The book...
Ex-convict, Tina, is terminally ill. Before she dies the care of her younger, psychologically unwell brother, Wayne, must be ensured. So Tina calls in a promise made to her thirty years ago in a prison cell. A promise that was written down and placed with crucial evidence illustrating a miscarriage of justice in a murder case.
Tina believes Olivia is perfectly placed to provide the care Wayne needs, but to do so, Olivia must be forced to cancel her own wedding and wreck the lives of those close to her. Tina’s terrible blackmail demands put Olivia’s entire future and, ultimately, her freedom under threat.
The Promise is a fast-paced psychological thriller told from several third person viewpoints. The novel explores the lengths to which people are prepared to go to protect those they love and the impossibility of ever fully escaping our past actions.
The review....
Many years ago Tina made a promise to her mother - to make sure her vulnerable younger brother, Wayne, was always taken care of. Now, though, Tina is dying and Wayne’s future looks very insecure. It’s time to call in another promise - one made in prison, long ago. When Tina’s gone, Wayne will need the trappings of a stable and secure life - money, a job, a wife - and Tina is prepared to go to any lengths to make sure he gets them.
Olivia is looking forward to her wedding to Mark. She’s tried hard to put the past behind her, but it still haunts her in dreams. Now though, her past actions are about to come back to haunt her in more tangible form.
From this basic premise, Sally Jenkins has woven a dark tale of murder, blackmail and retribution. As the plot thickens it’s hard to imagine where it will all end for the characters caught up in a web of intrigue and deceit.
There is a diversity of characters, with the most likeable for me being Mark’s teenage daughter Suzanne and Olivia’s friend, Joanne, both of whom I found to be quite engaging. Tina’s actions are reprehensible but ultimately born out of love for her brother, and it is possible to have sympathy with the predicament she finds herself in, even while the measures she goes to are far too extreme.
There’s perhaps some over reliance on coincidence - it’s a remarkable stroke of luck for Tina not only to find a letter from her ex-cell-mate Audrey at a crucial time, but also that a handwritten, signed statement of inestimable value had somehow been inadvertently attached to that letter. I’d have liked to have known more, too, about the background to the situation - Audrey’s marriage, and how things turned out the way they did.
The Promise is an intriguing and well constructed psychological drama which ends on a note of uncertainty - it would be good to know what happens next...
Many thanks to Sally and to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to review The Promise and participate in the blog tour!
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