Review - Rattle by Fiona Cummins

Rattle by Fiona Cummins

Published 24th August 2017 by Pan MacMillan 

Star Rating - *****

Goodreads Challenge - 59/50

I received a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis from Goodreads

A psychopath more frightening than Hannibal Lecter.

He has planned well. He leads two lives. In one he's just like anyone else. But in the other he is the caretaker of his family's macabre museum.

Now the time has come to add to his collection. He is ready to feed his obsession, and he is on the hunt.

Jakey Frith and Clara Foyle have something in common. They have what he needs.

What begins is a terrifying cat-and-mouse game between the sinister collector, Jakey's father and Etta Fitzroy, a troubled detective investigating a spate of abductions.

Set in London's Blackheath, Rattle by Fiona Cummins explores the seam of darkness that runs through us all; the struggle between light and shadow, redemption and revenge.

It is a glimpse into the mind of a sinister psychopath. And it's also a story about not giving up hope when it seems that all hope is already lost.

My Thoughts

It's been a while since I've picked up a detective thriller that I absolutely loved so I thought I would give this a go as it was sent to me by the publisher. I expected to enjoy it as I usually do with these types of books but oh my goodness this just blew me away! I love love loved this! I thought it was so sinister and creepy and it genuinely chilled me as I read it. It reminded me of an episode of Criminal Minds so if you enjoy these type of shows I would recommend this. This is the story of Detective Etta Fitzroy who is still haunted by the case of a missing girl. Then when another little girl, Clara, goes missing from outside her school she is drawn back into a similar case which shes determined to solve this time. We also follow the Frith family and their son Jakey who has Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressive or 'Stone Mans Syndrome' who also becomes victim of the same crime as Clara. Fitzroy is determined to find these children but can she find the links before its too late!

I loved how Fiona included the 'Stone Man Syndrome' disease as part of the plot. I felt that this gave an edge to a story that could have become quite samey to some others. Its obvious throughout the story that Fiona has done her research in regards to the medical terminology and it fits in well with the story without turning it into sounding like a textbook. Not only does Fiona use words and terminology well, her writing is also completely gripping. She writes emotions fantastically and her writing is very evocative. You can just feel the despair pouring off the families of the victims and the frustration of the detectives. She really had me immersed in the story, I could not put it down. I also felt she wrote in the voice of the child very well and again you could really feel their emotions as they went through their terrifying ordeals.

I thought it was great how Fiona steered away from the usual trope of the old man detective in her story and it gave a breath of fresh air to the genre. I loved Detective Fitzroy as a character and how she always put the needs of others before herself. You could also see how invested she was in her job and this enabled me to form a really strong connection to her as a character.

Throughout the story Fiona drops lots of little hints and one liners that have you as a reader asking questions and wanting to know more. To me this was a clever writing tactic as it made me want to keep reading, I had to know what was happening and why. Lots of clever little twists and turns were revealed throughout the story and this kept me guessing throughout, I wasn't really sure how the story was going to end until we got there.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. I think it was a fantastic, fast paced read that would be perfect for fans of shows such as Criminal Minds. It's disturbing nature fully messed with your head and that ending was absolutely fantastic. I cannot wait for the next one!  

Overall Rating