Book Review – The Gilded Cage by Camilla Lackberg

I picked up this book to read as part of my NetGalley reviews challenge. I picked it in the morning…. and put it down way past midnight the same day. Today I woke up dazed and grumpy, but I could not do anything differently. I absolutely had to finish the book…

Synopsis

People would kill to have Faye von Essen’s life. She lives in an ultra-swanky apartment in the most exclusive area of Stockholm, she has a gorgeous husband who gives her everything she’s ever wanted, and she has an adorable daughter who lights up her world. Faye’s life is perfect.

So how is it, then, that she now finds herself in a police station?

The truth is that Faye’s life is far from what it seems. The truth is that Faye isn’t even her real name. And now she’s been caught out. There’s no way she’s going to go down without a fight. The only question is – who will escape with their life?

Review

A psychological thriller it is not. Not really. A story of revenge? May be. A very detailed story of revenge, with the backstory and flashbacks to the origins of the ‘darkness inside’ a person.

An interesting tool of Ms Lackberg – two voices. Matilda – a girl with the tragic past, trying to put the past behind her and to reinvent herself. Faye – post-Matilda creation of so many people, including herself.

A story of domestic violence at its gilded best. When the wife has everything she but only what her husband sees feet. When a woman loses herself, sacrifices herself too much for her own good. Who is to blame. Faye blames her husband. I do not think so.

Faye takes revenge and creates Revenge. She takes everything back. Reader gets a detailed rundown on how, when and by what means. I found this part of the story dragging and not fun at all.

Also, I found the story a bit too much. I love Lackberg, don’t get me wrong. But The Gilded Cage had everything, like EVERYTHING: violence, gaslighting, betrayal, adultery, rough sex, casual sex, drugs, alcohold, cancer, loss, death, murder and pedophelia. One novel was too crammed with so much stuff it became boring at the end.

Yes, the revenge was coming. Yes, I am happy Faye found herself and made herself. Yes, I am happy for happy ending. But the story went downhill about midway. It became to predictable and too ‘rich’.

Four stars from me nevertherless.