One step too far

What would make a woman with a successful career, a happy family and a devoted husband leave it all behind to start a new life?

Emily Coleman is running away. She leaves Manchester with nothing but a small suitcase and a little money. Her family receives no explanation. In fact they do not know where in the world she is. On the same day, Cat Brown arrives in London with nothing but a small suitcase, a little money and a big secret.

Slowly, Emily transforms her life and identity until she really becomes Cat Brown. But how easy is it to forget your past? Does running away make what you left behind any easier to accept?

One Step Too Far is a compelling read. I had to discover the reason behind Emily's escape. Was I disappointed? No, I might have done the same in her situation. But I do think some readers may find her actions unforgivable and selfish.

The narrative structure of the novel is quite fragmented, and I found this literary technique a bit jarring in the beginning of the book. However, once I became accustomed to switching between 1st and 3rd person narrative, I found it to be quite a clever tool. Emily's voice is in 1st person, while the other character's points of views are always in 3rd person.

While I didn't fall in love with any of the characters, I didn't detest them either. Emily's housemates in London in particular are a quirky, interesting bunch and her aptly named saviour, Angel, while misguided, has a certain lovable quality about her. My only quarrel with the characterisation is poor Caroline, Emily's wayward twin sister. Without spoiling the ending, let's just say her story ended a bit too abruptly and without any sensitivity.

One Step Too Far will keep you guessing and will ultimately pose the question: what would I do if I were in Emily's shoes?

This book was a recommendation to me from my mum. She's heard it had good reviews and had been likened to One Day and thought it would be my cup of tea. So I downloaded a sample from Amazon and read the first 3 chapters in record breaking time.

From the very outset as the lead character Emily walks away from her marriage and disappears to London to start a new life it grips you. The author weaves a tale of mystery as she flits backwards and forwards between Emily's old life and new and even back through her childhood and her relationship with her husband Ben. This was where the sample took me and I was so hooked I immediately downloaded the rest of the book.

I read it in just over 24 hours, I was gripped. The way in which Emily leaves her old life behind and starts anew is really well crafted. It really does make you question how she could possibly leave behind her family and swap it for a grotty London flat-share.

Mixing this with childhood tales of her tenuous relationship with her twin Caroline and the story of how her twin became the dysfunctional one of the pair, always in trouble and driving a wedge into the family leads you to a real sense of impending doom.

To be fair though Emily is not a perfect heroine, in the second part of the book she's not that likeable. Her new life is questionable and she's unraveling pretty quickly all around talk of the one year anniversary of the event that has clearly caused her to run away to begin with. When her new life does unravel it does so in spectacular fashion an in a way that made me feel the heroine was actually becoming quite difficult to like.

The big secret hinted at in the cover blurb was actually very touching, not as dramatic as I'd expected but devastating and redeemed Emily for some of her earlier behaviour (but not totally). The author has clearly written the book very cleverly so as to ensure that you cannot see it coming.

It has a nice ending, one that again is built to slowly and with some mystery to it and with a real sense of closure around all the characters. All the loose ends are tied up nicely so as to leave you with a sense of satisfaction.

This was a good book, not a comparison to One Day which was much more emotionally evocative but this had a darker undertone. It is very much worth reading and will grip you throughout so be warned not to make too many plans as once you start reading you'll find it hard to stop.