This is a very readable story about two college friends who meet again in Morocco. Neither woman is happy with the life they have been living since graduation. That, coupled with an unresolved past incident results in a reunion fraught with tension.

I gave up on it because I could not be doing with the descriptions of the setting. Sentences like <i>"rolling green mountains that looked entirely out of place in Morocco"</i> are a right turn off for me.

(Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!)

“It takes three men to pull the body from the water”

That’s how TANGERINE, the gripping and disturbing novel by Christine Mangan, starts. We are in Tangier, Morocco, in the 1950s. Alice Shipley has moved from England with her husband John. But Alice hasn’t adjusted to life in Morocco and she finds Tangier, its hot weather, and its people suffocating so she spends most of her time indoors, while her husband is out having fun on his own using the money from her trust fund. The other protagonist of the story is Lucy Mason. She was Alice’s roommates when they both went to Bennington, in Vermont. They were best friends, almost sisters, until the accident happened (I am not giving away what the accident was but it is hinted at often and then fully revealed). Lucy arrives in Tangier looking for Alice, to restart their friendship, but Alice is distant and you can’t say she welcomes her with open arms.

The story is told by both Alice and Lucy’s points of view and it is fascinating to see them through each other’s eyes. Through a few flashbacks, we have a few details of their relationship in college, we see how Lucy and Alice first met, how Lucy saw Alice as a sophisticated wealthy girl, while, for Alice, Lucy was the carefree and mature friend.

It was infuriating watching Alice and Lucy’s relationship as one takes advantage of the other and seeing their disturbing friendship evolve. Alice is anxious, isolated, and too dependent on other people. Lucy, instead, is manipulative and resourceful and she is ready to do anything to get what she wants.

The exotic setting is very enchanting and atmospheric. In the background, there are the riots for the independence of the country from France and the city of Tangier is a character in itself of the novel with its markets, its clubs, its loud and busy streets that make Alice anxious and Lucy thrive.

I would like to thank Hayley Camis and Little, Brown for giving me the chance to read TANGERINE, I was completely engrossed from the first to the last page. Full of suspense and with a brilliant ending to close Alice and Lucy’ story, it is an addictive and superb novel about toxic relationships, obsession, and mental health and it’s out now.

This is a story about two young women who met at boarding school in Vermont as teenagers. Following a falling out and a terrible tragedy Alice marries and moves to Tangier, Morocco, to start a new life with husband John. When her old 'friend' Lucy tracks her down and turns up unexpectedly at her door old memories and mixed emotions are awakened in Alice.

This is a slow burning, beautifully written, story of obsession and jealousy, with a somewhat old fashioned and almost Hitchcockian feel. The story itself is not the most original I have read but it is full of psychological suspense and with the sultry Moroccan setting it is a pretty good, entertaining read.

A disturbing, claustrophobic tale of deception and malice, in hot, sweaty climes. Superb!

I’m not going to lie, I went for this book purely for the cover, I loved it’s 1950s Hollywood type photo still. When I checked out the synopsis and saw comparisons to the Talented Mr Ripley and of course Genuine Fraud I knew I’d enjoy it.

I really did enjoy this psychological thriller set in 1950s Tangier, Morocco. I loved the slow build up of tension right from the start, never letting up until the end. I flipped through the pages so quickly trying to work out what on earth was going on, who was telling the truth and who was hiding secrets. Why had Lucy suddenly arrived, what happened over a year ago and what was going on with Alice’s husband John?

A skilfully told and executed tale of obsession, manipulation, and the unravelling of a delicate mind. Thoroughly recommended for lovers of psychological thrillers.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Little Brown Group UK for my digital copy.

I really enjoyed this book.
The characters are well described but it is the time and place that stood out for me. 1950’s Tangier A very atmospheric book and well written. It would make a great summer holiday read. The heat, the tension. The plot is a little predictable but it is written with such class it doesn’t matter. I could see this novel being snapped up for a film. Would most certainly recommend this book.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this publication.
Thought provoking and well wrtitten publication, although a little bit away from my usual read.
No hesitation in recommending though.

I really fell into Tangerine – a tautly plotted purely character driven psychological drama where the setting is one of those characters – haunting and highly engaging, this is the story of a toxic friendship playing out against the backdrop of Tangier in a time of turmoil..

The imagery in this novel is astounding – you really feel like you are walking the streets of Tangier with our main protagonists – but it is so simply done, with no need for exposition or endless descriptive passages, the place is just there, underneath the actions of the characters and you sense it on every page. Then we have Alice and Lucy – told in alternating chapters from their points of view, these girls met at Bennington, a finishing college if you like and became close friends fast. But a tragedy separated them and put Alice into a dark place, from which it seems she has still not emerged. Lucy has followed her across continents, but is it loyalty or something more sinister? As their tales are told, there is a distinct and urgent sense of menace about it, the author drawing the reader into this vivid, vibrant world where there is danger at every turn..

