Book Review: I Made a Mistake by Jane Corry

Publisher: Viking Books UK (Penguin)
Publication Date: 22 May 2020

Blurb

In Poppy Page’s mind, there are two types of women in this world: those who are faithful to their husbands, and those who are not. Until now, Poppy has never questioned which she was.

But when handsome, charming Matthew Gordon walks back into her life after almost two decades, that changes. Poppy makes a single mistake – and that mistake will be far more dangerous than she could imagine.

Someone is going to pay for it with their life . . .

Review

I Made a Mistake is the first book I’ve read from author Jane Corry and it certainly did not disappoint!

Imagine running into your first love 20 years down the line. The one that broke your heart. How would you react? This is the dilemma faced by casting agent, Poppy Page, when Matthew Gordon appears in front of her. Since he left her for another woman, Poppy has gone from strength to strength. She now has a successful career, a lovely house, a dental surgeon husband and a loving family. So why can’t Poppy get Matthew out of her mind and why would she risk everything to see the man who treated her so badly?

The tale is told from a dual-perspective, Poppy and her mother-in-law, Betty.  Poppy is an interesting character, more so because her actions involving Matthew are not what I would have expected from an outwardly sensible woman. I found Betty’s story line to be fascinating. It is told by way of letters that she is writing to Poppy, detailing her marriage to Jock, these chapters explore the attitudes and restrictions that women faced back in the seventies. Both women have committed terrible mistakes and the book explores the consequences of those mistakes. It also takes a deeper look at the relationships between the characters and their families, and how those relationships change as a result of their actions.

The story is well-paced and skilfully plotted. By the first few chapters, I simply couldn’t put it down. Everyone makes mistakes, yet you never imagine the consequences would be so dire.

I Made a Mistake is an enthralling tale of love, desire, abuse and betrayal. It is gritty, clever and wonderfully twisty, serving as a stark reminder that there are reasons why our lives move forward and it can be destructive to spend too much time looking back. Corry’s latest book is a terrific read and perfect for fans of a page-turning domestic noir. I will certainly be adding Corry’s past catalogue to my TBR list.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of I Made a Mistake.

About the Author

Jane Corry is a former magazine journalist who spent three years working as the writer-in-residence of a high security prison for men. This often hair-raising experience helped inspire her Sunday Times-bestselling psychological thrillers, My Husband’s Wife, Blood Sisters, The Dead Ex and I Looked Away, which have been published in more than 35 countries. Jane was a tutor in creative writing at Oxford University and is a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and My Weekly magazine.

Follow Jane Corry:

Website: janecorryauthor.com
Twitter: @JaneCorryAuthor
Facebook: @authorjanecorry
Instagram: @janecorry