100 stars. I loved it.
I think this is one of my favourite reads this year. Bought for me as a Christmas present, it is always a gamble as to whether I’ll like it or not…. But bestie obviously knows me well, this was amazing!!
The Good Samaritan is the story of Laura and Ryan and how their lives intertwine around the sad subject of suicide.
Laura works for End of the line, a suicide hotline that provides a listening ear rather than a judgemental attitude. They will listen to your problems, even your plans for the end of your life, but they won’t try to talk you out of it. I won’t go into whether this is a good or bad thing, it just is what it is for this book. Laura on the other hand is bad. She actively encourages people to end their lives and takes pleasure in listening to their dying breath.
I live for the next call.
Ryan’s wife has recently killed herself by jumping off a cliff with another man. He is heartbroken and confused. He didn’t realise there was anything wrong with Charlotte, and in fact thought she had more than most to look forward to. The heart-breaking fact is, that Charlotte was over 7 months pregnant with her and Ryan’s first child.
When Ryan catches up with Laura at End of the line, he just wants an explanation, justice, reassurance, but Laura is much more sinister and deranged than Ryan could ever have imagined.
To have spent time working with the next candidate, encouraging and reinforcing their decision to die and then to be rewarded with their final breath is intoxicating.
I loved this book. So good. The story was original, I’d not usually read books about suicide and this one dealt with it really well, I thought. Laura is absolutely batpoo crazy! I would not want to get on the wrong side of her. She takes pleasure in others pain, she torments and ridicules. She prays on people when they are at their weakest.
I felt so sorry for Ryan, and throughout the book I was behind him 100%. His grandfather was only a fleeting character but a great one! And Johnny, bless him. The level headed one of the brothers, he was always the calming, reasoning voice behind Ryan.
The twists in here are fantastic. I did get a lot of them before they came, but they were still amazing. A couple I didn’t see coming. The author talks about mental illness well and explores a lot of ground.
But when it’s an invisible problem like mental health or suicide, people aren’t sure how to talk about it.
Can’t say much more than that. It is a must read. One of my favourites of the year. Recommended for any psychological thriller lovers, anyone who likes a book to explore dark themes, if you’re looking for something different.
Happy reading
Becca x
The Beautiful Book Break 