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Violet
When two strangers end up sharing a cabin on the Trans-Siberian Express, an intense friendship develops, one that can only have one ending … a nerve-shattering psychological thriller from bestselling author SJI Holliday
Carrie's best friend has an accident and can no longer make the round-the-world trip they'd planned together, so Carrie decides to go it alone.
Violet is also travelling alone, after splitting up with her boyfriend in Thailand. She is also desperate for a ticket on the Trans-Siberian Express, but there is nothing available.
When the two women meet in a Beijing Hotel, Carrie makes the impulsive decision to invite Violet to take her best friend's place.
Thrown together in a strange country, and the cramped cabin of the train, the women soon form a bond. But as the journey continues, through Mongolia and into Russia, things start to unravel – because one of these women is not who she claims to be…
A tense and twisted psychological thriller about obsession, manipulation and toxic friendships, Violet also reminds us that there's a reason why mother told us not to talk to strangers...
Carrie's best friend has an accident and can no longer make the round-the-world trip they'd planned together, so Carrie decides to go it alone.
Violet is also travelling alone, after splitting up with her boyfriend in Thailand. She is also desperate for a ticket on the Trans-Siberian Express, but there is nothing available.
When the two women meet in a Beijing Hotel, Carrie makes the impulsive decision to invite Violet to take her best friend's place.
Thrown together in a strange country, and the cramped cabin of the train, the women soon form a bond. But as the journey continues, through Mongolia and into Russia, things start to unravel – because one of these women is not who she claims to be…
A tense and twisted psychological thriller about obsession, manipulation and toxic friendships, Violet also reminds us that there's a reason why mother told us not to talk to strangers...
276 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2019
212 people are currently reading
2598 people want to read
About the author
S.J.I. Holliday
16 books231 followersLibrarian Note: Also writes under the name Susi Holliday.
Susi (S.J.I.) Holliday grew up near Edinburgh and spent many years working in her family’s newsagent and pub before studying microbiology and statistics at university. She has worked as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry for 20 years, but it was on a 6-month round-the-world-trip that she took with her husband several years ago that she rediscovered her passion for writing.
You can find out more at www.sjiholliday.com, or on Twitter and Facebook @SJIHolliday.
Susi (S.J.I.) Holliday grew up near Edinburgh and spent many years working in her family’s newsagent and pub before studying microbiology and statistics at university. She has worked as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry for 20 years, but it was on a 6-month round-the-world-trip that she took with her husband several years ago that she rediscovered her passion for writing.
You can find out more at www.sjiholliday.com, or on Twitter and Facebook @SJIHolliday.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 317 reviews
November 22, 2019
It's official people...this book put the psycho in psychological thriller! This book is a 5 star read from page one! This author has quickly become a "must read" author for me, as I finished up my first book by her - The Lingering a couple of weeks ago and I had to get my hands on Violet. WOW is all I can say! Let's just say crazy just met crazier!
Violet and Carrie are complete strangers both traveling the world. Violet feeling very vulnerable and desperate after being dumped by her boyfriend. Carrie feeling lonely and down after her BFF has to cancel on her after having an accident. Both have been put into a situation where they are traveling alone, which could be creepy right? So it only made sense for them to team up and travel together since they both hit it off so well when they had a chance meeting. Let's just say things did not go as planned.
The creepy meter was off the chain as one of these girls quickly became obsessed with the other, going through their suitcase, watching them sleep, jealously boiling over when anyone looked their way. Fueled by nights of alcohol and drugs things began to spiral out of control- quickly.
Holy hell this was single white female on crack. I loved, loved, loved this book! I flew through this book in less than a day, staying up late into the night. A story filled with manipulation, jealously, obsession and pure evil. One of my favorite books so far this year!
A huge thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for providing me with this spine tingling ARC. I absolutely loved it!
Violet and Carrie are complete strangers both traveling the world. Violet feeling very vulnerable and desperate after being dumped by her boyfriend. Carrie feeling lonely and down after her BFF has to cancel on her after having an accident. Both have been put into a situation where they are traveling alone, which could be creepy right? So it only made sense for them to team up and travel together since they both hit it off so well when they had a chance meeting. Let's just say things did not go as planned.
The creepy meter was off the chain as one of these girls quickly became obsessed with the other, going through their suitcase, watching them sleep, jealously boiling over when anyone looked their way. Fueled by nights of alcohol and drugs things began to spiral out of control- quickly.
Holy hell this was single white female on crack. I loved, loved, loved this book! I flew through this book in less than a day, staying up late into the night. A story filled with manipulation, jealously, obsession and pure evil. One of my favorite books so far this year!
A huge thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for providing me with this spine tingling ARC. I absolutely loved it!
August 21, 2021
4 - 5 stars
Violet is backpacking, she leaves Sam in Thailand and makes her way to Beijing where she looks for a ‘Sam replacement ‘. Carrie has a spare ticket for the Trans Siberian Railway, her would be travel companion Laura is laid up in Edinburgh. The two team up .... and let’s get this party started.
I love the way this novel is written with Violet narrating and Carrie sending emails home to Laura which makes for a lively and absorbing company! It works so well as you get the very different perspectives side by side. You catch on pretty quickly that Violet is an unreliable narrator but is Carrie as nice as she seems????? The not being fully in the picture about the reliability and
? niceness? Is maintained right until the end which keeps you gripped to the storyline. The journey takes them to some incredible places such as Mongolia which is probably some of the most vivid parts of the book but also where the fear and tension begins to gather. This shifts to need and obsession and intermittent rage. Some sentences positively leap off the pages as the journey progresses to Moscow, it’s as if they’re lit with neon! Oh boy, do things start to sour and go bad and needless to say the book becomes impossible to put down until you know if or who is the psychopath. The ending is very clever, an excellent twist you do not see coming. The storyline is dark and absolutely riveting.
Overall, a very well written and well paced psychological thriller and I do so love an unreliable narrator! So compelling.
This was a buddy read with DeAnn which we both enjoyed. Thank you for reading it with me, we picked a good ‘un here!!
Violet is backpacking, she leaves Sam in Thailand and makes her way to Beijing where she looks for a ‘Sam replacement ‘. Carrie has a spare ticket for the Trans Siberian Railway, her would be travel companion Laura is laid up in Edinburgh. The two team up .... and let’s get this party started.
I love the way this novel is written with Violet narrating and Carrie sending emails home to Laura which makes for a lively and absorbing company! It works so well as you get the very different perspectives side by side. You catch on pretty quickly that Violet is an unreliable narrator but is Carrie as nice as she seems????? The not being fully in the picture about the reliability and
? niceness? Is maintained right until the end which keeps you gripped to the storyline. The journey takes them to some incredible places such as Mongolia which is probably some of the most vivid parts of the book but also where the fear and tension begins to gather. This shifts to need and obsession and intermittent rage. Some sentences positively leap off the pages as the journey progresses to Moscow, it’s as if they’re lit with neon! Oh boy, do things start to sour and go bad and needless to say the book becomes impossible to put down until you know if or who is the psychopath. The ending is very clever, an excellent twist you do not see coming. The storyline is dark and absolutely riveting.
Overall, a very well written and well paced psychological thriller and I do so love an unreliable narrator! So compelling.
This was a buddy read with DeAnn which we both enjoyed. Thank you for reading it with me, we picked a good ‘un here!!
