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Fragile
Everything she touches breaks . . .
Nell Ballard is a runaway. A former foster child with a dark secret she is desperate to keep, all Nell wants is to find a place she can belong.
So when a job comes up at Starling Villas, home to the enigmatic Robin Wilder, she seizes the opportunity with both hands.
Only her new lodgings may not be the safe haven that she was hoping for. Her employer lives by a set of rigid rules and she soon sees that he is hiding secrets of his own.
But is Nell’s arrival at the Villas really the coincidence it seems? After all, she knows more than most how fragile people can be – and how easy they can be to break . . .
A dark contemporary psychological thriller with a modern Gothic twist from an award winning and critically acclaimed writer who has been compared to Ruth Rendell, PD James and Val McDermid. Rebecca meets The Handmaid’s Tale in Sarah Hilary’s standalone breakout novel, Fragile.
Nell Ballard is a runaway. A former foster child with a dark secret she is desperate to keep, all Nell wants is to find a place she can belong.
So when a job comes up at Starling Villas, home to the enigmatic Robin Wilder, she seizes the opportunity with both hands.
Only her new lodgings may not be the safe haven that she was hoping for. Her employer lives by a set of rigid rules and she soon sees that he is hiding secrets of his own.
But is Nell’s arrival at the Villas really the coincidence it seems? After all, she knows more than most how fragile people can be – and how easy they can be to break . . .
A dark contemporary psychological thriller with a modern Gothic twist from an award winning and critically acclaimed writer who has been compared to Ruth Rendell, PD James and Val McDermid. Rebecca meets The Handmaid’s Tale in Sarah Hilary’s standalone breakout novel, Fragile.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2021
27 people are currently reading
934 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Hilary
39 books586 followersSarah’s debut, Someone Else's Skin, won Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year and was a World Book Night selection. The Observer's Book of the Month ("superbly disturbing”) and a Richard & Judy Book Club bestseller, it was a Silver Falchion and Macavity Award finalist in the US. No Other Darkness, the second in the series was shortlisted for a Barry Award. Her DI Marnie Rome series continued with Tastes Like Fear (longlisted for Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year 2017) and Quieter Than Killing (Observer’s Thriller of the Month). Come and Find Me was published in 2018, with Never Be Broken to come in 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
February 20, 2021
This is a powerful standalone psychological thriller with elements of the gothic from Sarah Hilary, a departure from her stellar award winning crime series featuring DI Marnie Rome and DS Noah Jake, although what they have in common is the author's trademark thread of social commentary, here on class, and the relationships between the rich and the powerless. Young Nell Ballard has been hard hit by the misfortune to have been rejected and discarded by her mother at the age of 8, an encumbrance to her life, and let down by the last figure that should have been a foster mother in Wales, Meagan Flack, more interested in the financial advantages of fostering than taking care of the children. Despite being a child, it is Nell who takes on the mothering care responsibilities.
Unsurprisingly, at the heart of Nell is a desperate need to be loved, secure, and feel a sense of belonging, longings that allow her to be abused and exploited. She falls for Joe Beach, but after tragedy strikes, Nell and Joe run away, finding themselves homeless and unsettled, living in the underbelly of London, for some time. Joe turns out to be a fickle, unstable and uncommitted personality, swayed hither and thither, as once again Nell is let down. Nell manages to secure a position in the neglected, dark and creepy Starling Villas. She is to be housekeeper to the middle aged, strange and unnerving Dr Robert Wilder, who demands she adheres to his rigid rules and duties. She is working long hours, there is so much to do, then the manipulative wife turns up. It is no accident that Nell comes to work at Starling Villas, she has an agenda.
In a story of twists and turns, that goes back and forth in time, we learn of Nell and Joe's background, the nature of the tragedy in Wales and why Nell is working at Starling Villas, despite the sense of dread, menace and lurking dangers. There is no denying this is grim and discomfiting, yet a wonderful character driven read, complex and multilayered, so well written and with oodles of intrigue. The characters are emotionally damaged, fragile, some that are highly dislikeable and manipulative, broken, and unreliable, a novel of secrets, deception, revenge, loss, and grief. A disturbing, chilling but compelling novel that I recommend. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.
Unsurprisingly, at the heart of Nell is a desperate need to be loved, secure, and feel a sense of belonging, longings that allow her to be abused and exploited. She falls for Joe Beach, but after tragedy strikes, Nell and Joe run away, finding themselves homeless and unsettled, living in the underbelly of London, for some time. Joe turns out to be a fickle, unstable and uncommitted personality, swayed hither and thither, as once again Nell is let down. Nell manages to secure a position in the neglected, dark and creepy Starling Villas. She is to be housekeeper to the middle aged, strange and unnerving Dr Robert Wilder, who demands she adheres to his rigid rules and duties. She is working long hours, there is so much to do, then the manipulative wife turns up. It is no accident that Nell comes to work at Starling Villas, she has an agenda.
In a story of twists and turns, that goes back and forth in time, we learn of Nell and Joe's background, the nature of the tragedy in Wales and why Nell is working at Starling Villas, despite the sense of dread, menace and lurking dangers. There is no denying this is grim and discomfiting, yet a wonderful character driven read, complex and multilayered, so well written and with oodles of intrigue. The characters are emotionally damaged, fragile, some that are highly dislikeable and manipulative, broken, and unreliable, a novel of secrets, deception, revenge, loss, and grief. A disturbing, chilling but compelling novel that I recommend. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.
June 12, 2021
EXCERPT: 'Rosie,' I thought. 'Little, little Rosie.'
It was so cold the night she disappeared, the night I stayed, looking for her. A shiver of stars crept across the lake but it was too dark to separate sky from mountains, or mountains from slag heaps. Waiting for the first breath of dawn to stir in the darkness like an animal waking. The lake breathed at my feet as if it too were sleeping and might wake. All night I stayed, my eyes open on the water. When the first clouds covered the stars, the lake turned grey. So grey I could have reached out and twitched it away, caught it in my fingers and pulled and pulled until it was all gone, except what lay under the surface, also curled, as if asleep. I'd lost everything. Not only at the lake two summers ago, but here and now, in Starling Villas. Everything I'd worked so hard to make, this small happiness, the frail living I'd scratched for myself under his roof. All lost.
ABOUT 'FRAGILE': Everything she touches breaks . . .
Nell Ballard is a runaway. A former foster child with a dark secret she is desperate to keep, all Nell wants is to find a place she can belong.
So when a job comes up at Starling Villas, home to the enigmatic Robin Wilder, she seizes the opportunity with both hands.
Only her new lodgings may not be the safe haven that she was hoping for. Her employer lives by a set of rigid rules and she soon sees that he is hiding secrets of his own.
But is Nell’s arrival at the Villas really the coincidence it seems? After all, she knows more than most how fragile people can be – and how easy they can be to break . . .
MY THOUGHTS: She can run, but she can't hide. Especially not from herself. Guilt, shame and regret are her shadow.
Nell thinks that by running away to London, she and Joe can leave their old selves behind, shed the tragedy of Rosie's disappearance. Instead, when Joe bails out on her, Nell (Death Knell as Meagan Flack calls her) is caught up in a web of lies, deceit, and manipulation. She is unable to shed her past, which continues to haunt her, and it seems that the future she has planned for herself in a place she thought she could call home may not turn out to be too much different from her past.
Fragile is a grim story. Disturbing. A story of children abandoned for various reasons, flung together in a foster home where their carer, Meagan Flack, wasn't in the habit of making happy memories for her charges. A home where those who ought to have been cared for, were doing the caring. It is a story of greed, and abuse at many levels. It is a story of the children who fall through the cracks, who live in fear. Continuing to fear Meagan, even after they have fled her, knowing that she will never forgive them, never forget.
