Disclaimer: A Novel

Disclaimer: A Novel by Renee Knight

Published by Doubleday

9th April 2015

Hardback Edition

 

What if you realized the book you were reading was all about you?

When an intriguing novel appears on Catherine’s bedside table, she curls up in bed and begins to read.

But as she turns the pages she is sickened to realize the story will reveal her darkest secret.

A secret she thought no one else knew…

Okay, so here we go again, yet another novel tagged as being the next Gone Girl book.  I have to admit, I'm getting a little tired of this.  I've said it before on here, but it seems at the moment that if a thriller by a woman is published, then it is given this comparison.  I've read Gone Girl, don't get me wrong, it's okay but the ending was what I can only describe as being pfff and for that reason, I don't understand why it has been built up the way it has.  Apologies to Gillian Flynn but that's my honest opinion.  However, read it for yourself and see if you agree or disagree with me.

 

Anyway, after that digression, let's get back to the book in question, Disclaimer is getting more tweets than any other book on my timeline at the moment.  It certainly appears to be a book that everyone seems to be reading and the comments are all very positive.  The premise is this: Catherine finds a book on her bedside table that she doesn't initially recognise, but settles down to read anyway.  It begins with the standard disclaimer “any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental”, only this time it has a neat red line drawn in hand through it. 

Catherine begins to read and, drawn into the plot, soon begins to realise that this book, is infact, about herself.  It is also about a time in her past that neither her husband Robert or son Nicholas know about, one which she has been so careful to hide.  Googling the author brings her no success, so she needs to think back to her past, to discover who could have written such a book, and to what purpose.  Then Nicholas receives a copy of the book, and Catherine starts to worry that 'The Pefect Stranger' might reach more people than just herself.  What can she do to protect herself?

Disclaimer is the story of a tortured woman, but also of a family seeking revenge.  As the book continues I think that you can sympathise with both parties and of the lengths that they are prepared to go to.  There are lots of twists and turns, and as the book progresses we watch Catherine's demise from serious tv producer to a crumbling wreck.  I don't want to reveal too much of the plot here but it's safe to say that this is a good thriller and one that keeps you going back to it.  I read it in about two days, and I can guarantee it'll probably be the book most seen on the beach this summer.  The ending is better than Gone Girl so please, stop the comparisons.

 

Happy Reading

Miss Chapter x