sophs1ibrary's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.5
turnherintoliterature's review against another edition
4.0
Full disclosure: I received an advance copy from the publisher through work.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘The sand was washed clean today, stretching wide at low tide.’
Rebecca Wilding is a forty-seven year old archaeology professor. Married, with two adult children away at university, Rebecca has time to pursue her interest in ancient Greek artefacts and to consolidate her career. But suddenly, things start to go wrong. Budget cuts within Rebecca’s department at the university are likely to translate into job losses, and her superior Priscilla is undermining and belittling her. Her husband Stephen has become secretive, and Rebecca wonders whether he is having an affair. Anomalies are uncovered in the university accounts Rebecca is responsible for, and she is accused of fraud.
Stephen and Rebecca travel to Greece, Italy and Paris where, around longstanding professional engagements, they’ve planned a magnificent holiday. Rebecca hopes to uncover the truth about the fraud she’s been accused of, and that she and Stephen will rekindle their love.
But, while holidaying on the Amalfi Coast, Stephen goes swimming and does not return. And fresh allegations against Rebecca follow.
‘Truth was growing increasingly elusive and I was contributing; if I went down that path I could get tangled in my own lies.’
There are a couple of mysteries and many twists and turns in this novel. Has Rebecca been set up? If so, by whom and why? Why was Stephen so secretive? Was Stephen having an affair, and with whom? Has Stephen disappeared, or has he drowned?
This story unfolds at a fast pace, and I found it difficult to put down. I thought I’d figured it out a couple of times, and then had to reconsider as yet another twist added new possibilities. And the ending? Well, I wanted more.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Rebecca Wilding is a forty-seven year old archaeology professor. Married, with two adult children away at university, Rebecca has time to pursue her interest in ancient Greek artefacts and to consolidate her career. But suddenly, things start to go wrong. Budget cuts within Rebecca’s department at the university are likely to translate into job losses, and her superior Priscilla is undermining and belittling her. Her husband Stephen has become secretive, and Rebecca wonders whether he is having an affair. Anomalies are uncovered in the university accounts Rebecca is responsible for, and she is accused of fraud.
Stephen and Rebecca travel to Greece, Italy and Paris where, around longstanding professional engagements, they’ve planned a magnificent holiday. Rebecca hopes to uncover the truth about the fraud she’s been accused of, and that she and Stephen will rekindle their love.
But, while holidaying on the Amalfi Coast, Stephen goes swimming and does not return. And fresh allegations against Rebecca follow.
‘Truth was growing increasingly elusive and I was contributing; if I went down that path I could get tangled in my own lies.’
There are a couple of mysteries and many twists and turns in this novel. Has Rebecca been set up? If so, by whom and why? Why was Stephen so secretive? Was Stephen having an affair, and with whom? Has Stephen disappeared, or has he drowned?
This story unfolds at a fast pace, and I found it difficult to put down. I thought I’d figured it out a couple of times, and then had to reconsider as yet another twist added new possibilities. And the ending? Well, I wanted more.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
shelleyrae's review against another edition
4.0
The Lost Swimmer is a low key psychological thriller from debut author Ann Turner.
University department Head Rebecca Wilding is under extraordinary pressure both professionally and personally. Accused of embezzlement by a hostile colleague and fretting about her husband's increasingly odd behaviour, she hopes that she can resolve both situations during a long planned overseas trip. Instead, Rebecca finds herself in the midst of a crisis when the she becomes the target of the fraud investigation and then she is suspected of murder when her husband disappears without a trace.
I've been trying to write this review for three days but somehow can't quite find the words. This is not a reflection on the novel which I really enjoyed, but I have to move on, so here are some scattered thoughts:
* Told in the first person, the narrative is immediate and tense, and I was never quite sure whether I could trust Rebecca or not.
* I felt there were some inconsistencies in the characterisation of Rebecca, she didn't always behave in ways that made sense.
* I'd guessed the identity of the person framing Rebecca fairly early on but still had doubts all the way through given the multiple red herrings, any of whom would have been reasonable suspects.
* Stephen's disappearance has less relevance to the story than I expected from the synopsis.
* The pace is steady and Turner builds the suspense throughout the novel. I read it quickly gripped by the spiraling tension.
* The descriptions of landscape and sea are vivid, especially those of the Amalfi Coast.
* An atmospheric debut exploring the themes of trust, betrayal, loss and love.
