The Life I Left Behind

Originally posted on bluchickenninja.com.

I'm the only one who knows the secrets her friends have hidden, the mistakes the police have made. I'm the only one who can warn her she's still in danger. I know exactly who attacked her. He's the same man who killed me.

The story is told through three points of view. First we meet Eve just after her death. Eve is stuck in a state of limbo, dead but not quite gone. Eve is watching the proceedings and narrates the events of her life leading up to her death. Victoria is a mother trying to balance home and work life. She is investigating Eve's death and what is increasingly looking to be a case of wrongful arrest and imprisonment.

And finally we have Melody, a survivor of a vicious attack. The Life I Left Behind is not a typical murder mystery. It is really Melody's story of coping with the effects of post traumatic stress. Melody thinks she is fooling everyone while in reality she is not coping at all. Instead she had spent years cooped up in her fancy house she shares with her boyfriend.

Considering I don't normally like murder mystery type books I enjoyed The Life I Left Behind. The focus is very much on how Melody and Eve are linked and I though Melody's emotional decline was done very well. I really liked the modern references dropped throughout, current affairs, music and even The Great British Bake Off are mentioned. I only gave it 3 stars because as I have already said I don't normally like books in this genre and it wasn't the most amazing book I have every read. Still good though.

*I received a copy of this book from Headline in exchange for a honest review.