Revenge is sweet - or is it? (Got You Back - Jane Fallon)

Member Name: kingfisher111

Product:	Got You Back - Jane Fallon
Date:	24/03/09 (342 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Entertaining and absorbing read

Disadvantages: none

Last year I really enjoyed reading 'Getting Rid of Matthew' which was Jane Fallon's debut novel. I loved it so much that when I saw that she had written another book - 'Got you back' - I couldn't wait to read it and I was not in the least disappointed.

This book is a tale of revenge and hatred in the extreme. This is focused on James who has been getting away with living a double life for the past year, spending half the week with his wife Stephanie and son Finn in London, whilst spending the other half in Lincolnshire living with Katie while running his country vet practice. Everything is fine and all three are happy until Stephanie discovers a text sent from Katie to James. Rather than confronting him outright, she decides to set about finding Katie. Both women meet and, realising that they have both been extremely wronged by James, decide to get him back! They set about a course of revenge which they hope will humiliate him and make him feel as worthless as they have both been made to feel.

The two women keep in contact and over the next few months start to chip away at everything that James holds dear. It's not a pretty plan but does seem to be having the desired effect of making them both feel better about themselves. That is, however, until one of them takes revenge too far and the other feels compelled to try and stop her...

I won't say any more about the plot only that it led to a really enjoyable and fascinating read. I thought it was very clever the way both women used snippets of information that the other had passed on leading to James becoming quite confused and wondering what was going on. It was the sort of book that really hooked you in very early on and you kept wondering where it was all going to lead.

I thought that the character development was excellent. Unsurprisingly, at the start of the book, my sympathies lay very definitely with the two women. However, as the story progressed, even though James had behaved unforgiveably, I couldn't help feeling just that little bit sorry for him. This was especially so because, as his world started to crumble around him, you did start to see glimmers of a better person underneath! In fact, all three main character go through a lot of soul searching from beginning to end of this novel, and all question themselves. to varying degrees, as to what their motivation really is.

There are also a very interesting array of minor characters who add to the interesting mix, including potential love interests for both Stephanie and Katie. There are also some amusing characters from the world of celebrity as Stephanie's job is as a dresser to the stars and also some colourful country characters surrounding the country vets. They all contribute well to the making of a lively and interesting tale.

This is the sort of book that I just didn't want to put down. From the very first pages I felt involved and I continued to feel that way until the very end. The novel is well crafted focusing on each of the characters at different times. It was pacy and it was clever - two things that I really enjoy in a novel.

You might look at it and think it is chic lit, but if it is, it's of the very best sort. I highly recommend it for an absorbing and entertaining read.

The book is just over 400 pages and is available from Amazon for £4.98/

Summary: An excellent read