By: Camilla Way
ISBN: 9781101991633
Publisher: Berkley/NAL
Publication Date: 8/2/2016
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 5 Stars + Top Books of 2016 For fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train: A dazzling work of psychological suspense that weaves together the past and present of two women's twisted friendship. Beautiful, creative, a little wild… Edie was the kind of girl who immediately caused a stir when she walked into your life. And she had dreams back then—but it didn't take long for her to learn that things don't always turn out the way you want them to. Now, at thirty-three, Edie is working as a waitress, pregnant and alone. And when she becomes overwhelmed by the needs of her new baby and sinks into a bleak despair, she thinks that there's no one to turn to… But someone's been watching Edie, waiting for the chance to prove once again what a perfect friend she can be. It's no coincidence that Heather shows up on Edie's doorstep, just when Edie needs her the most. So much has passed between them—so much envy, longing, and betrayal. And Edie's about to learn a new lesson: those who have hurt us deeply—or who we have hurt—never let us go, not entirely…
My Review
A special thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Camilla Way delivers a dark hypnotic psychological thriller debut, WATCHING EDIE, a smashing, brilliantly crafted suspense, portraying the dark side of friendships. Keeping readers glued to the pages—With pulse-pounding intensity, building to a stunning climax --you do not see coming.
Spellbinding, every character is deeply flawed. The past and present - Combustion! From "Then" (Heather), to "Now" (Edie). From high school to seventeen years later.
Two unlikely friends. Obsession--reminiscent of Single White Female, and The Roommate, a tragedy tears these two apart. It has simmered for years, and now a slow burning threat is waiting to surface and DESTROY!
In high school, Edie, the popular beautiful one. Heather, the heavy, social outcast misfit. The link: a dangerous controlling boyfriend, Connor. Heather is overly protector of Edie. Friendship, betrayal, lies, hurts, jealousy, revenge, guilt, drugs, control—toxic relationships. A tragedy, the unspeakable. Edie leaves town for good, and runs away to London.
“At first I used to see Heather everywhere. Connor too, of course. From the corner of my eye I’d catch a glimpse of one, or the other of them, and there’d be that sharp, cold lurch that would leave me sick and shaken long after I’d realized that it had been an illusion; just a stranger with similar hair or the same way of walking.
Whenever it happened I’d go somewhere busy and lose myself among the crowds, roaming the southeast London streets until I’d reassured myself that all that was very far away and long ago. A small West Midlands town a million miles from here. And the doorbell rings and rings as I’d always known it would one day.
Because there she is (Heather) standing on her doorstep, staring at her (Edie). There, after all this time, is Heather. And she had imagined this, dreamed of this, dreaded this, so many hundreds of times for so many years that the reality is both surreal and anticlimactic. They stand in silence, two thirty-three-year-old versions of the girls we'd once been."
It all goes back to the Wrexham Quarry. Edie still dreams about Heather. Night after night her sleeping mind replays what happened between them in Fremton. She sees all of them at the quarry. Heather, Connor, Niall, Rabbitt, Boyo, Tully and the others.
The night Edie left for good, memories slamming into her one after another; the confusion, panic, the awful, terrifying screams as everything had spiraled out of control. Sometimes she imagined it was all a mistake. Whatever it is that Heather wants from her now, nothing can change that.
Here in her flat, seventeen years vanish, meaningless compared to the unforgettable horror of that night. The memories slam her. She was staring into the face she once hoped never to see again for the rest of her life.
What does Heather want from Edie? Why now? The fear. Payback is a bitch.
“The people who remain a part of us, those people who have hurt us very deeply or whom we have hurt, never letting us go, not entirely.”
Creepy, chilling, spine-tingling! After seventeen years without a word from Heather, Edie is 33 years old, a single mom, a waitress living in southeast London. Heather shows up and does not mention the past, and slowly interjects herself into Edie's life and her daughter, Maya. When will the ball drop. What is she waiting for? Does she lower her guard?
With many red herrings, innovative clever writing, and lots of twists, and turns; the author keeps readers in suspense guessing throughout. Which is the victim and the villain? Who is good and who is evil? The roof scene was outstanding! You will be holding your breath to the very last word, to find out who and how the bomb will drop.
The big mystery (yes, it is huge): What went down at the quarry all those years ago? What will happen now? Read it to find out. You will not be sorry.
