The Night Visitor by Lucy Atkins
Professor Olivia Sweetman has worked hard to achieve the life she loves, with a high-flying career as a TV presenter and historian, three children and a talented husband. But as she stands before a crowd at the launch of her new bestseller she can barely pretend to smile. Her life has spiralled into deceit and if the truth comes out, she will lose everything.
Only one person knows what Olivia has done. Vivian Tester is the socially awkward sixty-year-old housekeeper of a Sussex manor who found the Victorian diary on which Olivia’s book is based. She has now become Olivia’s unofficial research assistant. And Vivian has secrets of her own.
As events move between London, Sussex and the idyllic South of France, the relationship between these two women grows more entangled and complex. Then a bizarre act of violence changes everything.
Amazon Barnes and Noble Goodreads
Praise for The Night Visitor
“Meticulously plotted suspense…Evocative writing heightens the sense of impending doom created by the tale’s structure…Harrowing.” —Publishers Weekly
“[A] sense of unease keeps pushing all the way to the last, intense pages. A reckoning is coming, but why?…With shades of Rebecca and The Secret History, Atkins has produced an eerie page-turner that will have readers guessing from the first.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Brilliant…a ‘cannot turn yourself away’ novel.” —Kate Hamer
‘Put me in mind of Misery, and Rebecca. Splendid.’ —Sarah Hilary
“Creepy, tense and unnerving.”—Sharon Bolton
Author’s Bio
Lucy lives with her husband and three teenaged children in Oxford, UK and has also lived in Philadelphia, Seattle, and Boston. She reviews books for The Sunday Times, and has written features for newspapers such as The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph and magazines such as Red, Woman & Home, Psychologies and Grazia. Lucy has also written several non fiction books, including the Amazon #1 parenting bestseller, First-Time Parent (Collins, 2008).
My Review
4 stars
Olivia Sweetman has a successful career as a historian and a beautiful husband and three children. But when she sees a flier for the unveiling of the private diary of Anabel Burley, she knows she wants to write a book about Anabel. Vivian Tester is the housekeeper of Anabel’s mansion and agrees to work with Olivia to write the book.
Vivian ends up being the one that does all the work finding everything she can about Anabel. Both women have some deep secrets that the publishing of the book is going to bring to light. All mixed in with the confession of the first woman surgeon that confesses to killing her own husband.
This was a good read that kept me entertained the entire time. I loved the main story of Anabel, that in itself was wonderful. But that can’t be the only thing happening. Especially when you have a socially awkward woman who basically wrote a book that a younger, more open women is receiving all the praise for. Plus who doesn’t have their own secrets that they want to keep close that could hurt them.
This is one book that I recommend checking out. I admit it was not one that I initially would have picked to review but it was a great read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
I would like to thank Quercus for the opportunity to read and share this book.
jbronderbookreviews 
Leave a Reply