 First edition | |
| Author | S. J. Watson |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Mark Owen / Trevillion and Shutterstock |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Thriller, Suspense |
| Publisher | Doubleday (UK) HarperCollins (US) |
Publication date | February 2015(UK) |
| Media type | print, audio & ebook |
| Pages | 425 |
| ISBN | 978-0-857-52020-3 |
Second Life is the second novel of S. J. Watson, published in February 2015.
Plot
Second Life is the story of Julia, who has a perfect life with her husband Hugh and their adopted son, until an incident changes everything. Her sister Kate is murdered in an apparently random attack in Paris and the police seems to be stuck in their investigations. Julia decides to inquire into the murder on her own and finds out, that her sister was using online sites to play out her sexual fantasy by meeting up with strangers. Julia starts visiting some of these sites herself in hope of finding someone connected to Kate.[1]
Reception
Writing for The Independent, Simmy Richman gave the book a mixed review, stating that while the book was not a bad thriller, it seemed like it was being written with the idea of a film adaptation in mind first, and contains a number of continuity errors and implausible plot points. They ultimately summarized the book as being "simply efficient".[2] Mark Lawson, writing for The Guardian similarly gave it a mixed review, describing it as a disappointing follow up to Watson's first book, Before I Go to Sleep. He also criticized the seeming attempt to attract the fanbase of books like Fifty Shades of Grey, though ultimately stated that the book was gripping and suspenseful enough to suggest that Watson's third book might be better.[3] In a review for The Observer, Alison Flood was more positive, stating that there were a number of things that Watson did extremely well. However, they criticized the ending as being "bizarre and unsatisfying".[4]
Film adaptation
The film rights for the novel were acquired in May 2015 by Reese Witherspoon's production company, Pacific Standard.[5]
References
- ↑ Second Life by SJ Watson review - S&M smells suspense and murder by Mark Lawson, The Guardian, 2015-18-02
- ↑ Richman, Simmy (6 February 2015). "Second Life by S J Watson, book review: Not a great page-turner... but pass the popcorn". The Independent. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ↑ Lawson, Mark (18 February 2015). "Second Life by SJ Watson review – S&M spells suspense and murder". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ↑ Flood, Alison (22 February 2015). "Second Life by SJ Watson review – the dark side of internet relationships". The Observer. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ↑ Reese Witherspoon options SJ Watson mystery thriller Second Life The Guardian, 6 May 2015
External links