Book review: And Then She Fell by Dreena Collins

I am delighted to share my review today  ~ thanks to  Rachel’s Random Resources for organizing.

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3.5⭐
Genre ~ women’s psychological fiction
Setting ~ UK
Publication date ~ November 8, 2022
Est Page Count ~ 267 (29 chapters)
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ death of an adult child

Author Content Warning: There are references to several challenging issues, though much of this is threatened or off the page. This includes fertility difficulties, mental health issues (including eating disorders and suicidal ideation), and the threat of violence/ sexual violence. These are all in short, contained scenes.

My review:

Catherine’s daughter, Susie, was 26 when she fell to her death while on holiday with her friends and boyfriend, Daniel.

Catherine does interact with people, but mostly she’s talking to Susie. She reminisces about the good times, and also wonders if she somehow missed a key piece in how Susie lived her life, and, also, how she died. She frequently hangs out with Jessica, Susie’s bff, and Daniel, and learns some shocking things.

To build up the suspense, we get 10 scenarios sprinkled in from the day Susie fell, but we’re left wondering what really happened until the very end.

Overall, I wasn’t fully captivated, however the suspense did keep me intrigued. It’s a well written story of the grieving process, and a mother just needing to know what happened to her baby, something that I’m sure is relatable to other mother’s going through the same thing. I know I would definitely want answers, even if they were too hard to hear.

Add to your never ending TBR  ~ goodreads

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read it.

Book blurb:

What happened to you, Susie, my love? What happened to you that night?

Everyone tells me I should let it be. The inquest is over. The funeral held. And life goes on.

But not for me.

When you were a baby, I saw you as a fragile chick. A nestling who might stop breathing if I looked away for too long. This is the world of new motherhood.

And as you grew, we were still concentric circles. You were the heart of me. Focal. Vital. I could not imagine a life without you. And little did I know, my fears were not so irrational after all. You were going to leave me too soon.

Because you are gone, now. I have to remind myself sometimes.

My name is Catherine Keely. My daughter fell from a balcony while on holiday with friends.

She died last year.

So, tell me: what would you do if you thought your daughter’s death wasn’t an accident? What would you do if you were me?

Told through ten interwoven narratives of the same night, each shaped by a different relationship with Susie, And Then She Fell explores the lies we tell ourselves and the silences we keep – and how every story holds a secret.

Purchase Links

Author Bio –

Dreena Collins is a multi-genre author. Her short fiction has been listed and placed in numerous writing competitions, such as The Bridport Prize and the Bath Flash Fiction Award. She is the author of a suspense novel, And Then She Fell, and a historical fiction, inspired by the true story of The Guernsey Martyrs (Perotine).

As Jane Harvey, Dreena writes commercially successful, feel-good fiction: The Hummingbird House series. Books one and two of the series both won the Eyelands International Awards, Published Novel of the Year (2021 and 2022).

She lives in Jersey with her spouse, son, and a grumpy white dog, where she also works as the Deputy CEO for a charity.

Social Media Links –

• facebook.com/dreenawriting
• Instagram.com/dreenawriting
• @dreenawriting.co.uk

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