Ten years ago Rebecca testified against her abusive fiancé, Solomon, and he was locked away for murder. Since then Rebecca has rebuilt her life, she now lives in the Welsh town of Pontyferry with her husband, Sean, and four year old daughter, Lottie. However Solomon has spent the last ten years plotting his revenge. For each year he spent in prison Rebecca must witness a crime, and choose the victim. She only has 30 seconds to give him a name, or it will be someone Rebecca know and cares about. As the crimes become more violent, and the victims closer to home, Rebecca is forced to confront a past she thought she’d left behind.

Witness is the first book I’ve read by Caroline Mitchell and I really enjoyed it.

The majority of the book is told from Rebecca’s point to view, set in the present, and excerpts of her journal from ten years ago when she first met Solomon. Through these flashbacks we learn how Rebecca and Solomon met, and why she’s so scared of him. At first I found it hard to understand Rebecca’s actions, but Mitchell does a wonderful job of expressing Rebecca’s thoughts and fears, making the reader sympathise with her.

Solomon has spent the last ten years meticulously planning his revenge and he’s determined to make Rebecca pay for her betrayal. In the chapters from his point to view we learn how twisted and manipulative his character truly is. What makes Solomon so terrifying are the chapters in which we get a glimpse into his thoughts about Rebecca, and how realistic this is. His thoughts of how Rebecca belongs to him and how he will make her the perfect wife are something we see too often in real life, and never get less disturbing.

My rating: 4 stars
I’ll definitely be reading more books by Caroline Mitchell.