Her By Harriet Lane

[amazon_link id=”1780220022″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]’Her’ is the latest book by Harriet Lane.

Two women; two different worlds. Emma is a struggling mother who has put everything on hold. Nina is sophisticated and independent – entirely in control. When the pair meet, Nina generously draws Emma into her life. But this isn’t the first time the women’s paths have crossed. Nina remembers Emma and she remembers what Emma did. But what exactly does Nina want from her? And how far will she go in pursuit of it?

I first became aware of ‘Her’ when I saw a lot attention about it on Twitter, people were saying it was incredibly gripping, so when I received a copy of the copy, I dived in eagerly to see if I agreed with the hype.

First off, I have to mention the cover, the blurred typeface against the lime green background already reeks of intensity making the book definitely stand out from other thrillers.

The alternating chapters are seen from the perspective of Nina and Emma. Nina is a sophisticated artist, she lives with her second husband Charles with her 17 year old tearaway daughter Sophie. They live a comfortable life, until one day Nina spots a woman from her past struggling with a little boy and all the memories from her past come flooding back. Emma is a frustrated mother with a demanding little boy. She’s given up her job to become a full time mother, but she is once again pregnant and resents that her husband gets to leave the house everyday and get a break from the madness and tantrums.

But rescue comes in the form of Nina, who finds Emma’s wallet one day and from this meeting, a new friendship is forged. But it’s a one-sided friendship as Emma confides in Nina who offers her a shoulder and support oblivious that Nina is in fact setting Emma up for a fall, making her doubt her sanity and intrudes into her life, all whilst pretending to be the perfect friend. Emma is desperate and thankful for adult conversation. She sees Nina as her light at the end of the tunnel, who is always there when the going gets tough to offer support and guidance.

From the very first line, I was gripped with this book. It’s deeply dark and twisty, as we read different sides of the friendship. Nina is consumed with a deep hatred for Emma and Emma is delighted with the new found friendship, unaware of that she met this woman earlier in life. Occasionally there are flashbacks in the story as to why Nina is compelled to feel the way she behaves but in a true captivating style nothing is revealed until the end and even at that, the conclusion leaves the reader begging for more. With the story being told from the perspective of both women, it reads like a lamb being led to the slaughter, naive and vulnerable Emma begins to trust a woman who harbours a deep resentment towards her.

Extremely tense and gripping from the start, ‘Her’ is reminiscent of ‘Notes On A Scandal’ a book I loved many years ago, another story about a female obsession, which also makes for chilling and exciting reading. Cleverly written, which draws the reader in, ‘Her’ is a fabulously sinister story of revenge and jealousy, that get grittier with each page. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, then ‘Her’ is a must read for you.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”1780220022″ target=”_blank” ]Her from Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.