Book Review: The Start of Everything by Emily Winslow

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge,from Witness Impulse, via Edelweiss, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

In this stunning psychological thriller for readers of Tana French, Kate Atkinson, and Donna Tartt, Emily Winslow has crafted a literary prism told through the eyes of her many intricately drawn characters. Masterly and mesmerizing, The Start of Everything will captivate until the very last page.

Synopsis:

“If you don’t want to see me again, say so. But it’s not right to say nothing. 
It’s not right to go silent. You know what to do.”

Cambridge, England: Outside the city, the badly decomposed body of a teenage girl has washed up in the flooded fens. Detective Inspector Chloe Frohmann and her partner, Morris Keene, must work quickly to identify the victim before the press takes off with the salacious story.

Across the hallowed paths and storied squares of Cambridge University, the detectives follow scant clues toward the identity of the dead girl. Eventually, their search leads them to Deeping House, an imposing country manor where, over the course of one Christmas holiday, three families, two nannies, and one young writer were snowed in together. Chloe Frohmann begins to unravel a tangled web of passions and secrets, of long-buried crimes and freshly committed horrors. But in order to reveal the truth—about misaddressed letters, a devastating affair, and a murdered teenager—she may have to betray her partner.

Review:

In this second book the series, Frohmann is keeping her pregnancy a secret, but having to deal with the physical ailments, while Keene is trying to work and adjust to not having full control of his hand, from the injuries received in the first book. Both are trying to keep the other from knowing their issues, but yet Frohmann has been ordered to keep tabs and report on Keene. Add to the interpersonal mess, you have a case that turns into two, with little to no clues to help them solve it. Winslow once again crafts a tale that reminds us of how much we don't know those near to us, even in the same household, and what we keep secret from the ones we love. Yet everything has a domino effect, and Winslow aptly analyzes it here in this book. This is a wonderful sophomore book to the series, as it delves more into Keene and Frohmann's personalities and family life, and sets up book three very nicely, If you haven't checked out this British procedural series, you really should!

About the Author:

Emily Winslow is an American in Cambridge, England. She's the author of the novels The Whole World, The Start of Everything, and the memoir Jane Doe January. Check out her website for more