Tamar Cohen
Author of Argylle
About the Author
Works by Tamar Cohen
Up the Creek Without a Paddle: The True Story of John and Anne Darwin: The Man Who 'Died' and the Wife Who Lied (2008) 8 copies
How I Made My First Million: Sixteen True Stories of How British Tycoons Made Their Fortunes (2009) 8 copies
Friends Again . . .: True Stories of Love, Reconciliation and Murder that Started with a Click (2009) 2 copies
The Apple Seed 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Other names
- Cohen, Tammy (pseudonym)
Rhys, Rachel (pseudonym) - Birthdate
- 1963-10-15
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Manchester University
- Occupations
- teacher
- Organizations
- Killer Women
- Agent
- Curtis Brown
- Short biography
- [from author's website]
I was born in Ibadan, Nigeria where my anthropologist father happened to be doing fieldwork at the time. Sabbatical years in far-flung places were a feature of my childhood and I attended school in both Sierra Leone and California. Otherwise, I mostly grew up in the suburbs of London where my adolescence was spent either in the local library or waiting for the last tube home.
After taking an American Studies degree at Manchester University I taught English in Madrid. While working as a secretary back in London, I started writing features and hand-delivering them to the magazine publishing house around the corner. The day the first one got accepted, I packed in my job and declared myself a freelance journalist, which is basically what I remained for the next twenty years, writing features for national magazines and newspapers, such as Marie Claire, The Times and The Telegraph, and then moving on to non fiction books. My dream was always to write fiction but it wasn't until I was forty-seven that I finally conquered the self doubt and my first novel, The Mistress's Revenge was published.
These days I live in North London with my partner and three (nearly) grown children and one very badly behaved dog. Together with my family I spent four happy years living in Spain from 2004 to 2008 and I live in fear of people finding this out and asking me something in Spanish at which I remain shamefully inept. - Birthplace
- Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
- Places of residence
- Sierra Leone
California, USA
London, Middlesex, England, UK
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Members
Reviews
In Tammy Cohen's latest book we have a story from the viewpoint of several women protagonists. The book revolves around Hannah's incarceration in a psychiatric clinic after what initially is an unknown incident. Hannah's chapters are in the first person and so her role as an unreliable narrator is set. Her mother, Corinne, and one of the therapists at the clinic, Laura, are the other two main characters, both of which we read about in the third person. I did start to get an idea of what led show more Hannah to be a client (as they are referred to) at the clinic before it was revealed and I thought it was a very clever idea.
Hannah's friends in the clinic are dying. Two of them have committed suicide and you may think that's not unusual given where they are but Hannah thinks differently and that these women were in a more positive state of mind. She starts to think that maybe the clinic is not that safe a place to be.
I thought They All Fall Down was an excellent psychological thriller. As a reader I had no idea whether there was going to be something sinister about the deaths or whether Hannah was paranoid. The setting of a mental institution is a fascinating one and I found all the 'clients' so interesting and complex. As Corinne starts to delve deeper to try and work out whether the clinic is safe for Hannah we learn more about the background of the man in charge of the clinic and also about Hannah's marriage. I really liked Corinne for her intense love for her daughter and her desire for the truth and she was probably my favourite character.
I enjoyed the ups and downs, the twists and turns of this book. And there was a twist or two near the end which took me by surprise. Tammy Cohen is skilled at weaving a tangled web of a story and I had no idea as to how it would end until actually I read it. Such a talented writer and this book was a pleasure to read. show less
Hannah's friends in the clinic are dying. Two of them have committed suicide and you may think that's not unusual given where they are but Hannah thinks differently and that these women were in a more positive state of mind. She starts to think that maybe the clinic is not that safe a place to be.
I thought They All Fall Down was an excellent psychological thriller. As a reader I had no idea whether there was going to be something sinister about the deaths or whether Hannah was paranoid. The setting of a mental institution is a fascinating one and I found all the 'clients' so interesting and complex. As Corinne starts to delve deeper to try and work out whether the clinic is safe for Hannah we learn more about the background of the man in charge of the clinic and also about Hannah's marriage. I really liked Corinne for her intense love for her daughter and her desire for the truth and she was probably my favourite character.
