I am thrilled to be closing the #blogtour for Helen Fitzgerald’s new book WORST CASE SCENARIO which is published by ORENDA and available to download now. My thanks to Anne Cater for the invitation and the publishers for a copy of the book.
About the book: Mary Shields is a moody, acerbic probation officer, dealing with some of Glasgow’s worst cases, and her job is on the line. Liam Macdowall was imprisoned for murdering his wife, and he’s published a series of letters to the dead woman, in a book that makes him an unlikely hero – and a poster boy for Men’s Rights activists.
Liam is released on licence into Mary’s care, but things are far from simple. Mary develops a poisonous obsession with Liam and his world, and when her son and Liam’s daughter form a relationship, Mary will stop at nothing to impose her own brand of justice … with devastating consequences.
About the Author: Helen FitzGerald is the bestselling author of ten adult and young adult thrillers, including The Donor (2011) and The Cry (2013), which was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and is now a major drama for BBC1. Helen worked as a criminal justice social worker for over fifteen years. She grew up in Victoria, Australia. She now lives in Glasgow with her husband.
My Review: Worst Case Scenario is Helen Fitzgerald’s latest thriller and first book published with Orenda and this, to me, is a KILLER COMBINATION, and as a fan of Helen’s previous work I was very excited to read this book.
Firstly, we need to talk about Helen’s dark humour and without giving away any spoilers her opening sentence reads “Every time Mary tried to relax in the bath, a paedophile ruined it.” and that basically is the start of a very dark, funny and shocking story which is guaranteed to make you laugh, squirm and cringe possibly all at the same time.
Mary is a 52 year old probation officer on the last days of her job working in Glasgow with some of the worst offenders imaginable. She’s had enough of her job after 30 something years dealing with the dregs of humanity and the bureaucracy of the Criminal Justice System and therefore she basically no longer gives a sh*t. It probably doesn’t help that her husband is overseas, her son is distant and she’s in the midst of the menopausal experiencing all the worst symptoms at the same time.
Her final case is Dr Liam Macdowell, a man who has served 10 years in prison for killing his wife and has now published a book containing letters he wrote to his wife whilst in prison. Mary is determined to ensure Liam is returned to prison and makes it a very personal quest to make his life as unpleasant as possible and this starts a chain of events that I really didn’t see coming.
Full of dark twists and turns, with some absolutely cringe-worthy scenarios WORST CASE SCENARIO is guaranteed to keep the reader entertained, shocked and laughing throughout.
Don’t forget to follow the tour and see what all these bloggers had to say:
What everyone is saying about WORST CASE SCENARIO
‘The harrowing plot keeps you gripped until the final, devastating revelation’ Sunday Mirror
‘I’ve been a fan of Helen FitzGerald’s for a long time now. She never, ever disappoints. WORST CASE SCENARIO is simply stunning. Dark, uncompromising, funny, and almost impossible to put down’ Luca Veste
‘A dark, comic masterpiece which manages to be both excruciatingly tense and laugh out loud funny at the same time. Great stuff!’ Mark Edwards
‘Twisted & utterly contemporary, this is pure, unfiltered noir. From that killer opening line to the dark irony of its final scene. You need to read this’ Russel McLean
‘Worst Case Scenario is a crazy, full-throttle ride, terrifying, hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure, with the most vivid and brilliant central character I’ve read in years’ Doug Johnstone
‘This book really was an emotional rollercoaster’ Macs Book Reviews