Tangerine is unsettling, unexpected at times, plays on different versions of events but eventually the truth emerges – taking us into an ending that is razor sharp and emotionally disturbing. A clever, layered novel that will appeal to fans of the literary psychological thriller and readers like me who love a classic unreliable narrator done in old school style.

We are all unreliable narrators of our own realities…

Highly Recommended.

I really enjoyed this novel. Its setting is wonderful and I feel as though I have spent the last few days in hot, sultry Tangier so powerful is the setting. Tangier is like another character. The theme of obsessive friendship is very well explored and makes this book a compelling read. There is plenty of tension, both within the ‘friendship’ and from outside, from Tangier itself. I could imagine this book becoming a successful film too. Thanks for a great read!

The climate in 1950s Tangier is heightened and claustrophobic- also a fitting description for the sterling debut novel by Christine Mangan. The setting is cinematic and the prose is begging to be adapted into a screenplay, so I wasn’t surprised to learn that it has already been optioned.

Elegant, tightly plotted storytelling reminiscent of Du Maurier makes for a gripping read- not a single word is wasted. There may be plenty of choice in the way of psychological thrillers around, but this is streets ahead.

Set largely in 1950’s Morocco, this book introduces us to two girls who first meet at an exclusive American finishing school. Something happens there, something bad, but we’ll not find out exactly what for some time. Alice is from England and having lost her parents early she is shipped off to Bennington College, in Vermont, by her guardian aunt. There she meets an American girl, Lucy. The two are to become inseparable roommates. Until the accident, that is.

But all this is captured in flashback, when we first meet Alice she’s already married and is living in the Moroccan city of Tangier, with her husband. In reality, she rarely leaves her home. She’s scared and doesn’t like the heat and bustle of the place. We’re constantly reminded that she’s haunted by the incident in her past and it’s no real surprise when Lucy turns up, knocking on her door.

As the story unfolds we get a real sense of the city itself – as much a character in this book as Alice and Lucy. The writing is beautiful and evokes the smells and colours and vibrancy of this city on it’s eve of independence. The story itself begins to take the form of a psychological thriller as the reuniting of the two women reignites thoughts of past events. What exactly is Lucy’s motivation for tracking Lucy down? And why is Alice so cool with her upon her arrival?

It’s here that I get a little confused about my views concerning this book. On the whole, I think it’s really well written and I believe the initial character development and scene setting is first class. My concerns, though, started to surface in the second half of the tale: as the action began to heat up what felt like a wholly contrived plot began to be pieced together. I’m not going to go into detail, but there are any number of small actions taken that on their own seem inconsequential but when added together end up bringing about what felt to me like a highly unlikely scenario. The writing is excellent but the conclusion of this piece is dependent on too many seemingly random actions delivering up the precise outcomes required to allow it all to fit together. It's an enjoyable read nonetheless and my thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for providing an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alice and Lucy, frenemies, haven’t seen each other for over a year, and if you ask Alice, this is just as well. The last person she wants to see is her old college room mate, so when she shows up on her doorstep in Tangier, she’s less than thrilled. Lucy on the other hand is cool as a cucumber, and basically invites herself to stay with Alice and her total jerk husband.

The story is told in a dual narrative; starting slowly, alternating between Alice and Lucy. The tension is palpable, and a picture of a toxic friendship slowly forms through flashbacks. Chapter by chapter the apprehension creeps in as the pace picks up, hurtling towards the revelation about that horrible night at Bennington Alice can’t seem to get over. Once the truth is out, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues. A devious manipulator, always one step ahead, against an unraveling mind.

Tangier, this bustling, exotic city is pictured in such vivid detail, you could almost feel the sweat trickling down on your back. On the verge of independence, the place served as the perfect backdrop to the story. Shady con men preying on tourists, local officials eager to get rid of the expats, they have bigger things to worry about than giving a flying fuck about the domestic drama a distraught and somewhat deranged English woman finds herself in.

Setting the story in the 1950s? Perfect! All this shit would have been hard to pull nowadays with Facebook and social media being a part of our everyday lives, but back in those days it seemed almost too easy.

I’ve never been one to get easily creeped out, but guys… I’m thoroughly disturbed. Like, seriously. That last chapter was sickening as fuck! You get the feeling when you just want your blankie and a hug?

That said, there were some gaping plot holes that left me puzzled…

With some serious The Talented Mr. Ripley vibes, Tangerine is a truly unsettling read that will put you on the edge of your seat for sure.