It is made all the more dark and disturbing by the beautiful writing. 'Fear was everywhere in Starling Villas now. Not hiding any longer, but sitting in the sun like a cat, stretching as the sky stretched, greedy for its heat.'
The story is told over two timelines, now at Starling Villas, London, and then at the foster home in Bala, Wales. The story of Rosie's disappearance is cleverly eked out, so that we don't learn what actually happened to her until the very end. We are fed snippets of information, teased and tormented by the mystery.
I can't say that I enjoyed Fragile. I don't think that it was written to be enjoyed, but it certainly hit its mark with me. It is heartbreaking. It is sad. It tore at my sensibilities. It is beautifully written, and gut wrenching.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.1
#Fragile #NetGalley
I: @sarah_hilary999 @panmacmillan
T: @Sarah_Hilary @PanMacmillan
#contemporaryfiction #mystery #psychologicalthriller
THE AUTHOR: Sarah Hilary is a UK crime novelist and former bookseller.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Pan Macmillan via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Fragile by Sarah Hilary for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
It was so cold the night she disappeared, the night I stayed, looking for her. A shiver of stars crept across the lake but it was too dark to separate sky from mountains, or mountains from slag heaps. Waiting for the first breath of dawn to stir in the darkness like an animal waking. The lake breathed at my feet as if it too were sleeping and might wake. All night I stayed, my eyes open on the water. When the first clouds covered the stars, the lake turned grey. So grey I could have reached out and twitched it away, caught it in my fingers and pulled and pulled until it was all gone, except what lay under the surface, also curled, as if asleep. I'd lost everything. Not only at the lake two summers ago, but here and now, in Starling Villas. Everything I'd worked so hard to make, this small happiness, the frail living I'd scratched for myself under his roof. All lost.
ABOUT 'FRAGILE': Everything she touches breaks . . .
Nell Ballard is a runaway. A former foster child with a dark secret she is desperate to keep, all Nell wants is to find a place she can belong.
So when a job comes up at Starling Villas, home to the enigmatic Robin Wilder, she seizes the opportunity with both hands.
Only her new lodgings may not be the safe haven that she was hoping for. Her employer lives by a set of rigid rules and she soon sees that he is hiding secrets of his own.
But is Nell’s arrival at the Villas really the coincidence it seems? After all, she knows more than most how fragile people can be – and how easy they can be to break . . .
MY THOUGHTS: She can run, but she can't hide. Especially not from herself. Guilt, shame and regret are her shadow.
Nell thinks that by running away to London, she and Joe can leave their old selves behind, shed the tragedy of Rosie's disappearance. Instead, when Joe bails out on her, Nell (Death Knell as Meagan Flack calls her) is caught up in a web of lies, deceit, and manipulation. She is unable to shed her past, which continues to haunt her, and it seems that the future she has planned for herself in a place she thought she could call home may not turn out to be too much different from her past.
Fragile is a grim story. Disturbing. A story of children abandoned for various reasons, flung together in a foster home where their carer, Meagan Flack, wasn't in the habit of making happy memories for her charges. A home where those who ought to have been cared for, were doing the caring. It is a story of greed, and abuse at many levels. It is a story of the children who fall through the cracks, who live in fear. Continuing to fear Meagan, even after they have fled her, knowing that she will never forgive them, never forget.
It is made all the more dark and disturbing by the beautiful writing. 'Fear was everywhere in Starling Villas now. Not hiding any longer, but sitting in the sun like a cat, stretching as the sky stretched, greedy for its heat.'
The story is told over two timelines, now at Starling Villas, London, and then at the foster home in Bala, Wales. The story of Rosie's disappearance is cleverly eked out, so that we don't learn what actually happened to her until the very end. We are fed snippets of information, teased and tormented by the mystery.
I can't say that I enjoyed Fragile. I don't think that it was written to be enjoyed, but it certainly hit its mark with me. It is heartbreaking. It is sad. It tore at my sensibilities. It is beautifully written, and gut wrenching.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.1
#Fragile #NetGalley
I: @sarah_hilary999 @panmacmillan
T: @Sarah_Hilary @PanMacmillan
#contemporaryfiction #mystery #psychologicalthriller
THE AUTHOR: Sarah Hilary is a UK crime novelist and former bookseller.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Pan Macmillan via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Fragile by Sarah Hilary for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
May 15, 2021
In a stark departure from her outstanding crime thriller series, Hilary has penned a hauntingly beautiful, evocative story that strips its characters bare. Nell Ballard and Joe Peach are throwaway children that find themselves at the foster home of Meagan Flack in Wales. Meagan is not overtly abusive but rather simply careless, neglectful and lazy, although she does have a mean streak. From the age of 8 Nell is acting as mother to the other children. When Joe comes along he and Nell become inseparable. And when little Rosie Bond is discarded by her family and ends up at the house, Nell takes her under her wing too. But tragedy strikes and Nell and Joe run away to London, believing in the fairy tale that love will conquer all. But Nell is riddled with guilt and Joe is weak.
Joe mysteriously disappears with a glossy older woman from a club one night and Nell haunts the area looking to find him again. She ends up, scheming her way into the house she believes he went into and gets herself employed as a housekeeper. The house is weirdly oppressive and the owner, Dr Robin Wilder is a strangely distant and controlled man. When his wife turns up days later Nell realises that she is the woman from the club. But where is Joe?
There is a really strange, brittle dynamic going on in this house. You are never quite comfortable with where things are heading. It is clear that everyone has secrets but just how dangerous are they? Still Nell settles in to a modicum of comfort in her routines and Robin’s work rota that he has meticulously itemised. This illusion of peace is shattered though when Nell’s past comes comes roaring back into her life.
I found the writing in this book superb, really beautiful. I loved the way it focused on the little things. There were no grand vistas in this story, rather an acute attention to detail. I loved the way that Nell found comfort in some of the very little things in her life. Small joys to be hoarded and treasured. This was not a fast paced book, it was all about the characters. They were all of them - Nell, Joe, Robin, the disturbing Carolyn (Robin’s wife) and the odious Meagan Flack so painstakingly drawn. None of them were that likeable, although you could not help but feel some empathy towards Nell - so humble yet resilient. But needs must and even Nell is not beyond a bit of subterfuge when necessary. If you need fast paced action in your reading this is not a book for you. But if you enjoy a deep dive into some very interesting and damaged characters and gorgeous writing you will enjoy this story. I’d love to say there was redemption at the end but I’m not going to give that away, I will let you make up your own minds. I received an advance review copy from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Joe mysteriously disappears with a glossy older woman from a club one night and Nell haunts the area looking to find him again. She ends up, scheming her way into the house she believes he went into and gets herself employed as a housekeeper. The house is weirdly oppressive and the owner, Dr Robin Wilder is a strangely distant and controlled man. When his wife turns up days later Nell realises that she is the woman from the club. But where is Joe?
There is a really strange, brittle dynamic going on in this house. You are never quite comfortable with where things are heading. It is clear that everyone has secrets but just how dangerous are they? Still Nell settles in to a modicum of comfort in her routines and Robin’s work rota that he has meticulously itemised. This illusion of peace is shattered though when Nell’s past comes comes roaring back into her life.
