As an avid reader of Jenny Valentine’s novels, I couldn’t wait to read this one, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
Iris lives with her mother, Hannah, and her step-dad, Lowell. They want to show the world they are a happy, rich and gorgeous family, but in reality it’s all just an act and they are far from perfect. When they find out that Iris’s real father, Ernest, is dying, greedy Hannah and Lowell immediately decide to meet him again after years of ignoring him, as they hope to get their hands on Ernest’s priceless art collection when he dies. Everything Iris knows slowly starts to unravel… and there’s only one person who can give her answers: Ernest.
This book was well written and full of plot twists. Lies were discovered and everything becomes more and more confusing and at the end everything all comes together, which is absolutely brilliant. And even Iris’s best friend, Thurston, who is on the other side of the world, has a role to play in this mass of secrets and lies. It was a truly brilliant novel - one you can read again and again, even if you know the plot. It’s brilliantly crafted, and Iris’s character is very well developed. Iris has an obsession with fire. She loves lighting them, and watching them; her worries seem to drift away. But sometimes things get out of control, and Hannah and Lowell hate her for ruining their dreams of living life as a perfect family.
I only wish that this book was a little longer, because everything seemed over really quickly but it’s not that much thinner than any other novel. If you haven’t heard of Jenny Valentine, I really think you should have a go at some of her books; I especially liked The Double Life Of Cassiel Roadnight as well. What I admire about her style is that she can really take the reader with the characters on their journey, and this was one journey which captivated me completely.
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Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
