Wednesday 26 July 2017

They All Fall Down by Tammy Cohen - Review

I've only recently discovered Tammy aka Tamar Cohen, but she has rapidly become one of my must-read authors - you know, one of those who immediately has you seeking out their entire back catalogue for a spot of binge-reading - so I was excited to get my hands on her latest.

They All Fall Down is set in a private women-only psychiatric clinic, The Meadows - clearly fertile ground for psychological intrigue. The central character, Hannah, is being treated following a deeply traumatic incident, the details of which are only gradually revealed. All we initially know is - ominously - that there's a baby involved. We also see events from the perspective of Hannah's mother Corinne, and Laura, one of the therapists at the clinic. Following two recent suicides, Hannah has become convinced a murderer is on the loose. But how reliable are her perceptions? And just who is tormenting her with reminders of what she has lost? Suspects abound, both within and without The Meadows.

The plot is very cleverly put together and while it's obvious there is more to certain characters than meets the eye, the ending came as quite a surprise. While I'm not sure if I would class this among Tammy's very best, it's definitely a compelling and highly enjoyable read with many intriguing and well drawn characters, including one truly heinous individual - but will you guess who that is?

With a psychiatric clinic as the setting and many characters having mental disorders of various types, there is plenty of scope here for getting things wrong, but in fact the subject is sensitively handled.

Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

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