WATCHING EDIE is Superb! An addictive tale of deceit and obsession. Move this one to the top of your list. This twisted tale definitely should be compared to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. I liked it, even more.
2016 Top Psychological Thriller List (movie worthy). For fans of Mary Kubica, Laura Lippman, Chevy Stevens, Paula Treick DeBoard, Julia Heaberlin and Paula Daly. Watch out, the past never dies.
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Advance Praise
“Gripping psychological suspense, Watching Edie is wonderfully claustrophobic, trapping us as observers of the complex and suffocating relationship between Edie and Heather, compelled to watch until their secret is finally revealed.”—Fiona Barton, New York Times bestselling author of The Widow “[A] book that will garner comparisons to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, except this time, women are facing off against each other instead of an evil man…one thriller to keep you hooked.”—GoodHousekeeping.com “Way expertly explores the dark side of friendship in her psychological suspense debut…The shocking revelation about what happened to change these two women’s lives casts a surprising light on each character’s motives.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Eerie and atmospheric, Watching Edie had me hypnotized from the outset. Camilla Way's authentic and original characters deftly drew me in and together yanked me through breathtaking twists and turns to a heart-stopping conclusion. Once you read the first page be prepared for an up all night, edge of your seat, read-a-thon.”—Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Missing Pieces “Camilla Way’s name is going to be on everyone’s lips. Watching Edie is creepy and intense. I couldn’t put it down.”—J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of No One Knows “Watching Edie is the truly terrific exploration of female friendship and the choices we make as teenagers that roar back to haunt us as adults. As Camilla Way masterfully weaves past and present storylines, she builds to an astonishing and deeply satisfying conclusion that resonates long after the last page is turned.”—Carla Buckley, author of The Good Goodbye “With a voice that is both accomplished and fresh, Camilla Way explores the most complicated spaces of teenage friendship between two troubled young women desperate for love. Watching Edie is a haunting tale of the worst kind of betrayal, skillfully brought to the perfect ending. A thrilling suspense of intense heartache.”—Diane Les Becquets, national bestselling author of Breaking Wild “Exemplary writing and accomplished character development make this novel a standout. An intriguing setup is carried through a suspenseful buildup to an extraordinary ending.”—Sophie Littlefield, national bestselling author of Garden of Stones “Sucks you in and doesn't let go for a moment. Way brings a powerful new voice to the psychological thriller genre.”—Alex Marwood, Edgar Award-winning author of The Wicked Girls “Watching Edie has a clever plot, a fateful friendship, a callous betrayal, and an ending that is as twisty as it is inevitable—it’s all there!”—Alexandra Burt, international bestselling author of Remember Mia “Watching Edie is beautifully written. Camilla Way dials the suspense up so masterfully you’ll race through the final chapters, heart thumping. This tale of a poisoned friendship, of old wounds unpicked and the worst of wrongs righted, will grab you by the throat.”—Holly Seddon, author of Try Not to Breathe “Watching Edie is an excruciatingly suspenseful and intensely creepy novel about two women bound together by a horrific crime from their past. Camilla Way draws the tension out across the pages and the years, and the surprises come fast and furious as the novel reaches its stunning conclusion. Readers will devour this story with goose pimples on their arms and cold chills on their necks...and they may never look at their friends the same way again. Don't miss it.”—David Bell, bestselling author of Since She Went Away “Who’s good? Who’s evil? Those questions are at the heart of Watching Edie, a taut, tricky suspense novel that drops secrets in all the right places. As she explores the heart of a dark female friendship, Camilla Way twists her way to an original ending that rings with truth.”—Julia Heaberlin, author of Black-Eyed Susans “Watching Edie is terrific psychological suspense. A taut, compelling, thoroughly addictive read with a final twist that's a real stunner.”—Alison Gaylin, USA Today Bestselling author of What Remains of Me
About the Author
Camilla Way was born in Greenwich, south-east London, and studied Modern English and French Literature at the University of Glamorgan. Her father was the poet and author Peter Way. Formerly Associate Editor of the teenage girls' magazine Bliss, she is currently an editor and writer on the men's style magazine Arena.
Having lived in Cardiff, Bristol, Bath and Clerkenwell, she now lives in south-east London. Read More
