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Book five in the Frieda Klein series is typically restrained and one hell of a good read.

 
 

About the Book

A body is pulled from the Thames, so bloated that only a hospital wrist band identifies it: Dr. F Klein. But psychologist Frieda Klein is very much alive. Called in to identify the body, she recognises him by his shoes, yet her reticence and restrained reaction to the death of a friend draw her under police suspicion. When the dead man’s wallet is found hidden in her home and she points the finger at a man everyone knows is long dead, her mental state and her motives are questioned. Convinced she knows the killer’s identity, Freida goes on the run determined to unmask the killer. But will her obsession leave her exposed to a far closer danger?

My thoughts

Friday on my Mind opens with a child’s view of the discovery of the body–a refreshing take on the usual launch to a crime novel. Yet Nicci French crime novels are always much more complex than a straight forward who dunnit. You never really know who to trust and in this novel the question of what’s going on below the surface makes this a compelling read. There are references to previous events in the series, and as four novels precede this one these could have become overwhelming or confusing. They didn’t. Having so far only read the first two novels in this series, I feel Friday on my Mind works just as well as a stand-alone. As a character, Frieda remains elusive. She’s intensely private and utterly implacable, and this perhaps detracts from the danger of her situation. Readers unfamiliar with this series may find her difficult to warm up to in this book. She’s an intelligent, highly logical and complex person, but she gives so little away it’s easy to believe the accusations hurled against her. I enjoyed this take on her personality.

This is not a pacey read, but I couldn’t put it down. The twist is one that will have you flicking back through the pages to see what clues you missed, and the ending will leave you wanting to get your hands on the next book.

 

*Ebook review copy kindly supplied through Netgalley by the publisher.

 

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