Title: The Day of the Accident
Author: Nuala Ellwood
Publisher: Penguin
[Synopsis]
They say you killed…BUT WHAT IF THEY’RE WRONG?
Sixty seconds after she wakes from a coma, Maggie’s world is torn apart
The police tell her that her daughter Elspeth is dead. That she drowned when the car Maggie had been driving plunged into the river. Maggie remembers nothing.
When Maggie begs to see her husband Sean, the police tell her that he has disappeared. He was last seen on the day of her daughter’s funeral.
What really happened that day at the river?
Where is Maggie’s husband?
And why can’t she shake the suspicion that somewhere, somehow, her daughter is still alive?
[My Review]
I have conflicting feelings about this novel. On the one hand, it does intrigue and mystery well; I spent the first 2/3 of the book really intrigued as to what had actually happened on the day Maggie’s daughter dies. However, I felt that the story was just a bit too unbelievable and unlikely. I didn’t believe that a lot of it would actually happen, and although that doesn’t necessarily mean I won’t enjoy a book (I don’t mind books that make me have to suspend by disbelief), this just didn’t wow me.
The plot is entertaining, and I enjoyed the slow reveal as Maggie begins to realise what happened in the lead up to ‘that day’. There were parts that surprised me, and I like Nualla Elwood’s writing (I loved My Sister’s Bones so was really excited to read this). I warmed a lot to Maggie as time went on, and was willing her to discover what had happened. I also really liked one part of the ending where the character I assumed would come out of it all as squeaky clean, didn’t quite – which kept that side of things believable (keeping it vague as I don’t want to give too much away). I didn’t guess the ending but it felt a little too stretched for me.
The Day of the Accident just didn’t quite live up to expectations compared to My Sister’s Bones – but perhaps I’m at fault for comparing the two books, I’m sure authors hate it when readers always do that…! So I feel that it’s still worth a read as it’s entertaining and kept me guessing, plus many other reviews have raved about it so I seem to be in the minority here by thinking it was just ‘OK’.
[Rating: 3/5]
Many thanks to Penguin for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
Ooh interesting and a great review I always appreciate really honest opinions about a book, I have this on my pile so I’ll see if I can suspend disbelief enough to enjoy it
Thank you! Will be interested to see what you think if you do read it! ????