I’ve been interested in reading this book ever since I first heard about it. I love books set in the 50s, I find it such a fascinating and transitory time period. I expected this to be a sort of creepy noir mystery set in an incredibly atmospheric place - Tangier, Morocco. The novel delivered this completely, the setting certainly helped with the tone and all consuming feeling and the writing was elegant and skilful. There was a sinister feel to the story from the very first page, this was assisted by the evocative descriptions of Morocco and it’s climate. The descriptions of the overwhelmingly hot weather created an almost oppressive atmosphere which really adds to the immediately intense ambience.
The novel is told from the alternating perspectives of the two central characters, Alice and Lucy. They are both intriguing and well developed characters, however there is an uncertainty throughout the story about the reliability of both our narrators. Alice’s sections are incredibly anxiety inducing, she is such a fragile character and her agitated mindset actually made me feel nervous and claustrophobic. Lucy as a character comes across as much stronger and more capable but her motivations are murky and she feels like quite a dangerous person right from the beginning. Both of these characters retain enough mystery that the reader remains unsure about whose narrative to trust for a long time which I found exciting and unpredictable. Their friendship is so unhealthy and yet they are both drawn to each other like flies, it is a fascinating relationship to unpick and examine.
The plot moved quite slowly at first and very occasionally my attention drifted a little. However, the story and characters kept me coming back and the last third of the book picked the pace up a great deal as we hurtled towards the conclusion. There was a great classic feeling to the mystery and a terrific intensity that just seemed to get more and more sinister as the story continued. The writing was evocative and felt true to the time period it was set it. This was an intelligently put together novel and I would recommend it to anybody who loves classic thrillers and intense, mysterious characters.

I can summarise this book in one sentence: Beautiful writing wasted on such a cliche plot.
I think it's such a shame to lose this talent on a very expected and alike story to many others. Just to give an example, Talented Mr. Ripley. There are so many versions of these psychological thrillers now, yet I'm still in search for a really original plot with unexpected twists. And this one is not that. I knew from a mile ahead where the book was going.
Lucy and Alice are friends from college until something disturbing happened between them. Years later Lucy appears on Alice’s doorstep. And this 'friend or not' dynamic starts from there. Overall it’s an enjoyable book to read. It was vividly told, I liked the energy of it. I really would like to read an original plot from the author next time as that was the missing part in this one.

Thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Am I the only one who got really strong Talented Mr Ripley vibes from this book? I can't believe it's mentioned on the blurb as the publishers are so eager to label books as "for fans of such and such"

If you liked Ripley, you'll love this book. I really find this very much alike Patricia Highsmith's work.

A tense psychological thriller set in Tangier; Tangerine introduces us the uneasy friendship between Alice and Lucy.

My friendship with Alice was something that John could not understand, but more than that, it was something he did not like. I could see that now clearly. I tainted her, altered her-or his perception of her, at any rate. Our friendship was a detriment to her character, something that he wished to expunge.


Alice marries John and they move to Tangier from the States. Her friend- an ex-roommate from school- Lucy just shows up one day- uninvited. As her visit stretches with no visible departure date; the tension between them increases. What has happened between Alice and Lucy a year ago and why did Lucy came to Tangier?

This is not a surprise ending book but a very well-written psychological thriller. It was engaging until the end.

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mangan is a classy writer, so it's a shame then that the story she tells here is so <i>familiar</i>: with debts to <i>Single White Female</i>, Highsmith's <i>Ripley</i>, and a whole host of recent 'psychological thrillers' like [book:Genuine Fraud|33843362] which mingle issues of obsessive female relationships, questions of identity, paranoia and 'madness', I was never in any doubt about where the book was going or how it would end.

Mangan escalates the references with [book:Jane Eyre|10210] for the suggestive connections between Jane herself and Bertha, the 'madwoman in the attic', and adds a sprinkling of Paul Bowles' [book:The Sheltering Sky|243598] so that the psycho-geography of Tangier plays a role in the ensuing plot. There are some connections drawn between the struggle for colonial independence in 1950s Morocco and the cultural status of women ('the days of suppression, of subjugation, were dwindling for the Moroccans, and I thought, in that instance, that I could feel it, the herald sounding for myself, for Alice as well') but these are a light sub-text only.

At heart, this is a page-turner that treads a well-worn path. It's atmospheric and colourful, though the turn-about narratives following Lucy and Alice are a structural cliché and the 'voices' of both women are completely indistinguishable from each other - a technical failing in the writing. For all that, I read this rapidly over two days and it's ideal switch-off/commute reading.

