The Heights By Louise Candlish

‘The Heights’ is the latest book by Louise Candlish.

The Heights is a tall, slender apartment building among the warehouses of Tower Bridge, its roof terrace so discreet you wouldn’t know it existed if you weren’t standing at the window of the flat directly opposite. But you are. And that’s when you see a man up there – a man you’d recognize anywhere. He’s older now and his appearance has subtly changed, but it’s definitely him. Which makes no sense at all since you know he has been dead for over two years. You know this for a fact.

It’s fair to say that Louise Candlish is doing well, ‘The Other Passenger’ is number 2 in the Canadian book charts and the cast has been revealed for her award winning bestseller ‘Our House’ and what a cast it is!

She is back with ‘The Heights’ a dizzy and thrilling story about obsession and the strength of a mothers love.

Like Louise’s previous novels, the story begins at the key moment that something happens before working back to the moment that lead up to it.

The story is seen through the narrative of Ellen and her ex-husband Vic, who’s lives are turned upside down when their son befriends a boy called Kieran Watts, a bad influence who distracts Lucas from his family and studies. Both Ellen and Vic think Kieran has disappeared and are relieved for him to be finally gone only for him to reappear and Ellen begins to question her own sanity.

Right from the start, this book is a compelling read that had me gripped from start to finish. Ellen is a fascinating character, an equal measure of likeable and dislikable in her mothering traits that can be seen as possessive and not just looking out for her children. As the story processes, we begin to question her sanity and also her reliability after all she’s been through. Her dislike for Kieran leaps from the pages, as she tries to keep her son safe and under her wing.

The dual narrative in the story is a great addition as it gives the reader another insight into the situation and Vic adds a bit of stability to the story whenever things get too much for Ellen.

The story is cleverly crafted with fascinating and flawed characters that make for unsettling but compelling reading and in true Louise Candlish style, nothing is ever what it seems in her latest psychological thriller.

A story about fears, love and revenge, ‘The Heights’ is a wonderfully powerful story that made for dizzying reading with a gripping plot that will keep the reader right on the edge of their seat throughout.