I found the writing in this book superb, really beautiful. I loved the way it focused on the little things. There were no grand vistas in this story, rather an acute attention to detail. I loved the way that Nell found comfort in some of the very little things in her life. Small joys to be hoarded and treasured. This was not a fast paced book, it was all about the characters. They were all of them - Nell, Joe, Robin, the disturbing Carolyn (Robin’s wife) and the odious Meagan Flack so painstakingly drawn. None of them were that likeable, although you could not help but feel some empathy towards Nell - so humble yet resilient. But needs must and even Nell is not beyond a bit of subterfuge when necessary. If you need fast paced action in your reading this is not a book for you. But if you enjoy a deep dive into some very interesting and damaged characters and gorgeous writing you will enjoy this story. I’d love to say there was redemption at the end but I’m not going to give that away, I will let you make up your own minds. I received an advance review copy from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 25, 2020
Nell Ballard and Joe Beach are former foster children from ‘Lyles’ in Wales previously run by Meagan Flack. Nell and Joe are bound by secrets and both are manipulated by cold hearted and lazy Meagan. They run away to London where after a few months Nell talks her way into a housekeeping job with Dr Robin Wilder at Starling Villa where he has strict rules. What unfolds is a dark psychological thriller with shades of the Gothic. The story is told by Nell and Meagan, both questionable in their reliability.
I really like the premise of this novel which is extremely well written and absorbing. There are some good descriptions both in Wales and London. Starling Villa almost comes alive and certainly appears to keep a watchful if grubby eye on proceedings, although it is pristine after Nell has finished with it! The characters are not likeable but they are horribly fascinating in their toxicity. They are all fragile and damaged in some way shape or form and most carry the burden of guilt and seek a safe haven from their past. The first half especially contains creepy, mysterious occurrences and it is menacing and full of threat. The second half is a weird power play of destructive behaviour between several protagonists with revenge and the need to survive to ensure they are not collateral damage in the unfolding domestic noir.
Overall, this is a very intriguing psychological thriller with multiple threads running through it. It’s dark and thought provoking with much to reflect on, especially the fragile nature of human beings and their hope for redemption.
With thanks to NetGalley and Pan McMillan for the arc in return for an honest review.
I really like the premise of this novel which is extremely well written and absorbing. There are some good descriptions both in Wales and London. Starling Villa almost comes alive and certainly appears to keep a watchful if grubby eye on proceedings, although it is pristine after Nell has finished with it! The characters are not likeable but they are horribly fascinating in their toxicity. They are all fragile and damaged in some way shape or form and most carry the burden of guilt and seek a safe haven from their past. The first half especially contains creepy, mysterious occurrences and it is menacing and full of threat. The second half is a weird power play of destructive behaviour between several protagonists with revenge and the need to survive to ensure they are not collateral damage in the unfolding domestic noir.
Overall, this is a very intriguing psychological thriller with multiple threads running through it. It’s dark and thought provoking with much to reflect on, especially the fragile nature of human beings and their hope for redemption.
With thanks to NetGalley and Pan McMillan for the arc in return for an honest review.
April 1, 2021
Many thanks to Net Galley, Pan Macmillan, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
A haunting and evocative tale of a young orphan whose only desire is to belong, Sarah Hillary’s Fragile is fraught with emotions and a tense atmosphere. The story of Nell that I read with goosebumps on my skin and tears in my eyes, is dark and desolate, utterly compelling with a gothic overtone that was literally unputdownable.
Nell Ballard needs to be ‘needed’ and to achieve that she is ready to take over anything, thereby, making herself indispensable. Abandoned by her mother at 8 years of age and raised by a foster mother Meagan Flack whose only interest in life is the services money that would be paid to her, Nell knows nothing about love or care. Starling Villas was supposed to be the haven that she never had but the enigmatic Dr. Robin Wilder and his rota of work is nothing as she expected.
Nell’s desperate attempts to change herself seductively pulls at a reader’s heart. At times depressive, at times poignant the author deceptively encompasses the loneliness and madness that may lurk behind any closed doors irrespective of the social strata they belong to. Told in alternate chapters thru Nell’s present and Meagan’s flashbacks, Nell’s and Joe’s life at Lyle and the death of 6yr old Rosie is brought to light. The author thankfully keeps the derivative in a passive voice, it would have been heartbreaking to read the absolute disregard meted out to the children by Meagan.
It’s been a while since I read a good character driven story, Fragile has in fact everything manipulated by the desires and whims of each character, my only wish that there was something positive or light in the story, to overcome the resonating sadness left by this classic.
Highly recommended!
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Meduim.com, and Twitter.
A haunting and evocative tale of a young orphan whose only desire is to belong, Sarah Hillary’s Fragile is fraught with emotions and a tense atmosphere. The story of Nell that I read with goosebumps on my skin and tears in my eyes, is dark and desolate, utterly compelling with a gothic overtone that was literally unputdownable.
Nell Ballard needs to be ‘needed’ and to achieve that she is ready to take over anything, thereby, making herself indispensable. Abandoned by her mother at 8 years of age and raised by a foster mother Meagan Flack whose only interest in life is the services money that would be paid to her, Nell knows nothing about love or care. Starling Villas was supposed to be the haven that she never had but the enigmatic Dr. Robin Wilder and his rota of work is nothing as she expected.
Nell’s desperate attempts to change herself seductively pulls at a reader’s heart. At times depressive, at times poignant the author deceptively encompasses the loneliness and madness that may lurk behind any closed doors irrespective of the social strata they belong to. Told in alternate chapters thru Nell’s present and Meagan’s flashbacks, Nell’s and Joe’s life at Lyle and the death of 6yr old Rosie is brought to light. The author thankfully keeps the derivative in a passive voice, it would have been heartbreaking to read the absolute disregard meted out to the children by Meagan.
It’s been a while since I read a good character driven story, Fragile has in fact everything manipulated by the desires and whims of each character, my only wish that there was something positive or light in the story, to overcome the resonating sadness left by this classic.
Highly recommended!
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Meduim.com, and Twitter.
September 22, 2021
I'm a bit of an outlier here but I didn't really enjoy this one, it started well but gradually lost me. It felt a bit overwritten, too much alluded to but never addressed, too many loose ends, and too many angsty melodramatic ponderings of mysterious happenings that never really came to anything.The characters were unlikeable and seemed to be inconsistent, I just couldn't get a bead on them, maybe this was intentional but I just found that I didn't care about them at all. I found myself just wanting to finish it, but sadly for me it wasn't really worth the pay off.
October 31, 2020
Two teenagers run away from their foster home after a traumatic event.
After Nell is abandoned in London by her boyfriend Joe she talks her way into a job as a housekeeper for a man who is working on cataloging his books and papers.
A dark and disturbing slow moving story about jealousy, control and revenge.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
After Nell is abandoned in London by her boyfriend Joe she talks her way into a job as a housekeeper for a man who is working on cataloging his books and papers.
A dark and disturbing slow moving story about jealousy, control and revenge.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2022
Fragile is a dark emotional contemporary standalone mystery thriller from award-winning crime writer, Sarah Hilary, author of the DI Marnie Rome series.
Nell Ballard was abandoned as a young child by her mother. She was transferred to a foster home where she was abused. As the foster woman was only interested in the money, Nell ended up supporting her foster siblings. Nell falls in love with seventeen- year- old, Joe from the foster home and both run away together to London, from Wales.
Nell and Joe had been homeless for six weeks, living on the streets of West London on the embarkment, and Joe, living with addiction, was turning away from Nell, pursuing other activities on the streets, home to dealers and addicts.
Nell has a dark secret she is desperate to keep.
