The attention-grabber for me was that this novel is loosely based off the real-life mystery of the disappearance of Lord Lucan.
(via wikipedia)
Thank you netgalley and Viking publishing for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review.
Claire is a doctor who has a “double-life”. Her father has been missing for years and accused for the possible murder of Claire’s nanny and abuse/possible murder of her mother. No one, besides family, knows about this side of her story. There have been a few spottings of her father before, but this time it seems like the real deal. Claire’s kept up on the mystery via forums online, but she needs to know the truth for herself. What will she do to get the truth? Can she ever be safe?
I expected more suspense and mystery to this novel. It was more of a narrative of Claire’s life and background information about what happened to her parents as a child. There were also a ton of characters to keep track of. I found myself going back a few times to keep certain people straight in my head in terms of what their role was in the story. The switching timelines also got confusing. There was no real set-up as to when the narrator was going to switch between flashbacks and reality. That was sometimes hard to keep up with. It was just too dry of a mystery for me (at least for it being advertised as a mystery and thriller). I wouldn’t find myself reading it again. It could’ve been a good Dateline show.
2/5 Stars
Live, Read, And Prosper 
I think that I liked this book more than you did. I enjoyed reading your review. MIne is below:
This is Flynn Berry’s second novel; it follows Under the Harrow. A Double Life is inspired by a true murder that was reportedly committed by Lord Lucan. Lord Lucan supposedly murdered his children’s nanny after he mistook the nanny for his wife. Lord Lucan was never seen again and nothing is definitvely known about what happened to him.. Lord Lucan’s wife died only recently, never saying anything more.
In this novel, Flynn Berry imagines what might have happened. She tells her story largely through the eyes of the daughter, imagining what life was like for her, her mother and her brother following the horrific murder. Flashbacks about the relationship of the protagonist’s parents and their friends add to the seeming veracity of the story.
I found this book to be a page turner and finished it within a few days. There were some plot twists and some food for thought once the full story was told. Anyone out there who reads this, I will be interested in your take on the ending.
Note this is a fictional account and does not in all respects follow what happened to the family.
Thanks for this absorbing read NetGalley and the publisher!
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Yeah the ending was quite interesting!
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