I’m delighted to be joining the Isabel Ashdown blogathon, where, over the next few months, I’ll be celebrating her work, reading and reviewing her books. Today I’m reviewing 33 Women, with thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me on the blogathon and to the publisher for my copy of the book via Netgalley.

Blurb:

When sisters Celine and Pip get a call telling them their reclusive mother has died, the women are reunited at her riverside home in Arundel to pick up the pieces. But someone is missing – their middle sister, Vanessa, brutally murdered years ago and the victim of an unsolved case. As the sisters confront ghosts from the past, the discovery of another body in similar circumstances throws new light on Vanessa’s death. Could there be more to her case than the police first thought? And what do the mysterious residents of Two Cross Farm, the neighbouring women’s commune, have to do with it? What secrets are lurking behind their locked gates? And what is the significance of the number 33?

Amazon Bestseller Isabel Ashdown is back in a twisty new thriller where nothing is quite what it seems…

Review:

I’ve read a few of Isabel Ashdown’s books now and I found 33 Women the darkest and most sinister so far. Isabel Ashdown is a talented writer and I love the way she creates the atmosphere and sense of mystery.

33 Women is told from two different perspectives, those of Bramble and Celine. Isabel Ashdown has drawn these characters in an extremely detailed way and I really enjoyed learning about what made them tick, especially how their childhood experiences shaped the people they were in the present day. I felt sympathy for Celine and Pip, and I was compelled to keep reading to find out what had happened to Vanessa. Bramble’s story in 1976, when Two Cross Farm was founded, is also very interesting and I wanted to know how the commune worked and had developed over the years. There is clearly a link between the past and present, and I really wanted to know what the connection was.

Throughout 33 Women, Isabel Ashdown writes about a number of issues, including domestic abuse and the roles of women. Her writing really made me question my own response to these issues and it adds extra layers to what is a much more multifaceted story than it first appears.

33 Women is very well plotted and there are several twists and turns as the novel reaches its conclusion. I

I look forward to reading more by this author.

33 Women is available from Amazon.