I’m delighted to be sharing my thoughts about The Heights by Louise Candlish.
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- Publisher : Simon & Schuster UK (5 Aug. 2021)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 448 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1471183483
- ISBN-13 : 978-1471183485
He thinks he’s safe up there. But he’ll never be safe from you.
The Heights is a tall, slender apartment building among the warehouses of Tower Bridge, its roof terrace so discreet you wouldn’t know it existed if you weren’t standing at the window of the flat directly opposite. But you are. And that’s when you see a man up there – a man you’d recognize anywhere. He’s older now and his appearance has subtly changed, but it’s definitely him.
Which makes no sense at all since you know he has been dead for over two years. You know this for a fact.
Because you’re the one who killed him. It’s time to confess what we did up there.
‘Kieran Watts has been dead for over two years when I see him standing on the roof of a building in Shad Thames…’
#CloseToTheEdge
Book Review
The Heights is another story from Louise Candlish that left me feeling uncomfortable with my thoughts and feelings, pushing me out of my comfort zone.
I’m owning up to a fascination of the complex relationship between Ellen Saint and Kieran Watts. With their actions and emotions. With the undercurrent of hatred and revenge.
The foundation of the story is every parent’s nightmare. A teenager pushing the boundaries and taking steps out into the world, trying on independence and experiencing hedonism. Mix that with Ellen’s parenting style:
‘starter flames waiting for their oxygen supply’
And you get explosions!
If you’re a parent you will feel every word, every nuance in your bones…
The story is in the format of Ellen’s memoir ‘Saint or Sinner’ but we do get to experience a different perspective from ex Vic both from the past and in the now. Both characters drop information that had my radar going off. Snippets from the ‘Killing Time’ article in the Sunday Times also had me intrigued and had pieces of the puzzle that gave missing information.
I think because I was alert to things that didn’t seem to fit (or something was shared that wasn’t relevant at the time), I knew when twists were coming, however there was one that was a huge shock! Making me re-think. Always a good thing when you’re made to re-evaluate.
Louise Candlish’s characters are so believable and I guess with the memoir style of writing, I had to keep telling myself it was fiction and not a true story. On a personal level, I had trouble with Kieran Watts’ name – having taught a child of the same name at school, I had to train my brain that it wasn’t him 🙂
The Heights is an addictive read that delves into the shadows of parental love and grief. It’s dark and edgy. And will make you want to hold your children close.
I loved it!
Sunday Times bestselling author Louise Candlish was born in Northumberland and grew up in the Midlands town of Northampton. She studied English at University College London and has lived in the capital ever since. She is the author of 14 novels, including the thriller Our House, winner of the British Book Awards 2019 Crime & Thriller Book of the Year and shortlisted for several other awards. A #1 bestseller in paperback, ebook and audiobook, it is soon to be a four-part ITV drama, produced by Red Planet Pictures. Her new release The Other Passenger, a Hitchcockian tale of adultery and double crossing set among the Thames river commuters, is also in development for the screen. Louise’s first Richard & Judy Book Club pick, it has been longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2021.
Louise lives in Herne Hill in South London with her husband, teenage daughter and fox-red Labrador, Bertie. Besides books, the things she likes best are: coffee; TV; salted caramel; tennis; lasagne; old heavy metal; ‘The Archers’ (but not the lockdown monologues); white wine; Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (or, failing that, a Starbar). Her favourite book is Madame Bovary.
Twitter @louise_candlish, on Instagram @louisecandlish or find out more at louisecandlish.com and facebook.com/LouiseCandlishAuthor
