Review: Someone Close to Home

Someone Close to Home by Alex Craigie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Megan, once a famous pianist, but after a stroke she is now bed ridden in a care home. Many of the carers are lovely, friendly and really look after Megan, but others just treat her as an inconvenience. Then there’s Annie, a sadistic and cruel woman who is taking revenge for an event many, many years ago.

As Megan lies in bed, she only has her memories and the story is told in flashbacks to her past. Her mother was manipulative and controlling, but also fragile and lonely and lives vicariously through Megan. Her lies end up hurting others and this has devastating consequences.

Over the years, Megan’s childhood friend, Gideon grows closer and they finally declare their love for each other…….but Megan’s mother has other plans.

Believing Gideon has someone else, Megan marries Jordan, but this marriage is violent and just plain nasty.

Megan really has been through a lot and now lying in her bed she is tortured by the evil Annie. Can she make herself understood before it’s too late?

This is a gripping read, full of emotion, love, spite, fear and hope. The descriptions of the care home routines is so accurate, from the lack of resources to the care they give their residents. (My mother is a resident herself due to dementia and I know first hand the pressures they are under, but the care shown to these frail people is never in doubt….luckily!)

I cannot imagine the fear of someone being unable to communicate while being mistreated in such a way as Megan. The wonderfully emotive writing by Alex Craigie really does bring this point alive, which makes this a tense, disturbing read at times and is so compelling I read it in one sitting.

Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.

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