The Nurse by J A Corrigan | Blog Tour Book Review

With Rose’s history of fractured relationships and heartache slowly revealed, her innocence or guilt really was a tough call to make with the turns and surprises the story was taking and some of the revelations were truly shocking. There were some parts that I worked out and others where I couldn’t connect the dots. The Nurse is an addictive, compulsive and multi-layered thriller that kept me guessing right until the very end.
A nurse is supposed to care for patients, not wilfully kill them. So what made hospital nurse Rose Marlowe confess to murdering her patient Abe Duncan. Struggling true crime author Theo Hazel wants to be the one to find out. He feels that there is a book in this – and one which could solve all his financial problems. With an advance and a book deal agreed, it seems likely that he won’t have to sell his flat after all.

Julie-Ann Corrigan was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. She studied in London, completing a BA (Hons) Humanities degree, majoring in Modern History and English Literature. Travelling in Europe for several years, she taught in both Greece and Spain – countries and cultures she found fascinating. On return to the UK she gained a BSc (Physiotherapy), becoming a Chartered Physiotherapist. She lives in Berkshire with her family.
A gripping and unputdownable thriller that will keep you guessing into the early hours of the morning. Perfect for fans of The Silent Patient, Shari Lapena and JP Delaney.
Rose Marlowe is a hard-working nurse, a loving wife, and a merciless killer. Or so she says. Despite her confession, it is hard to believe that this beautiful, kind woman could have killed her vulnerable patient in cold blood.

Publisher: Canelo
Format: Ebook, Paperback (20 May 2021)
Page Count: 286
Source: Ecopy received for review

As time goes on, it seems that Rose is letting Theo see behind her perfect mask. With each new visit, he learns terrible new things about her heart-breaking past. With each new visit, he becomes more and more convinced that she can’t be a killer. But is he trying to free an innocent woman, or falling prey to a calculating murderer?
MY THOUGHTS

When you hear her story, will you believe her?
Down-on-his-luck true crime author, Theo Hazel, is convinced that there’s more to what happened than Rose is telling, and so decides to visit her behind bars to write her story. His first surprise comes when Rose reveals that the victim was not a stranger to her.
Moving between the past and the present with Rose in prison after she has been sentenced, this is a character driven story of intrigue and deceit. Although I thought Theo to be a well drawn character with his own baggage, I was conflicted in my feelings towards Rose. For much of the story, I neither liked nor disliked her although I wanted to know what made her a cold hearted killer – if indeed she was one. With his visits to Rose, It became clear that this was more than a professional job for Theo. As they connect on a personal level, he begins to have doubts and I did wonder whether Rose was herself a victim, or a very clever manipulator. With limited dialogue between her and Theo and most of her story told via flashback, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that she was holding something back.