I enjoyed the ups and downs, the twists and turns of this book. And there was a twist or two near the end which took me by surprise. Tammy Cohen is skilled at weaving a tangled web of a story and I had no idea as to how it would end until actually I read it. Such a talented writer and this book was a pleasure to read. show less
Jessica Gold is taking a small break from Christmas shopping when she is approached by a handsome stranger at a small cafe. He introduces himself as Dominic and admits he has been following her. Despite this rather large red flag, Jessica agrees to go back to his flat with him. Things quickly go bad for her. Dominic holds her prisoner to help him celebrate the season in his own unconventional way. Each day, he gives her a present and tells her a story about the gift, stories that seem to add show more up to murder. Dominic is one scary psychotic man!
It is harder to get a grip on Jessica. She talks about her family, her life, and her live-in boyfriend as well as her experiences with Dominic but there’s a sense that she may not be the most reliable narrator. Even her psychiatrist suggests that Jessica is unpredictable and Jessica, herself, points out to the reader that she has a secret. Still author Tammy Cohen really ratchets up the tension and we have no doubt that, even if everything Jessica is saying may not be exactly the truth, she is terrified.
The book is divided into two parts and in the second, Jessica’s secret is revealed. I found this second half a bit less believable but just as engrossing. With a less talented writer, I could have felt cheated. Instead, I was willing to suspend my disbelief just that little bit more because I needed to know how it would all work out.
Dying for Christmas is a real page-turner guaranteed to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. With a villain easy to hate and a narrator easy to mistrust, this is the perfect anti-Christmas tale, the antidote to all the fake Christmas cheer, the inescapable peppy Xmas tunes, the commercialism, and the sense that maybe the day after Halloween is just way too early to start the season so that by December it’s just ‘please end it now’. A definite recommendation for fans of Gillian Flynn or Christmas curmudgeons everywhere. show less
It is harder to get a grip on Jessica. She talks about her family, her life, and her live-in boyfriend as well as her experiences with Dominic but there’s a sense that she may not be the most reliable narrator. Even her psychiatrist suggests that Jessica is unpredictable and Jessica, herself, points out to the reader that she has a secret. Still author Tammy Cohen really ratchets up the tension and we have no doubt that, even if everything Jessica is saying may not be exactly the truth, she is terrified.
The book is divided into two parts and in the second, Jessica’s secret is revealed. I found this second half a bit less believable but just as engrossing. With a less talented writer, I could have felt cheated. Instead, I was willing to suspend my disbelief just that little bit more because I needed to know how it would all work out.
Dying for Christmas is a real page-turner guaranteed to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. With a villain easy to hate and a narrator easy to mistrust, this is the perfect anti-Christmas tale, the antidote to all the fake Christmas cheer, the inescapable peppy Xmas tunes, the commercialism, and the sense that maybe the day after Halloween is just way too early to start the season so that by December it’s just ‘please end it now’. A definite recommendation for fans of Gillian Flynn or Christmas curmudgeons everywhere. show less
Spring 1939 and as Europe teeters on the edge of a precipice, Lily boards a ship at Tilbury Docks with a sense of adventure. Taking advantage of an assisted passage for domestic servants Lily is leaving her life in England behind and travelling to Australia for at least two years. Quickly seduced into life on board Lily is taken up by Edward and Helena - a pair of middle class siblings - and Max and Eliza - a society couple dogged with scandal. She also comes into contact with Fascists, Jews show more and Italians who co-exist uneasily on the long voyage. However by the end of the trip two people are dead and Lily is forced to re-evaluate her life.
Paying homage to Agatha Christie in the idea of a 'whodunnit' set in the 1930s, this book also explores a number of issues around politics and race. The treatment of the jewish refugees by those on board, and particularly those in authority, is simple and dismissive, the inhabitants of Egypt and Aden are a lower form of humanity. Whilst the Second World War is not writ large, the tension is brings to proceedings is subtle and clever. The final twist is barely hinted at but makes complete sense and more to the story. Appearing as a simple story about a crime on a voyage, this is actually a complex and extremely satisfying novel with multiple layers that make it worth exploring. show less
Paying homage to Agatha Christie in the idea of a 'whodunnit' set in the 1930s, this book also explores a number of issues around politics and race. The treatment of the jewish refugees by those on board, and particularly those in authority, is simple and dismissive, the inhabitants of Egypt and Aden are a lower form of humanity. Whilst the Second World War is not writ large, the tension is brings to proceedings is subtle and clever. The final twist is barely hinted at but makes complete sense and more to the story. Appearing as a simple story about a crime on a voyage, this is actually a complex and extremely satisfying novel with multiple layers that make it worth exploring. show less
Hannah is a new patient in a women’s low-security psychiatric facility called The Meadows outside London, the result of an incident Cohen takes some time to reveal. In the several weeks before this psychological thriller opens, two of the facility’s dozen or so patients have committed suicide. In fact, the first line is, “Charlie cut her wrists last week with a shard of caramelized sugar.” Hannah doesn’t believe Charlie killed herself. She believes both of the so-called suicides show more were murder. But who will believe her?
