Rachel's Holiday

I knew nothing about the storyline in Rachel's Holiday when I first read it in my early 20s. It was a powerful read as I had so much sympathy for her at first as I was still out and partying at weekends (when I wasn't too tired from work!). Then, as reading, I realised things were not as they seemed. I usually can guess a twist/work out how a story will go - even down to predicting what characters will say before they say it in films but this was a satisfying read.

I'm not sure I want to read a sequel! I haven't read The Testaments either. Don't mind planned trilogies though. Does anyone know if there was always going to be a sequel?

It was the first book of hers I read, though my favourite is Last Chance Saloon.

I wasn't too bothered about Rachel being different in Anna's book - we were seeing her from Anna's point of view and the sisters are all at least as inclined as average to live in their own worlds.

I agree that Helen's story was a big disappointment.

I was pissed off by Angels as well - this was a character change that couldn't be handwaved away by "different viewpoint" (and didn't even really scrape in with the "terrible secret" excuse either) and just screamed to me that MK was finding it difficult to understand a character she had observed so well from the outside.

However, the "conversation" in Rachel's Holiday is my absolute favourite Unreliable Narrator and for that I can forgive her a lot.

I'm dreading this! It's one of my favourite books, though I felt that when Rachel appeared in another book (about Anna, maybe) she seemed subdued and as though her character had changed - not in a good way, either.

I still wish I hadn't read Mercy Close, Helen's story. It was written when Marian was very depressed and in the story Helen suffers from depression, too. Again that didn't tie in with how I thought of Helen in the other four books.

I love the Walsh series, though.

Oh great, I love Rachel's Holiday, her best book IMO.

That’s interesting - I loved Rachel”s Holiday