Fast-paced with short chapters, The Soulmate will keep you guessing until the very end.
Feature image credit: Pan Macmillan Australia
Sally Hepworth is an Australian author living in Melbourne who enjoys writing about family, relationships and identity. The Soulmate was released in October 2022.
This is the story of Gabe and Pippa who live in a small seaside town outside Melbourne. Their house is 20 metres away from the edge of a cliff. They have two small girls and a close-knit family who all live nearby and support each other. Gabe, who is a stay-at-home dad while lawyer Pippa is the breadwinner, has become something of a celebrity in the town for his ability to talk down those who wish to commit suicide by jumping off the cliff.
One evening, as Pippa is standing at the kitchen sink, she sees a woman standing too close to the edge and calls out to Gabe to go and find out if everything is alright. As Pippa watches from the window, she sees the woman fall … or was she pushed? Pippa is not so sure exactly what she has seen. We soon discover the deceased is Amanda Cameron, wife of Gabe’s former employer Max. Can this really be a coincidence?
The Soulmate is fast-paced, and as readers, we are constantly drip-fed small titbits that give us more information about the backgrounds of the four main characters. It never gets bogged down with details continually being repeated.
The story is told from the viewpoint of Pippa, then and now, and Amanda (the dead woman) then and now, as she looks from wherever she is in the afterlife. Their different perspectives allow the reader to see what has happened in the past and what is happening as the apparent suicide is investigated by the police. Each chapter is quite short, sometimes two or three pages, and it is very easy to think, “I’ll read just one more.” The afternoon can quickly disappear!
The Soulmate teaches us that perspective is everything and as each person’s private lives are revealed, things are not as simple as we may first think. It is a story about marriage, secrets, and whether we can truly trust anyone. It is also about the cost of covering up for the person we love – should what goes on behind closed doors stay behind closed doors?
Mental illness and toxic relationships are intertwined with plot twists and turns as we are drip fed information from the past which has led to the stand-off at the cliff. It is a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
For those who like a thriller that is not too scary but will keep you wanting to find out more, this may be the book for you.
Reviewed by Sue Mauger
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Pan Macmillan Australia
Released: October 2022
RRP: $34.99
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