September 22, 2019
Be careful of strangers
Be wary who you speak to
Be even more careful of strangers you speak to who you become ‘bezzie friends’ with overnight
A cautionary and exciting tale of Violet and Carrie who, because of varying circumstances, meet in a travel agency in China and decide, as ‘suits’ them both to travel on the Trans Siberia Express across to Mongolia and Russia
Both are psychopath’s
Neither know the the other is but as the obsession between them builds so does the body count and as one leaves the other for dead this claustrophobic story of jealousy, rage, unbridled pleasure seeking and dark dark thoughts turns into a really good read
I ADORED the descriptions of the train travel which took me back years to travelling across Europe
Also enjoyed the teasing nature of the book where much was alluded
to throughout but kept you guessing and in some cases left it to your imagination altogether
Neither girl is likeable and that's just how it should be in this book, nor are most of the extras brought into the story along the way
A feeling of justice served re the ending twinned with raised eyebrows and ‘I wonder.....’ at the final few sentences
Different and pleasing, a good read
9/10
5 Stars
Be wary who you speak to
Be even more careful of strangers you speak to who you become ‘bezzie friends’ with overnight
A cautionary and exciting tale of Violet and Carrie who, because of varying circumstances, meet in a travel agency in China and decide, as ‘suits’ them both to travel on the Trans Siberia Express across to Mongolia and Russia
Both are psychopath’s
Neither know the the other is but as the obsession between them builds so does the body count and as one leaves the other for dead this claustrophobic story of jealousy, rage, unbridled pleasure seeking and dark dark thoughts turns into a really good read
I ADORED the descriptions of the train travel which took me back years to travelling across Europe
Also enjoyed the teasing nature of the book where much was alluded
to throughout but kept you guessing and in some cases left it to your imagination altogether
Neither girl is likeable and that's just how it should be in this book, nor are most of the extras brought into the story along the way
A feeling of justice served re the ending twinned with raised eyebrows and ‘I wonder.....’ at the final few sentences
Different and pleasing, a good read
9/10
5 Stars
August 22, 2021
4 tense psychological thriller stars
Two women traveling solo in Asia end up traveling together on the Trans-Siberian Express and a whirlwind exotic tale begins. First, we have Carrie, she’s traveling alone because her best friend Laura had a freak accident at home right before they were supposed to take this trip together. We learn more about her from reading her emails to family and friends back home.
Then there is Violet, she split up with Sam in Thailand and heads out solo. She’s trying to go on the Trans-Siberian Expressway and Carrie just happens to have an extra ticket.
There are some crazy adventures in Mongolia with shamans, a festival, and questionable food and drink. It’s all a blur but the two women seem to have had a good time . . .
Violet may be an unreliable narrator and is Carrie really a good girl? This one turns into a cat-and-mouse game, and I wasn’t quite sure if these two were friends or enemies. The fun continues in Russia where drinking is an all-day pastime. Throw in some obsession, more drugs and alcohol, and this one seemed about to explode and end badly. This one had a really interesting ending that I did not predict!
I really enjoyed this buddy read with Ceecee and I’m glad we both liked it so much! It made for some great discussion and speculation on our part. I would definitely read some of this author’s backlist.
Two women traveling solo in Asia end up traveling together on the Trans-Siberian Express and a whirlwind exotic tale begins. First, we have Carrie, she’s traveling alone because her best friend Laura had a freak accident at home right before they were supposed to take this trip together. We learn more about her from reading her emails to family and friends back home.
Then there is Violet, she split up with Sam in Thailand and heads out solo. She’s trying to go on the Trans-Siberian Expressway and Carrie just happens to have an extra ticket.
There are some crazy adventures in Mongolia with shamans, a festival, and questionable food and drink. It’s all a blur but the two women seem to have had a good time . . .
Violet may be an unreliable narrator and is Carrie really a good girl? This one turns into a cat-and-mouse game, and I wasn’t quite sure if these two were friends or enemies. The fun continues in Russia where drinking is an all-day pastime. Throw in some obsession, more drugs and alcohol, and this one seemed about to explode and end badly. This one had a really interesting ending that I did not predict!
I really enjoyed this buddy read with Ceecee and I’m glad we both liked it so much! It made for some great discussion and speculation on our part. I would definitely read some of this author’s backlist.
December 24, 2021
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کتاب وایولت به عنوان پرفروشترین رمان دلهرهآور روانشناختی انگلستان در سال ۲۰۱۹ شناخته شده. این رمان ماجرای یک دوستی زهرآگین را تعریف میکند که به خطرات همصحبتی با غریبهها اشاره دارد.
🧳
اغلب اینقدر شانس همراهت نیست که با روانپریشی همسفر شوی و آخر هم جان سالم به در ببری.
🧳
کری و لورا دو تا دوست صمیمی هستند و از پنج سالگی همدیگر را میشناختند و طی یک جریان نمیتوانند در یکی از سفرهایشان باهم همسفر باشند و کری مجبور میشود تنهایی به سفر برود و در مسیر با دختری به نام وایولت آشنا میشود؛ که همین آشنایی آغازگر جریانهای جدید و غیرقابل منتظرهای در زندگی اوست. این دو کاملا با هم غریبه هستند ولی تنهایی، تنها چیزی است که این دو را بهم پیوند میدهد.
🧳
کتاب ایدهی خوب و خلاقی برای انتخاب وسواسگونهی دوست و اعتماد کردن به دیگران داشت، به خصوص برقراری روابط صمیمانه میان دوستان و افراد جدیدی که وارد زندگی ما میشوند. در کل کتاب خوبی بود ولی به نظرم میتونست کوتاهتر و خلاصهتر باشه. اما همینها زمینهساز حدس و گمانهزنی برای پایان داستان است و هنگامیکه متوجه میشویم برخی چیزها سرجای خود نیستند و نهایتا در آخر همهی اینها گرهگشایی میشود.
کتاب وایولت به عنوان پرفروشترین رمان دلهرهآور روانشناختی انگلستان در سال ۲۰۱۹ شناخته شده. این رمان ماجرای یک دوستی زهرآگین را تعریف میکند که به خطرات همصحبتی با غریبهها اشاره دارد.
🧳
اغلب اینقدر شانس همراهت نیست که با روانپریشی همسفر شوی و آخر هم جان سالم به در ببری.
🧳
کری و لورا دو تا دوست صمیمی هستند و از پنج سالگی همدیگر را میشناختند و طی یک جریان نمیتوانند در یکی از سفرهایشان باهم همسفر باشند و کری مجبور میشود تنهایی به سفر برود و در مسیر با دختری به نام وایولت آشنا میشود؛ که همین آشنایی آغازگر جریانهای جدید و غیرقابل منتظرهای در زندگی اوست. این دو کاملا با هم غریبه هستند ولی تنهایی، تنها چیزی است که این دو را بهم پیوند میدهد.
🧳
کتاب ایدهی خوب و خلاقی برای انتخاب وسواسگونهی دوست و اعتماد کردن به دیگران داشت، به خصوص برقراری روابط صمیمانه میان دوستان و افراد جدیدی که وارد زندگی ما میشوند. در کل کتاب خوبی بود ولی به نظرم میتونست کوتاهتر و خلاصهتر باشه. اما همینها زمینهساز حدس و گمانهزنی برای پایان داستان است و هنگامیکه متوجه میشویم برخی چیزها سرجای خود نیستند و نهایتا در آخر همهی اینها گرهگشایی میشود.
February 28, 2022
A weird read... I had been looking forward to this one for a while now. I recently saw it was on Kindle Unlimited and was pumped.
So the narrator is a delusional psychopath. The summary made it sound as if you'll be guessing about who is, the entire story. Not the case. She's definitely crazy and you know that real fast.
That really wasn't the problem though. I'm only guessing of course but it seemed like the author was trying too hard to make the lack of empathy come across via monotone. The psychopath was talking crazy and doing crazy, but the tone was so even, I almost fell asleep a few times.
Lots of potential here and "what could've been". Alas, this was 2.5 disappointing stars for me.
So the narrator is a delusional psychopath. The summary made it sound as if you'll be guessing about who is, the entire story. Not the case. She's definitely crazy and you know that real fast.
That really wasn't the problem though. I'm only guessing of course but it seemed like the author was trying too hard to make the lack of empathy come across via monotone. The psychopath was talking crazy and doing crazy, but the tone was so even, I almost fell asleep a few times.
Lots of potential here and "what could've been". Alas, this was 2.5 disappointing stars for me.
October 6, 2019
After having read some fabulous reviews for “Violet” by Scottish author SJI Holliday I was over the moon to be able to read this book for myself. Having read Susi’s previous novels “The Banktoun Trilogy” and thoroughly enjoyed, I knew that this book was going to be an entertaining read that would have me addicted from the very first page.
The premise of “Violet” has a “Single, White Female” feel to it and since Violet and Carrie meet on a journey whilst travelling alone abroad, there will be a lot of readers who can relate to chatting with strangers and forming a brief relationship with them. What can go wrong? Two young women, similar likes and dislikes, looking to enjoy their backpacking trip in each other’s company in remote countries? Well, lots apparently. And the tension throughout really does have you turning the pages quicker than you can read them. The author certainly knows how to captivate the reader and I for one could feel the tension emanating from the pages, as things start to spiral out of control.
