Publication Date 10.02.21
Cassandra and a group of her friends enjoy Sunday lunch together on a perfect summer’s day. They’re pleased to welcome their glamorous new neighbour and novelist, Ellie, who has rented a house in the village to work on her book. She likes to place herself in the centre of her plots, she says, although it’s hard to see what she’ll find to write about in this quiet country backwater.
As Ellie slots effortlessly into the village social scene, Cass begins to feel increasingly alienated from her friends and isolated from her family but, for the life of her, she can’t fathom out why . . .
Five Star Review
Nearest Thing to Crazy, was published by Cutting Edge Press in 2013. BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour and the Mail Online featured the novel because of its gaslighting subject matter which was very new at that time. Elizabeth has recently re-published it independently with Amazon KDP, and I for one am glad, because I missed it first time!
A powerful psychological thriller taut with tension and clever twists.
The writing is stunning and it's so cleverly plotted. As the intensity increased, I raced through this book desperate to find out how it would all play out.
The setting of a small countryside town feels sweet and idyllic until glamourous Ellie turns up. Soon everything feels dark and claustrophobic for Cass. She can't work out what is real or true anymore and questions her own mental state. As a reader you too are unsure of who is telling the truth. And why is Dan, Cass's husband so smitten with Ellie?
The author digs deep under the surface of the characters to reveal to us their true emotional natures and in doing so she creates authentic people that we care about and invest our time in. It is such accomplished storytelling and a masterpiece in the genre.
Highly Recommended.
