The Face At The Window

The Face At The Window by Ruby Speechley is a suspenseful psychological thriller. It’s not a whodunnit, as just by reading a few pages one knows what has happened and can easily connect the dots to arrive at the ‘who.’ Speechley’s plot centers on the ‘how’ and ‘what next’ aspects, and they held me glued. I liked her writing style. She has woven a deep web of secrets, lies, and blackmails.

Right from the prologue, I was curious to know how the story would be unfolding. However, the connection between the story and the prologue is established only towards the end. The author has done a good job with the narration in terms of plot development and story progression.

There are multiple characters in the book, and yet all of them have their space and express themselves without overshadowing others. The main protagonists are Scarlett and the gorgeous-looking couple, Gemma and Nicolas. The husband-wife duo seems to be leading a happy life. But what’s in front of the world is far from the truth! Underneath the façade of Instagram pictures lies a dark truth.

Scarlett, a young woman, is intricately woven into the story. She is a slightly twisted character. At times, she is sensible, but there are instances when her reasoning seems to fail her. Her past and present are both intriguing and interesting. Her relationship with her mum and best friend Amy is quite emotional, and well described.

Speechley’s dual narration and varied timelines helped in building the suspense, but at the same time it was a bit confusing to keep track of the events. The build up was slow and picked up pace towards the end.

I am, however, not completely satisfied with the ending. It is fairly decent, but somewhat vague and hurried. Compared to the buildup, the resolution falls flat. There’s an unexpected plot twist at the end. But introducing it at the far end added little value to the story.

The Face At The Window is not a mind blowing thriller, but a good one time read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wordsopedia Rating 3/5

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About the Author

Ruby Speechley is a novelist and short story writer. She completed the Faber Academy novel writing course in summer 2016, under Richard Skinner. Someone Else’s baby is her debut novel.

Get in touch with the Author on her website.