The Black Sheep

By Sophie McKenzie

A bit unrealistic, but still really enjoyable.  I first discovered Sophie McKenzie with her YA novels years ago, but I think her adult thrillers are much better.

The Black Sheep is about a woman called Francesca, whose husband was murdered a year before the book began.  At his memorial service, a man approaches her and tells her that there was more to her husband's death than what was reported and that members of her family were involved.  This leads Fran to investigate which leads to an exciting and riveting climax.

One thing I think Sophie McKenzie is brilliant at is her ability to tell a story.  She isn't the best writer in the world but she is still able to write a story that immediately draws you in.  She has a unique writing style, and I've read enough of her books that I'd immediately be able to tell she wrote it without seeing the title or cover.  She is fantastic at creating characters that you can relate to.  Most of her books are centred around people who are ordinary people doing 9-5 jobs, and have been caught up in something awful.  Francesca is like that, going about her life looking after her kids and doing the school run.  I thought she was a great main character but she did annoy me slightly - it was clear that she was not able to trust any of her family and yet she still chose to confide in almost every member who ultimately could have been behind her husband's death.  Harry is also another likeable character, as are the rest of them.  I don't want to mention anything else about them, as I think I might end up spoiling the book for those who haven't read it.  Only Fran's Uncle Perry was dislikable I thought, constantly putting Francesca down but he too is fighting his own demons.

The setting was really good.  It was set in London, and being British myself I was able to picture everything clearly.  I actually imagined parts of the book to take place in real-life areas close to me, something I've only ever done a handful of times.  I think this helped me to enjoy it more.  The plot was a bit unrealistic and far-fetched, but I don't mind this; I think it adds excitement.  Who wants to read a boring book anyway?

While I mostly read books for pleasure and enjoyment, I also think it is great when authors write about issues that are relevant in the real world.  Abortion is prominent throughout the book and the ethics behind it, and one character suffers from bad mental health.

All in all, another great thriller from Sophie McKenzie.  It isn't the best book in the world and probably won't win any awards, but there are definitely worse books out there.  I'd recommend picking this up if you want something easy to read, that, although unrealistic, can just swoop you in and take you into its world.  I look forward Sophie McKenzie's next thriller.

Rating: 8/10

Date read: April 2017.