Title: The Judas Tree

Author: Amanda Jennings

Genre: Psychological Thriller / Mystery

Publisher: HQ

Publication Date: 24th November 2022

Rating: 5/5

Cover:

Summary:

At a bleak boys’ boarding school in Cornwall in the eighties when bullying is rife, Will and his best friend, Luke, are involved in a horrific incident that results in Luke leaving.

Twenty-five years later their paths cross again and memories of a painful childhood come flooding back to haunt them both.

Will’s wife, Harmony, is struggling after a miscarriage that has hit her hard, and wishes Will would open up about what happened. But as Will withdraws further, she finds herself drawn to the charismatic stranger from her husband’s past, Luke, and soon all three are caught in a tangled web of guilt and desire . . .

From Amanda Jennings, author of The Cliff House, comes a haunting thriller about betrayal and revenge.

Review:

I’m always intrigued by books where the past comes back to haunt characters and The Judas Tree is a perfect example of the enduring consequences of childhood trauma. It is a tense but also extremely moving psychological thriller which had me gripped from beginning to end. The story follows Will and his wife, Harmony, who has recently suffered a miscarriage. At this difficult time in their marriage a face from Will’s tightly repressed childhood comes back into his life and forces Will to remember the horrifying event that defined his time at a chilling English boarding school. The Judas Tree is a beautifully written and darkly compelling look at revenge, betrayal and loyalty. I really couldn’t recommend this poignant, emotional and haunting thriller any more highly.

✶✶✶✶✶

Thank you to HQ for the digital proof of the book that I received. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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