I liked how the author opened the book with the prologue and then the narrative throughout using emails, to and from Carrie and her friend Laura back home. Very clever and an ingenious way of conveying the inner thoughts and feelings of Carrie as her intense relationship with Violet developed. The atmosphere of the countries the girls visited was picture perfect and the long train journeys were obviously well researched and you can tell the author drew on her own experiences of the Trans-Siberian Express to help write the scenes.
The ending and denouement was highly enjoyable and not one I saw coming.
I have to admit that ‘Violet’ really did get under my skin to a point by the end of the book, I felt I needed a long hot shower and a thorough detox! I didn’t want this story to end and devoured the whole book in a couple of days. Highly recommended and wish the author every success with this entertaining, modern, intense and classic psychological thriller focusing on toxic relationships and the perils of striking up friendships with strangers!
4.5 stars
The premise of “Violet” has a “Single, White Female” feel to it and since Violet and Carrie meet on a journey whilst travelling alone abroad, there will be a lot of readers who can relate to chatting with strangers and forming a brief relationship with them. What can go wrong? Two young women, similar likes and dislikes, looking to enjoy their backpacking trip in each other’s company in remote countries? Well, lots apparently. And the tension throughout really does have you turning the pages quicker than you can read them. The author certainly knows how to captivate the reader and I for one could feel the tension emanating from the pages, as things start to spiral out of control.
I liked how the author opened the book with the prologue and then the narrative throughout using emails, to and from Carrie and her friend Laura back home. Very clever and an ingenious way of conveying the inner thoughts and feelings of Carrie as her intense relationship with Violet developed. The atmosphere of the countries the girls visited was picture perfect and the long train journeys were obviously well researched and you can tell the author drew on her own experiences of the Trans-Siberian Express to help write the scenes.
The ending and denouement was highly enjoyable and not one I saw coming.
I have to admit that ‘Violet’ really did get under my skin to a point by the end of the book, I felt I needed a long hot shower and a thorough detox! I didn’t want this story to end and devoured the whole book in a couple of days. Highly recommended and wish the author every success with this entertaining, modern, intense and classic psychological thriller focusing on toxic relationships and the perils of striking up friendships with strangers!
4.5 stars
October 15, 2019
As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
Violet and Carrie are thrown together by fate when they meet in a random encounter in a Beijing hotel. Carrie has a spare train ticket and Violet needs a ticket. They get talking at the bar, get on well over an evening of drinks and there seems to be a connection between them. The chance meeting ends with Carrie offering Violet her spare ticket and the pair escaping the pain of break-ups, taking a break from everyday life and enjoying a hedonistic journey through Mongolia, Siberia and Russia aboard the Trans-Siberian Express. Purchase your own ticket, take your own seat, join them and enjoy the insidiously sinister ride that Holliday takes you on.
Violet is written in the first-person from the perspective of Violet with the occasional email written by Carrie to her friends and family. This works well as it means that you get to see inside the minds of both of the girl’s. But, can you trust Violet? Can you trust Carrie for that matter? I have seen the deviousness, the evil within. I know the answer and I know where the cards fall as I’ve read the book. I also know that narrators can be unreliable and that, on occasion, they can have a rather tenuous grip on reality blurring the lines and playing fast and loose with the truth. For Violet, when you are reading you don’t know if you are reading the truth, a version of the truth or if you are being spoon-fed a mouthful of lies by Violet, by Carrie or by them both.
There is a contrast between Violet and Carrie, night and day, light and dark. Light and dark is very apt actually. Carrie comes across as affable, easy-going, good-natured, fun-loving, open, a people person and warm (light). While Violet has an intensity to her personality, suffers mood swings that change like the wind and comes across as calculating, cold, detached, reserved and like she has something to hide (dark).
Then, there are moments when the mask slips. At times, Violet seems nicer, showing a hint of kindness, compassion and consideration. While, at times, Carrie seems to have inner darkness to her, barked words, easy to anger and venom in her voice as though she is hiding her true self. A variety of little things throughout the journey that slightly alter your perception of them both and make you question what and who is really buried beneath the surface.
There is something off about both Violet and Carrie but you’ll struggle to put a feel on what exactly it is that is ‘off’ about them. It’s a feeling that you have and the pair make for compelling, compulsive reading as you delve deeper into their tangled and newly formed intense friendship. Holliday effortlessly draws you in and as the cracks start to slowly appear you need to know what happens.
The writing is addictive and taut. The story itself is dark, twisted, tightly plotted and filled with simmering tension. The suspense builds throughout and you have a feeling of disquiet, of unease coursing through your veins for the unknown darkness that will surely come to pass.
It is only a small thing but there is a mention of Rosalind House, the commune that features in Holliday’s previous book, The Lingering which was a really cool little nod.
Violet is a psychological thriller. As such, when you boarded, when you turned the first page and when you started your journey you knew that the destination would be dark and Holliday doesn’t disappoint. There is something bad, something lurking unseen, a looming spectre in the dark, biding its time and waiting. When Holliday decides to pull back the shroud and finally reveal the true visage of the hidden darkness it is disturbing, shocking and wonderfully dark.
Luckily, I’m not a people person. I won’t go as far as to say that Slipknot had it right with their song ‘People = Shit‘ but, yeah, for many, that sentiment is spot on. Though, I admit, some, in small doses, are OK. I’m antisocial, I’m not a chatty sort and my point is, if you are a talkative person, someone who likes to chew the fat and shoot the breeze with any random weirdo person then Violet is a book that will make you question talking to a stranger again…ever. Think about it, who knows what dark secrets could be hidden under the facade of the person that they appear to be? That polite nod and hello could be the start of a new friendship or, it could be the biggest mistake you make.
Violet and Carrie are thrown together by fate when they meet in a random encounter in a Beijing hotel. Carrie has a spare train ticket and Violet needs a ticket. They get talking at the bar, get on well over an evening of drinks and there seems to be a connection between them. The chance meeting ends with Carrie offering Violet her spare ticket and the pair escaping the pain of break-ups, taking a break from everyday life and enjoying a hedonistic journey through Mongolia, Siberia and Russia aboard the Trans-Siberian Express. Purchase your own ticket, take your own seat, join them and enjoy the insidiously sinister ride that Holliday takes you on.
Violet is written in the first-person from the perspective of Violet with the occasional email written by Carrie to her friends and family. This works well as it means that you get to see inside the minds of both of the girl’s. But, can you trust Violet? Can you trust Carrie for that matter? I have seen the deviousness, the evil within. I know the answer and I know where the cards fall as I’ve read the book. I also know that narrators can be unreliable and that, on occasion, they can have a rather tenuous grip on reality blurring the lines and playing fast and loose with the truth. For Violet, when you are reading you don’t know if you are reading the truth, a version of the truth or if you are being spoon-fed a mouthful of lies by Violet, by Carrie or by them both.
There is a contrast between Violet and Carrie, night and day, light and dark. Light and dark is very apt actually. Carrie comes across as affable, easy-going, good-natured, fun-loving, open, a people person and warm (light). While Violet has an intensity to her personality, suffers mood swings that change like the wind and comes across as calculating, cold, detached, reserved and like she has something to hide (dark).
Then, there are moments when the mask slips. At times, Violet seems nicer, showing a hint of kindness, compassion and consideration. While, at times, Carrie seems to have inner darkness to her, barked words, easy to anger and venom in her voice as though she is hiding her true self. A variety of little things throughout the journey that slightly alter your perception of them both and make you question what and who is really buried beneath the surface.
There is something off about both Violet and Carrie but you’ll struggle to put a feel on what exactly it is that is ‘off’ about them. It’s a feeling that you have and the pair make for compelling, compulsive reading as you delve deeper into their tangled and newly formed intense friendship. Holliday effortlessly draws you in and as the cracks start to slowly appear you need to know what happens.
The writing is addictive and taut. The story itself is dark, twisted, tightly plotted and filled with simmering tension. The suspense builds throughout and you have a feeling of disquiet, of unease coursing through your veins for the unknown darkness that will surely come to pass.
It is only a small thing but there is a mention of Rosalind House, the commune that features in Holliday’s previous book, The Lingering which was a really cool little nod.