While trying to escape her past, Nell manages to start a new job as a housekeeper at Starling Villas, working for a dark and creepy person, Doctor Robin Wilder, who has very strict rules. Nell had seen Joe enter this house, and she wants to know why Joe was there.
But Nell soon realizes that her new home might not be that safe, and that the Doctor is hiding secrets of his own.
This dark and compelling character-driven story is ladled with twists and turns and drama and suspense. It is the story of secrets and lies, jealousy, love, loss and revenge and the fragile life of a foster child that is just looking for a place where she can belong.
Many thanks to the author, Pan Macmillan and Net Galley for my digital copy.
Nell Ballard was abandoned as a young child by her mother. She was transferred to a foster home where she was abused. As the foster woman was only interested in the money, Nell ended up supporting her foster siblings. Nell falls in love with seventeen- year- old, Joe from the foster home and both run away together to London, from Wales.
Nell and Joe had been homeless for six weeks, living on the streets of West London on the embarkment, and Joe, living with addiction, was turning away from Nell, pursuing other activities on the streets, home to dealers and addicts.
Nell has a dark secret she is desperate to keep.
While trying to escape her past, Nell manages to start a new job as a housekeeper at Starling Villas, working for a dark and creepy person, Doctor Robin Wilder, who has very strict rules. Nell had seen Joe enter this house, and she wants to know why Joe was there.
But Nell soon realizes that her new home might not be that safe, and that the Doctor is hiding secrets of his own.
This dark and compelling character-driven story is ladled with twists and turns and drama and suspense. It is the story of secrets and lies, jealousy, love, loss and revenge and the fragile life of a foster child that is just looking for a place where she can belong.
Many thanks to the author, Pan Macmillan and Net Galley for my digital copy.
March 7, 2021
Nell and Joe run away to London , from their foster home in Wales, after a tragic event. When Nell sees Joe disappear into a house she knocks on the door and talks herself into a housekeeping job with Dr Robin Wilder at Startling Villa, he has very strict rules and likes a regimented routine.
Nell has her own agenda as she wants to know why Joe was there, but it soon becomes apparent that Dr Robin has secrets that he is also hiding!!
I was drawn into this book from the start. As the story unfolds I was left with the chilling feeling that the safe haven Nell had found, was about to put her in danger!!
The backstory of what happened to Nell and Joe at the foster home and what they went through is a haunting and sad tale, reaching its gripping finale at the end .
A new author for me. I will definitely look out for her other books!
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
January 14, 2021
devoured this novel in short order, not only is it a beautifully plotted emotional mystery, with some brilliantly evocative writing and layered, memorable characters but it has such a kick ass ending that I sobbed for a good while when I’d finished it.
Sarah Hilary’s writing super power is in her exploration of social issues within the narrative, letting the characters shine through whilst they remind you that so many live a difficult, imperfect life. Never preaching but always aware, the journeys that unfold in all her stories are utterly compelling and intense- Fragile has this in spades and it is a joy to read.
Fragile digs deep into the vagaries of human nature and how we are affected by the things that happen to us and the people we connect with. As such it is an excellent read, entertaining yes, but so much more.
Highly recommended.
Sarah Hilary’s writing super power is in her exploration of social issues within the narrative, letting the characters shine through whilst they remind you that so many live a difficult, imperfect life. Never preaching but always aware, the journeys that unfold in all her stories are utterly compelling and intense- Fragile has this in spades and it is a joy to read.
Fragile digs deep into the vagaries of human nature and how we are affected by the things that happen to us and the people we connect with. As such it is an excellent read, entertaining yes, but so much more.
Highly recommended.
March 28, 2021
Nell Ballard is a runaway. A former foster child with a dark secret she's deaperate to keep. All Nell wants is to find a place she can belong. So when a job comes up at Starling Villas, hoome to te enigmatic Robin Wilder, she seizes the chance with both hands. Only he new lodgings may not be the safe haven that she thought it was going to be.
It took me a couple of chaters to get into this book but once i did i quite enjoyed it. This is a story about foster children and the ones who run away from home to get revenge. This is a well written and atmospheric read. It's also slightly creepy but thrilling. Nell and Joe run away from their foster home and the story is told from Nell and the foster hones manager, Megan's point of view. But neither of them is reliable. Nell and Joe get seperated and she manages to get a job as a housekeeper. A story of jeaousy and revenge.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #PanMacmillan and the author #SatahHilary for my ARC of #Fragile in exchange for an honest review.
It took me a couple of chaters to get into this book but once i did i quite enjoyed it. This is a story about foster children and the ones who run away from home to get revenge. This is a well written and atmospheric read. It's also slightly creepy but thrilling. Nell and Joe run away from their foster home and the story is told from Nell and the foster hones manager, Megan's point of view. But neither of them is reliable. Nell and Joe get seperated and she manages to get a job as a housekeeper. A story of jeaousy and revenge.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #PanMacmillan and the author #SatahHilary for my ARC of #Fragile in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC of this title, in exchange for review.
I requested to read this as I love crime fiction and have enjoyed the Marnie Rome books by Sarah Hilary in the past. I was pleased to see that this was a standalone novel. That said, I wonder if I would have requested to read this on description alone/ by an author I'd not heard of?
Teenage runaway Nell is looking for her (ex?) Boyfriend Joe. He was last seen disappearing into the building we come to know as Starling Villas, having been taken home there from a nightclub by a mystery glamorous blonde -femme fatale
Nell seeks to find a way in herself and as it would happen there's a vacancy for a PA/housekeeper to the owner, magistrate Dr Robin Wilder. There is an immediate frisson between the two of them, or Nell is good at intuiting what people want to hear, talking her way into bed and board.
Nell and Joe are both running away from the care home in which they grew up together. Run by Meagan, who fulfills every foster mother Miss Hannigan cliche: sleeping pills, cider and cigs are all she cares about. The kiddies under her roof allow her to afford these vices, justabout. Oldest child Nell takes on the role of cook, cleaner and substitute mother from the moment she arrives there, age 8.
We learn about an incident which led to the closure of the foster home, the disappearance and presumed death of little 6-year old Rosie. By then Nell was 15 with "fresh curves" and a scorching summer sees the kids (Nell, Joe and Rosie) drawn to a local slate quarry with a refreshing pool. One of their excursions sees little Rosie not returning...
Meagan covers it up, Nell and Joe's relationship becomes toxic until they can no longer bear it and have to escape to London.
I struggled to enjoy this book. I found the characters flat and unlikeable. The skipping around in the narrative meant I found the timeline of events (the "before” /backstory) difficult to get a grasp of. Also events at the house happen over the course of just a few days?
I had no idea who Nell was. At the start we believe that she is looking for Joe... because she wants him back - they are in love(first love/lust)? But on meeting Wilder she instantly falls for him? Except growing up in care she has also learned to be hard hearted and only depend upon herself?
Other things didn't hang together for me, Nell -missing out on so much school as she was needed to run the home - daydreams about running away with Joe to Bouvet Island. Sorry, but I needed to look that one up. Another scene had Nell making an omelette for Wilder (one of the quickest things you can cook?), while managing to knock up a fruit cake in some spare time? ...A LOT of eggs get eaten in this book
I requested to read this as I love crime fiction and have enjoyed the Marnie Rome books by Sarah Hilary in the past. I was pleased to see that this was a standalone novel. That said, I wonder if I would have requested to read this on description alone/ by an author I'd not heard of?
