Review: The Spider in the Corner of the Room by Nikki Owen

Title: The Spider in the Corner of the Room
Author: Nikki Owen
Publisher: MIRA
Publication Date: 4th June 2015
ISBN: 9781848453739
Source: Lovereading Review Panel
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

‘My name is Dr Maria Martinez and I am – was – a Consultant Plastic Surgeon. I am 33 years old. Place of birth: Salamanca, Spain… And I was convicted of the murder of a Catholic priest.’

Maria is in prison.

She says she’s innocent and is fighting to clear her name.

Because deep down she knows the truth better than anyone.

Doesn't she?

Reviewed for Lovereading.co.uk

I've never read a book like The Spider in the Corner of the Room before but I really enjoyed it. Described as 'a gripping, high-concept psychological conspiracy thriller', it's a book that tackles multiple genres and does so with great success.

Dr. Maria Martinez finds herself arrested for the murder of a Catholic priest and finds herself drawn into a web of international intrigue, fighting not only to clear her name but to remain alive. Maria has Asperger's which is something I don't know much about but I took the portrayal from Nikki to be a believable, and very well-researched one. It adds an edge to the book, and makes for a thought-provoking character in Maria, and for some quite brilliant twists as the story progresses.

It's assumed early on, by me even before picking up the book, that Maria might be innocent so the conspiracy came from how she ended up there, who was responsible and, being a psychological thriller, I was wary of every character that Maria met on her journey to find answers. The book is a little bit of a slow-burner, but I'm so glad I stuck with it because as the twists started to come I was left speechless and after the halfway point, had to finish the book in one sitting. It's actually quite terrifying to imagine this happening to somebody in real life but it also makes for incredibly compulsive reading.

As the first in a trilogy I was left wanting more and will be be keeping an eye out for the follow-up to The Spider in the Corner of the Room. I recommend the book for people who like me, are finding the psychological thriller genre is becoming a bit samey, and are looking for something that is a little bit different.

4/5