Violet is a psychological thriller. As such, when you boarded, when you turned the first page and when you started your journey you knew that the destination would be dark and Holliday doesn’t disappoint. There is something bad, something lurking unseen, a looming spectre in the dark, biding its time and waiting. When Holliday decides to pull back the shroud and finally reveal the true visage of the hidden darkness it is disturbing, shocking and wonderfully dark.
Luckily, I’m not a people person. I won’t go as far as to say that Slipknot had it right with their song ‘People = Shit‘ but, yeah, for many, that sentiment is spot on. Though, I admit, some, in small doses, are OK. I’m antisocial, I’m not a chatty sort and my point is, if you are a talkative person, someone who likes to chew the fat and shoot the breeze with any random weirdo person then Violet is a book that will make you question talking to a stranger again…ever. Think about it, who knows what dark secrets could be hidden under the facade of the person that they appear to be? That polite nod and hello could be the start of a new friendship or, it could be the biggest mistake you make.
October 4, 2019
VIOLET is a Psychological Thriller by Scottish author SJI Holliday. This is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be the last. This novel is a winner!
Violet is sitting alone in Thailand outside the Beijing international train station, after having a falling out with her boyfriend, Sam. She is desperate for a ticket on the Tran-Siberian Express, but there is nothing available. Violet’s plan is to loop back via China and the Trans-Siberian Express to Moscow, before flying home to the UK.
Now Violet was alone in Beijing. What she needs is a new friend, a replacement for Sam.
Violet meets Carrie in a Beijing Hotel, and hits it off like wildfire. Carrie calls her “V”. An intense friendship quickly develops. Carrie makes the impulsive decision to invite Violet to take her best friend's place. Carrie's best friend, Laura had an accident and can no longer make the round-the-world trip they'd planned together, so Carrie decides to go it alone.
Two strangers end up sharing a cabin on the Trans-Siberian Express…but not all is as it seems.
As the journey continues, through Mongolia and into Russia, things start to unravel – because one of these women is not who she claims to be…
This was Violet's story told from her POV. I didn’t like either of the girls, but I was glued to the plot. Tension builds to a brilliant satisfying conclusion.
Violet is a well written psychological thriller that deals with obsession, manipulation and lethal friendships.
Many thanks to the author and The Book Club Reviewer Request Group (FB) for my digital copy.
Violet is sitting alone in Thailand outside the Beijing international train station, after having a falling out with her boyfriend, Sam. She is desperate for a ticket on the Tran-Siberian Express, but there is nothing available. Violet’s plan is to loop back via China and the Trans-Siberian Express to Moscow, before flying home to the UK.
Now Violet was alone in Beijing. What she needs is a new friend, a replacement for Sam.
Violet meets Carrie in a Beijing Hotel, and hits it off like wildfire. Carrie calls her “V”. An intense friendship quickly develops. Carrie makes the impulsive decision to invite Violet to take her best friend's place. Carrie's best friend, Laura had an accident and can no longer make the round-the-world trip they'd planned together, so Carrie decides to go it alone.
Two strangers end up sharing a cabin on the Trans-Siberian Express…but not all is as it seems.
As the journey continues, through Mongolia and into Russia, things start to unravel – because one of these women is not who she claims to be…
This was Violet's story told from her POV. I didn’t like either of the girls, but I was glued to the plot. Tension builds to a brilliant satisfying conclusion.
Violet is a well written psychological thriller that deals with obsession, manipulation and lethal friendships.
Many thanks to the author and The Book Club Reviewer Request Group (FB) for my digital copy.
March 16, 2021
Violet and Carrie, two young British women encounter each other at a railway ticket agency in Beijing. Violet lost her former boyfriend Sam in Thailand and needs a place on the Trans-Siberian Express to Moscow, which is apparently fully booked. Carrie’s best friend and intended travelling companion suffered an accident and fractured her leg, leaving Carrie with a surplus ticket she cannot redeem. So, Violet gains a free ride and Carrie a new friend to accompany her.
The story is told mostly by Violet in first person, occasionally switched to Carrie’s emails to her friend and her family. They have a layover in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, where officious guides sign them up for a trip into the country by Land Rover and pony to experience a shamanistic ritual involving some very potent beverages and the relationship between Carrie and Violet passes beyond mere friendship. Gradually we become more suspicious as we fear that at least one of them is not quite whom she seems. As we reach Irkusk in Siberia, where our travellers encounter suspicious guides and sleazy hotels, the atmosphere of exotic travelogue changes to sinister menace. From this point we follow one of the women to Moscow and ultimately to Berlin as the mood grows darker and darker and the action increasingly murderous.
The emotional swings from a slightly too-good-to-be-true railway journey with two likeable and attractive characters to discovering a backstory of real mayhem and madness put Violet well up amongst the very best psychological thrillers I’ve ever read, deserving comparison with Patricia Highsmith, and not just because we have strangers on a train. Like many first-person narratives, it demands some suspension of disbelief, allowing characters to dissemble not only to each other, but to the reader. And coincidence felt a trifle stretched when one acquires a personal Russian hitman and ‘cleaner’ (not quite the same as a char). You will not want this story to end and yet be eager to find out how it turns out, and whether the villain will get away with it.
The story is told mostly by Violet in first person, occasionally switched to Carrie’s emails to her friend and her family. They have a layover in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, where officious guides sign them up for a trip into the country by Land Rover and pony to experience a shamanistic ritual involving some very potent beverages and the relationship between Carrie and Violet passes beyond mere friendship. Gradually we become more suspicious as we fear that at least one of them is not quite whom she seems. As we reach Irkusk in Siberia, where our travellers encounter suspicious guides and sleazy hotels, the atmosphere of exotic travelogue changes to sinister menace. From this point we follow one of the women to Moscow and ultimately to Berlin as the mood grows darker and darker and the action increasingly murderous.
The emotional swings from a slightly too-good-to-be-true railway journey with two likeable and attractive characters to discovering a backstory of real mayhem and madness put Violet well up amongst the very best psychological thrillers I’ve ever read, deserving comparison with Patricia Highsmith, and not just because we have strangers on a train. Like many first-person narratives, it demands some suspension of disbelief, allowing characters to dissemble not only to each other, but to the reader. And coincidence felt a trifle stretched when one acquires a personal Russian hitman and ‘cleaner’ (not quite the same as a char). You will not want this story to end and yet be eager to find out how it turns out, and whether the villain will get away with it.
March 28, 2020
Well, I thought there was a lot of potential for me to enjoy this book and I did while I read the first few pages and then, the last few pages. Other than that, it felt a bit bland to me. The plot, like I said had a lot of potential to be a five star read, no doubt but somehow the execution was a miss for me.
We are inside the head of Violet and the only way we get to know Carrie's thoughts are through her emails to Laura where she time to time describes what's happening. Violet goes from a bit off and creepy to downright menacing and sinister. The book's slightly dark and there's a wicked twist which makes the book deserving of a two or three star in my view.
I felt many aspects of the plot quite tiring and repetitive without any information given throughout the book. For example, the parties, drinks and drugs; it felt like Carrie and Violet just are partying away the whole book but just in different places. It was very frustrating and after I had finished the book, I just didn't have the whoa that was amazing feeling.
The emails were a nice touch and was the best part of the book. All in all, it was an average okay-ish read for me. Only the emails and that crazy twist at the end made this book worthwhile although looking forward to try more books by the author in the future.
We are inside the head of Violet and the only way we get to know Carrie's thoughts are through her emails to Laura where she time to time describes what's happening. Violet goes from a bit off and creepy to downright menacing and sinister. The book's slightly dark and there's a wicked twist which makes the book deserving of a two or three star in my view.
I felt many aspects of the plot quite tiring and repetitive without any information given throughout the book. For example, the parties, drinks and drugs; it felt like Carrie and Violet just are partying away the whole book but just in different places. It was very frustrating and after I had finished the book, I just didn't have the whoa that was amazing feeling.
The emails were a nice touch and was the best part of the book. All in all, it was an average okay-ish read for me. Only the emails and that crazy twist at the end made this book worthwhile although looking forward to try more books by the author in the future.
