Book Review: The Text by Claire Douglas

The Text is a kind of short crime suspense story, written by Claire Douglas. Since it has no good length, we get most of the things done premeditatedly in the background. Despite it being a short and suspense work, we get to see enough credibility without sweeps or events. That’s remarkable about the author.

Talking about the story, in the main lead we see this working girl Emily. At work, her life is totally screwed up. Andrew, her boss, is way beyond the rudeness, he is indecent. Emily wished to go to Edinburgh with some of her friends. Well, her plan is at the mercy of her boss, who does not approve it.

In frustration, she sends a text message to her boyfriend where she laments her boss and wishes him to be dead. Accidently, the message is sent to the workgroup – people from her office. She has nothing much better to do than reproaching her act. She hopes that one of the girls from the group reportedly shagging with Andrew does not leak out the message.

Next day, Andrew is reported dead. She gets rounded up from various people, including police and her colleagues. How's that coincidence possible? What was her connection with the dead Andrew? She is clueless and upset and looking forward to proving her innocence.

Later at night, at her home where she lives with her boyfriend called Stuart, she gets a note stating ‘you wanted him dead, he is dead now’. This note puts her into further dilemma. Who is playing prank and who is the convict? Rest of the story goes into details itself, surprisingly there is no detective in the story. Emily tries to find out Andrew's death and more. But she is miserable…

At the same time, her boyfriend Stuart's behavior begin changing colours, he tries controlling her by blaming some of her friends. Is Stuart the person behind everything or someone else?

Though short, yet interesting. The story moves on it. For a good short read, for suspense lovers, it can fill up the gap. Otherwise longing for full-fledged novels, you may refer Clair Douglas' full-length books.