After I got married my preferences shifted towards what could be described as domestic suspense when it comes to mysteries and thrillers. The idea of people who are supposed to be mad for each other be mad at each other instead somehow became intriguing. How? Don’t ask, it’s beyond me as well, considering my wedlock is a happy and healthy one. My first and truest love in this category is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and admittedly, I’ve been searching for the same high her words gave me amongst the lines of other novels ever since. Sometimes I find it, sometimes I don’t. Such is life.
‘Why is the series named ‘Home Alone(?)’, you may wonder before continuing. Simply put, it derives from the thought of being with your significant other but feeling the doubts bloom if they’re really with or against you. Want to find out what’s the case this time? Read along!
Summary
In a nutshell, this story follows Gabe and Pippa, a married couple in their thirties with two beautiful daughters, who have recently moved to a scenic little town and into their dream home, leading a blissful life in undisturbed peace – except for the occasional suicide attempts at the cliff in their backyard. For an impressive period of time Gabe manages to dissuade the jumpers up until one night when he fails to do so. The first spiderweb cracks start to appear in their marriage when Pippa learns that Gabe knew the victim personally and the question unwillingly arises in the back of her mind – was the accident really self-inflicted or did he push her? The situation gets even more dire when the police get involved, turning those thin little cracks into gaping abysses.
Thoughts
I’d like to begin the second installment of the Home Alone? series with a disclaimer – this novel utilizes one of the tropes I dislike the most when it comes to domestic suspense-themed books. I’m uncertain of the terminology here (please drop it in the comments if you know what exactly this is called) but it’s essentially when wedlock occurs (much too) soon after meeting and the chances of getting to know one another before the life-long commitment that is marriage are nonexistent. I’d call this the ‘Rushed Marriage’ trope, on the off-chance no label has been created for it yet by pop culture. So yes. The Soulmate is based on this premise and when I reached this point in the book, I seriously considered DNF’ing it just for this reason alone. However, I’m immensely glad I didn’t. The reading experience I obtained was worth it.
First and foremost, I liked Hepworth’s style and choice of words; due to these the text is reader-friendly, and it can be consumed in a steady, natural flow. No need to re-read sentences or entire paragraphs, every phrase served comprehension and advancement. Secondly, leaving stylistics behind, I’d like to move over to the actual storytelling itself, which I also find brilliant. This is the kind of novel that has something at the end of literally every chapter – let that be a subtle hint that’ll leave you with a racing mind or a direct piece of information making your jaw drop to the floor – but it stays within the boundaries of normalcy and credibility, it never goes over the top at the expense of any of the prior. The story is told from two perspectives (characters both alive and already deceased) and two timelines (past and present), so fundamentally we see the events unfold from four distinctive narratives. I understand this might strike as strange and confusing, but trust me, it’s anything but. Every separate thread is woven together in the end, culminating in perfect clarity. There’s considerable character development as well, with an important message to convey to generations of women all around the world. Oh? You’re asking me what it might be? Well, you must find out for yourself firsthand.
Conclusion
I basically devoured this book within the scope of only a few days and for future reference, please do be prepared to wander upon more Sally Hepworth reviews on this blog.
Ratings
In its own right: 
Compared to Gone Girl: 
About the Author
Sally Hepworth is a New York Times bestselling author with seven published novels translated into 20 languages. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and three children. According to her Instagram account, she’s now promoting her new book but she also uses the platform for non-marketing purposes.
What are your thoughts regarding the book? Have you already read it? Or will you? Either way, please feel free to drop a few words in the comments. Stay caffeinated and well-read until next time – Your bookish friend, Nat