Violet – SJI Holliday
When two strangers end up sharing a cabin on the Trans-Siberian Express, an intense friendship develops, one that can only have one ending … a nerve-shattering psychological thriller from bestselling author SJI Holliday
Carrie’s best friend has an accident and can no longer make the round-the-world trip they’d planned together, so Carrie decides to go it alone.
Violet is also travelling alone, after splitting up with her boyfriend in Thailand. She is also desperate for a ticket on the Trans-Siberian Express, but there is nothing available.
When the two women meet in a Beijing Hotel, Carrie makes the impulsive decision to invite Violet to take her best friend’s place.
Thrown together in a strange country, and the cramped cabin of the train, the women soon form a bond. But as the journey continues, through Mongolia and into Russia, things start to unravel – because one of these women is not who she claims to be…
My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the chance to join the Violet Blog Tour. I received a review copy of Violet from Orenda Books, my thanks to Karen. I also listened to the audiobook (Isis Publishing) through Audible.
From the opening chapter the reader knows that Violet is going to find herself in an extremely unwelcome position. Her predicament is unclear but the reader knows she is in a foreign country, far from home, alone and in whole lot of trouble. Obviously you want to know what has happened and that’s just the first of the claws Susi (SJI) Holliday will use to drag you into Violet’s story.
Rewind the clock though. Violet’s opening chapter predicament takes place several hundred miles West of where we join her story. First we have to see her splitting from her boyfriend in Thailand. Sick of his lack of attention and his desire to remain in Thailand (to party), rather than continue traveling with Violet she makes the decision to dump him and continue her journey alone.
At the travel centre Violet arrives too late to secure a booking on the train which will take her West as she had intended. As the ticket office closes for the evening Violet heads to a bar to drown her sorrows and take stock of her situation. In the bar she meets Carrie. The two had briefly met at the ticket office and as two British girls alone in a strange city they struck up conversation. It transpires that Carrie was meant to be traveling with a friend, however, fate threw a spanner in the works and Carrie’s friend was back in Scotland with a broken leg. With a spare ticket for the journey that Violet wanted to make Carrie suggests Violet travels with her.
We join the two girls as they form a friendship and get to know each other. Carrie is much more outgoing and vivacious than Violet and this can be challenging for Violet to accept. We know this as the story is mainly viewed from Violet’s perspective. Carrie’s voice is also heard but through a clever use of emails she sends back home. Some emails are to her friend Laura (she of the broken leg), others to her parents and also messages to Carrie’s sister. The picture of Carrie’s background is uncovered through these emails and we know that she has left a relationship in Scotland for reasons she is not keen to discuss with those close to her.
Both Violet and Carrie are keeping secrets. Carrie notices some odd traits in Violet’s personality and does not fully accept Violet is being honest with her. Violet is clearly disturbed by Carrie’s erratic and outlandish behaviour but Violet also finds she is attracted to Carrie and is prepared to forgive the irritations. Particularly as Carrie is picking up the tab for much of their journey.
Susi Holliday makes the characters so real for her readers. We are traveling with Carrie and Violet as they head through Mongolia and Russia and we watch the relationship between the two develop. Violet becomes possessive of Carrie when other travelers try to join their adventure. Too much drink, not enough food and the pair bounce from drama to drama – it is engrossing. Then comes Russia and things take a dramatic turn. It is from this point you simply will not put the book down…try not to hit that point too close to your normal bedtime or you will be reading into the wee small hours.
Violet is Susi Holliday on top form. This is a wonderfully devious tale and I loved it.
I also need to give a huge, huge shout to Imogen Church who narrated the Violet Audiobook for Isis Publishing. This was an incredible performance, I could have sworn I was listening to a dramatization with multiple actors performing the roles. Her Scottish accent for Carrie was perfection and she conveyed the more reckless elements of Carrie’s character with a wildness which contrasted so well with the more uptight and restrained portrayal of Violet. Holliday’s words with Church’s vocal talents was a match made in heaven for this reader.
Violet is published by Orenda Books and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QW4CK9Y/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
