I’m a sucker for twisty thrillers, and You Sent Me a Letter by Lucy Dawson proved to be exactly that. Here’s the blurb:
At 2 a.m. on the morning of her fortieth birthday, Sophie wakes in the darkness of her bedroom – and finds a stranger watching her from the foot of her bed. The intruder hands Sophie a letter and issues an ultimatum: the message is to be opened at her forthcoming party, in front of gathered family and friends, at exactly 8 p.m. Any failure to comply will not end well. Sophie can only think of one person who hates her enough to have hired a professional to menace her like this: her fiance’s ex-wife. But what can the letter possibly contain? And why must it be read in front of everyone she loves best?
This will be no ordinary fortieth party. Sophie is not the only person holding a secret about the evening ahead. When the clock strikes eight, the course of several people’s lives will be altered forever.
Fast paced and tense, readers are in for a suspenseful couple of hours as they join Sophie in trying to stop her life being ruined. Adding to the tension is the revelation that this is no ordinary party – it’s to be a wedding. Sophie feels helpless, and while she does everything in her power to stop certain people hearing the letter’s contents, she soon learns that the letter writer is one step ahead.
I did pick the culprit, but the twist in the final few chapters did catch me out. The ending is somewhat open and I was left a bit underwhelmed by the final sentences, but overall, it’s a compelling read that will keep you guessing.
Available from good bookstores (RRP $29.99AUD). My copy was courtesy of Allen & Unwin.
Monique Mulligan
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David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television