Fourth Book of the Week: Finished

Book of the Week: The Dead Lie Down, by Sophie Hannah

I finished this book today and I wish that I was still reading it! I love Sophie Hannah's writing. She comes up with these stories with so many twists and turns that you don't want to quit reading so that you can figure out the mystery!


The Dead Lie Down is the story of Ruth Bussey who lives in England with her picture framer boyfriend, Aidan. While on a short weekend getaway, Aidan tells Ruth that he killed someone a long time ago and her name was Mary Trelease. But Ruth doesn't believe him because she knows a Mary Trelease that looks exactly as Aidan describes and is also a painter. She tries and to tell Aidan this but he won't believe her.

In desperation Ruth goes to the police and tells Detective Charlie Zailer her story. Ruth wants the police to go to Mary Trelease's home and then tell Aidan that she is alive and well. Charlie finds the story so far fetched she doesn't know what to do. Charlie blows off the whole incident when after Ruth leaves behind her coat she looks in the pocket and finds a picture of herself from a few years ago when she was in the tabloids for unknowingly dating a serial rapist. But then Charlie's fiance, Simon, another detective tells her the story of a man who came into the police station that same day and said he had killed someone that was actually alive.

Simon and Charlie begin trying to piece together this crazy puzzle. They're not sure who to believe; Aidan who says he killed a woman and gives very specific details, but only answers questions that he wants to, Ruth who seems to have her own secrets after one of her bedroom walls is found with tons of pictures of Charlie from magazines and newspapers, or Mary Trelease who says she doesn't know Aidan, but did have an altercation with Ruth a few months before. A little while into the book we find out that Ruth was tortured about five years prior by a client that she did garden design for and has been reading self help books and trying to move on ever since. I don't think her attack is too much of an important element in the book other than to show that Ruth has been through a lot and is vulnerable.

Once Aidan disappears and Ruth seems to be getting closer and closer to Mary the story really picks up and you aren't 100% sure who to believe, everyone seems to be guilty of something. There were many twists and turns, and the book was very exciting. Although, I will admit, there were times when it became a bit confusing, it was still a really good read. I would recommend it to anyone that wants a mind bender!

4 out of 5 stars