One Down

It gives you an entirely new outlook on crossword puzzles, that's for sure. Completing the crossword puzzle is a part of Amanda’s daily routine, a thing she does to distract herself. When she starts to see clues that are meant for her, anxiety and need for alcohol increases. She wonders if it could be Is her ex-husband sending a message to her through the clues. Afterall, he blames her for a horrible accident. Whoever it is, they mean to cause her paranoia or even worse, death. I was intrigued by this story. Amanda is an interesting character and evoked a few emotions. She’s tragic, vulnerable, frustrating and relatable all at once. She’s an interesting case study for addiction and the hold it can take on a person. One moment, I show more wanted to hug her and the next, I wanted to shake some good old common sense into her. She certainly didn’t always make good life choices. She didn’t however, deserve to have the experiences she was having. Nathan...the ex-husband, liked to think he’s strong but, like Amanda, he battles insecurities and addiction also. They just manifest differently. There was definitely a narcissistic streak in him and kept you wondering if he was a good guy or a bad guy. In fact, Diane Wilkinson plants seeds of doubt all the way through and at one point you just give up and suspect everyone...everyone except that is except Teddy. The story is told mainly from the point of view of Amanda and Nathan and the plot is certainly unique and develops well. I was well and truly hooked. To sum it up the book is a compelling, dark, twisted, clever psychological thriller about addiction and revenge. If you like puzzles or are looking for a gripping read, this book is absolutely perfect. show less

I'm not much good at cryptic crossword puzzles so the bits in here where the author appeared to be trying to teach me how to interpret the clues just sort of left me cold. But nevertheless the plot is very creepy. Someone does appear to be trying to scare the life out of Amanda by personalising the clues in the daily cryptic crossword. Her estranged husband Nathan is one of the anonymous setters of the puzzles in the local paper and certainly she knows that a number of the clues are ones that he has created. But is he trying to kill her?

Amanda has other problems too - she is an alcoholic, she has been responsible for a child's death, she seems to be emotionally unstable. All of which makes for a good read.