J. L. Butler (1)

Francine Day has worked hard to build a reputation as a top London divorce lawyer. Against her better judgement she becomes romantically involved with one of her clients, Martin Joy. Fran can't fight the feelings she has for Martin and is obsessed with his relationship with his soon to be ex wife, Donna Joy. After following Donna one night, Fran awakes the next morning with no clear memory of what happened the night before. When Donna goes missing, Fran does whatever it takes to protect show more herself and the man she loves.

This is the book I have been waiting for in the suspense genre. In recent years there have been a few books that were quite good but didn't really live up to the hype. This book hit all the right notes for me. I thought Fran was an interesting and complex character. I was never quite sure in what direction the book would go which made for an on the edge of my seat type of read. I really enjoyed watching the story unfold.

This book might have a few flaws but my enjoyment was never lessened because of them. The book starts off a bit slow but definitely before page 100 I was hooked. At times watching this smart, successful woman make poor decisions based on her obsession with Martin can be difficult to read. However, in some respects that was also the strength of the book because you never really knew what could happen next. Overall, this was just one of those fun reading experiences and I definitely hope others enjoy it as much as I did.

I won a free copy of this book but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion. show less

A fabulously twisty psychological thriller of obsession, greed and guilt. The reader is constantly sideswiped from all directions as each unreliable character is put into the frame for the disappearance of socialite Donna Joy. Trying to untangle the knots is Fran Day, a rising star lawyer on the brink of making silk. She is representing the charismatic Martin Joy in his divorce from Donna when she goes missing, but her interest is more than professional. She too saw Donna on the night of her show more disappearance but has a gap in her memory from that night which makes her doubt even herself.. A string of possible suspects is lined up, each well developed and convincing enough to keep the reader guessing to the very end. A skilled debut, character driven and with a gripping plot, I'll be on the lookout for more by this talented author. show less

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 show more 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. show less

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 show more 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. show less