A few months ago, I started reading a book I’d bought earlier in the year. It was one of those where I didn’t know the author, so it was the blurb that caught my attention and enticed me. It promised humour, wit and drama... but I didn’t get much of that. I really struggled to get into this book and though I persevered for a few weeks, I eventually gave up. This started a three month hiatus from reading, as I felt a bit bored and that reading was too much effort.
Well, enough time had passed and I thought it was about time I got back to reading. I had one more book on my shelf from a previous shopping spree and it wasn’t as chunky as the last one, so I figured I’d give it a go. I’m so glad I did!
The book in question is Don’t You Cry by Cass Green. Again, I hadn’t heard of the author before, but I have always loved a thriller and was intrigued by the text on the front cover, as well as the blurb. I started reading the first few pages and before I knew it I was half way through.
For me, a sign of a good thriller is that it keeps you on the edge of your seat, with a cliffhanger at the end of each chapter, which means you never want to put the book down. That is exactly what I got with Don’t You Cry.
The story tells of a 40-year-old woman called Nina who has a near-death experience on a blind date, but is saved by a waitress, Angel. She makes her way home, alone, after the disastrous date, only to be rudely awoken at two in the morning by the same waitress, but this time instead of saving her life, she’s pointing a gun at her.
Over the next six hours or so, Nina desperately tries to understand why Angel and her brother Lucas have invaded her home and are holding her at gunpoint. Add to this the fact that they have a tiny baby called Zach with them, and the confusion and frustration almost gets too much for Nina.
Will she be able to get the baby to safety and make it out alive herself? Will she get to the bottom of why these strangers have infiltrated her home? Will she see her own son again?
The chapters alternate between Nina, Angel and Lucas, with Nina’s chapters written in first person and the others written in third person. Whilst you have to keep an eye on the chapter titles (the characters’ names), it’s interesting to go through the ordeal from three different perspectives. You learn about Angel and Lucas’ turbulent upbringing and this goes some way to understanding why they behave during this unsettling night.
The story is full of suspense and constantly has you questioning what’s really going on – I had multiple theories in my head at once as I tried to figure it out. I felt nervous as I was reading, on tenterhooks as the story started to unravel and I started to understand what was happening and why. It was a real edge-of-your-seat read!
I enjoyed this book so much that on a recent trip to York, I had a mooch in the local bookshops and was delighted to find another of Cass Green’s thrillers, which I’m currently making my way through. So far, so good!
If you love drama, suspense and a good cliffhanger, put this book on your to-read list.
P.s. I might give the previous book another shot later in the year or next year, and maybe I’ll end up writing a review if I have a more positive experience the second time around. I don’t want to name the book now, as I feel it would be an unfair review since I didn’t even get half way through. Keep your eyes peeled – I’ll refer back to this article if the book makes it onto my blog!
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