I’m incredibly grateful to Zuky for forwarding her copy of Unravelling Oliver on to me.
From the back cover:
“I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.”
Alice and Oliver Ryan seem blessed, both in their happy marriage and in their successful working partnership. Their shared life is one of enviable privilege and ease. Enviable until, one evening after supper, Oliver attacks Alice and beats her into a coma.
Afterwards, as everyone tries to make sense of his astonishing act of savagery, Oliver tells his story. So do those who paths he has crossed over five decades.
It turns out that there is more to Oliver than Alice ever saw. But only he knows what he has done to get the life to which he felt entitled. And even he is in for a shock when his past catches up to him.
My Thoughts:
Unravelling Oliver is a dark and addictive read, one that begs to be read in one-sitting, even if it meant staying up until 2am to finish it! What made this book so compelling was the way the story was told; each chapter narrated by someone who knew Oliver over the last fifty years, giving us insights into his life from childhood to adulthood and it formed a well-rounded picture of Oliver’s nature and the events that led to his shocking act.
This is one of those novels that is good without trying to be good – each narrator is sharing the impact Oliver had on their life, but each chapter adds to the bigger picture and slowly the puzzles pieces come together. Though the narrator changed with each chapter, the flow was never disrupted, making this a seamless read. It’s not too long in length so you do not get a chance to tire of the narration style but instead you get pulled into finding out the driving force behind Oliver’s actions. When this novel reached its conclusion, I was very impressed but also amazed that I didn’t figure the reasoning earlier, but I was so entranced in my read, how Oliver impacted everyone’s life, that I guess I wasn’t trying to figure it out but instead just enjoying events as they came.
Unravelling Oliver is a psychological thriller written so differently to what’s currently flooding the market, it is a ‘husband and wife’ tale, but one that’s explored from many angles – it may appeal particularly to those who enjoy character-driven novels, and have an interest in the psychology behind why humans commit heinous acts, how childhood and past experiences shape the person you become.
The opening line [and paragraph] grabs your immediate attention but what follows isn’t a fast-paced thrill ride, but rather, a slow-paced unravelling of Oliver, delivered by himself and those that knew him at one point in time. If you need a brake from ‘whodunnits,’ try a ‘whydunnit’ in the form of Unravelling Oliver.
This book is available to buy from: Amazon UK / Book Depository
This sounds brilliant, definitely my type of book. Great review Janel, you’ve convinced me!
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Ive struggled with a few books lately so this was a very welcomed read!
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I’m glad you enjoyed this one more than both me and Ali! Great review as always – you’re right that it’s definitely different to what’s on the market, that does give it a certain appeal 🙂
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I’ve read a few character-driven/study books that fell short for me so I really appreciated the unique style of this one. Thanks again for sending it on 😊
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I’ve been on the fence with this book. Your review has me wanting to give it a go!!
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Yay! I hope you enjoy it! 😊
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Thank you so much! Delighted you enjoyed it.
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Fresh and original, it was a pleasure to read 😊
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What a great review! I have been wanting this one forever…clearly it’s time to just buy it! 😊
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Thanks! It’s so different to other psych thrillers – I really hope you enjoy it! 🙂
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Great review, Janel! This one is on my wishlist 😊
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Thanks! ☺️
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Great review, Janel – I like that this is doing something a little different to the norm, and, more importantly, something that works!
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Thanks Jo! 😊
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Excellent review! Sounds like the ending was a nice surprise
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Thanks Renee!
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I’m sold! Adding it to my TBR list.
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Yay! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, if not more! 🙂
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Wow, what a first line! This sounds good and Ive got the authors first book! I haven’t read it 😦
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I thought this one was her first book and Lying in Wait came after 🤔 (I’ve got Lying in Wait too and haven’t read it either lol)
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Ah hahahaha then the second, I have no idea!
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Whydunits have always appealed to me. That is why I am such a big fan of Ruth Rendell’s novels.
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Ah, I love Ruth Rendell!
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Nice review. I had a different take on the book. If interested here is my review:
https://books6259.wordpress.com/2017/11/04/unravelling-oliver-by-liz-nugent/
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