Review: The Twisted Thread by Charlotte Bacon

The Twisted Thread

Author: Charlotte Bacon

Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Release Date: June 14, 2011

Review Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Format: eBook

Summary: When beautiful but aloof Claire Harkness is found dead in her dorm room one spring morning, prestigious Armitage Academy is shaken to its core. Everyone connected to school, and to Claire, finds their lives upended, from the local police detective who has a personal history with the academy, to the various faculty and staff whose lives are immersed in the daily rituals associated with it. Everyone wants to know how Claire died, at whose hands, and more importantly, where the baby that she recently gave birth to is--a baby that almost no one, except her small innermost circle, knew she was carrying.

At the center of the investigation is Madeline Christopher, an intern in the English department who is forced to examine the nature of the relationship between the school's students and the adults meant to guide them. As the case unravels, the dark intricacies of adolescent privilege at a powerful institution are exposed, and both teachers and students emerge as suspects as the novel rushes to its thrilling conclusion.

With The Twisted Thread, Charlotte Bacon has crafted a gripping and suspenseful story in the tradition of Donna Tartt's The Secret History, one that pulls back the curtain on the lives of the young and privileged.

Review: This book has a good plot and the storyline is solid. It’s been done before, but not tired out. It is full of intrigue, mystery, complicated social themes, and likeable characters. The novel itself had a lot of potential, but seemed to go the safe route with predictable outcomes and twists you could see coming a mile away. The author spent too much time trying to build the history of the school and the backgrounds of the character; it became almost a boring interlude to the main story. There was the expected conflict between the privileged youth from the boarding school and the regular people in the town below. Overall, Bacon’s writing was solid and she had a good narrative. The characters were likeable and dealt with real-life problems and situations. It also gave good insight into the life of privileged teens and what goes on behind the closed doors of a prestigious boarding school. This book didn’t blow me away, but it was a good book and is worth reading.

Disclosure: I received my copy of this book for free in return for an honest review.