THE FRIENDSHIP PACT

4 stars out of 5

As a relatively prolific reviewer of pre-publication books I request through NetGalley.com, I've been fortunate to have been put on the pre-approved list by publisher Bookouture (meaning if it's available for review, I don't have to ask for it). That also means I need to pay attention; in the case of this book, I somehow missed the window of opportunity to get it before it was archived. And since I'd read and loved another of this author's books - The Missing Child - I was bummed. But never fear - Amazon is here. And since I happened to have a few dollars in earned credits, I was easily able to buy it there.

I'm glad I did; for sure, it takes "pinky swear" to a whole 'nother level. And while it's a story that isn't unlike other stories I've read, it certainly got - and held - my attention throughout.

It begins in the past, 1995 to be exact, when Lucy Gibson is a young girl who is less than popular in school. From an affluent family in England, she forms a rather unlikely friendship with Adele Watts, who might be considered a wrong-side-of-the-tracks kind of gal. Something bad happens at the local swimming hole - so bad that both girls swear they'll never tell anyone else what really happened.

Then it's 2018; Lucy, who hasn't seen Adele for 18 years, has been married for five years to ultra-successful heart surgeon Marcus Wheedon. He's a divorcee with two kids, and, to put it bluntly, is despicable. He treats Lucy like his servant, berates and belittles her (stopping short of physical violence) and drives her crazy in just about every possible way. Problem is, Lucy has no support system; her understanding mother has died, and her father, who is in poor health, worships the ground Marcus walks on.

Lucy tries to run away more than once, but always, Marcus tracks her down. Because of his professional status, Lucy doesn't think the police will even believe her claims of abuse, let alone be able to do anything to stop him. At her wit's end, one day she runs into Adele in the supermarket. Her childhood friend - with whom she's made a pact of silence - hasn't changed much. She's still relatively poor, has two kids but no husband and even spent time in jail. Aha, Lucy thinks: Who better to put me in touch with someone who can get me fake documents, like a birth certificate and driver's license, that will allow me to escape once and for all? 

Adele comes through and Lucy gets the documents she needs from a seedy guy named Denny and runs away yet again. But somehow, Marcus finds her; and this time, he locks her inside their fancy home and cuts off all forms of communication with the outside world.

Now, she's helpless - that is, until she gets a surprise visitor who makes a suggestion. Her response - and what happens after that, including a couple of surprising turns - is the stuff of which intriguing plots are made. Even though it's a tale I've heard before, this is a tale well told. Definitely worth reading!

The Friendship Pact by Alison James (Bookouture, July 2019); 280 pp.