Nemesis

​I discovered Louise Marley via her short story The Indecent Proposal. I liked her writing, but found the subject too fluffy for my tastes so Louise kindly recommended Nemesis as a more suitable read. She was absolutely right!

Nemesis is a nicely plotted, slick crime thriller. It jumps in time between the present day and fifteen years previously, gradually revealing pertinent details of an unsolved murder. The periods are linked through the presence of Natalie, our heroine and the sister of Sarah, our murder victim. While the numerous characters aren't all completely fleshed out, Natalie came across as very real, she is gutsy and impetuous, but without seeming impervious. Natalie's childhood home life was marred by her violent father and his scenes have a distinct chill which was fun to read. I thought most of the male characters were unlikeable in that they had a realistic lack of respect for the women.

Marley's descriptions of Hurst Castle and its surroundings made it easy to imagine and, if it does have a genuine counterpart, I'd certainly like to visit some day. The layers of historic detail added interest to the story.

The plot twists of Nemesis kept me guessing right to the end, actually having talked myself out of the right answer on the way. I didn't want to put the book down and kept reading way past bedtime!