21 August 2023

I have not read a book by this author in ages. Seeing this bright yellow cover, I could not resist. Despite my “big book fear” I found myself racing through this one. Eye for An Eye is without a doubt my favourite book by MJ Arlidge so far. I was completely engrossed and completely forgot to worry about the page count of this book. If you are looking for a gripping crime thriller that explores who is the victim and who is the criminal – then you are in for a treat when you reach for this book.

The author included a lot of characters in this story and you have to stay focused to keep track of everyone. However, each character has a story which keeps you glued to the page. The suspense in this story is simply magnificent. The author did a brilliant job on keep you engrossed and curious from start to end.

Young criminals who committed vicious crimes while they were children serve their time and then they are released back into society. Once released they are given new identities and complete anonymity to keep them safe.

However, when someone decides to leak these new identities – not to the public or the media, but to the families of their victims the consequences are horrific. Who gets to decide who lives and who dies and who ultimately gets justice?

This story asks some difficult questions and you are left questioning who is right and who is wrong. While I could never imagine what the victim’s families had to endure, I can imagine how hard it must be to know that person who killed their children are walking around free. Yet, at the same time, I do believe that people can change and battle to accept what happened to some of these offenders. All the while facing the question of who should be making the decision.

Off all the characters in this book – Emily / Janet Slater stood out for me. She was the only character whom I felt had been rehabilitated. She had turned her life around and she did not deserve what happened to her. The rest of them left me rather undecided but what happened to these people was just awful – if I was the one making the decisions I would have sent them back to prison.

As for the victims’ families – Mike’s emotions left me reeling. This man suffered horribly, I was surprised by his final decision and found myself respecting him for it. (You are going to have to read the book to make sense of that statement – sorry)

This book while filled with violence and lots of gory details which may offend sensitive readers had me on the edge of my seat. I was completely engrossed in this one and it is the best M.J. Arlidge book I have read so far (I have read most of the DI Helen Grace books). Eye of An Eye has slipped into my top ten list for 2023 with ease.

If you are a crime/thriller fan who does not mind violence and gory details – then you are in for a treat when you reach for this book. I highly recommend you add this one to your TBR.