Finders, Keepers by Sabine Durrant

Finders, Keepers

by Sabine Durrant

One woman's secret is her neighbour's opportunity.

'Masterly' Louise Candlish
'Incredible!' Lucy Atkins
'Riveting' Clare Mackintosh
'Extraordinary' Mark Edwards
'Intelligent, twisty' OBSERVER
'Accomplished and addictive' SUNDAY TIMES

Verity Baxter has lived - quietly, carefully - in Trinity Fields all her life. Then Ailsa and Tom Tilson move in next door and everything changes. Can Verity trust what she hears through the walls?

And what about the Tilsons: should they pity their eccentric neighbour and her messy house? Or should they fear her?

Either way, like the ivy that creeps through their shared garden fence, their lives are entwined now. And the knots can only get tighter . . .

'Seriously superior psychological thriller' Star pick, Sunday Times Crime Club
'Stupendously addictive' Deborah Moggach
'A smart, compelling and thoroughly haunting read' Mail on Sunday
'Pace, place, characters, plot ... it's a masterclass' Gill Hornby
'Hard to put down' EVENING STANDARD
'The language is honed as sharp as a stiletto. The murder mystery is teased out to the very last compelling page' Star pick, Sunday Times Crime Club
'You think you know what's going on in this brilliant read, then you realise you so don't!' FABULOUS
'Deliciously sly and profoundly moving' JP Delaney
'Elegant and astute' Louise O'Neill
'A masterfully plotted page-turner' Erin Kelly
'Engrossing, astute, disturbing and so believable' Sarah Hilary
'I loved it' Sarah Vaughan
'This well-paced, intelligent mystery benefits from finely-drawn characters and convincing psychological tension ... take a peek at the raging traumas behind the calm masks of suburban respectability' Daily Mail
'A compelling read that strikes a chill straight into your heart' Dinah Jefferies
'A delicious study in dark psychology with a narrator who constantly keeps you guessing. This tale serves up a real emotional punch' SUNDAY MIRROR
'A taut thriller with layer upon layer of suspense and twists right to the very last page' Red
'Sucks you in and keeps you wanting more. Just when you think you know someone, think again...' HEAT
'One not to miss' WOMAN
'Chilling' The I
'Durrant builds a sense of menace and the ending is satisfying, with a believable twist' Good Housekeeping
'Spine-tingling' Crime Monthly
'Engrossing psychological crime' LITERARY REVIEW

Reviewed by zooloo1983 on

3 of 5 stars

Share
Ok, not sure where to start! This book is a dark tale of manipulation and obsession with so many secrets. some not so shocking, some completely shocking. I’m not even sure if I liked anyone in the book bar, Max!

Verity is living in her house, where she has done for basically her whole life, she was a career to her mother before she died and her younger sister left home. However, she becomes obsessed with her neighbours.

Ailsa and Tom move in next door with their 3 children, moving away from something that happened in their previous home. A new project comes to their minds as they try to wear Verity down with her home.

At first, I began to wonder about Verity and Ailsa and their friendship. You are made to not like Tom from the get-go as he confronts Verity on her doorstep about the state of her garden. Ailsa appears to try and placate things but I was never quite sure how much manipulation was from Tom or off her own back. She was a woman who was after what she could get, not actually sure if I would have classed her a friend. Verity has an unhealthy obsession, she likes to have the upper hand and she an air of grace around Ailsa until Ailsa enters her house one day. Then things start to change and the somewhat fragile friendship changes.

With an opening that teased some events and current situations, we are taken back to Verity and Ailsa meeting and their story to the fateful event. Many things are alluded to and you aren’t quite sure of them until you take a step back and ponder, then things make a lot of sense. This is a somewhat slow burner, secrets and information are teased out, it takes time to trust someone and you can get a sense of this here. Verity always made to feel like a burden, embarrassed by everything becomes Ailsa project as they try to sort out her house. But again, who benefits from Ailsa actions?

This is about building trust and revealing back the layers to each other. That takes time and Finders Keepers takes that time, it took me a while to get into the story because of the slow pace but I appreciate the effort the author has taken to build up this story. We get to know most of the characters but through Verity’s eyes, unreliable? I would say so and I love that she even admits this! Without realising you care about who she does, and dismiss who she dismisses. I know I wouldn’t want to live in the house next door!!

This was my first foray with Ms Durrant, and the way she takes her time to look into someone’s mind has intrigued me. I am not sure what made anyone tick, but the evidence is damming. People are just not nice!!! They will use and abuse for their own gain and it’s safe to say that’s what happens here. Shocks are thrown in along the way, but they are relevant and show us what makes these people tick. Things did not pan out how I thought it would, unfortunately reading one review revealed something without realising (I hope) and I saw a new direction for this book.

It was very twisty and clever, and then when you get to the unsuspecting end, well all I can say is well played Ms Durrant, well played.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 5 July, 2020: Finished reading
  • 5 July, 2020: Reviewed