Description from goodreads
When Rachel marries dark, handsome David, everything seems to fall into place. Swept from single life in London to the beautiful Carnhallow House in Cornwall, she gains wealth, love, and an affectionate stepson, Jamie.
But then Jamie’s behaviour changes, and Rachel’s perfect life begins to unravel. He makes disturbing predictions, claiming to be haunted by the spectre of his late mother – David’s previous wife. Is this Jamie’s way of punishing Rachel, or is he far more traumatized than she thought?
As Rachel starts digging into the past, she begins to grow suspicious of her husband. Why is he so reluctant to discuss Jamie’s outbursts? And what exactly happened to cause his ex-wife’s untimely death, less than two years ago? As summer slips away and December looms, Rachel begins to fear there might be truth in Jamie’s words: ‘You will be dead by Christmas.’
Review
I requested this book from NetGalley after seeing it around on blogosphere. I haven’t yet read The Ice Twins but I decided to start with this one anyway. So many people seemed to enjoy it and this definitely got me intrigued. I am definitely glad that I decided to get it.
The Fire Child by S. Tremayne has everything that makes a good psychological thriller. Rachel is an unreliable narrator. She is the protagonist and the main narrator but it was so hard to trust her. I didn’t even know if she was sane or not. This added to the suspense of the narration. Interestingly, all other characters are just as unreliable hence creating a sense of doubt and mystery.
The supernatural aspects of possible haunting, ghosts and the disturbing child who made predictions of the future added to the creepiness of the book. As described in the blurb Jamie was quite an interesting but scary child. At some point, I started wondering whether this was a horror story instead of a psychological thriller. Either way, I was committed to seeing how it would all end and I wasn’t disappointed!
As usual, I do like a good setting and especially when this setting includes the sea or ocean. In this case, it was Cornwall. The setting of this book was perfect in adding to the eeriness and atmospheric feel of the narrative. The old mansion was super spooky and so were the mines around it. Add the sea to it and you get the perfect setting for odd, scary events. Other aspects that made the setting stand out include its remoteness, history and the folklore.
Of course, the best part of any psychological thriller is the twist. This book didn’t disappoint in this. It had a number of good twists that totally surprised me. In addition, there were pictures used all over the narrative that ended up adding to the mystery and suspense of the book.
photos from the book
Final thoughts…
If you like psychological thrillers, then you have to read this one. The author managed to create such a dark, creepy atmosphere in the perfect setting. The character development was also done very well. The main characters from Jamie, Rachel, Nina, David and even Julie were all quite memorable. The Fire Child by S. Tremayne is one those books that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. I recommend this book to all fans of this genre.
About the book
- Title: The Fire Child
- Author: S.K Tremayne
- Kindle Edition, 400 pages
- Published June 16th 2016 by HarperCollins UK
- Original Title: The Fire Child
- Rating: 4.5 stars
I can’t wait to read The Ice Twins. I hope that it will just as good as The Fire Child.
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