"Truth was growing increasingly elusive and I was contributing; if I went down that path I could get tangled in my own lies."
renee_conoulty's review against another edition
4.0
Rebecca is an Australian University professor carrying some baggage from her past. She is happily married with two grown children, when she begins to suspect her husband is having an affair. The funding cuts at the University are also placing pressure on Rebecca and then to top it all off, she is placed under investigation for embezzlement involving a European bank. Rebecca and her husband had a European working holiday planned and during this trip Rebecca tries to find out the truth.
Rebecca's paranoia builds and I wasn't sure who to trust until it all came out. The first part of the book is slower paced, building the story but that last part kept me turning the pages! I liked Rebecca and could relate to how she felt at the end of the book. You don't always notice things as they are happening - hindsight has 20:20 vision.
I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rebecca's paranoia builds and I wasn't sure who to trust until it all came out. The first part of the book is slower paced, building the story but that last part kept me turning the pages! I liked Rebecca and could relate to how she felt at the end of the book. You don't always notice things as they are happening - hindsight has 20:20 vision.
I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
tylahhhmarie's review against another edition
1.0
This was incredibly boring. It took me so long to get through this one. Overly descriptive, not much of a story at all, ending was terribly done and dull. I’m surprised I even continued through this to finish it.
tigerlily33's review against another edition
3.0
giveaway win
This book is an emotional thriller about Rebecca wilding, an archaeologist whose life starts to unravel when she is falsely accused of fraud, she suspects her husband having an affair & loses trust in him & then he disappears.
I found this easy to read & quickly got absorbed in the story, which was very slow in starting & it didn't really pick up until about 65% in.
The characters were well described & a real sense of Rebecca's paranoia, anxiety & loneliness & worry could be felt.
I really had the plot worked out quite early on & wasn't surprised by the ending & was left feeling a bit disappointed & that it wasn't quite finished.
overall I enjoyed reading this
This book is an emotional thriller about Rebecca wilding, an archaeologist whose life starts to unravel when she is falsely accused of fraud, she suspects her husband having an affair & loses trust in him & then he disappears.
I found this easy to read & quickly got absorbed in the story, which was very slow in starting & it didn't really pick up until about 65% in.
The characters were well described & a real sense of Rebecca's paranoia, anxiety & loneliness & worry could be felt.
I really had the plot worked out quite early on & wasn't surprised by the ending & was left feeling a bit disappointed & that it wasn't quite finished.
overall I enjoyed reading this
sweetlybsquared's review against another edition
3.0
Rebecca Wilding is convinced her husband is having an affair, but there’s no proof. She knows she’s doing her job and doing it well, but they’re investigating her for fraud. The truth is becoming more and more confusing.
This book read a lot like literary fiction. The story flowed through Rebecca’s life and contemplations about what it all might mean. In her personal life, she was dealing with her own suspicions and concerns without proof that any of it was really in crisis. In her professional life, she expected things to be rather uneventful, until she’s accused of a series of actions that could cost her all of the progress and existence of her career. Was it possible that some of her worries were just her own anxiety? On the other hand, is there something to worry about even when she knows she hasn’t done anything wrong?
The characters and pacing of the story were just right. While the kangaroo attack never seemed to fit a lot with the rest of the book (?), its results did influence the way it all progressed. And what would a book taking place in Australia really be without a good kangaroo attack?
Overall, I’d give this book a high 3.5 out of 5 stars. The ending was a bit anticlimactic after all the build up, but I’m not sure how it could have been different. I’d recommend this book for those who like contemporary fiction.
This book read a lot like literary fiction. The story flowed through Rebecca’s life and contemplations about what it all might mean. In her personal life, she was dealing with her own suspicions and concerns without proof that any of it was really in crisis. In her professional life, she expected things to be rather uneventful, until she’s accused of a series of actions that could cost her all of the progress and existence of her career. Was it possible that some of her worries were just her own anxiety? On the other hand, is there something to worry about even when she knows she hasn’t done anything wrong?
The characters and pacing of the story were just right. While the kangaroo attack never seemed to fit a lot with the rest of the book (?), its results did influence the way it all progressed. And what would a book taking place in Australia really be without a good kangaroo attack?
Overall, I’d give this book a high 3.5 out of 5 stars. The ending was a bit anticlimactic after all the build up, but I’m not sure how it could have been different. I’d recommend this book for those who like contemporary fiction.
ryansiriwardene's review
2.0
I don't care if my coordinator at work like this book. This book was way too descriptive to the point where I actually skimmed at least 100 pages and still got the narrative.