Waiting for Wednesday

January 6, 2014
Two strangely parallel murder cases, both involving obvious suspects who are later cleared, preoccupy Frieda Klein in French’s intricate and disturbing third novel featuring the London-based psychotherapist (after 2012’s Tuesday’s Gone). Ruth Lennox, a seemingly happy wife and mother, appears to have been the victim of a simple burglary gone wrong. Inconveniently, the burglar has a solid alibi that places him elsewhere at the time of Ruth’s death. George Conley, convicted of murdering 18-year-old schoolgirl Hazel Barton, is set free when the evidence against him is shown to be egregiously flawed. The police have no leads on who actually killed Hazel. In her quest for justice, Frieda succeeds in linking the two cases, but a jealous professional rival sabotages her formal efforts to help. The high personal cost that a number of people pay as Frieda exposes their embarrassing secrets may disconcert some readers. French is the pseudonym of Sean French and Nicci Gerard, a husband-and-wife writing team. Agent: Joy Harris, Joy Harris Literary Agency.

February 1, 2014

In French's third novel (Blue Monday; Tuesday's Gone) featuring London psychotherapist Frieda Klein, seemingly average mother Ruth Lennox is found murdered without apparent reason. As details of her secret life emerge, the cast of characters expose a web of tangled lives. Frieda gets involved when her teenage niece befriends the dead woman's son. The pace picks up after one of Frieda's patients, during therapy, makes an offhand remark that leads Frieda to believe a serial killer is at work. With personal connections to DCI Karlsson, our sleuth begins obsessively investigating leads on her own, making alliances that culminate in a sorrowful and astonishing conclusion. VERDICT Demanding the reader's full attention, this richly detailed and intricate thriller weaves the story of Frieda's life, past and present, into a compelling and suspenseful story. Fans of Elizabeth George will appreciate French's attention to subtlety and detail. Readers new to the series are advised to read the first two books in order to understand the ongoing plot of Frieda's life, including the pall cast by a past attack. [See Prepub Alert, 10/20/13.]--Susan Carr, Edwardsville P.L., IL

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