The sins of the past echo in the present in the new literary thriller from crime-critic favourite, Rachael Blok.
The bigger the sin, the further the fall...
With Easter approaching, the verger of St Albans Cathedral was supposed to be readying the church. Instead he discovers a man lying dead, fallen from the famous 150-foot-high tower. Did he jump, or was he pushed?
For DCI Maarten Jansen, it's a simple case of suspected suicide. Until a witness, Willow, prompts a deeper investigation into a long-buried past, involving a psychiatric hospital, a pregnant woman, and fifty years of silence. As Willow's own family history entwines with the case, Jansen starts to wonder how everything is connected.
The Fall is a haunting literary thriller about loss, trauma, silence, and how our past shapes who we are.
I was initially drawn to this book by the stunning cover; there's just something so dark and menacing about the cathedral and the top of the tower looks such a long way up that I could easily imagine the horror of someone falling from it. But, did they fall or were they pushed?
St Albans cathedral is the focal point of the novel with a fall from the tower, an exhibition about the history of a psychiatric hospital and a marriage taking place within days of each other. Willow Eliot is the character who links the events together - she witnessed the fall, she is in charge of the exhibition and it is her twin sister who is due to get married. I loved the strained relationship between Willow and her twin, Fliss - it's a real case of one-upmanship.
The police investigation is led by DCI Maarten Jansen and I really liked him and his team so I'd love for this to be the start of a new series. The police procedural elements felt very realistic as I followed every step of the investigation with the team.
Interwoven between the mystery of the fall from the tower and other strange events is an intriguing tale of twins Alice and Betty. I kept wondering how this was going to fit into the story but it does so beautifully. I can't say any more for fear of releasing any spoilers but it's masterfully done and I really must applaud Rachael Blok's ability to keep the reader hooked and on their toes.
The Fall is a beautifully written thriller touching on mental health and family relationships. It's the first book I've read by Rachael Blok and it certainly won't be my last - I loved it.
I received a digital ARC via NetGalley to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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