"I smile at the mostly female throng and motion for them to go ahead. Bringing up the rear, I wonder what my prayers - or perhaps my contemplation or wishes or hopes - might be this year; there's no point asking for what has already been firmly declined - both my God and my husband".
"She swallows. Trauma, shame, sin, guilt, grief. And yes, regret or making the wrong call. When they're not eating you from inside, they're waiting around the corner, ready to make a tumultuous comeback".
The Sinner by Caroline England is a gripping domestic noir, and an insightful study in understanding of psychological trauma, grief and guilt.
The blurb:
EVERY SAINT HAS A PAST
To the unsuspecting eye Dee Stephens has a perfect life as the vicar's wife: a devoted marriage to her charismatic husband Reverend Vincent, an adoring congregation and a beautiful daughter.
EVERY SINNER HAS A FUTURE
But beneath the surface, Dee is suffocating. Vincent is in control, and he knows her every sin. Desperate, Dee escapes into a heady affair with Cal, an old schoolmate.
EVERY CONFESSION HAS A PRICE
But is Cal the saviour she thinks he is? What dark secrets does he harbour? And to what lengths will Vincent go when he uncovers the truth?
Dee Stephens is the vicar's wife. On the outside, she is one lucky lady. Her husband, Reverend Vincent, oozes charm and confidence, their house is brimming with adoring visitors, they have a lovely daughter. But behind the facade, Dee is miserable.
Dee is a flawed character. You sympathise with her, but you also want to shake her into action: Don't be so submissive and passive. She lives with her controlling husband, a mother in law from hell and a resentful daughter.
Vincent is a typical narcissist, with a huge ego, emotionally manipulative, preoccupied with his own image. To his congregation he appears generous, kind and compassionate, but his real self is well hidden behind the mask. He belittles his wife, has no compassion for her trauma and enjoys controlling her life, including such petty things as to what toiletries she should buy.
Dee met her husband when she was a young teen, and doesn't see their relationship as grooming.
And Dee allows him to control every aspect of her life, as a way of punishing herself for what she perceives as her sin. Her daughter Abbey is rather hostile to her, but she does have good reasons for feeling disgruntled. It appears the mother prefers to glide passively through her life and has no real emotional connection to her child.
It takes a chance encounter with a former schoolmate, Cal, to set in motion a chain of drastic events. Needy for attention and approval, Dee jumps into a passionate affair with someone who's basically a stranger she knows nothing about.
The story is narrated through several characters' voices: Dee, her older sister Mari and Cal.
Mariana might be good at her job as a psychiatrist, but she isn't able to resolve her own personal issues. Her love life is complicated, as her younger partner Britt is pretty manipulative. Mari finds one excuse after another for Britt's sulking moods and unscrupulous behaviour (pregnancy, hormones, demands of a new parenthood, etc) but the truth is, Britt is an immature, selfish character, and a bit of a leech who exploits her position to her own advantage.
Mari wanted to become a psychiatrist from an early age. "It's just a shame she's never quite understood her own feelings and failings, or been able to help herself".
She sees Vincent as someone who is so busy selling God to his parishioners and showing off that he's never there for his wife. However, loyal Dee defends him.
And there's Cal who has his own agenda. His childhood is tragic, and it is not surprising that he is damaged psychologically. Cal's personal life is messy, and he seems to be in a limbo. Not a bad person, he's been badly hurt and has trust issues.
Two damaged people, Dee and Cal are drawn to each other, trying to bury their past tragedies.
The tension is slowly building to a crescendo of an explosive finale.
The Sinner is a deft, psychological drama, a tense, poignant and sinister tale of betrayed trust, tragic secrets and skeletons in the closet. You'll find yourselves engrossed in the complexity of England's characters. She has a gift for characterisation. The Sinner is a multi-layered narrative, which brims with devastating betrayal, misplaced loyalty, duplicity and revenge.
Potential triggers: death of a child, grooming, controlling/abusive relationship.
This review is part of the blog tour for The Sinner.
Many thanks to Caroline England and Piatkus for my copy of the book!
Author Bio:
Caroline England was born and brought up in Yorkshire and studied Law at the University of Manchester. She was a divorce and professional indemnity lawyer before leaving the law to bring up three daughters and turning her hand to writing. Caroline is the author of The Wife's Secret (previously called Beneath the Skin), the top-ten ebook bestseller My Husband's Lies, Betray Her and Truth Games. She lives in Manchester with her family.
Social media links:
www.carolineenglandauthor.co.uk
Twitter @CazEngland
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