Book Review - Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge

Title: Eeny Meeny
Series: Helen Grace (Book # 1)
Author: M.J. Arlidge
 
Description: Two people are abducted, imprisoned, and left with a gun. As hunger and thirst set in, only one walks away alive. It’s a game more twisted than any Detective Helen Grace has ever seen. If she hadn’t spoken with the shattered survivors herself, she almost wouldn’t believe them. Helen is familiar with the dark sides of human nature, including her own, but this case—with its seemingly random victims—has her baffled. But as more people go missing, nothing will be more terrifying than when it all starts making sense....
 
Review: What would you do? You are locked in a room with no food or water, but with you partner, sibling, colleague or friend. Between you us one gun. Whoever decides to take the gun and kill the other is a free person. what would you do in a situation like this? At first it is an obvious one, but when hunger and thirst start to gnaw at your sanity, you see things in a whole new light. And what happened then…
 
These are the bizarre events that take center stage in “Eeny Meeny”, the debut novel by M.J. Arlidge and the first book in the Helen Grace-series. Arlidge is an author whose main focus has been writing British crime series. When we meet main character Helen Grace, it quickly becomes clear that this inspector is not the most ordinary character and this raises curiosity and many questions. Helen struggles with her dark past while also having to hunt down a horrific psychopath, who sees the fun un leaving victims broken with guilt.  
 
Arlidge’s experience in writing television series is evident in his evocative and cinematic writing style. In particular the moments of the kidnapping and subsequent events are described in detail, making this not a book for people with weak stomachs. This also makes it seem like you are experiencing the terrifying events yourself and makes you think about what you would do. Why these murders take place is the main question the book focuses on.
 
As mentioned before, Helen Grace is the main character, but there are many interesting side characters. For example Mark or Charlie, who are Helen’s colleagues and they each struggle with their own problems. They both have a certain relationship with her and this comes under pressure as the search for the killer weighs more and more on them.
 
“Eeny Meeny” is the first part of a promising thriller series, that I will most definitely continue. I’m very excited to read more books in the Helen Grace-series and am surprised that I only just discovered it.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5