Most of the short chapters are told in either Hannah’s first-person point of view or that of her mother Corinne, in third-person. Corinne isn’t sure what to make of Hannah’s accusations. She wants to believe her daughter, but Hannah’s done some strange things lately that weaken her credibility.
At the same time, Corinne is desperate to believe her daughter is safe at The Meadows. And the director, Dr. Oliver Roberts, and the art therapist, the supportive Laura, as well as most of the other staff seem capable and conscientious, don’t they? Are these people who they say they are? Their contention that their patients are high-risk, with histories of suicide attempts, never quite reassures her.
Author Cohen has assembled an interesting group of patients: Odelle, thin as a stick with serious eating disorders; Stella, whose otherworldly appearance results from too many cosmetic surgeries, including removal of a rib to achieve a smaller waistline; and Judith, who says she’s just being “honest” when she makes her intentionally cruel remarks. As events unfold and confidences are shared, these patients form a kind of lamenting Greek chorus.
The characters are mostly well developed; however, it was jarring when the patients’ ages would be mentioned. They were in their mid-thirties or so (Hannah is 32), but they came across like teenagers. Perhaps this is because they are highly dependent, vulnerable personalities.
Throw into the mix a lurking filmmaker and his cameraman working on a “fly-on-the-wall” documentary. The filmmakers were a nice touch (with the director Justin “doused in self-absorption like cheap cologne”), since an underlying theme of the book is perception. What does the “neutral” eye of the camera perceive? What do each of the characters perceive about each other, and do they trust each others’ perceptions—they certainly share doubts about Hannah’s—and does she even trust her own?
In general, the writing style is effective and the pace is good and varied. Cohen uses cliffhangers to keep you reading “one more chapter”—mysterious items and messages turn up in the hospital, a red baby hat on Corinne’s doorstep. Eventually these are all explained, but the repeated technique begins to feel artificial. On the whole, an intriguing psychological thriller. show less
Most of the short chapters are told in either Hannah’s first-person point of view or that of her mother Corinne, in third-person. Corinne isn’t sure what to make of Hannah’s accusations. She wants to believe her daughter, but Hannah’s done some strange things lately that weaken her credibility.
At the same time, Corinne is desperate to believe her daughter is safe at The Meadows. And the director, Dr. Oliver Roberts, and the art therapist, the supportive Laura, as well as most of the other staff seem capable and conscientious, don’t they? Are these people who they say they are? Their contention that their patients are high-risk, with histories of suicide attempts, never quite reassures her.
Author Cohen has assembled an interesting group of patients: Odelle, thin as a stick with serious eating disorders; Stella, whose otherworldly appearance results from too many cosmetic surgeries, including removal of a rib to achieve a smaller waistline; and Judith, who says she’s just being “honest” when she makes her intentionally cruel remarks. As events unfold and confidences are shared, these patients form a kind of lamenting Greek chorus.
The characters are mostly well developed; however, it was jarring when the patients’ ages would be mentioned. They were in their mid-thirties or so (Hannah is 32), but they came across like teenagers. Perhaps this is because they are highly dependent, vulnerable personalities.
Throw into the mix a lurking filmmaker and his cameraman working on a “fly-on-the-wall” documentary. The filmmakers were a nice touch (with the director Justin “doused in self-absorption like cheap cologne”), since an underlying theme of the book is perception. What does the “neutral” eye of the camera perceive? What do each of the characters perceive about each other, and do they trust each others’ perceptions—they certainly share doubts about Hannah’s—and does she even trust her own?
In general, the writing style is effective and the pace is good and varied. Cohen uses cliffhangers to keep you reading “one more chapter”—mysterious items and messages turn up in the hospital, a red baby hat on Corinne’s doorstep. Eventually these are all explained, but the repeated technique begins to feel artificial. On the whole, an intriguing psychological thriller. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 33
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 1,587
- Popularity
- #16,255
- Rating
- 3.5
- Reviews
- 94
- ISBNs
- 228
- Languages
- 12