Secret Smile

This is the story of a nightmarish situation you would never want to happen to you: you break up with someone really creepy to find out he is going out with your sister two weeks later, and he has been telling your family in his most charming way how devastated you were at the break up! Add to that, he makes suggestive comments to you behind everyone's backs and makes his way into your life, to the point that he is living in your home!

This book is so, so creepy, and ends up being really quite scary, as Brendan's obsession with Miranda shows no end. I'm interested in seeing the telemovie now, which stars David Tennant as the manipulative Brendan, although it will probably put me off him forever.

Many readers will likely find some of the story unrealistic, especially as Miranda's family and best friend believe Brendan's story more than hers, and I did find that frustrating, but it certainly didn't stop me from racing through this book to see if anyone survived! This is the first Nicci French book I've read, and I will be back for more.

My rating ****