Katherine Faulkner

Such a fun twisted mystery. I thought I'd hate the drama of the other moms but I really liked the mc and I felt really bad that she was struggling to fit in. Her trying to keep up with the rich moms and buying coffee, spa treatments and clothes to fit in felt realistic and so sad.

I also really liked the nanny drama. I read with a buddy and every time we checked in, we only added names to our suspect list, didn't remove. I loved that it kept twisting and we never knew who to trust. This one show more was a bit lengthy but I didn't find a downtime, I just really enjoyed the story and characters. show less

Both of this author's domestic thrillers (her debut was Greenwich Park, and Faulkner shows no sign of sophomore slump) have been chock full o' red herrings and they're so well written! In this one, freelance reporter Natasha (“Tash”) is a new mom with a finicky little boy who she can use all the help she can get from a bunch of wealthy mothers she meets at day care. Her husband Tom is a doctor, as is one of the moms, and they don't get along, for reasons that gain importance as the story show more progresses. Tash's insecurities about motherhood and her dismay at losing her job lead her into investigating the drowning of a young nanny, who turns out to be wrapped tightly into the mom group and their husbands. It's un-putdownable from the first pages, with a clever ending that forces us to decide how well we know Tash, a likable and reliable narrator - to a point. show less

As close to perfect as a domestic thriller could be, the author mixes up pregnancy, adultery, sexual assault, women's friendships, and gaslighting in a riveting mélange of class warfare. At first there seems to be little connection between the perspectives of three characters, but after Rachel, a wild young woman, shows up drinking wine and smoking cigarettes at Helen's prenatal class, the strings start being woven tightly together. Helen and her husband Daniel are finally hopeful, after show more four miscarriages; Helen's brother Rory and his wife Selena are due at the same time; and childhood friend Katie, now an investigative journalist, becomes involved when covering a rape case in the wealthy neighborhood that echoes one that ended in acquittal ten years before. The outcome is so satisfying that the reader might punch the air in glee. show less

Greenwich Park has been on my radar for quite a while now and I was so excited to dive between the pages. I can tell you now that I was not disappointed. It is a thrilling and fast-paced read that had me gripped from beginning to end.

The story centres mainly around Helen. Pregnant with her longed-for baby, she goes to an antenatal class in a warm and muggy room above a bar. She's alone (her husband, Daniel, and her brother and sister-in-law, Rory and Serena, have stood her up) and so when show more Rachel, also alone, gravitates towards her, Helen finds herself with a brand new friend.

We know from the synopsis that Rachel turns out to be a nightmare but the reasons why are only revealed gradually as the story unfolds. I thought Katherine Faulkner did an amazing job plotting this book and as Rachel insinuates herself deeper into Helen's life and we also hear from Serena and Katie, a friend of both couples, I honestly didn't know who to trust. It's clear that something isn't right but I was left guessing all the way through, via a few good twists and turns.

This is a brilliant story and an impressive debut. It's a psychological thriller and a really well-drawn example of the genre, but it's also about women and that time running up to the birth of a baby, a kind of limbo-land when you're just waiting and potentially quite vulnerable. It's full of tension and suspense and I was hooked all the way through. For me the pace never let up and the underlying sense of foreboding was ever-present. I really enjoyed my thrilling visit to Greenwich Park. show less