His & Hers

by Alice Feeney

Flatiron Books

Publication Date : July 28, 2020

Pages: 304

Synopsis From Publisher:

Anna Andrews finally has what she wants. Almost. She’s worked hard to become the main TV presenter of the BBC’s lunchtime news, putting work before friends, family, and her now ex-husband. So, when someone threatens to take her dream job away, she’ll do almost anything to keep it. When asked to cover a murder in Blackdown―the sleepy countryside village where she grew up―Anna is reluctant to go. But when the victim turns out to be one of her childhood friends, she can’t leave. It soon becomes clear that Anna isn’t just covering the story, she’s at the heart of it. DCI Jack Harper left London for a reason, but never thought he’d end up working in a place like Blackdown. When the body of a young woman is discovered, Jack decides not to tell anyone that he knew the victim, until he begins to realise he is a suspect in his own murder investigation.

In 2018 Alice Feeney burst onto the psychological thriller scene with her debut novel, Sometimes I Lie. Sometimes I Lie became a New York Times best seller and has been optioned as a TV series. Feeney’s next book I Know Who You Are, was just as entertaining and compelling as Sometimes I Lie, making Feeney an auto read author for me. With His & Hers, Feeney has more than proven her staying power in the crowded arena of psychological thrillers. 

Anna Andrews, a news reporter for BBC, left Blackdown village and never looked back. Now a woman has been murdered, in her hometown and the story has been assigned to her to report. On the investigative side, DI Jack Harper is assigned to the same case. Anna and Jack are not happy to see each other at the murder scene. They are both linked to the murder victim, and they both have something to hide.

His & Hers is told from both Anna’s and Jack’s perspective as well as the killer. Within all three points of view, the past is recounted. Rather than specific chapters being dedicated to the past, Feeney flashes back while the character is still in the present. The past is recalled by the character naturally, which is how most of us remember the past. A smell, a picture, something someone says in passing can awaken memories we’ve long forgotten. This easy reminiscence gives the story an effortless flow. 

Anna will be a complicated character for most readers. She has her issues and some of her decisions are questionable. Not that Jack is perfect (He is not) but this murder is affecting Anna far more than Jack. Causing her to relive trauma and guilt for her past actions or lack of actions. Readers will want to cheer for Anna but will also be disappointed by the way she handles situations. I love a character who makes me feel more than one emotion. It makes the character more real. In life no person is all one thing; people are multifaceted. Literary characters should be multifaceted as well. 

Feeney is an author who knows what buttons to push, she knows how to hook a reader as well as how to keep them hooked. His & Hers is an engaging and tangled story of two damaged people who seem unable to move on from their pasts. Teeming with suspense and an ending I did not see coming at all. Readers looking for a fast paced, relatable, and gripping read should add His & Hers to their list of must reads.

*Thanks to Flatiron Books for my free review copy of His & Hers*

Murder and Moore Rating: 

4 out of 5 Stars