Teenage runaway Nell is looking for her (ex?) Boyfriend Joe. He was last seen disappearing into the building we come to know as Starling Villas, having been taken home there from a nightclub by a mystery glamorous blonde -femme fatale
Nell seeks to find a way in herself and as it would happen there's a vacancy for a PA/housekeeper to the owner, magistrate Dr Robin Wilder. There is an immediate frisson between the two of them, or Nell is good at intuiting what people want to hear, talking her way into bed and board.
Nell and Joe are both running away from the care home in which they grew up together. Run by Meagan, who fulfills every foster mother Miss Hannigan cliche: sleeping pills, cider and cigs are all she cares about. The kiddies under her roof allow her to afford these vices, justabout. Oldest child Nell takes on the role of cook, cleaner and substitute mother from the moment she arrives there, age 8.
We learn about an incident which led to the closure of the foster home, the disappearance and presumed death of little 6-year old Rosie. By then Nell was 15 with "fresh curves" and a scorching summer sees the kids (Nell, Joe and Rosie) drawn to a local slate quarry with a refreshing pool. One of their excursions sees little Rosie not returning...
Meagan covers it up, Nell and Joe's relationship becomes toxic until they can no longer bear it and have to escape to London.
I struggled to enjoy this book. I found the characters flat and unlikeable. The skipping around in the narrative meant I found the timeline of events (the "before” /backstory) difficult to get a grasp of. Also events at the house happen over the course of just a few days?
I had no idea who Nell was. At the start we believe that she is looking for Joe... because she wants him back - they are in love(first love/lust)? But on meeting Wilder she instantly falls for him? Except growing up in care she has also learned to be hard hearted and only depend upon herself?
Other things didn't hang together for me, Nell -missing out on so much school as she was needed to run the home - daydreams about running away with Joe to Bouvet Island. Sorry, but I needed to look that one up. Another scene had Nell making an omelette for Wilder (one of the quickest things you can cook?), while managing to knock up a fruit cake in some spare time? ...A LOT of eggs get eaten in this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2021
Fragile is a hard-hitting and emotional standalone psychological thriller with a rich gothic slant from award-winning crime writer Sarah Hilary. Nell Ballard was 8 years old when her mother abandoned her and it has impacted her life ever since. Her situation began to look more positive when she was placed in the foster home of a woman named Meagan Flack in North Wales, and as it wasn't her first rodeo caring for children rejected by their birth parents, Nell had hope. But it doesn't take long for Nell to realise that Meagan is one of those women who couldn't care less about the children’s welfare only about the money it could bring her despite them needing a safe space, a place to call home and unconditional love more than any material wealth it could furnish the family. This led to her becoming the surrogate to her foster siblings as Meagan is simply not interested. In her desperate search for identity and belonging, she falls in love with 17-year-old runaway Joe Peach, a beautiful soul who is living with addiction, but after a tragedy unfolds they find themselves dishevelled and living each day as it comes on the harsh streets of London having left their foster home once and for all. But Joe cannot be relied upon and as with many addicts, everything around them is there to be manipulated in order to score their next fix. As she tries to escape her past, Nell begins a new job as a housekeeper at the creepy and chilling Starling Villas, working for an eccentric recluse, Doctor Robin Wilder.
Wilder is an idiosyncratic, middle-aged man who lives by an exacting set of rules and expects the same from Nell. She works all the hours God sends but just as she begins to find her place, Robin's manipulative and controlling ex-wife, Carolyn, arrives. And the situation goes from bad to worst. This is a compelling and hauntingly beautiful novel exploring the omnipresent feelings of guilt and blame foster kids feel and the impact it has on their lives. Dark, deeply atmospheric and ripe with simmering suspense, Hilary’s signature attention to detail and her psychological insight make for riveting reading. With shades of Rebecca and Patricia Highsmith’s novels, Fragile is a story that entranced me from the outset. It’s disturbing and unsettling but with a vein of hope and fragility running through it and tenderness, too. This is character-driven storytelling at its finest with all the twists and turns, drama and tension necessary to have you totally gripped. The characterisation is incredible, although most are highly unlikeable, chaotic, damaged, selfish individuals who have brought children into the world without the means to care for them or are supposed to have given them sanctuary, but they are certainly believable and reflect real life. I found the switching between Nell’s narration and Meagan’s third-person perspective seamless and an engrossing way in which to tell the story with its abundance of secrets, lies, desire for revenge, loss, deceit and grief. Highly recommended.
Wilder is an idiosyncratic, middle-aged man who lives by an exacting set of rules and expects the same from Nell. She works all the hours God sends but just as she begins to find her place, Robin's manipulative and controlling ex-wife, Carolyn, arrives. And the situation goes from bad to worst. This is a compelling and hauntingly beautiful novel exploring the omnipresent feelings of guilt and blame foster kids feel and the impact it has on their lives. Dark, deeply atmospheric and ripe with simmering suspense, Hilary’s signature attention to detail and her psychological insight make for riveting reading. With shades of Rebecca and Patricia Highsmith’s novels, Fragile is a story that entranced me from the outset. It’s disturbing and unsettling but with a vein of hope and fragility running through it and tenderness, too. This is character-driven storytelling at its finest with all the twists and turns, drama and tension necessary to have you totally gripped. The characterisation is incredible, although most are highly unlikeable, chaotic, damaged, selfish individuals who have brought children into the world without the means to care for them or are supposed to have given them sanctuary, but they are certainly believable and reflect real life. I found the switching between Nell’s narration and Meagan’s third-person perspective seamless and an engrossing way in which to tell the story with its abundance of secrets, lies, desire for revenge, loss, deceit and grief. Highly recommended.
June 8, 2021
Whenever anyone asks for recommendations of a police procedural series, I always tell them to read Sarah Hilary's DI Marnie Rome series. One of the best crime series of our time, written with intelligence and grace and capturing so much more than just criminals.
When I heard that Sarah Hilary was to publish a stand alone novel, with a gothic theme, I was really excited. I haven''t been disappointed. Fragile is a dark, brooding and quite beautiful story that crawls under the skin whilst giving chills down the back of the neck.
The reader meets Nell Ballard as she sits in a London cafe, looking out on to the street and pondering how different London looks in daylight. Nell is a runaway, she arrived in London with her boyfriend Joe and has slept in many places ever since. Last night, Joe followed a woman out of a club, and Nell has not set eyes on him since. Starling Villas, the long thin house across the road from the cafe is where Joe went, and Nell is determined to get inside and find out what happened to him,
With devious ingenuity and more than a little deceit, Nell secures herself a live-in job at Starling Villas. She will attend to the needs of the strange and a little foreboding Dr Robin Wilder. Her days are strictly set out by a rota he has drawn up, and for Nell, this feels rather like the life that she's always known.
Nell grew up in care. Abandoned by her own mother at age eight, she was put into the care of Meagan Flack who was in charge of Lyle's, a soulless house in Wales. Whilst Nell became the mother figure of the house; washing, cleaning and caring for the smaller children, Meagan sat back and allowed it, occasionally showing her cruel streak and always with eyes in the back of her head. When Joe arrived at Lyle's both Nell and Meagan fell for him. Nell with the passionate love of a young teen, and Meagan with the favouritism she showed him.
When tragedy struck at Lyle's, all three of them lost their homes. Nell and Joe fled to London, whilst Meagan had no choice but to go. The reader is also privy to Megan's current situation; a bitter woman, living in filth and overcome with bitterness and an urgent need for revenge.
Starling Villas is as much a character within this story as the human voices. With the incredible imagery that Hilary creates, from the spiders and dusty cobwebs, to the orchids and the fat pigeon that seems to appear at crucial points, this is a vivid and beautifully created setting. The author deals with some dark and important issues within her writing, with an insight that is quite breathtaking. As the novel progresses, the setting gets darker and the slowly revealed back stories become more heartbreaking.
