This is a taut tale of revenge, guilt and retribution by the author of The Lamplighters.
I really enjoyed the parts narrated by the female protagonist and liked the tense prose. I found the second protagonist's sections much harder to read and sometimes felt these didn't land for me.
I liked the highlight on the history of using a different way of treating people convicted of crimes.
All in, this didn't 100% grip me as much as I'd hoped and I didn't like this anywhere near as much as her previous book.

Side note: this was one of the most chaotic ARCs I've read. There was a technical error and the first few pages were repeated throughout with the same paragraph recurring, making it hard to read. I reported this but it wasn't rectified. It was almost impossible to read this on a Kindle.

I really enjoyed The Lamplighters so when I saw Emma had a new book out, I was eager to read it… and it didn’t disappoint! In fact, in my opinion, it had a distinct edge over the first. The opening line hit you right between the eyes and my attention was immediately grabbed and then held all the way through. Although the book is described as being a cat and mouse chase, I wouldn’t say it was, but this small point aside, it was a gripping exploration of revenge and redemption, both from the point of view of the main protagonist, and the perpetrator of the crime which overshadowed her life. I did spot the twist in the tail but it was the perfect denouement. Beautifully written and very enjoyable. Many thanks to the author and publisher for the chance to read an advanced copy.

The theme of Emma Stonex’s second novel is revenge. James, a boy but now a man, has been imprisoned for eighteen years for killing Birdie’s younger sister, Providence, but he has always protested his innocence. He leaves prison and Birdie is waiting for him, ready to kill him when the opportunity will present itself. The novel switches between past and present and Birdie’s and James’ viewpoints describing the events leading up to the killing and Birdie’s tracking of him upon his release.
Stonex’s writing is wonderful. Her descriptions are so fluid and poetic and embellish the narrative. The novel is not just a regular mystery but is a portrayal and understanding of how tragedy affects the lives of Birdie, her grandmother and Jimmy. It has so many layers which are peeled back slowly and emotionally, evoking sympathy for both Birdie and Jimmy as children and adults.
This is another creatively original novel from Stonex and one which I can highly recommend. Thank you to the publishers for the ARC