March 2, 2020
Okay....i'm halfway through and i haven't hit the twisty, psycho or thriller part yet (except in the prologue) and what is worse i always thought that Imogen Church could read a telephone book and i would still swoon at her feet, but even she doesn't really get me excited with this book yet. I'm going to trust my friends' reviews and I have already decided on a great twisty pscho-like possible development so i'm hanging in there to see if i'm right, or better yet, I hope she surprises me and knocks me off my feet. in the meantime Violet is a kook and not very likeable, I'm wondering if she's also psycho.
....
Okay, so here I am, back again and a little disappointed. This was (for me) a wobbly 3.5 rounded down. I would have liked to have been swept off my feet with this one (I had such great expectations). The book was good, very good, but just didn't hit the target for me. I can't put a finger on what held it back. There were twists and there were psychos -more than one or two - there was murder and lots of drugs and alcohol (the latter two may be what turned me off – I guess I prefer the virtues of the former three!). Basically, all of the main characters were unlikable and unreliable. I expected the worst from each of them and none of them disappointed me – no great surprises here.
Church was one of the redeeming qualities of this book and the plot was decent. If the plot had been tighter with more fingernail biting tension, I probably might have gone to 4 or more stars.
A young women #1 is traveling alone backpacking her way from Middle East through India, on to the Far East, then traveling west through Russia. At some point she tells us that her boyfriend has blown her off and left her on her own for the rest of her trip. As she tries to find a place on the Siberian express she arrives too late and no tickets are left for the next train on the following day. Next enters another young women #2, complaining at the ticket window because they would not refund her travel partner’s share of the fare. The travel partner friend, young woman #2 claims, broke her leg or arm and could not make the trip. Young woman #1 overhears, ingratiates/insinuates herself, and joins young woman #2 for the first leg of the journey, through Mongolia and on to Moscow. The two women do not appear to have anything in common. Young woman #1 is completely and pathetically besotted by young woman #2 and although she apparently comes from money and station she mooches off of #2 mercilessly - which is just one of her numerous psycho quirks (it is a psycho quirk and not just frugality). What ensues is a crazy trail of booze, sex, and waking up in strange places with little or no memory of what happened the night before. Hazy bits of memory hint at sordid happenings and at some point it is clear that neither young woman really fully trusts the other.
I thought it took too long for things to spiral out of control and the twisty bits just weren’t surprising enough. Also, I think there might have been an error in the book; I thought a hotel receptionist told #1 that #2 had departed the hotel and not paid the bill, when hotel receptionist could not have seen #1 leave, but maybe I missed a bit or didn’t hear correctly, because the discrepancy (if there was one) only became apparent at the end of the novel. It was not significant enough, nor was I wasn’t interested enough, to go back and check.
....
Okay, so here I am, back again and a little disappointed. This was (for me) a wobbly 3.5 rounded down. I would have liked to have been swept off my feet with this one (I had such great expectations). The book was good, very good, but just didn't hit the target for me. I can't put a finger on what held it back. There were twists and there were psychos -more than one or two - there was murder and lots of drugs and alcohol (the latter two may be what turned me off – I guess I prefer the virtues of the former three!). Basically, all of the main characters were unlikable and unreliable. I expected the worst from each of them and none of them disappointed me – no great surprises here.
Church was one of the redeeming qualities of this book and the plot was decent. If the plot had been tighter with more fingernail biting tension, I probably might have gone to 4 or more stars.
A young women #1 is traveling alone backpacking her way from Middle East through India, on to the Far East, then traveling west through Russia. At some point she tells us that her boyfriend has blown her off and left her on her own for the rest of her trip. As she tries to find a place on the Siberian express she arrives too late and no tickets are left for the next train on the following day. Next enters another young women #2, complaining at the ticket window because they would not refund her travel partner’s share of the fare. The travel partner friend, young woman #2 claims, broke her leg or arm and could not make the trip. Young woman #1 overhears, ingratiates/insinuates herself, and joins young woman #2 for the first leg of the journey, through Mongolia and on to Moscow. The two women do not appear to have anything in common. Young woman #1 is completely and pathetically besotted by young woman #2 and although she apparently comes from money and station she mooches off of #2 mercilessly - which is just one of her numerous psycho quirks (it is a psycho quirk and not just frugality). What ensues is a crazy trail of booze, sex, and waking up in strange places with little or no memory of what happened the night before. Hazy bits of memory hint at sordid happenings and at some point it is clear that neither young woman really fully trusts the other.
I thought it took too long for things to spiral out of control and the twisty bits just weren’t surprising enough. Also, I think there might have been an error in the book; I thought a hotel receptionist told #1 that #2 had departed the hotel and not paid the bill, when hotel receptionist could not have seen #1 leave, but maybe I missed a bit or didn’t hear correctly, because the discrepancy (if there was one) only became apparent at the end of the novel. It was not significant enough, nor was I wasn’t interested enough, to go back and check.
October 14, 2019
Violet.
A simple name.
You'd think this was a start to some cheesy romantic suspense thriller.
But once again I was proven wrong. And this author did it so well, I'll forever feel blessed to have read this author and her novel.
Truly a one of kind concept introduced, which I couldn't help but dive into even deeper out of sheer curiosity and to trust my gut feelings meanwhile. I am so happy I trusted my gut feelings and even indulge my curiosity while reading this novel.
The characters were all so complex, definitely not as simple as you'd imagine them, but even then, they were all so interesting, to the point of being near and dear to me a lot. I just wished the book had gone on a bit longer so I could say properly goodbye to them.
The cover, simple but unique. It gives off an impression of being all good and swell, but holding on to something far more darker, and with plot twists always around the corner, I was completely invested throughout.
The mystery the novel held. It was all done so well. I've literally no words to describe how much of masterpiece this novel is.
So pick this novel up right now.
You won't regret it.
Until the next page,
-J.B
A simple name.
You'd think this was a start to some cheesy romantic suspense thriller.
But once again I was proven wrong. And this author did it so well, I'll forever feel blessed to have read this author and her novel.
Truly a one of kind concept introduced, which I couldn't help but dive into even deeper out of sheer curiosity and to trust my gut feelings meanwhile. I am so happy I trusted my gut feelings and even indulge my curiosity while reading this novel.
The characters were all so complex, definitely not as simple as you'd imagine them, but even then, they were all so interesting, to the point of being near and dear to me a lot. I just wished the book had gone on a bit longer so I could say properly goodbye to them.
The cover, simple but unique. It gives off an impression of being all good and swell, but holding on to something far more darker, and with plot twists always around the corner, I was completely invested throughout.
The mystery the novel held. It was all done so well. I've literally no words to describe how much of masterpiece this novel is.
So pick this novel up right now.
You won't regret it.
Until the next page,
-J.B
May 9, 2021
With such an extensive tbr, I rarely find myself reaching for books to read blindly. Since lockdown restrictions have eased, where I live, I journeyed to some local thrift stores, after their reopening, and got a little over-excited at being able to once again browse the bookshelves there. I picked up a stack of second-hand books that were very cheaply priced and broke my rule of only purchasing titles I was familiar with, in my exhilaration. This was one such unknown title and it proved a great success, as I have found a unique and unputdownable thriller, here.
Violet is solo-travelling the world after a break-up, mid-trip, with her boyfriend. Carrie is also solo-travelling, after her travel companion and best friend broke her leg before their departure and was unable to accompany her. Carrie has a spare ticket for a leg of her journey and Violet, with no plans and loneliness setting in, jumps at the chance to take it from her.
The two travel together on overnight train journeys, through towns more cement and menace than tourist spot, and share many a drunken and drugged night out. They are each living out their dream travelling plans, but both have an unease about the other person that refuses to go away and which might prove fatal, for one or both of them, if they continue not to act on it.
I loved this insight to world travelling, especially since I was reading it during a time when real-world travel is so restricted. I got to experience all the hostels, hangovers, and hangry outbursts that I could desire to, and that are a part of this life, from this duo.
This is where Holliday really shone. This author accurately described the highs and lows experienced, when so long a time has been spent away from home, and I really felt each layer of grit and grime that each destination added. I loved these insights to the girls’ travels and my only negative was that there were just a few too many partying scenes depicted, when I was more eager to get to the root of these characters’ unease, when it had also, at this point, passed itself onto the reader as well.
The conclusion was a chaos of reveal after reveal and I loved each unguessable twist that featured. Throughout, I felt this was a unique and thrilling creation and I am glad that it ended in just as tumultuous a fashion as all that occurred previously.