Fragile is unlike anything that I've read before. It is a superb mix of gothic tension, obsession, young love and disappointment, woven together masterfully. It is ambitious, clever and haunting. The characters are flawed, yet precisely drawn, they will haunt the reader. Highly recommended.
When I heard that Sarah Hilary was to publish a stand alone novel, with a gothic theme, I was really excited. I haven''t been disappointed. Fragile is a dark, brooding and quite beautiful story that crawls under the skin whilst giving chills down the back of the neck.
The reader meets Nell Ballard as she sits in a London cafe, looking out on to the street and pondering how different London looks in daylight. Nell is a runaway, she arrived in London with her boyfriend Joe and has slept in many places ever since. Last night, Joe followed a woman out of a club, and Nell has not set eyes on him since. Starling Villas, the long thin house across the road from the cafe is where Joe went, and Nell is determined to get inside and find out what happened to him,
With devious ingenuity and more than a little deceit, Nell secures herself a live-in job at Starling Villas. She will attend to the needs of the strange and a little foreboding Dr Robin Wilder. Her days are strictly set out by a rota he has drawn up, and for Nell, this feels rather like the life that she's always known.
Nell grew up in care. Abandoned by her own mother at age eight, she was put into the care of Meagan Flack who was in charge of Lyle's, a soulless house in Wales. Whilst Nell became the mother figure of the house; washing, cleaning and caring for the smaller children, Meagan sat back and allowed it, occasionally showing her cruel streak and always with eyes in the back of her head. When Joe arrived at Lyle's both Nell and Meagan fell for him. Nell with the passionate love of a young teen, and Meagan with the favouritism she showed him.
When tragedy struck at Lyle's, all three of them lost their homes. Nell and Joe fled to London, whilst Meagan had no choice but to go. The reader is also privy to Megan's current situation; a bitter woman, living in filth and overcome with bitterness and an urgent need for revenge.
Starling Villas is as much a character within this story as the human voices. With the incredible imagery that Hilary creates, from the spiders and dusty cobwebs, to the orchids and the fat pigeon that seems to appear at crucial points, this is a vivid and beautifully created setting. The author deals with some dark and important issues within her writing, with an insight that is quite breathtaking. As the novel progresses, the setting gets darker and the slowly revealed back stories become more heartbreaking.
Fragile is unlike anything that I've read before. It is a superb mix of gothic tension, obsession, young love and disappointment, woven together masterfully. It is ambitious, clever and haunting. The characters are flawed, yet precisely drawn, they will haunt the reader. Highly recommended.
October 21, 2020
A dark and twisted novel of dual aspects, the rich is rotten, the clean is dirty and the lies are secrets.
Sarah Hilary really showcases her exquisite writing style in FRAGILE. So different, so removed from anything she has written before and quite possibly a risk taken for fans of her Marnie series.
I went into this book with a clear mind, choosing to put aside everything I have read by Hilary, knowing that this should not and cannot be compared.
I raced through the first half of this book loving the detail, mystery and drama of the story. But over time I felt that the ‘drive’ of the story was becoming weaker and I was struggling to connect with the strange Dr Robin.
I suppose my critical mind was slightly annoyed with Nell’s imagination. A lot of her life’s worries in Starling Villas was, to my mind, of her own invention rather than reality.
It’s such a tricky book to review and I’m not entirely happy awarding it 2 stars because the writing deserves more. But for me, the story could’ve been a lot stronger. Sarah Hilary is very good at weaving twists and turns and I wonder if this deviation in style has meant that that skill took a bit of a back seat?
Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Sarah Hilary really showcases her exquisite writing style in FRAGILE. So different, so removed from anything she has written before and quite possibly a risk taken for fans of her Marnie series.
I went into this book with a clear mind, choosing to put aside everything I have read by Hilary, knowing that this should not and cannot be compared.
I raced through the first half of this book loving the detail, mystery and drama of the story. But over time I felt that the ‘drive’ of the story was becoming weaker and I was struggling to connect with the strange Dr Robin.
I suppose my critical mind was slightly annoyed with Nell’s imagination. A lot of her life’s worries in Starling Villas was, to my mind, of her own invention rather than reality.
It’s such a tricky book to review and I’m not entirely happy awarding it 2 stars because the writing deserves more. But for me, the story could’ve been a lot stronger. Sarah Hilary is very good at weaving twists and turns and I wonder if this deviation in style has meant that that skill took a bit of a back seat?
Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 1, 2021
The author's writing is exquisite,and her Marnie series is excellent.This stand alone is a slow burner and haunting.However,at times it's tooo slow,and leaves things unexplained.It doesn´t quite gel together.
April 23, 2021
I have struggled to engage with this book and I'm giving up at Chapter 10. I can just instinctively tell that I'm not going to suddenly find it compelling.
I quite enjoy the almost sinister scene of the villa and the writing style but the plot is just not going anywhere. It's like the premise has been given and that is considered enough to then just spend the rest of the book dilly dallying around past memories which are superficial and lacking in context.
The mystery of Dr Wilder, Joe, Rosie and Megan are all fine but ten chapters in and I still have nothing deep to delve into. It is all just skimming the surface but instead of drawing me in and making me want to know more, it is just boring me.
Unfortunately not for me.
I quite enjoy the almost sinister scene of the villa and the writing style but the plot is just not going anywhere. It's like the premise has been given and that is considered enough to then just spend the rest of the book dilly dallying around past memories which are superficial and lacking in context.
The mystery of Dr Wilder, Joe, Rosie and Megan are all fine but ten chapters in and I still have nothing deep to delve into. It is all just skimming the surface but instead of drawing me in and making me want to know more, it is just boring me.
Unfortunately not for me.
March 26, 2022
Nell is a runaway. She’s a former foster child with a secret that no one can ever find out about. When a job comes up at Starling Villas, home to the mysterious Robin Wilder, she grabs it. But starling villas is not all as it seems, why does Robin’s ex-wife keep appearing? Why was Nell’s boyfriend Joe there? And why does Nell’s former foster mother, Meagan, turn up? Yes there are secrets aplenty here, will Nell ever get to the bottom of it.
It sounds intriguing and the writing was beautiful but sadly for me this story fell completely flat; the prose was so ethereal that I felt there it was all words but no substance. I tried and tried to get embroiled but with unlikeable characters, vague and ambiguous language and essentially a pretty basic plot with a very anticlimactic ending made this a miss for me. Giving it three stars as it was well written though.
It sounds intriguing and the writing was beautiful but sadly for me this story fell completely flat; the prose was so ethereal that I felt there it was all words but no substance. I tried and tried to get embroiled but with unlikeable characters, vague and ambiguous language and essentially a pretty basic plot with a very anticlimactic ending made this a miss for me. Giving it three stars as it was well written though.
October 15, 2022
Disappointed. I didn't really like it. Started well but became unconvincing. I didn't care what happened.
December 9, 2020
A tragic story told through the eyes of Nell who has run away from her foster home in Wales with Joe to London. She's watches Joe as he disappears into a house and manages to get herself a housekeepers job with the hope of finding him. They both carry a dark secret from Wales which weighs them down in different ways. A story of loss, revenge, relationships and grief
September 8, 2021
Setting: London & North Wales. Teenager Nell Ballard has fled her North Wales foster home for the bright lights of London together with love of her life, Joe. But after several months of sofa-surfing and sleeping rough, Joe's drug habit and his hatred of the cold lead to him going to a nightclub where he is picked up by an older woman. Nell follows them - and later wangles a job at Starling Villas as housekeeper to the doctor who lives there, hoping to get a foothold for herself and to meet up with Joe again - and put the dark events from the past where they belong.
