BOOK REVIEW: The Promise by Teresa Driscoll @teresadriscoll @amazonpub

A dark character study of the impact a promise made long ago has on the lives of three women. Teresa Driscoll’s The Promise is more of a suspense novel than psychological thriller, but with some fascinating secrets that await being revealed!

About the Book

The chilling new psychological thriller from the #1 bestselling author of I Am Watching You.

It was their darkest secret. Three schoolgirls made a promise – to take the horrible truth of what they did to the grave.

Thirty years later, Beth and Sally have tried to put the trauma behind them. Though Carol has distanced herself from her former friends, the three are adamant that the truth must never come to light, even if the memory still haunts them.

But when some shocking news threatens to unearth their dark secret, Beth enlists the help of private investigator Matthew Hill to help her and Sally reconnect with estranged Carol ­– before the terrible act they committed as teenagers is revealed.

Beth wishes she could take back the vow they made.

But somebody is watching and will stop at nothing to ensure the secret stays buried. Now, with her beloved family in peril, can Beth still keep the promise?

Reflection

I’ve wanted to read something by Teresa Driscoll for awhile, and I actually bought a copy of one of her previous novels based on recommendations from some book friends! After reading The Promise, I can see why so many people are a fan of her work. She builds some fascinating characters and settings for psychological suspense!

Told mainly from Beth’s perspective then and now, the story revolves around three friends who made a promise to keep a dark secret many years ago, when they were just fourteen and away at boarding school. Though Beth and Sally have remained good friends into adulthood, they’ve lost touch with their other best friend Carol. And not just lost touch, something is not quite right with Carol ever since she left boarding school… Weekend trips cut short, and Carol begging out of group outings.

I found Carol to be a frustratingly enigmatic character. She was on the periphery of the book, while she also felt like the central character. The chapters narrated by Carol are scattered and emotional. She doesn’t eat enough, and she doesn’t like to acknowledge what has happened, in the past or the present.

When news of the Convent where they attended school being torn down reaches them, Beth and Sally panic. Is this when their secret will finally come out? After so many years staying buried? Desperate to talk to Carol about their next steps, Beth hires a private investigator with his own dark past to help them find Carol. And as they get closer to finding her, the clues only become more confusing…

I found Beth to be partially sympathetic, and partially infuriating. She’s a character whose instincts are spot on, but who also is somewhat self-sabotaging in the way she behaves. Often, Beth seems to have a knack for doing the one thing that will make a situation worse. But I sympathized with that because Beth is someone who hates secrets. The truth is important to Beth, and we really see the toll this secret has taken on her.

As the plot creeps closer to the reveal, this becomes more suspense than psychological thriller, which is to say that the major reveals come just past the halfway point. Keep reading though! There are a few twists yet to come as the book heads towards closure…

I hope readers enjoy this book! I certainly plan to read more by Teresa Driscoll. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for my copy. Opinions are my own.