The Accident by S.D. Monaghan

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

A gripping thriller with an brilliant hook in the beginning which instantly draws you into the story. I did feel like it dipped a little in the middle with one or two too many flashbacks which slowed down the pace of the story but there are plenty of twists, turns and cliffhangers to keep you reading till the very end.

The story follows married couple David and Tara who with a baby on the way and their dream home almost complete are about to start the next phase of their lives together. For some reason though Tara can’t resist one final fling with ex boyfriend Ryan before she settles down. When David stumbles upon them together he confronts Ryan, throwing a punch that results in a three storey fall for Ryan, setting in motion a series of events that could potentially destroy them both.

The story is told from the points of view of both David and Tara and this dual perspective makes for some really engaging reading. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I liked either character and at times their actions frustrated the hell out of me (yes I shouted at the book) but they were very believable and I found myself questioning how I would act in their situation.

There’s a really fast pace in the beginning of the book making it addictive reading but around a third of the way through it kind of loses it a bit as the story flits back in time to explain how David and Tara met and how their relationship developed. It is interesting to read and explains a lot about them but I felt like the tension which made it such a gripping read was lost. There are twists and turns and chapters end on cliffhangers to keep you reading but it bugged the hell out of me that these cliffhangers would be followed by a jump to another time or place.

I won’t say much about the story for fear of spoilers but while there were bits I guessed there were certainly a few twists I didn’t see coming and the ending, while possibly a little sudden, was for the most part satisfying (am I being suitably vague?).

Overall therefore, it’s a pretty good read and while it suffers from some pacing issues I’d still recommend to anyone who likes a good thriller. I will definitely be looking out for other books from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own.