Back in North Wales, Nell's former foster mother Meaghan is waiting patiently - like a spider in a web. She knows that Joe will eventually make contact with her - and then she will be able to get to Nell who she blames for all her current troubles. Then Joe calls and Meaghan sees her chance to get to Nell....
I love the author's Marnie Rome series so was keen to try her first stand-alone novel - and I wasn't disappointed. Whilst not loving it as much as the Marnie books, it was still a pretty engrossing read, so much so that I read the whole book in a day. Not too enamoured with the ending though to be honest. Still a strong 4-star read - 8/10.
Back in North Wales, Nell's former foster mother Meaghan is waiting patiently - like a spider in a web. She knows that Joe will eventually make contact with her - and then she will be able to get to Nell who she blames for all her current troubles. Then Joe calls and Meaghan sees her chance to get to Nell....
I love the author's Marnie Rome series so was keen to try her first stand-alone novel - and I wasn't disappointed. Whilst not loving it as much as the Marnie books, it was still a pretty engrossing read, so much so that I read the whole book in a day. Not too enamoured with the ending though to be honest. Still a strong 4-star read - 8/10.
May 14, 2025
Not long after we meet Nell, she recognises there is a job opportunity at Starling Villas which might just be the first step in turning her life around. She convinces the man of the house, Robin, to take her on as his live in housekeeper. Being a runaway from her foster home this feels like a huge step up for her and she begins to settle. Although the house sounds really creepy to me so I’m not sure I’d want to live and work there. As Nell starts to make progress with the house Robin’s wife turns up throwing a cat among the pigeons (to put it mildly!).
Nell is a fascinating character. I couldn’t help but feel for her, especially as the story progresses. She’s done things she isn’t proud of, just to survive. Her relationship with Joe is a complicated one, especially given their shared secrets. A secret that underpins the whole story, maintaining the tension throughout. Their foster ‘mother’ is quite the piece of work!
This is quite an unsettling read. I felt on edge, wondering what might happen next and what truths might be revealed. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement. The creepy, tense, atmosphere created is quite addictive. An extremely clever psychological thriller.
Brilliant!
** My paperback copy of Fragile was a Wishlist gift from one of my very lovely Bookstagram friends **
https://chataboutbooks.blog/2025/05/1...
Nell is a fascinating character. I couldn’t help but feel for her, especially as the story progresses. She’s done things she isn’t proud of, just to survive. Her relationship with Joe is a complicated one, especially given their shared secrets. A secret that underpins the whole story, maintaining the tension throughout. Their foster ‘mother’ is quite the piece of work!
This is quite an unsettling read. I felt on edge, wondering what might happen next and what truths might be revealed. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement. The creepy, tense, atmosphere created is quite addictive. An extremely clever psychological thriller.
Brilliant!
** My paperback copy of Fragile was a Wishlist gift from one of my very lovely Bookstagram friends **
https://chataboutbooks.blog/2025/05/1...
June 9, 2021
Over-flowing with deception and lies, Fragile is a well-written story about jealousy, control and revenge.
The pace of the story works well as it's quick to read and well-plotted, as my intrigue built slowly throughout. I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere and could definitely feel a darkness lurking in the house. Unfortunately, it just didn't shock me by the end, and I ended up finding the final revelations quite underwhelming.
Told through damaged characters who are at their lowest, it is a bleak story that is brimming with secrets, manipulation, and grief. But because the characters are all very self-destructive, I didn't find any of them engaging enough to really pique my interest.
However, I did really enjoy the writing and the dark undertones of the story. I just wanted it to go much further, as I struggled to feel Nell's guilt and find her actions very believable. Although I did like the final hammer in the nail, it was just a little too late for me.
I personally didn't get on with this book, but I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys a slow-burning mystery with a more genuine conclusion than one that packs a punch.
The pace of the story works well as it's quick to read and well-plotted, as my intrigue built slowly throughout. I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere and could definitely feel a darkness lurking in the house. Unfortunately, it just didn't shock me by the end, and I ended up finding the final revelations quite underwhelming.
Told through damaged characters who are at their lowest, it is a bleak story that is brimming with secrets, manipulation, and grief. But because the characters are all very self-destructive, I didn't find any of them engaging enough to really pique my interest.
However, I did really enjoy the writing and the dark undertones of the story. I just wanted it to go much further, as I struggled to feel Nell's guilt and find her actions very believable. Although I did like the final hammer in the nail, it was just a little too late for me.
I personally didn't get on with this book, but I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys a slow-burning mystery with a more genuine conclusion than one that packs a punch.
June 17, 2021
Fragile is my first novel from this author. I’ve heard about and seen some of her books but have not picked any up until now. What drew me to this book was the description. It was intriguing and couldn’t wait to get started.
Fragile is a well-structured book and written well, with some great detailed descriptions of both Wales and London. Now although I said this is well written I did struggle with the story. Yes, I raced through the first half of this book, and really liked the mystery and drama, but sadly for me things started to go a little downhill and things started to get confusing. Quite a few things in the story left me with questions which unfortunately for me weren’t answered by the time I got to the end.
Now for the characters well, what can I say. I personally didn’t like any of them. Yes, Nell the main character comes across as a clever and resourceful individual, and her story is sad but as a character I found her to be quite unreliable in this story and at times I found her quite annoying, especially when it came to some of the decisions and actions she took. As for the other characters I wasn’t a fan of them either. I feel like I need to know more about them and they needed to be a little more developed.
Overall this was an ok read for me, but based on the writing style and the descriptions alone I had to give it an extra star. Although this particular story wasn’t quite to my liking, I will still be looking picking up the other books from this author.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my eARC in exchange of an honest and unbiased review.
Fragile is a well-structured book and written well, with some great detailed descriptions of both Wales and London. Now although I said this is well written I did struggle with the story. Yes, I raced through the first half of this book, and really liked the mystery and drama, but sadly for me things started to go a little downhill and things started to get confusing. Quite a few things in the story left me with questions which unfortunately for me weren’t answered by the time I got to the end.
Now for the characters well, what can I say. I personally didn’t like any of them. Yes, Nell the main character comes across as a clever and resourceful individual, and her story is sad but as a character I found her to be quite unreliable in this story and at times I found her quite annoying, especially when it came to some of the decisions and actions she took. As for the other characters I wasn’t a fan of them either. I feel like I need to know more about them and they needed to be a little more developed.
Overall this was an ok read for me, but based on the writing style and the descriptions alone I had to give it an extra star. Although this particular story wasn’t quite to my liking, I will still be looking picking up the other books from this author.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my eARC in exchange of an honest and unbiased review.
June 10, 2021
I have read all of Sarah Hilary’s Marnie Rome series which I absolutely adore and when I heard she had written a standalone novel, I was excited and intrigued and as soon as I received an invitation to join the blogtour organised by Random Things Tours I jumped at the chance.
Where to start with Fragile? Well I can say it’s completely different to any of Sarah’s previous books, the characters and the storyline are both fascinating and addictive and I found myself reading this at every possible opportunity.
Nell and Joe are foster children who have escaped a toxic and unhealthy foster home and are now living rough on the streets of London. When Joe disappears after visiting Starling Villas, a house in London, Nell manages to get a job as a housekeeper there under the employment of Dr Robert Wilder, a strange and controlling character and his terrifying wife who seems to enjoy tormenting Nell.