Violet is solo-travelling the world after a break-up, mid-trip, with her boyfriend. Carrie is also solo-travelling, after her travel companion and best friend broke her leg before their departure and was unable to accompany her. Carrie has a spare ticket for a leg of her journey and Violet, with no plans and loneliness setting in, jumps at the chance to take it from her.
The two travel together on overnight train journeys, through towns more cement and menace than tourist spot, and share many a drunken and drugged night out. They are each living out their dream travelling plans, but both have an unease about the other person that refuses to go away and which might prove fatal, for one or both of them, if they continue not to act on it.
I loved this insight to world travelling, especially since I was reading it during a time when real-world travel is so restricted. I got to experience all the hostels, hangovers, and hangry outbursts that I could desire to, and that are a part of this life, from this duo.
This is where Holliday really shone. This author accurately described the highs and lows experienced, when so long a time has been spent away from home, and I really felt each layer of grit and grime that each destination added. I loved these insights to the girls’ travels and my only negative was that there were just a few too many partying scenes depicted, when I was more eager to get to the root of these characters’ unease, when it had also, at this point, passed itself onto the reader as well.
The conclusion was a chaos of reveal after reveal and I loved each unguessable twist that featured. Throughout, I felt this was a unique and thrilling creation and I am glad that it ended in just as tumultuous a fashion as all that occurred previously.
September 12, 2019
As soon as I picked this book up I was compelled to read it. I ended up reading it in one afternoon as I was curious to get to know Violet and Carrie better.
Both women I have to say are very brave to be travelling alone. It’s something I would have loved to have done in my younger years but even then I would never have done it alone. To be so far from home in strange countries, it both excited and scared me. Who knows what dangers are out there.
At times the story feels slightly claustrophobic as the two women are pretty much joined at the hip from meeting. Circumstances mean that the two virtual strangers get to know each other fairly quickly. As does the reader. I found myself liking Carrie more than Violet although some of the situations the pair of them find themselves in, I wanted to give them a good shake.
Violet is an all consuming read. I was completely hooked by the authors story telling and my quest to discover more about both women. The tension and suspense mounts and I was desperate to uncover what lay ahead for, not just the characters, but for the reader also. It definitely didn’t disappoint either. A cleverly woven plot that I simply devoured.
My thanks to the author for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
Both women I have to say are very brave to be travelling alone. It’s something I would have loved to have done in my younger years but even then I would never have done it alone. To be so far from home in strange countries, it both excited and scared me. Who knows what dangers are out there.
At times the story feels slightly claustrophobic as the two women are pretty much joined at the hip from meeting. Circumstances mean that the two virtual strangers get to know each other fairly quickly. As does the reader. I found myself liking Carrie more than Violet although some of the situations the pair of them find themselves in, I wanted to give them a good shake.
Violet is an all consuming read. I was completely hooked by the authors story telling and my quest to discover more about both women. The tension and suspense mounts and I was desperate to uncover what lay ahead for, not just the characters, but for the reader also. It definitely didn’t disappoint either. A cleverly woven plot that I simply devoured.
My thanks to the author for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
September 17, 2019
The book was a double whammy, things happened when I least expected. And boy, did it shake me in my boots. I still had goosebumps while writing the review.
“Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
2 girls, Carrie and Violet, met and decided to share a cabin on the Trans Siberian Express to travel to Russia via Mangolia. Sounds good? I thought so too. What can go wrong, you ask? Actually, now that I ponder about it, nothing much did go wrong, but nothing went right too. There was just a vague feeling of wrongness that lingered in the air.
"Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
Was it all a mirage, you ask? Well, the surface was smooth initially until cracks, tiny ones, marred the smooth tapestry of this new friendship. Secrets were hidden which bubbled like lava beneath the skin till it erupted, and tables were turned. Quite a shocker!!
"Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
My first book by author SJI Holliday, and I was completely blown away. I read the book over a single afternoon without stopping for a break. This was Violet's story told from her POV. As I started reading, I could see that something kept bothering me. There was an underlying, unwritten story happening between the lines. My thriller-y mind kept poking me to read it.
"Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
The sheer talent of this author was seen by the way she foretold the story. Devious minds soon revealed their secrets in ways I least expected. A cat with nine lives was the apt line for this. But what would happen when the nine lives were done. Who saved the cat the tenth time?
"Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
There was a constant partying happening in the book with drinks and drugs and other stuff. I could negate those. There was something burrowed in the psyche of this book, a hidden message, and I wanted nothing more than to get to it at all desperate costs.
"Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
The book took every part of me and squeezed me dry with its suspense. I flew through the pages feverishly almost as if nothing was more important than getting to the truth. AND IT SIMPLY SHOOK ME UP!!
"Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
“Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
2 girls, Carrie and Violet, met and decided to share a cabin on the Trans Siberian Express to travel to Russia via Mangolia. Sounds good? I thought so too. What can go wrong, you ask? Actually, now that I ponder about it, nothing much did go wrong, but nothing went right too. There was just a vague feeling of wrongness that lingered in the air.
"Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
Was it all a mirage, you ask? Well, the surface was smooth initially until cracks, tiny ones, marred the smooth tapestry of this new friendship. Secrets were hidden which bubbled like lava beneath the skin till it erupted, and tables were turned. Quite a shocker!!
"Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
My first book by author SJI Holliday, and I was completely blown away. I read the book over a single afternoon without stopping for a break. This was Violet's story told from her POV. As I started reading, I could see that something kept bothering me. There was an underlying, unwritten story happening between the lines. My thriller-y mind kept poking me to read it.
"Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
The sheer talent of this author was seen by the way she foretold the story. Devious minds soon revealed their secrets in ways I least expected. A cat with nine lives was the apt line for this. But what would happen when the nine lives were done. Who saved the cat the tenth time?
"Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
There was a constant partying happening in the book with drinks and drugs and other stuff. I could negate those. There was something burrowed in the psyche of this book, a hidden message, and I wanted nothing more than to get to it at all desperate costs.
"Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
The book took every part of me and squeezed me dry with its suspense. I flew through the pages feverishly almost as if nothing was more important than getting to the truth. AND IT SIMPLY SHOOK ME UP!!
"Never talk to strangers on a train in a strange land"
September 12, 2019
Travel to the locations in the novel Violet
Ha! Well even before I do the BookTrail for this and the full review, I just want to say how blinking brilliant this book is. Meeting someone backpacking and tagging along on their journey sounds fun right? Oh it's so twisty and dark in the hands of Miss Holliday!
I was applauding this throughout and especially at the end! Deliciously dark and a dam good read too. Just read Louise Beech's 5 star review. I second that!
FULL REVIEW
October 13, 2019
Carrie's best friend was supposed to be traveling with her. But the friend had an accident and cannot make the round-the-world trip.
Violet is also traveling alone, after having a huge fight with her boyfriend.
The two women meet in a Beijing Hotel, have a few drinks together, a few laughs together and decide they are compatible and will be each other's traveling partner.
One of the women has a big secret ... she's not who she claims to be.
This is a well written, highly suspenseful thriller dealing with toxic friendship, obsession, controlling behavior. The characters are chilling and the ending is surprising and unpredictable.
There's a reason mother always said not to talk to strangers.....
“Toxic people will pollute everything around them. Don’t hesitate. Fumigate.” ― Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass
Many thanks to the author / THE Book Club Reviewer Request Group (FB) for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Violet is also traveling alone, after having a huge fight with her boyfriend.
The two women meet in a Beijing Hotel, have a few drinks together, a few laughs together and decide they are compatible and will be each other's traveling partner.
One of the women has a big secret ... she's not who she claims to be.
This is a well written, highly suspenseful thriller dealing with toxic friendship, obsession, controlling behavior. The characters are chilling and the ending is surprising and unpredictable.
There's a reason mother always said not to talk to strangers.....
“Toxic people will pollute everything around them. Don’t hesitate. Fumigate.” ― Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass
Many thanks to the author / THE Book Club Reviewer Request Group (FB) for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
August 22, 2020
This one was a spontaneous buy from Amazon, on my Kindle, based on a recommendation I saw on Instagram. I'm glad I saw the post and downloaded this psychological thriller from SJI Holliday.