I'd really like to see Mangan tackle a more original plot next time as her rich writing feels somewhat wasted on such a predictable, done-before-many-times story: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Set in 1950’s Morocco, this is an atmospheric novel about obsession, jealousy and identity. Alice is living in Tangiers with her husband, John McAllister. The marriage is not a huge success; it was virtually arranged by Alice’s aunt and is mutually beneficial. Besides sneering at her for her refusal to throw herself into the heat and life of the city, and her seeming inability to fill the nursery of their apartment, John leaves her pretty much alone. She ignores his drinking and affairs and he provides some sort of security for her, while enjoying living off her allowance.

One day, while hiding out in their apartment, Alice is shocked by a sudden visitor. It is Lucy Mason, who knew young Alice Shipley, when they were both students at Bennington College in Vermont. Lucy was a scholarship girl, who drew the quieter, more reserved, Alice, into an exclusive relationship. We know that something terrible happened, but this does not become clear until further into the novel. Certainly, though, it seems that Lucy is manipulative and that she is determined to keep hold of Alice, now she has found her.

This novel has a good setting, with the city of Tangiers very important to the storyline. There is the guide, Youssef, who is known to prey on unsuspecting tourists. The winding roads, the market that Alice dares not shop at, the crowds, stray dogs and the unrelenting heat. This has been compared to Highsmith and Tartt – it isn’t nearly in that league, but then comparisons are unfair and it is an interesting read and an assured debut.

“She was still the most beautiful woman that I had ever met - but in a way that made me shiver with fear.”

It’s the 1950s and Alice Shipley, a young woman recently moved to Tangier with her brand new husband, is struggling; neither the marriage nor the city is quite what she expected and she is isolated in her apartment. Then Lucy Mason, her old roommate from Bennington College in Vermont, unexpectedly - shockingly - arrives on her doorstep. Alice and Lucy were once inseparable, until something dreadful happened, and they haven’t seen each other since that time. Lucy’s arrival will transform Alice’s life in ways which could never have been expected.

Told alternately by Lucy and Alice, Tangerine is a dark tale of obsession, jealousy and disordered thinking, steeped in the heat, sights, sounds and volatile political climate of 1950s Morocco. It’s beautifully told and at times genuinely chilling, skilfully building a sense of dread and lurking menace. It’s a book which I feel would bear rereading to fully absorb the atmosphere and story, and I will probably do so.

Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review Tangerine - I loved it and I think it will be very successful.

Christine Mangan writes a deliciously warped and menacing piece of historical fiction set amidst the sweltering and sweat ridden heat of Tangier in Morocco. This is a twisted psychological thriller narrated from the point of view of the nervously anxious and isolated Alice Shipley, recently married to John, and her once close friend, Lucy Mason. Alice and Lucy, women from different ends of the social and economic strata, were room mates at Bennington College in Vermont, whose relationship fractured after an incident on a dark and stormy night. Since then, there has been no communication between them. The narrative is relayed from the perspective of Alice and Lucy, both unreliable narrators, in this creepy tale of love, obsession, deception, fading dreams and revenge. The location is a character in its own right as Mangan evokes an atmospheric and detailed sense of place, people, geography, history and period.

Alice is trapped in her home, afraid of venturing out in Tangier, whilst her husband, John, is in his element. She is caught unawares when Lucy turns up. A confident Lucy pushes Alice into exploring the city, its people and its vibrant markets. However, there is the inescapable feelings of things that matter not being talked about but hovering below the radar ominously. The two women have markedly different recollections of that night in Vermont. It is not long before Alice feels a crushing feeling of unease in the company of Lucy, feeling pushed into corners in her life and manipulated. John disappears, which heightens Alice's frayed nerves, wondering if her mind is failing her or if Lucy is the source of her travails.

Mangan writes a compelling and twisted novel, full of intrigue, with chilling undercurrents of friendships and relationships moving into toxic territory amidst a background of an exotic Tangier and Morocco. There are times when the writing does feel a little uneven on occasion, nevertheless, this book weaves a beguiling and unsettling spell as we wonder just how it will all unfold, although we are rock solid certain all will not end well. A bitter beautifully written story of murky relationships that succeeded in keeping my attention with ease, which I recommend to those who have a penchant for the twisted. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

1950's Tangiers is brought vividly to life in this dark, disturbing psychological thriller. Alice Shipley is living in Tangiers with her husband John, he loves their life but she is afraid to venture out of her small apartment and embrace the city. When Lucy Mason, surpise visitor appears on Alice's doorstep, she is reminded of her life as a student in Vermont, once inseparable their friendship fractured by a tragic accident. Lucy is hoping to turn back time but Alice is wary of being overwhelmed by Lucy's obsessive love.

You can see why comparisons are been made with Patricia Highsmith and Donna Tartt, it is a novel which looks at the dark side of love and obsession. It will leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth.