The Saved by Liz Webb – Book Review @LizWebbAuthor @AllisonandBusby

I am thrilled to be on the blogtour for The Saved by Liz Webb – thanks so much to Allison and Busby for my gorgeous gifted hardback copy and my spot on the tour.

Last year, I read Liz’s novel The Daughter and really enjoyed the writing style and the story, so I was really keen to read The Saved.

My Review

Set on a remote Scottish Island, the story follows the fates of Calder and Nancy, a couple who, following the death of his mother, relocate from London to the place where Calder grew up.

I found the setting dramatic and atmospheric. Liz Webb is very talented at conjuring up tangible descriptions of scenery and locations. There was a sense of stark bleakness and raw beauty with the ever-present powerful ocean.

When Calder’s body is found in the icy sea, it seems that Nancy’s hopes of a fresh start are over. Again, the author captures the gamut of emotions that Nancy wrestles with during her bedside vigil and during Calder’s recovery.

There’s a real sense of menace, darkness, and foreboding throughout the book. You find yourself second-guessing every character and re-examining the actions. It absolutely keeps you guessing, and there are many twists and turns. Some of the story is quite grisly, and there’s a lot of tension and suspense.

The characters are flawed and really well written, and they all help to bring the story together and contribute to the suspense. I like the Frankenstein references and the fear that steadily built following Calder’s resurrection. The community definitely had a cultish vibe.

The ending of the book was really good, and the whole thing was a rollercoaster of tension, mystery, peril, love, loss, and hope. The twists were fantastic, and I just couldn’t put it down. Another triumph from Liz Webb, I highly recommend it.

The blurb

She thought his death would destroy her … but his return was far worse.

Nancy and Calder are moving from London to an isolated slate island, off the west coast of Scotland. Nancy is focused on their new beginning, but is increasingly unsettled by the stark island, the mysterious inhabitants and Calder’s dark past, which he’s kept hidden from her.

Then one of Nancy’s nightmares plays out in real life: she finds Calder’s boat upturned in the bay, his body adrift in the icy water. He’s clinically dead with no heartbeat. But miraculously, the doctors manage to bring him back to life. Everyone thinks he has made a full recovery, but Nancy doesn’t recognise the man who has come back from the dead.

As secrets, lies, and bodies begin to wash up on the island, Nancy must come to terms with the fact that despite the fresh start, sometimes the slate cannot be wiped clean.

‘Unputdownable. A twisty, thrilling, constantly surprising story. It kept me guessing right to end.’ – JO BRAND

‘A brilliant, hair-raising premise gives way to something even more chilling in this gorgeously gothic tale … relentlessly addictive.’ – SOPHIE HANNAH

‘A compulsive read.’ – JENNIE GODFREY

‘An instant classic.’ – DENZIL MEYRICK

‘Liz keeps you guessing right to the very death.’ – GORDON J. BROWN

Purchase Link