Violet is about a lone woman traveller, called Violet (!), and her experiences on her world travels. Along the way we meet Carrie and the story is mainly focused around this blossoming 'friendship'. We also learn about Sam and Michael and Greg and Laura. All people that have crossed paths, in some way, with Violet.
Violet is an odd one, making friends easily and clinging on to them for as long as she can. Her mind is seemingly all over the place and we never really know what she is thinking or what she is going to do next. She gets fixated on to her latest friend and becomes a little too attached.
I'm not doing anything wrong. I just want to know more about her. Sometimes people don't tell you the whole story, they like to present the version of themselves that they want you to see.
I didn't like Violet from the start - I don't know if you are meant to though. Carrie was a little more likeable, but still I didn't really warm to her either. A bit too loud and excitable for me. Although, I didn't like Violet, I did feel sorry for her at times.
No one is looking for me, because they don't even know that I exist.
This isn't my usual kind of read (there isn't a murder in the first line!) having said that, with a prologue like the one in this book, you are going to be drawn straight in, and if you aren't then you probably aren't going to enjoy this book.... Leetle peeeg
It is chilling, suspenseful and original. I would absolutely recommend this book to all psychological thriller fans.
https://thebeautifulbookbreak.com
Violet is about a lone woman traveller, called Violet (!), and her experiences on her world travels. Along the way we meet Carrie and the story is mainly focused around this blossoming 'friendship'. We also learn about Sam and Michael and Greg and Laura. All people that have crossed paths, in some way, with Violet.
Violet is an odd one, making friends easily and clinging on to them for as long as she can. Her mind is seemingly all over the place and we never really know what she is thinking or what she is going to do next. She gets fixated on to her latest friend and becomes a little too attached.
I'm not doing anything wrong. I just want to know more about her. Sometimes people don't tell you the whole story, they like to present the version of themselves that they want you to see.
I didn't like Violet from the start - I don't know if you are meant to though. Carrie was a little more likeable, but still I didn't really warm to her either. A bit too loud and excitable for me. Although, I didn't like Violet, I did feel sorry for her at times.
No one is looking for me, because they don't even know that I exist.
This isn't my usual kind of read (there isn't a murder in the first line!) having said that, with a prologue like the one in this book, you are going to be drawn straight in, and if you aren't then you probably aren't going to enjoy this book.... Leetle peeeg
It is chilling, suspenseful and original. I would absolutely recommend this book to all psychological thriller fans.
https://thebeautifulbookbreak.com
April 23, 2022
یه روایت وسواس گونه در رابطه با اینکه چه افرادی رو انتخاب میکنیم برای دوستی چه تاثیراتی ممکنه بر روی زندگی ما داشته باشه.
جالب بود ولی یذره پایان گیج کننده ای داشت برام.
End is carrie really a good girl?
I don't knowwwww
دلم میخواست بجای اینکه بعضی چیزارو کش بده نویسنده بیشتر به موضوع گِرِگ و لورا می پرداخت
و بیشتر از همه دلم میخواست داستان از زبان کری هم تعریف بشه.
شاید اینجوری دیگه با فکر کردن بهش ذهنم بهم نمیریختمیمسششننبسلنایییی🤼♀️
ولی درکل با اینکه ایراداتی هم داشت ولی روند جذابی داشت طوری که ذهن آدمو درگیر میکرد میدونید یذره شبیه دفاع از جیکوب بود همه چیز خیلی خفنه تو ذهنت کاملا درگیر کتابه و وقتی به پایان میرسی هنوز اینجوری ای که : خب چرا ؟ چیشد ؟
درکل برای یه بارخوندن مناسبه🥲✨
جالب بود ولی یذره پایان گیج کننده ای داشت برام.
End is carrie really a good girl?
I don't knowwwww
دلم میخواست بجای اینکه بعضی چیزارو کش بده نویسنده بیشتر به موضوع گِرِگ و لورا می پرداخت
و بیشتر از همه دلم میخواست داستان از زبان کری هم تعریف بشه.
شاید اینجوری دیگه با فکر کردن بهش ذهنم بهم نمیریختمیمسششننبسلنایییی🤼♀️
ولی درکل با اینکه ایراداتی هم داشت ولی روند جذابی داشت طوری که ذهن آدمو درگیر میکرد میدونید یذره شبیه دفاع از جیکوب بود همه چیز خیلی خفنه تو ذهنت کاملا درگیر کتابه و وقتی به پایان میرسی هنوز اینجوری ای که : خب چرا ؟ چیشد ؟
درکل برای یه بارخوندن مناسبه🥲✨
September 30, 2019
Alone in Beijing and regretting leaving her boyfriend behind in Bangkok, Violet is missing the easy familiarity and sense of safety in a place crammed with friendly backpackers. The bustling metropolis of Beijing feels entirely alien and with all tickets for the Trans-Siberian Express to Moscow sold out she is facing a miserable night alone. So when she overhears a fellow traveller at the ticket desk with a spare ticket she engineers an introduction. Meeting Carrie, left with a spare ticket after her travelling companion broke her leg and had to pull out, the pair share a few drinks whilst presenting their very best selves, leading Carrie to impulsively offer her spare ticket (and hence shared cabin) to Violet. With both women feeling a little ‘off’ from the start the premise is full of promise but disappointingly the execution is rather hit and miss.
The main narrative takes the form of Violet in the first-person and sees her develop from merely creepy to darn right sinister with briefer input from Carrie in the form of email’s back and forth between her and best-friend and planned travelling companion, Laura. Both women’s reliability is shrouded in doubt, with Violet simply having a warped perception of events and Carrie’s emails to Laura both selective in content and indicative of her own ulterior motives.
Between Violet’s rather cryptic narrative, choice details of the her split with boyfriend Sam and Carrie’s refusal to explain her split with Greg to Laura, the narrative does start to feel somewhat circular with frustratingly little established conclusively. As the journey gets under way an omnipresent grim Eastern bloc sense of place pervades and kicks off a hedonistic cycle of nights out and very little else and I did find myself losing interest in yet another round of parties/drink/drugs.
Whilst much is alluded to, in particular the events of these intense nights out, little is addressed and thrashed out, meaning that although the tension is maintained it never really ratchets up. Nothing of real substance is ever tackled in order to move the story forward and this leaves an unlikely union with neither woman trusting or telling the full story to the other but neither seeking to extricate themselves from the situation.
Unease permeates the story from the get-go leaving the reader attempting to second-guess just which of the two protagonists poses the most threat. Whilst I didn’t find this an overtly tense novel a definite undertone of menace and a nagging disquiet persists throughout with the hair-trigger temper and cold calculation of Violet and the manipulative and capricious Carrie. The novel is relatively short and this is pretty much a necessity given the limited significant developments and I was disappointed that it was neither as explosive or compelling as the early promise suggested.
The main narrative takes the form of Violet in the first-person and sees her develop from merely creepy to darn right sinister with briefer input from Carrie in the form of email’s back and forth between her and best-friend and planned travelling companion, Laura. Both women’s reliability is shrouded in doubt, with Violet simply having a warped perception of events and Carrie’s emails to Laura both selective in content and indicative of her own ulterior motives.
Between Violet’s rather cryptic narrative, choice details of the her split with boyfriend Sam and Carrie’s refusal to explain her split with Greg to Laura, the narrative does start to feel somewhat circular with frustratingly little established conclusively. As the journey gets under way an omnipresent grim Eastern bloc sense of place pervades and kicks off a hedonistic cycle of nights out and very little else and I did find myself losing interest in yet another round of parties/drink/drugs.
Whilst much is alluded to, in particular the events of these intense nights out, little is addressed and thrashed out, meaning that although the tension is maintained it never really ratchets up. Nothing of real substance is ever tackled in order to move the story forward and this leaves an unlikely union with neither woman trusting or telling the full story to the other but neither seeking to extricate themselves from the situation.
Unease permeates the story from the get-go leaving the reader attempting to second-guess just which of the two protagonists poses the most threat. Whilst I didn’t find this an overtly tense novel a definite undertone of menace and a nagging disquiet persists throughout with the hair-trigger temper and cold calculation of Violet and the manipulative and capricious Carrie. The novel is relatively short and this is pretty much a necessity given the limited significant developments and I was disappointed that it was neither as explosive or compelling as the early promise suggested.
