4 out of 4 stars
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Who murdered Isabelle Edwards? Why was she killed? Did Ryan Kelly, her boyfriend kill her and then commit suicide unable to deal with the guilt? What is the big secret that Amy Mellissa Robinson, a high flying successful woman has kept under wraps for over thirty years? How has this secret shaped her into the woman she is today? Are her business partners really trying to kill Amy for investigating Isabelle’s death or is she suffering from paranoia? These are the questions that capture the two main plots that that delicately intertwine and run smoothly in this psychological thriller.
Amy works at Pearson Malone and Isabelle is her colleague who is murdered. Amy, the main protagonist in this book takes us on a manhunt to unearth the corporate accounting malpractices and money laundering deals that led to the death of Isabelle. The culprits, JJ Partners who are also Pearson Malone’s biggest clients, will do anything including murder to cover their tracks. Jason, Greg Kelly who is Amy’s ex-husband and Ed Smithies, her boss collude to discredit Amy and frustrate her efforts to investigate, painting her as a psychotic delusional woman whose word and character cannot be trusted. As the plot progresses, Amy’s big secret is accidentally discovered. Her mom is a compulsive hoarder who lives in a pigsty and likes it. This adversely affects Amy who had to grow up and live with this filth and shame. Amy lives in constant fear that her mum’s hoarding behavior will come to light. Consequently, she conceals not only this secret from her close friends and husband but also her true identity. Behind the façade of a successful professional, is a woman with a shameful past, a troublesome relationship with her mom and an alcoholic who often has conversations with her younger self. This is captured perfectly in these statements, “The smell, the stifling oppression, pervasive shame, the humiliation, the sensation of being different, the ever present fear of discovery, the fear that the higher I soared, the further I must fall. I left as soon as I could and got on with the business of pretending to be a successful professional with a charmed existence. And no doubt my bravura performance had fooled them all, despite the quivering jelly underneath the façade.”
Concealment: a compelling psychological thriller, the first book in the Crazy Amy Thriller series, is a forty seven-chapter, three hundred and forty page fictional piece by Rose Edmunds. Rose is an author who has built a successful career advising entrepreneurs across various fields. She writes thrillers inspired by her personal life experiences.
The premise that perception is reality gives this book an edge, allowing it to live up to its title because until the very end I was kept guessing whether Amy is really crazy and delusional or if it is her colleagues and workmates that perceive her as crazy. The perception that Amy could be crazy left me wondering how she was able to discover the masterminds behind Isabelle’s murder thus adding to the suspense in this book. I also loved that Rose Edmunds goes to great lengths to develop her characters. These characters stirred up strong emotions in me as I read the book. For instance Ed Smithies, who is painted as a malicious boss that enjoys firing people on a whim, evoked hatred in me and more so because of the way he undermines and slanders Amy. The level of grammar and vocabulary shows the author‘s exceptional adeptness in writing.
There are very few errors in this book such as some chapters being italicized to illustrate a change in narration voice. I do not think this is necessary.
I would recommend this book to all who love indulging their brains in psychological roller coasters.
This book easily earns 4 out of 4 stars. I am still wondering is perception reality?
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Concealment
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