranged from him and Naomi is his current girlfriend. Then the story goes back in time to explain what happened before Philip died.
It's punchy, but at times slightly messy in it's delivery. I think I struggled with knowing how the book ended from the beginning, because there wasn't the twist I was expecting at the end to counteract that knowledge that you get from the start. Domestic abuse comes in both physical and mental torture, and the women's fight to stick together was comforting, but at times unbelievable.
It is however, an easy summer read. 2/5 stars
How far would you go for revenge on your ex?
How far would you go for revenge on your ex?
This book opens with Phillip's funeral where we meet Ruby (his ex-wife), Imogen (his wife who he is separated from and mother of his son), and Naomi (his new girlfriend).
Then each short chapter starts 22 days before the funeral with a countdown and the occasional flashback to many years prior. This reveals the true character of Phillip - what he has subjected his women to and why.
When his demands get excessive in a moment if madness Imogen locks him in the cellar, now he is in her control - can she get what she wants with a guarantee?
A well-written novel and the author has a good use of prose though I found Imogen difficult to relate to at times. I found it obvious early on what Phillip's employment position was and why plus the truth of the hit and run accident. In fact, I found it so obvious that I thought it was a red herring and I would be proved wrong. But I was right which was rather a disappointment
Would also have been nice to know Imogen's job - all we learnt was she had an office job.