Reviews

Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner

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thelibraryofimagination's review against another edition

3.0

It was a pleasure to read this book with The Pigeonhole. I have them and the author to thank for this interesting reading experience.

Helen has finally remained pregnant. After several failed pregnancies, she finds herself at her first antenatal class and that is where she meets Rachel. Rachel is an abrasive and somewhat an intrusive person but Helen can’t help but befriend her. Rachel is everywhere. Coincidentally?

There are many things I enjoyed about this book. The writing was entertaining, the setting, Greenwich Park was familiar and the characters were intriguing. The outcome was satisfying, but there were several things that I did not like about this book.

For instance, the plot. I felt the plot was over dramatic and contrived. The fragmented continuity left me annoyed. Some elements were unrealistic; Helen’s pregnancy for instance. It had me wondering about how long she was going to hang on the baby. Sadly, as an experienced mother, I was not convinced. There is also the predictability of the plot. From early on we, The Pigeons (other readers), made predictions that were eventually proven correct. Unfortunately, reading to the end was more of a confirmation of predictions rather than intrigue. And of course, my usual pet peeve of uncharged and/or unattended phones at crucial points. And I cannot believe that a call to 999 would not be answered immediately.

I gave this story three out of five stars. I feel that Greenwich Park has lots going for it but I was neither convinced by certain elements or entertained by others, sadly. I would still recommend this book for people who enjoy a thriller and believe that others will not find fault with it. I also feel that despite my criticism it was a good book and others should read it. I am a very picky reader when it comes to thrillers, they must leave me in suspense and somewhat confused and highly entertained. Maybe if I hadn’t read it in instalments it may have read differently. However, from this reading, these are my thoughts.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this book with the author and The Pigeonhole and my fellow pigeons. As always, the behind the scenes discussions were just as, if not more than, entertaining as the book itself.

jstorrick's review against another edition

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4.0

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Helen was wished to be a mother her whole life, all she wants is a baby and finally she has a successful pregnancy. When she starts to attend a prenatal class, she is thrilled to meet another first time mom Rachel. But something is off about this new friend, Helen can tell she is hiding something. When the police show up at Helens asking questions about Rachel’s disappearance, Helen decides enough is enough. She needs to figure out who this woman is and how she is linked to her past.

“Greenwich Park” is a slow burn, domestic thriller focussing on Helen, her friends, and family. While most domestic thrillers keep me on the edge of my seat, this was much more of a slow burn. There are so many characters, storylines, timelines and clues to keep track of. The best way I can describe this novel is a puzzle. You are given small bits of information and while you try to piece it together you similarly cannot. The action truly did not pick up until about half way through the book and at times it was confusing how everything fit together. While the ending wraps everything up in a nice bow, it was slow at times.

RECOMMEND: If you are looking for a slow burn domestic thriller I would recommend.

THEMES:

amykenney's review

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dark mysterious tense

4.0

rosabeccs's review against another edition

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3.0

Greenwich Park centres around two women, Helen and Rachel, who meet in an antenatal class. Rachel is immediately full on, attaching herself to Helen and showing up wherever Helen goes. Helen is torn between being glad to have a friend she can share pregnancy with, and the looming sense that something isn't quite right.

This was a interesting mystery that did just about manage to keep me guessing. I was eternally circling the answers the whole time which made it feel slightly less satisfying, but there were enough red herrings that I happily never quite got there.

The atmosphere it created was spot on. Just like Helen, you know something seems off about Rachel but I would also have brushed it aside like she does. The suspicion and the tension are kept at a great level throughout and it's one of those thrillers you'll inhale over a couple of days.

Where it ends up going is a wild ride, but the downside is that it feels like an overly familiar plot. It falls back onto some tropes that aren't quite comfortable which is a shame, and it never totally blindsighted me in the way I wanted.

Thanks to Bloomsbury for the ARC through Netgalley.

socorrobaptista's review against another edition

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4.0

Você confia em seus amigos? Depois de ler este livro, está pergunta é inevitável. Uma narrativa de suspense, muitas dúvidas, e um crime hediondo, de deixar a gente de cabelo em pé. Muito bom.