The Dead Ex by Jane Corry

THE DEAD EX

by Jane Corry 

He cheated. He lied. He died. 

The cover for The Dead Ex caught my eye a while ago. I love Jane Corry's branding and that her books are so instantly recognisable and I cannot ignore a good shout line! As with her previous two novels, I knew I was in for a good read. 

In The Dead Ex we follow the story of Vicki who receives a phone call to tell her that her ex-husband is missing. As he recently left her for another woman, Vicki's first reaction is 'good riddance' and she is not overly concerned. But then the police start to find evidence that David, her ex-husband, might actually be dead. And worse than that, they think she might have something to do with it...

From this point onwards, Corry weaves a complex story made up from different narrative viewpoints crossing over different time periods. The reader is pulled in to a story that is multilayered, mysteriously sharing segments from characters point of view without fully explaining how they connect with each other. From the first page until the last, the reader is continually trying to work out what is the actual truth behind David's disappearance and whether Vicki was in any way involved. 

We are naturally drawn to Vicki, we feel empathy and relate to her but with the added complication that she suffers from epilepsy and frequently suffers from blackouts, we are also unable to completely trust her. A character that can't verify whether they can rely on their own memories is a great creation and a good spin on the role of an unreliable narrator. After all, if she isn't entirely sure about certain events and if she can't remember exactly what she might have done or how she might have behaved, then how can we be sure? 

I loved this twist with Vicki. I was also hugely impressed with the way Corry conveyed Vicki's epilepsy and how disorientating and unsettling it felt to be part of these attacks. It was also makes Vicki much more vulnerable and then, when we learn more about her feelings towards her ex, she develops into a complex character; one that intrigues the reader as well as making sure we have enough sympathy and can relate to her enough to be part of her journey towards uncovering the truth. Vicki has  a great backstory and I enjoyed her strengths and her weaknesses. She is likeable but she is flawed. She's had a tough time and her feelings towards her ex-husband are complicated and confused. She has a motive but does she have the capabilities? It takes a while to understand Vicki, to assimilate all we learn about her but Corry ensures she takes the time to craft this character so that despite the different layers and aspects to her, she remains convincing and authentic. 

There are some tragic issues explored within the pages of this novel and one of the other story lines is about Scarlet who is eight. This narrative is also very well handled and Corry explores the sadness and heartbreak in Scarlet's life sensitively, injecting enough tension and suspense without making it contrived or sensationalised. Again, she takes the time to build the character and the story so that the reader is fully engaged with each level of the plot. 

At 400 pages this book does take a bit of commitment. There are several threads to follow, several different points of view and a complex jigsaw to piece things together. It's only in the final section of the novel that we begin to see how the three main narratives are linked. Corry's thrillers are as much character driven as plot driven, and in order to do with this with conviction, the novel has to be  longer and more dense. The Dead Ex is a story that requires more thought and more consideration and although engaging, is perhaps less of a page turner. But, if you like a story that you can immerse yourself in and if you like more complex characters, then you will be rewarded with a cleverly told, well executed thriller that has many moments of darkness, secrets and revelations. 

The Dead Ex was published by Penguin on the 28th June and my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the novel.