The Lover opening lines: She feels the blood before she opens her eyes. She’s not sure if it’s the jackhammering in her head or the pounding on the door that’s woken her.
My blurb:
Hallie fell in love at nineteen and left everything she knew behind to make a life with Calvin. When everything fell apart, she came home to her dream job. Rafe fell in love with Hallie and would do everything and anything to make her love him back. He proposes one night, and is found dead the following morning. Hallie was next to him when he was found, casting suspicion on her. But, could she really have murdered the man she was to spend the rest of her life with?
The Lover
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS…
Rafe seems like your perfect man – intelligent, charming, attractive.
You think you’ve met the one.
You go back to his house one evening and falls asleep in his arms.
When you wake, you reach out for him. But something feels cold beside you…
Rafe is dead – murdered in bed as you lay next to him – and everyone is going to think you did it.
My verdict:
I spent the entire book trying to figure out who killed Rafe, and why. And I was so surprised at the ending as the killer was not the obvious choice. A well written book by Mary Watson that I can recommend you read.
About the Author:
Mary Watson is a South African author who won the Caine Prize in 2006 for her short story Jungfrau. Watson is the author of Moss, a collection of short stories published in 2004. Watson completed her masters degree in creative writing under André Brink at the University of Cape Town. Jungfrau originated as part of this 2001 masters thesis. After receiving a second masters degree at the University of Bristol in 2003, she returned to Cape Town to teach film studies while pursuing a PhD. Watson has lived in Galway, Ireland, since 2008.
Publishing information:
Penguin Random House South Africa sent me this novel to review.
See the links below for blog posts I published on July 26:
- 2025: Is Matcha The Healthier Caffeine Fix We’ve Been Missing
- 2121: XO Sauce
- 2020: Last Stop Auschwitz
- 2019: Citrus Poppy Seed Cake
- 2017: Old Austria Restaurant
- 2015: Disclaimer
- 2012: Plum Tart Tatin
- 2011: Chervil
- 2010: Jambalaya
Hallie must be a very deep sleeper….I wouldn’t even pick up the book if I just saw the title…well, I guess I shouldn’t judge the book by the cover or title as the storyline does sound quite interesting.
the story line is very interesting! and you will have to read it to known just how she slept through it all 😉
It’s lovely to see a review of a book written by a South African. It sounds very exciting.
she writes really well!