Book review: The Walls

Author: Hollie Overton.

Reviewed by: Samantha Keogh.

Review made possible by Penguin Random House South Africa.

The book’s tagline asks: “What if murder was your only way out?”

It’s something you find yourself pondering long after you’ve turned the final page.

This was my first adventure with author Hollie Overton who offers her readers a thrilling ride from start to finish but it certainly won’t be my last outing with the great new writer.

Telling the story of single mom Kristy Tucker, Overton tells the harrowing tale of what happens when the perfect boyfriend turns into a frightening, abusive husband.

Set against the backdrop of Kristy’s job as the press agent at the Texas Department of Corrections, where she handles everything on death row from inmate interviews to chronicling their last moments during execution, this novel tells the story of a woman whose life is turned upside down when she marries the wrong man.

While Lance, her son’s martial arts teacher, seems caring and attentive towards her, is great with her son and gets along well with her father who lives with her, behind closed doors Lance abuses her physically, sexually and emotionally.

Although a work of fiction, Overton debates the limited choices left to an abused woman when her community sees her abusive husband – a martial arts expert – as the perfect man, father and husband and there seems no safe or legal way out of a very bad marriage.

How will Kristy take her life back and start to live again and how will she live with her decisions?

Overton is a natural storyteller with a knack for drawing out every emotion possible in the reader – from happiness at her good fortune to anger as Lance starts to beat her and eventually satisfaction and a feeling that justice has been served when Kristy triumphs.

While this is her debut novel you may recognise her name from some of her TV writing credits or perhaps through her association with the Overton Gang from Austin, Texas, USA.

Her father was the notorious leader of the gang, Tim Overton, who robbed small-town banks, ran prostitution rings and spent time in prison for manslaughter.

Perhaps life as the daughter of a criminal coloured her writing, perhaps not, but rest assured you won’t be able to put this novel, in which art certainly mimics reality, down.

However, you will be extremely emotionally drained when you finally do.

This may not be a light summer read but it certainly is a great choice for anyone who likes a good thriller or a story where the good guy wins.