Nell has the saddest and most tragic past, discarded by her birth parents and left to fend for herself from the age of 8 in a foster home. The chapters about her time in care are heart-breaking and as a parent it’s particularly difficult to read. Struggling with guilt about something awful that happened in the foster home and the reason she and Joe ran away keeps the reader gripped and concerned in equal measures.
The writing in this novel is sublime, it’s practically poetry and whilst the storyline is dark, Sarah Hilary has created an atmospheric and emotionally intense book about jealousy, love, loss and revenge.
Where to start with Fragile? Well I can say it’s completely different to any of Sarah’s previous books, the characters and the storyline are both fascinating and addictive and I found myself reading this at every possible opportunity.
Nell and Joe are foster children who have escaped a toxic and unhealthy foster home and are now living rough on the streets of London. When Joe disappears after visiting Starling Villas, a house in London, Nell manages to get a job as a housekeeper there under the employment of Dr Robert Wilder, a strange and controlling character and his terrifying wife who seems to enjoy tormenting Nell.
Nell has the saddest and most tragic past, discarded by her birth parents and left to fend for herself from the age of 8 in a foster home. The chapters about her time in care are heart-breaking and as a parent it’s particularly difficult to read. Struggling with guilt about something awful that happened in the foster home and the reason she and Joe ran away keeps the reader gripped and concerned in equal measures.
The writing in this novel is sublime, it’s practically poetry and whilst the storyline is dark, Sarah Hilary has created an atmospheric and emotionally intense book about jealousy, love, loss and revenge.
October 6, 2020
Nell is a former foster care child, a runaway, older than her years. Clever and resourceful, she emerges as an unreliable narrator. Each character she is connected to is also unreliable, or so it seems, and when she tricks her way into Starling Villas, and a housekeeping job for the reclusive Doctor Robin Wilder, her world becomes ever more strange, and dangerous. Intrinsically linked to Nell is Joe, a damaged young man, an addict with whom Nell harbours a devastating secret. When Nell moves in to live at Starling Villas, the story takes a darker, gothic style, and all is not as it seems... quite an interesting premise, though perhaps the relationship between young Nell and the peculiar, middle aged Robin requires some level of suspended disbelief. A powerful writing style, unravelling the surreal with elements of gritty realism, child neglect and broken dreams.
October 7, 2021
Fragile is 13 hours and 3 minutes and narrated by Imogen Church. I totally hang my head in shame while I admit that this is the first book that I have read by this author! So many books but so little time is my problem. That is why I love audio these days. They are the perfect escape not to mention I can kill two birds with one stone. I listened to this while taking my daily walk! another new hobby of mine.
I love the tag line everything she touches breaks….Which is what sold this to me. This is a standalone and not what I expected. It has an atmospheric feeling to it. When we meet Nell who is a runaway. Fragile tells the story of a broken person who wants to find a place she belongs. But not all is what it seems when she lands herself a job at Starling Villas then a twisty emotional story unravels.
You cannot help but feel for Nell has we learn why she ran away from the foster home when she was 8. The story alternates between the past and present telling a heartbreaking story that will pull at your heartstrings.
Fragile is a dark and complex beautiful written story that I found addictive, leaving me wanting more at the end of each chapter. This is my normal read. But I thoroughly enjoyed it even though it is disturbing. I am very excited that I have found a new author to read and I will certainly be reading the authors DI Marnie Rome series very soon!
Thank you to Macmillan UK Audio for giving me the chance to listen to this all thoughts are my own and not biased in anyway.
I love the tag line everything she touches breaks….Which is what sold this to me. This is a standalone and not what I expected. It has an atmospheric feeling to it. When we meet Nell who is a runaway. Fragile tells the story of a broken person who wants to find a place she belongs. But not all is what it seems when she lands herself a job at Starling Villas then a twisty emotional story unravels.
You cannot help but feel for Nell has we learn why she ran away from the foster home when she was 8. The story alternates between the past and present telling a heartbreaking story that will pull at your heartstrings.
Fragile is a dark and complex beautiful written story that I found addictive, leaving me wanting more at the end of each chapter. This is my normal read. But I thoroughly enjoyed it even though it is disturbing. I am very excited that I have found a new author to read and I will certainly be reading the authors DI Marnie Rome series very soon!
Thank you to Macmillan UK Audio for giving me the chance to listen to this all thoughts are my own and not biased in anyway.
May 3, 2023
Lovely, beautifully written. I stumbled across this book while searching for another that is similarity titled. So happy I decided to check it out. Sarah Hilary has a new fan in me, and I look forward to diving into her D.I. Marnie Rome series.
June 20, 2021
Sarah Hilary’s Marnie Rome series is one of the few that I am up to date with and I am a huge fan of her writing and her characters so was looking forward to reading Fragile which is a standalone novel. A few days after finishing it I am still trying to understand my feelings regarding the characters. All of them have given me something to think about. The title of the novel is the best way I have of describing all of them.
There aren’t many characters in the novel but all of them had an impact, especially the women. Nell featured more than Meaghan and Carolyn but I found that every time each of them appeared I found myself analysing them and trying to work out what damage they had caused but also how they had suffered due to others. I tried not to judge but with at least one of the characters it was difficult.
There was an often overwhelming sense of pain and loneliness evident from all of them. This doesn’t make it a depressing novel, but it did make me think about how many in our ‘care’ system are damaged by the ones who have the power to make a difference. Unfortunately much of the storyline is sadly believable and I dread to think what some children in care go through and the reasons why they are there.
Fragile isn’t a quick read but it is a mesmerising one and the author has proven that she is just as good as writing standalone fiction as well as her series. This reader is certainly looking forward to what will be next.
There aren’t many characters in the novel but all of them had an impact, especially the women. Nell featured more than Meaghan and Carolyn but I found that every time each of them appeared I found myself analysing them and trying to work out what damage they had caused but also how they had suffered due to others. I tried not to judge but with at least one of the characters it was difficult.
There was an often overwhelming sense of pain and loneliness evident from all of them. This doesn’t make it a depressing novel, but it did make me think about how many in our ‘care’ system are damaged by the ones who have the power to make a difference. Unfortunately much of the storyline is sadly believable and I dread to think what some children in care go through and the reasons why they are there.
Fragile isn’t a quick read but it is a mesmerising one and the author has proven that she is just as good as writing standalone fiction as well as her series. This reader is certainly looking forward to what will be next.
May 25, 2022
I grabbed a copy of this from my local Library. I am not sure how I came across it really, whether it's a book that I spotted someone reading and I thought it looked good or it just took my fancy.
This is a book that I kept reading as I was keen to find out what had happened. Nell takes a job working for Robin Wilder in his house, she is a housekeeper, cleaner, companion and apparent mistress in some ways of Sparling Villas. Robin was a very controlling employee and was so set in his ways, I worried about Nell's safety at times. It soon becomes apparent that things aren't as they seem and the reader is taken on a journey of discovery as they uncover secrets along the way. Can the coincidence of Nell arriving at Sparling Villas be as innocent as it at first appears or are there ulterior motives behind her going for this job?
I did enjoy the story on the whole, but I felt it was lacking at times and this has made me drop my rating. It started off with great promise, but floundered around the middle and maybe it would have made for a better read if it had been read in greater chunks than I did. Sometimes though when we lose interest in books, we find that we don't always read it in large chunks.
This is the first book that I have read by this Author and it is a standalone read of hers, I will read more books by her to see how they compare with this one.
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