One Step Too Far

November 3, 2014
British author Seskis expertly depicts the new life of a runaway wife, Emily Coleman, in her exciting if not groundbreaking first novel. Leaving all that she knows in Manchester, England, for an uncertain future in present-day London, Emily reclaims her maiden name and becomes Cat Brown. With the help of her new housemate, the uninhibited but motherly Angel, Cat finds not only a new job but also a new persona, and the two party and drink to extremes that Cat would never have dared to try before. Yet at every turn Cat must push away thoughts of the often alluded to but unspecified event that drove her to restart her life. Individual readers will have to decide whether the secret that drives the plot, once it’s revealed, is sufficiently shocking. Regardless, as Cat teeters from being nearly indigent to becoming a confident if reckless Londoner, her experiences on her own make for a diverting read. Agent: Jon Elek, United Agents (U.K.).

November 15, 2014

This highly anticipated U.S. publication of Seskis's debut psychological thriller is off and running from the very first page, in which readers meet Cat Brown, formerly Emily Coleman, as she sheds her previous life with a move to London, leaving behind what she assumes will be a shocked and bewildered family. Our view of Cat's rough first weeks in the city, and her introduction to a seedier life than the one to which she was accustomed in the suburbs of Manchester is interspersed with multiple narratives that provide disconnected clues to the motivation for her frantic hegira. The author's use of this technique propels the plot by leaving the reader unsettled and on edge, eager for more information. And, in order to achieve the intricate plot twists, Seskis reverses the classic methods of such predecessors as Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy by distancing us from her characters in order to keep us ignorant of the driving force behind their actions until the climactic conclusion. VERDICT Add this one to the growing Gone Girl subgenre, designed for readers who appreciate the journey and are willing to invest the time to reflect on its significance once the destination is reached. [See Prepub Alert, 7/21/14.]--Nancy McNicol, Hamden P.L., CT

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2014
Attorney Emily Coleman abruptly leaves her family and home in suburban Manchester for a filthy communal home in North London. She takes a new name and a new job as a receptionist at an ad agency. She befriends a kleptomaniac with a bad coke habit and begins to lead a life far different from her old one, partying into the wee hours. Although the traumatic event that has sent her running is only alluded to, she makes it clear that her marriage was a happy one and a welcome contrast to her own family, which includes a disturbed twin sister and a philandering father. Debut novelist Seskis displays a keen sense of pacing as she gently misguides readers, only to drop a few bombshells in the latter chapters, and her backstories on Emily's family are vivid yet done with great economy. Amping up the fantasy factor of living a completely different life, Seskis hooks readers from the outset while also spelling out the high emotional costs of abandoning loved ones. A skillfully done novel by a writer to watch.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)