Witness

by Caroline Mitchell

[zooloo1983]

Wow! Like most of this year as soon as I finish a book I need to come and dump some words on a page before refining them. So here I am and all I can think at present is WOW!! This has a brutal opening and from then on you are not ever given the opportunity to relax at all, just like Becca can’t. Forever looking over your shoulder, wondering who it is when your phone buzzes, is it a message you want or something more sinister!?

We are in the present and Rebecca aka Becca is in hiding, living in a sleepy Welsh village, married to a Vet, Sean and their little bouncy girl Lottie and their dog Bear. Things seem nice and peaceful now for Becca, 10 years after an incident changed her life until she hears news that her past is coming for her.

We learn of the horrifying and abusive relationship she was in with Solomon. On paper he is perfect but then the cracks start to show, her mother dies and then there is no escape. Some of this book is not there for a comfortable read at all. It will make you angry and at times you wonder who is being manipulated, I know that as the reader it felt you were. Not going to lie, I guess where the reveal would end up and I was quite satisfied to see I was right, although it is not a happy outcome and you do feel quite bereft at that shocking conclusion of the story.

Rebecca is naive and in love when we first see the glimpse into her past, her diary entries full of happiness until the doubts start. Noting everything that happens and how things all falls apart. From the scared girl to an aloof woman, trying to find peace with her past and move on but she can’t. When she gets caught up in Solomon’ web again you do wonder how she will escape and what the fallout might be.

Solomon is toxic and a king at manipulation. I was eager to listen to his chapters so I could get some insight into him and his ways. He has no soul I decided. He is a product of what has been done to him, I did like that Caroline tries to build a bit of remorse for him with stories of his childhood and the love of his mother but I think even she realised that there is nothing there for the reader to feel for. He is the epitome of evil and the dangerous psychological games he plays prove this. He is like Big Brother, all-knowing and all-seeing! Things escalate quickly and you do wonder how this will end.

This game was awful that we are dragged into and again the King of Manipulation got his kicks on manoeuvring Becca right where he needed her. The decisions she made may have been rash but when snippets of information he provided fuelling her decision you could see why she did it. I mean Chloe – urgh! Although it is not a game I want to play it was “exciting” to see how it would play – as much as one could get excited by it!

The end of the story! WELL! Let me tell you, although I completely agree with everything Becky said, it left me with goosebumps. Eeek!!

My first foray with Ms Mitchell and it’s safe to say it will not be my last. She got me hook, lined and sunk me to the bottom as I was totally engrossed in this book. I yearned to learn about the past but I feared for the future. She got me completely with this book and I am giddy to see what is next!