Sally Jenkins (2)

Tina’s life is almost at an end. Faced with the news that she has terminal cancer, she finds a way to make sure her brother, Wayne, is looked after after she is gone. Tina did not have an easy life. She was in and out of jail a few times and since then has never held a steady job. The only thing Tina ever managed to do right was taking care her her younger brother as a promise she made to her mother many years ago. Wayne is not stable enough to live on his own and cannot hold down a job. show more He has rituals he performs and everything needs to be in the right order or he will freak out. Because of this, Tina reaches out to Simon and Olivia. Simon is the son of her ex-cellmate, Audrey. Audrey promised Tina, thirty plus years ago, that if she ever needed help Simon and Olivia will be there for her.

Olivia is starting to have nightmares. Nightmares of a murder that took place thrirty years prior. She chalks it up to the stress that she has been under while preparing to her wedding with Mark. Mark is concerned about her and offers to help her get counseling, but there are secrets Olivia does not want to get out. Secrets she thought she buried years ago in her past.

Tina knows all about Olivia and her secret. Audrey, her ex-cellmate wrote out a confessional and accidentally mailed it along with the letter stating that Simon and Olivia would offer assistance to her if she ever needed it. Tina will stop at nothing to get what she wants even if it means blackmailing Olivia in order to reach her end goal.

I really enjoyed reading THE PROMISE. At first, I was a bit confused because there are many characters introduced pretty early on in the story, but I realized it was needed once everything started to come out. Tina, although having numerous bad points, still managed to come across as somewhat caring when she talks about her brother and her willingness to do anything to protect him when she is gone. I had a love/hate relationship with Tina. Tina is quite devious blackmailing Olivia and Simon, but deep down you know its rooted in her belief that her brother will be cared for.

The story is a slow build up and I really liked the psychological play which kept me glued to the story to find out how it would all go down. I do have to say that the manipulation and lies and long ago buried secrets had me flipping through the pages to find out what happens next.

THE PROMISE is told through different points of view which I always find work really well in any story and helps me make a better connection to each of the characters. I love seeing the thought process behind the characters actions and the author, Sally Jenkins did a beautiful job of this. I highly recommend picking up a copy of this story. it is well worth the read. show less

Following his divorce and recent redundancy, Ian moves into Bedsit Three in order to be closer to his young son hoping he will be able to resurrect his failed relationship with his ex-wife. Across the hall from Ian, lives Sandra, an unconventional single mother, who wants to build a better life for her daughter and herself after falling pregnant as a teenager. Although coming from completely different backgrounds, Ian and Sandra start to bond, but something sinister is linked to Bedsit show more Three. Ian and Sandra become involved in a gruesome mystery that involves them with the police and the unstable previous tenant of Bedsit Three, which ultimately jeopardizes not just their relationship but their lives.
Told from Ian and Sandra's perspectives as well as the disturbed ex-tenant's, Bedsit Three was a quick and enjoyable read. Its strength was the well drawn characters who felt authentic and the vividly described settings that drew you into the story. There were a couple of nice twists to the mystery and crime angle of the story.
I felt a little confused as to what the author, Sally Jenkins, intended the story to be. There was a lot of focus on the relationships between Ian and Sandra and between Ian and his ex-wife. A lot of emphasis was placed on social class. While I found it interesting to read, it was almost like reading two different stories. One, a suspenseful mystery about a deranged killer and increasingly unstable guy with mother issues and the other one, a story about relationships, second and third chances and improving your life.
I believe Bedsit Three is Sally Jenkins' first publication that isn't a short story and as a debut, it was well plotted and well written.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. show less

I thought this was a good book. While, I was not in love with it, I did enjoy it. It felt a little toned down in regards to the intensity level for me. For me personally, when it comes to physiological thrillers, I like the "mind games" that these types of books play. Although, this book was more character driven than about "mind games". Plus, the pacing of the story moved a bit slow.

Which, speaking of characters; Olivia and Tina were fine. As far as getting to know them, I felt like I did. show more Emotionally, I understood where each woman was coming from. Yet, the bond was more casual for me. Overall, as I stated previously, I did enjoy this book. show less