Today dear reader I am on the blog tour for Double Deceit (Published Nov 23. 2020) By Julienne Brouwers. A big thank you to the publishers JB publishing for my copy to read and review, always appreciated.
Double Deceit
Jennifer is a young mother, married to a hotshot lawyer and living in Amsterdam. Her world explodes when her husband is found dead at a holiday park during a weekend getaway. Convinced that the police have failed in their investigation, she embarks on a desperate quest for the truth – but the deeper she digs, the more she gets enmeshed in a tangled web of lies, spun by a ruthless law firm.
As Jennifer’s search for answers intensifies, her grip on reality weakens. Barely able to manage her patients at the health clinic, or take care of her young son, Jennifer is at risk of losing it all – even her closest friends begin to desert her. And then a chance encounter with a charming stranger sparks a new chain of events that plunges her deeper into a world of threats and corruption. Soon, she begins to fear for her life – but who can she trust, and how far will she go in pursuit of the truth?
This is a gripping, addictive thriller for fans of Angela Clarke, Mel Sherratt and Rachel Lynch, that will make you question everything, including the flaws of forensics. Could we all be framed for a murder we didn’t commit?
About The Author
Julienne Brouwers worked as a pharmaceutical scientist and medical physicist before becoming a writer. She lives in the Netherlands, with her husband and three children, where she has published two successful thrillers, and lived in the UK and US for a total of four years.
My Review
From the moment I began reading I was gripped. Brouwers throws you head first into your worst nightmare leaving you panicked and anxious. This startling opening sets the tone for the rest of the narrative and what shocking secrets and twists are yet to be unearthed. It’s addictive reading and Brouwers pulls the reader in, wasting no time in getting them hooked. And boy was I hooked with this story.
The narrative follows Jennifer, who goes from a family holiday in the south of the Netherlands with her husband Oliver and 2 year old son Tim, to risking her life to discover the truth behind her husband’s murder. From what should be a relaxing getaway and rekindling of their love quickly turns into the police informing Jennifer that her husband is dead. It takes you by surprise as only a few pages ago Oliver was alive and well. That’s something I admire about Brouwer’s writing, she leaves you the breadcrumbs to follow and then out of nowhere releases a jump scare that makes you double back to question if you’re even on the right path. I was on edge the whole time, questioning every single character that crossed my path. You quickly learn to not trust everyone leaving you feeling jumpy and paranoid. I LOVED it!
Jennifer as a character is fascinating to read. The narrative is told in first person so the reader is hit with a wave of emotions as she struggles through this difficult period in her life. She is unfocused at her job at an out of hours health clinic, feels guilty for palming off her son to her parents so she can have some alone time and is appearing unhinged in front of her closest friends. After a shock discovery which leads to more questions Jennifer begins to wonder if her husband’s death was accidental, but instead a part of a cover up for something much bigger than she could not have foreseen. As soon as she begins to investigate, the threats and strange happenings begin to surface. She is tested time and time again, unravelling the lies that Oliver left behind forcing her to question their whole life together. She doesn’t get a break. She is a fighter, a strong survivor and her determination keeps her striving till the end. We watch her fall down and pick herself back up again, it’s remarkable and you can’t help but fist pump the air each time she succeeds.
The suspense throughout this book is compelling. You can feel Jennifer’s desperation in her search for the truth and witness how far she will go to get it. My heart was pounding each time Jennifer found herself in a dangerous situation. I was rooting for her to succeed but also screaming “Get out of there quick!”
I enjoyed reading the scenery and surroundings, as they often felt they coincided with how the characters were feeling. In ways it added to the tension and the lack of escape from the reality that her husband is dead and will never see him again. Almost claustrophobic as she struggles for air and knows that something is not right. Only when she finds out what actually happened and why does the fog begin to clear showing new horizons with a glimmer of hope.
I give Double Deceit By Julienne Brouwers a Five out of Five paw rating
Intense and insanely gripping you will struggle to put this down. There were so many moments were I was on tenterhooks, I just HAD to know what happened to Oliver. And WOW it is shocking dear reader. But just when you think you’ve worked it out, BAM Brouwer adds another twist that makes you even more desperate to know the truth. I seriously could not put this down, loved every second! Bravo Brouwers! I look forward to reading more of your work in the future.
Links
Buy a copy
@JulienneAuthor
@juliennebrouwers
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