‘Sob Story’ by Carol Anne Davis’
Published by Snowbooks 2006:
ISBN 978-1-905005-33-8

 Amy Bartlett is leaving home to study at university in another city. She is a solitary girl who finds it difficult to make friends and is on the path to a serious eating disorder when she encounters Barbara, an older woman, who encourages her to write to Jeff, Barbara’s son. Amy is reluctant at first because Jeff is in prison but Barbara reassures her that his conviction was all Jeff’s girlfriend’s fault. Amy doesn’t know that he is serving a sentence for almost strangling his girlfriend to death and only Jeff knows whether he has killed before.

As the term goes on Amy becomes more isolated from the other students. Eventually she writes to Jeff and as their correspondence continues she comes to think of Jeff as her pen-pal, an educated man who’s letters make her feel better. She doesn’t know that he is hiding a dangerous psychotic personality and that he is due for release very soon and that he intends to pay Amy a visit.

This is a very dark psychological thriller which grips from the opening pages. Carole Anne Davis skilfully deals with a number of serious issues including eating disorders, social isolation and predators grooming of their victims. There is detailed and realistic development of the characters as they approach a climax that you feel is inevitable. You can almost hear the music from ‘Jaws’ playing in your head but the author still has some unexpected twists to the plot up her sleeve as you hurtle towards a satisfying ending.

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Elaine Warden