Changes

Whilst violence occurs, there is nothing gratuitous or over the top – although I can't deny some chapters may leave some a little shaken. Things never get too dark though – despite deaths and affairs, Starr never fails to thread black comedy throughout, and shifting the point of view to a different character every chapter helps to alleviate dark moments. The only place I thought this fell down slightly was when the viewpoint switched to that of a local policeman – his personal life was filled with so much drama that I longed to hear more about that. However, I do appreciate that the author wanted to keep the main plot tight and avoid too many diversions – something which makes it a rapid, page -turning read.

With ''Gone Girl'' being the go-to thriller of the past few years, comparisons are inevitable – some are on the cover. But this is a very different beast altogether. Still packed with thrills, Starr has crafted a thriller that also manages to be a hilarious satire on urban America, and a careful character study. It also manages a far lighter tone than ''Gone Girl'' – whilst things do reach a dark climax in ''Savage Lane'', there are still rays of hope visible, which I felt were sincerely lacking in Gillian Flynn's novel.

Carefully crafted and constantly thrilling, '''Savage Lane''' is a rapid and enjoyable read, so many thanks to the publishers for the copy. For further reading, I would recommend [[Second Life by S J Watson]] – another thriller I've read this year that had me racing through the pages until I reached the end. You might also appreciate [[You Were Made for This by Michelle Sacks]] or [[The Watcher by Ross Armstrong]].