January 14, 2020
I haven't read anything by SJI Holliday before, so I didn't know what to expect. Must say that it was really tiresome book to read. I didn't care for any of the characters and the plot was off. The parties, drinks, drugs, messed up lives, killing people. I can relate to a flawed character who faces obstacles that force her/him to change but these characters were just too weird and irrational. Sorry not my cup of tea!
I found The Perfect Girlfriend and its crazy protagonist much more enjoyable.
I found The Perfect Girlfriend and its crazy protagonist much more enjoyable.
January 4, 2020
I'm old enough to remember when thrillers were actually, you know, THRILLING. Not just plodding travelogues with a few hints at Bad Things Coming scattered throughout.
September 23, 2019
I had an absolute blast reading this book - most notably for the trip down memory lane it gave me which had me reminiscing about the two overnight train rides between Berlin and Krakow that I took many years ago - flashbacks to the border guards waking us up to check ID etc in the wee small hours!
We follow two young women as they are travelling abroad. For different reasons, they are both solo when they meet at the Beijing ticket office where they service the Trans-Siberian Express. One has a spare ticket she is trying to get a refund on, the other needs a ticket but they are all sold out. As they share a consolation drink at a hotel bar they bond and soon see the obvious solution. Violet should take Carrie's spare ticket. And so begins a journey fraught with, well, lots of things really, most of which I can't expand on here for fear of spoilers. Suffice to say that there's a LOT of alcohol, loads of shenanigans, unrequited love and, a death or two! There's also a bit of a question mark on identity but nothing I can get into in a review.
It's a bit of a slow burner as there is quite a bit of setting up initially. But, once we get going, well, it goes off like a rocket. There's also quite a bit of confusion along the way, not all of it caused by the copious amounts of alcohol and drugs consumed along the way! To say that people may not always be what is on the surface is something best kept in mind throughout!
It's tense and claustrophobic throughout, as well as being rather confusing. The two main characters are both a bit strange and hard to really get to know. But there's something about the way they are written that both keeps you guessing and, at the same time, happy to invest in them and what is going on. There are dubious motives aplenty as the friendship is forged, mostly just hinted at initially but eventually the bigger picture becomes clearer - shockingly so! And what initially was confusing as heck becomes apparent. All leading to a brilliantly satisfying conclusion.
I was already a bit of a fan of this author and this book has cemented her presence in my "ones to watch" list. Can't wait to see what she serves me up for my next course.
We follow two young women as they are travelling abroad. For different reasons, they are both solo when they meet at the Beijing ticket office where they service the Trans-Siberian Express. One has a spare ticket she is trying to get a refund on, the other needs a ticket but they are all sold out. As they share a consolation drink at a hotel bar they bond and soon see the obvious solution. Violet should take Carrie's spare ticket. And so begins a journey fraught with, well, lots of things really, most of which I can't expand on here for fear of spoilers. Suffice to say that there's a LOT of alcohol, loads of shenanigans, unrequited love and, a death or two! There's also a bit of a question mark on identity but nothing I can get into in a review.
It's a bit of a slow burner as there is quite a bit of setting up initially. But, once we get going, well, it goes off like a rocket. There's also quite a bit of confusion along the way, not all of it caused by the copious amounts of alcohol and drugs consumed along the way! To say that people may not always be what is on the surface is something best kept in mind throughout!
It's tense and claustrophobic throughout, as well as being rather confusing. The two main characters are both a bit strange and hard to really get to know. But there's something about the way they are written that both keeps you guessing and, at the same time, happy to invest in them and what is going on. There are dubious motives aplenty as the friendship is forged, mostly just hinted at initially but eventually the bigger picture becomes clearer - shockingly so! And what initially was confusing as heck becomes apparent. All leading to a brilliantly satisfying conclusion.
I was already a bit of a fan of this author and this book has cemented her presence in my "ones to watch" list. Can't wait to see what she serves me up for my next course.
January 6, 2020
Well what a read! Violet and Cassie are both backpacking alone due to different circumstances, meet up in Beijing and decide to continue their adventure together. From here things get decidedly disturbing and you know that very bad things are about to happen which keep you turning the pages. I read this in two sittings and it was hard to put it down. It's a tale of travel, partying, obsession and very chilling characters you really love to hate.
The story is written from the POV of Violet but we get to know Carrie from her emails back home which works well.
I've previously read Black Wood and The Lingering, enjoying both and will be reading Willow Walk and The Damselfly next.
The story is written from the POV of Violet but we get to know Carrie from her emails back home which works well.
I've previously read Black Wood and The Lingering, enjoying both and will be reading Willow Walk and The Damselfly next.
March 8, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up for entertainment value! Have you ever met a Violet? Would you even know?
You would if she likes you! Excellent psychological thriller vibes :)
You would if she likes you! Excellent psychological thriller vibes :)
July 23, 2019
Bloody excellent.
November 15, 2023
Mmmm I felt like the author was trying to do “The talented Mr Ripley “ but it just didn’t work !
November 6, 2019
Violet has split up from boyfriend Sam in Thailand, so decides to continue her backpacking trip alone. She’s planning on visiting Russia via the trans-Siberian railway but is too late to get a ticket…so getting a drink to wonder what to do next, she meets Carrie, also travelling alone….she has a spare ticket too.
So, they decide to travel together…..
They visit Mongolia, take part in a weird ritual and they get closer……but is this a bit one sided?
Violet is smitten, but events in Russia lead to violence…..someone is not who they say they are…..!
I won’t say anymore about the actual plot as I would hate to spoil it for anyone.
However, I will say this is an incredibly tense tale, there is a simmering sense of foreboding, almost smothering, dark and claustrophobic…….you know something is wrong, but you can’t really put your finger on it until events bring the secrets to light. It just makes you feel on edge, waiting for everything to fall apart…..all due to the marvellously intense writing by SJI Holliday…..utterly brilliant.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
So, they decide to travel together…..
They visit Mongolia, take part in a weird ritual and they get closer……but is this a bit one sided?
Violet is smitten, but events in Russia lead to violence…..someone is not who they say they are…..!
I won’t say anymore about the actual plot as I would hate to spoil it for anyone.
However, I will say this is an incredibly tense tale, there is a simmering sense of foreboding, almost smothering, dark and claustrophobic…….you know something is wrong, but you can’t really put your finger on it until events bring the secrets to light. It just makes you feel on edge, waiting for everything to fall apart…..all due to the marvellously intense writing by SJI Holliday…..utterly brilliant.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
January 16, 2021
A brilliant idea for a thriller - being stuck whilst travelling in grotty and scary parts of the world with someone you aren't sure if you can trust. I've always been too timid to go travelling, and the idea of going alone even to a well populated place like italy or spain gives me chills.
Violet is at a bit of a loose end after she splits from boyfriend Sam whilst they are on their travels together, trying to figure out what to do next she happens to bump into Carrie at the ticket office. Carrie is the polar opposite of Violet, loud, confident, sexy and sure of herself. Violet can't believe her luck when Carrie offers to let her have her spare ticket that her friend Laura can no longer use which will be going to Siberia, Berlin and Moscow. The two hit it off immediately, looking out for each other whilst drinking and telling each other all about their vastly contrasting lives.
However, being stuck together 24/7 in strange and frightening new places begins to lose its shine, and before long both girls are feeling claustrophobic and homesick. However, one of the girls isn't who she says she is, and is determined to keep her new friend a part of her life; whatever the consequences.
BRILLIANT twist at the end, the sort where you have relaxed, believing you have figured the twist out, only to be hit with another, even better one.
Violet is at a bit of a loose end after she splits from boyfriend Sam whilst they are on their travels together, trying to figure out what to do next she happens to bump into Carrie at the ticket office. Carrie is the polar opposite of Violet, loud, confident, sexy and sure of herself. Violet can't believe her luck when Carrie offers to let her have her spare ticket that her friend Laura can no longer use which will be going to Siberia, Berlin and Moscow. The two hit it off immediately, looking out for each other whilst drinking and telling each other all about their vastly contrasting lives.
However, being stuck together 24/7 in strange and frightening new places begins to lose its shine, and before long both girls are feeling claustrophobic and homesick. However, one of the girls isn't who she says she is, and is determined to keep her new friend a part of her life; whatever the consequences.
BRILLIANT twist at the end, the sort where you have relaxed, believing you have figured the twist out, only to be hit with another, even better one.
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