THE MOMENT YOU WERE GONE by NICCI GERRARD

THE MOMENT YOU WERE GONE

BY NICCI GERRARD

THE BLURB:-

Gaby and Nancy were inseparable when they were young. They had no secrets and believed nothing would break up their friendship, even when each found love- Gaby with Connor and Nancy with Gaby's brother Stefan.

Then one day Nancy left Stefan and walked out of all their lives. Gaby has not seen her now for nearly twenty years, and in all that time she has never known where Nancy went or why.

Now long married to Connor, Gaby is preparing to take their only son Ethan to university for the first term when, quite by chance, she spots Nancy on a television report about a flood in a tiny village in Cornwall. And in a recklessly impulsive moment, she turns up on Nancy's doorstep, unannounced.

Nancy's secret explodes into all their lives, wreaking havoc on long-held assumptions and beliefs, and Gaby is forced to examine her own past in order to try to save what is precious to her.

THE REALITY:-

I've read Nicci Gerrard before, but only as part of Nicci French- her writing double act with her husband, Sean French. I remember the crime chiller Killing Me Softly (although the film was a load of unadulterated shite), Beneath The Skin (think that appeared as an okay TV mini-series) and The Memory Game. I maybe also read one or two more, but I can't remember much about them. I do, however, remember that they were good!

This book deals with the subject of middle class affairs, and also the horrible issue of having your friend sleep with you husband. I recently read a book which sprang from a very similar storyline, and the trouble with both novels was that the actual sex bit seemed meaningless and unspectacular. Which is probably the point- that out of something pretty base, a massive trail of destruction can occur.

The characters are vividly described and the “secret” that causes Nancy to disappear does make you want to read on and on until you find out why. Us human beings are curious, nosey sods, which is why intriguing novels like this sell!

I think that from the discovery of the secret though, the book does go a bit downhill. One the suspense has gone, the story, although never boring, does go into freefall, and the fallout doesn't come across as being that massive (another symptom of middle class affairs). I did question whether we needed to know quite so much about Ethan, but then I suppose that the story had to be fleshed out.

I would definitely read Nicci Gerrard again. This book was likeable and sometimes intense, but next time I'm expecting something better!