This week we’re reading

The Seduction

By Joanna Briscoe, Bloomsbury Publishing, £16.99

While it may feel as if life has come to a grinding halt, a saving grace comes in the form of the publishing industry which is still ensuring we can get our fix of new stories. This week’s book is the newest release from Joanna Briscoe: The Seduction.

Beth leads a seemingly idyllic life in London with her partner Sol and their daughter Fern but underneath the surface everything isn’t as perfect as it seems.

Beth has a lot of unresolved issues from her past concerning her mother which continue to infiltrate her life.

Encouraged by Sol, Beth attends therapy where she meets psychiatrist Dr Tamara Bywater but when the boundaries between a professional and personal relationship become blurred, Beth’s entire world becomes threatened.

One of the main themes of the novel centres around obsession but unfortunately the book is best described as a domestic drama.

There are plenty of opportunities to deliver some much-needed thrills but they’re largely left unexploited.

Despite the lack of excitement, the plot itself is quite well developed so there are a few intriguing themes which are dealt with in a mature manner.

It’s just disappointing that despite its potential, overall the book feels a little lacklustre.

From the start, the story gets under way quickly and while usually that can be a positive, it tends to feel a little too rushed in this case.

The relationships and situations of characters are brushed over so the reader doesn’t get to savour much before the story has already moved on in leaps and bounds.

The writing style is partly what prevents this novel from being as engrossing as it could be – there’s no shortage of good storylines which could have moved it on but their execution prevents them from doing so.

Despite this, Briscoe does write evocatively at times, enabling the reader to clearly picture the scene she is creating. It just isn’t always showcased extremely well.

The book may be called The Seduction but this is one reader who unfortunately remained unswayed by its charms.

Review by Emma Reekie.