Book Review: Eeny Meeny, MJ Arlidge (Helen Grace #1)

A spine chilling novel where Detective Inspector Helen Grace makes her first appearance. Read it for a prose that doesn't meander or wastes time in getting to the point.

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I have bee postponing writing about Eeny Meeny because I wanted to be in a certain mood to write this review. There has only been one other book besides this one that has given me a sleepless night. That book was Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None'.

There is nothing graphic or gory in either of these books over which I might have lost sleep but the sheer reason for which people were being murdered, shook me up. Of course And Then There Were None is very atmospheric, that whole abandoned island, the morose weather, crashing sea waves- is enough to spook you. It is the woman herself- Agatha Christies- who is a master storyteller, you might just say.

Getting back to Eeny Meeny, credit should be given to Arlidge for creating a spell binding narrative doled out in small, readable chapters that baffle, scare and make you nervous about all the people you know.

Image courtesy: Interne

Sam and Amy a young couple is kidnapped and locked away somewhere with neither food or water nor any means to escape. The kidnapper seems to have left them with just two things a mobile phone and a gun. There is a very simple message on the phone- when one of them kills the other, the survivor will be freed. And so the unimaginable does happen after a couple of weeks and one of them is discovered and taken the police. Enter the DI Helen Grace of the Southampton Police, who does not know whether or not she should trust the victim. The only thing to go on, on is the statement by the victim telling her that they were picked up by a woman, who offered them a coffee thermos and then they were dumped in a drained swimming pool. Soon enough, the police discovers a couple of more similar sounding cases where starved victims on the brink tumble out of ruins around the city.

Helen is herself a troubled woman who indulges in BDSM in order to find refuge from the monsters of her past. The case baffles her but she also begins to see that she is somehow related to the killings as she knew or had known either or both of the victims.

What is the connection between these killings and what message is the killer trying to give as well as her interest in Helen make up the novel. There are other interesting members in Helen's team like Detective Sergeant Mark Fuller, her most trusted assistant who at the moment is reeling under the effects of his divorce, Detective Charlene 'Charlie' Brooks who is determined to prove her mettle as well as Helen's superior Detective Superintendent Whittaker who is watching Helen with a keen interest.

Image Courtesy: Internet

There are a couple of more twists and turns in the story and I kept thinking whoa, I didn't see that coming. I really liked this novel not only because of the kill or be killed premise but also because of the deft writing. Arlidge has a background of writing for theTV and he brings that to his books (I have read 2 of them and can't be found complaining) as well. The plot doesn't meander and keeps on moving forward. He also provides enough details about Helen and her past to help the reader sketch a complete character of the DI in their head. No wonder there has been novel, one after the other in the series, lapped up by the readers.

Do read this one, but maybe not near your bed time.