Book Review: The Housemate by Sarah Bailey

 

It's been  a while since I've read a thriller even though it is one of my favouite genres to read, so I was keen when I was given the opportunity to read Sarah Bailey's latest thriller novel The Housemate, which was released this week. 

 

The story is mainly set in 2015 but it reverts back in time to 2005 when the Housemate Homicide took place. Back then, Melbournian-based Olive (Oli) Groves was a junior reporter and became fascinated with the case in which a young woman, Evelyn Stanley, was murdered. One of Evelyn's housemates, Alexandra Riboni, was charged with Evelyn's murder, and her other housemate, Nicole Horrowitz went missing.

Now, ten years later, Nicole has been found dead on a remote property, and Oli is assigned to the case yet again. As she digs into the case, she uncovers a lot of secrets and questions that need answering.

Oli is a great protagonist; she's capable, determined, and passionate - all great qualities to possess. The story unravels at a decent pace, with a lot of mystery interspersed throughout. There are a lot of characters in the story and it took a while for me to get my head around them all. My favourite by far was Cooper Ng, who is partnered up with Oli to help crack the case. He's fun, inquisitive, and adorably annoying. As I don't want to spoil the story for others, I will only say that I really disliked the road Cooper went down. You'll need to read it to find out! 

I thought that this was a well-written whodunnit, and I found that I connected with the setting of the story, being based in Melbourne.  

I would recommend The Housemate for fans of crime/thriller novels.

* Worth mentioning, there are some heavy themes in The Housemate, including child abuse, which may be triggering for some readers.

The Housemate is available through Allen & Unwin RRP $32.99