The Primrose Path
Published on 24. March 2016
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-0-7515-6194-4 (ISBN)
Description
Haunted by her past. In danger from her present.
Isolated, alone, vulnerable.
Sometimes the danger is closer than you think.
As a teenager, Sarah D'Villez famously escaped a man who abducted and held her hostage for eleven days. The case became notorious, with Sarah's face splashed across the front of every newspaper in the country.
Now, seventeen years later, that man is about to be released from prison. Fearful of the media storm that is sure to follow, Sarah decides to flee to rural Wales under a new identity, telling nobody where she's gone.
Settling into the small community she is now part of, Sarah soon realises that someone is watching her. Someone who seems to know everything about her . . .
Isolated, alone, vulnerable.
Sometimes the danger is closer than you think.
As a teenager, Sarah D'Villez famously escaped a man who abducted and held her hostage for eleven days. The case became notorious, with Sarah's face splashed across the front of every newspaper in the country.
Now, seventeen years later, that man is about to be released from prison. Fearful of the media storm that is sure to follow, Sarah decides to flee to rural Wales under a new identity, telling nobody where she's gone.
Settling into the small community she is now part of, Sarah soon realises that someone is watching her. Someone who seems to know everything about her . . .
Reviews / Votes
Superbly evokes the brooding beauty of the countryside and the menace that can lurk behind its hedges . . . Twisty, atmospheric and elegantly written, it has echoes of Daphne du Maurier with its shivering paranoia, fear and dread, and introduces an exciting new name to "domestic noir" -- Geoffrey Wansell * Daily Mail * This is a chilling thriller . . . a brilliantly written book * Sun * A lusciously atmospheric rural mystery with a delicious backflip of an ending. There were moments that literally gave me shivers. * Alex Marwood * I was hooked from page one and downed this book in one lip-smacking, thirst-quenching gulp! For me, The Primrose Path is the best book so far of 2016 * Crimesquad, Fresh Blood of the Month * I loved the contrasting settings, the vivid depictions of the Welsh community and landscape, the backdrop of isolation and fear that permeates every page, and the gnawing sense of uncertainty Rebecca succeeds in making you feel about just about everything and everybody you encounter in the book. Beautifully written, it's a truly chilling and impressive debut. * Gilly Macmillan * A tense, brooding thriller which lays bare the dark currents of rural life; its secrets, lies and the sheer brutality which festers beneath the surface of seemingly idyllic village communities. With its sharp-eyed characterisation, expert plotting, and evocative prose, The Primrose Path marks Rebecca Griffiths as a future star of the domestic noir genre. * Eva Dolan * Creepy * Heat * Gripping * Hello, Book of the Week * [A] twisty delight of a tale, brilliantly constructed, highly addictive and with some great characters and a winding beautifully written plot that is really engaging . . . an intelligent character driven story that is genuinely fun to read. Highly Recommended * Liz Loves Books * A twisty slice of Welsh Gothic with rich evocative prose. I loved The Primrose Path * Mark Hill, author of The Two O'Clock Boy * If this is anything to go by Rebecca Griffiths is on her way to being a bestselling author. The Primrose Path is disturbing, mysterious and quite unpredictable and reminds me of why crime is one of my favourite genres. Griffiths dives into the story with a little look into the past of a disturbed and abusive family to set the tones for a book that will be addictive and laden with twists and turns. Griffiths' descriptive writing enables you to hold a clear image of the Welsh surroundings which I found to be breath-taking. And the addition of a few Welsh words into the mix was educational and a pleasure to read. * Bibliophoenix, 5 stars * [Griffiths'] intimate knowledge of the area shines through, creating the authentic feel of a claustrophobic, tight-knit little community where everyone knows everyone else's business and is proud of it. The OED defines The Primrose Path as, 'the pursuit of pleasure, especially when bringing disastrous consequences'. Believe me, this book is well named. You must prepare to run the gamut of emotions in a reading journey that has as many false directions as a faulty GPS system . . . This is a cracking debut from an author who shows great promise and I could only marvel at the number of twists she crammed into one book . . . You'll certainly feel like you've been through the wringer by the end of this chilling slice of domestic noir. I'm adding Rebecca Griffiths to my growing list of new authors to watch. * Crimefictionlover * This is a truly twisty tantalising, psychological thriller in which the author has planted so many red herrings, I finished reading it with the aroma of kippers still in my nostrils! . . . For a plot driven book the characters are all super realistic and all have something to hide, secrets abound and when I discovered a series of murders of young women going on in a nearby seaside town I suspected EVERY single person, discounted them and then suspected them again! It's a very coherent and enigmatic multi-layered, yet easy to follow, book with lots of quirky characters with idiosyncrasies and flaws galore. It gallops along at a fair old pace dragging you behind it shouting Whoah! Very enjoyable, entertaining and readable for lovers of twisty psychological chillers. * BeadyJansBooks *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Little, Brown Book Group
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 34 mm
Weight
646 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7515-6194-4 (9780751561944)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Rebecca Griffiths grew up in rural mid-Wales and went on to gain a first class honours degree in English Literature. After a successful business career in London, Dublin and Scotland she returned to mid-Wales where she now lives with her husband, who is a prolific artist, their dog, and pet sheep the size of sofas. The Primrose Path is her first novel.