Review: Second Life by S.J. Watson

Summary:

The sensational new psychological thriller from the bestselling author of Before I Go To Sleep ...She loves her husband. She's obsessed by a stranger. She's a devoted mother. She's prepared to lose everything. She knows what she's doing. She's out of control. She's innocent. She's guilty as sin. She's living two lives. She might lose both ...

Publication Date: June 9, 2015

Second Life had an awesome premise. I was so intrigued by the idea of an average middle-aged woman going undercover online as a way to suss out her sister’s killer. I did like parts of the novel, but I struggled at times as well.

Julia is a tough sell and I think my main issue with her was her character seemed so uneven. Like I thought she was selflessly trying to help with her sister’s murder case, but then some of her later actions were so selfish and it really made me dislike her character.

The pacing was a little slow at the start, so I’m glad I stuck out the book since the second half was much more exciting. There’s a lot of messed up stuff that happens as Julia infiltrates Kate’s life and she uncovers so many dirty little secrets. She also seems to get in touch with a darker side of her personality.

Despite my qualms, the book was a solid four stars until the ending. Sometimes ambiguous endings work, but this one really didn’t for me. Not a bad book, but not nearly as good as the author’s Before I Go to Sleep.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!