Customer Reviews

Only the Innocent

This is the second Rachel Abbott novel I've read and I enjoyed it immensely! She has a wonderful way of making the characters very real and engaging so you can't help but read on to find out more about what has and is happening to them. The writing style is very descriptive so you can really picture the characters, places and scenes in the book for yourself. The plot of this book built up steadily and kept me hooked and I'm delighted to say that I didn't see the end coming, which is unusual for me. A top class read and I hope Rachel brings out another book very soon!

This book was sent to my kindle for me to review.
The author has it all here with darkness, abuse, degradation, drugs, sex and a murder at the start of the novel. The husband is a control freak and his idea of marital relations are not the normal ones found in a loving relationship. His wife is not aware of this at first but begins to see something is not right on their honeymoon. It is the wife who tells most of the story through the letters she writes to her best friend. The caring policeman who is drawn to the wife, the missing girls and his own daughter are all involved in different ways.

This is a well written novel and the plot is superb, nothing is given away to the reader. Several twists and turns. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more of this authors works.

I found this book very hard to put down!! The twists and turns the novel took were enough to keep you shocked and want to know more. It really annoys me when people write reviews which clearly over analyse the content ... Just read and enjoy or not enjoy don't go into dialogue, character depth etc etc.

This book certainly entertained me on a rainy Sunday, which is what u want from a book !!!

Fantastic book - compelling dynamic story - highly recommended. Have already read the next book and looking forward to the one after.

I have to blame this novel for giving me a headache. I started reading this novel earlier this morning and couldn't put it down and read so much, I had to have a lie down with a cool flannel over my head! Seriously, it's one of the best crime novels I've read for a while, and it passed the 'page-turner' test for me.

The characters were very good, I really liked DCI Tom Douglas and I hope there will be more of him. I really enjoyed reading about the relationship between Laura and Hugh, gripping stuff and had me saying 'nooooo' at my kindle a few times.

The story was very well paced and offered little hooks all the way through to keep me reading, hence the headache. I found myself racing through the end to find out the solution, and it was very satisfactory. I'm looking forward to reading the next novel, only this time I'd better have some Ibuprofen at the ready as I think it'll be another gripping read.

Sir Hugo Fletcher is found murdered in his home and tied to the bed in such a way that it is obvious to the police that sex games were involved which leaves them convinced that the perpetrator of the crime must be a woman. Sir Hugo was very controlling in his relationships, particularly within his marriage to Lady Fletcher. As the book develops we begin to see what a dangerous and destructive character Sir Hugo really was. I felt the book started really well but as it went on I found there was an over reliance on dialogue between the various characters to tell the story rather than descriptive scenes of the main action. Also, much of the story is told in a series of letters written by Lady Fletcher to her friend that she never sends. Although Rachel Abbott does well in interweaving the tricks that controlling men of this kind use to totally manipulate their partners and destroying their confidence, it is my view this would have had much more impact if this part of the book was written in a serious of flashbacks. There are parts of the book relating to a particularly vulnerable character that the author showed clearly that she is able to relay the thoughts fears in the first person, I'm just sorry she didn't do it more often with Lady Fletcher who is the main character in this book.
Don't get me wrong, this is a talented author with a lot of good ideas. Going by her success so far, if she exploits her talents to the full in her next book she could be on to a winner. I also think this book also appeal to the big market of women's contemporary fiction.

I read quite a lot of thrillers and have to say this was one of the best I've read in a while.

The book revolves around the murder of a famous philanthropist and, so the public thought all-round good-guy sir Hugo Fletcher. As the book develops we find out more about Hugo and realise that not all is as it seems.

All the characters feel real and well-rounded. From Laura Hugo's wife to the chief police officer Tom, the reader empathises with them and understands their motivations. Even the minor characters feel original and well-thought out.

The plot is gripping and in particular, the sections of the book narrated in the form of letters Laura wrote to her best friend are particularly strong. The procedure of the police felt authentic and the twist at the end, although I saw it coming from some way out was never-the-less very enjoyable and the dilemma Tom is left with at the end of the book is truly fascinating.

The book is fast-paced and well written with the authors prose giving the story a real sense of atmosphere. I recommend Only the Innocent without reservation and will look forward to Rachel Abbot's next book.

I found this book gripping from the first page. Who done it plot left me guessing almost to the very end. Good introduction to DI Tom
Douglas. Story well set out couldn't put the book down. Highly recommended read. Now ploughing through her next book 'The Back Road'

This first novel by new writer Rachel Abbott is an accomplished and well written story based on the premise that no-one, not even nearest and dearest, knows what goes on in the privacy of a marriage.

A titled gentleman, perceived to be a pillar of society, is murdered. As the intriguing story progresses we find he is not all he is thought to be by those who think they know him.

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of believable characters and the story had sufficient in the way of plot twists to keep me guessing. It was written in a graceful style that kept the story moving and I have to say I love the character of Beatrice though she didn't play a huge part in the book! A highly recommended read.

i agree with all the other comments with the other one star reviews, how this book managed 470! pages is beyond me, the first 380 pages were painful to read should have just given up and done myself a favour! dull, boring, drivel, even the characters sounded bored of the story! poorly written and researched, just dull, going to delete this one and can't face reading her other one so going to delete that one aswell!