A really dark and creppy psychological suspense story. Great and gripping and I really enjoyed it. Recommend xxx

This book started off so slow, I almost gave up. I read a lot of books and have no patience for books that don't immediately capture my interest. Something made me keep going and when the book picked up it REALLY picked up! I raced through the rest of the book to find out how it ended. I liked how the characters were well fleshed out - they had actual personalities! I'm not sure the title of the book is the best, though.

Before I Die is a thriller of a story that has been done before but that reality doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of reading yet another retelling of an angel of death story. An angel of mercy or angel of death is a type of criminal offender (often a type of serial killer) who is usually employed as a caregiver and intentionally harms or kills people under their care.

Maureen is an older adult who is independent and has a zest for life on her own terms. She has a busy professional daughter and grandson about to partake in a gap year watch to over her, although Alva does worry that her mother is getting too old to be alone after she had a fall and twisted her ankle severely, resulting in Dolores, a somewhat overbearing carer working for her neighbour Frank coming in and checking on her, much to Maureen’s chagrin. Frank, who has a drug addict son, confesses to Maureen that he has discovered that it is not only his son but also Dolores is stealing from him and he is planning on firing her and changing his will (in which Dolores is a major benefactor) but the day after this confession Frank is found dead from suspicious circumstances. All speculation falls to Franks son Michael because who would ever suspect a long term carer of such a thing, but Michael protests his innocence and accuses Dolores of the unthinkable. After uncertainty and contemplation, Maureen begins to believe that the finger of accusation should indeed be pointed at Dolores, but her thoughts and statements of such are brushed away as invalid, the harmless missives of imagination on overdrive. And then Dolores suggests to Alva that perhaps Maureen isn’t actually capable of looking after herself, creating circumstances that paint Maureen as falling into the darkness of dementia. Then begins a cat and mouse game in which the stakes are high for both Michael and Maureen. Will Maureen be able to prove her suspicions against Dolores, is Dolores truly innocent, wanting only the best for the elderly old woman or is there something more sinister at play?

In this novel, the confusion of the elderly, the overprotectiveness of the children, the desperation of all the players is written about in a stark manner that leads to the reader’s stomach being bound up in knots. The older adults are well crafted, not just parodies of what society thinks of in terms of its older generations, but real and vital and proficient in living life on their own terms. Dolores is written as a wonderful actress, capable of both kindnesses and of real cruelty, the darkness and light played out well in her character. Maureen is smart and snappy, but her fears are ignored by younger people simply due to her age, something that happens all too often in our busy modern society. The novel is scripted in such a manner that memories of such true-life crimes are brought to mind in the full horror of insight and understanding for the reader. The doubt and ambiguity of guilt and innocence never leave the reader until the end of the story.

An enjoyable read.

This book was clever! I liked the storyline. I liked the narration. The execution was good but could have been better. A lot of thrillers are coming these days so I feel a book now needs to be extraordinary to stand out. The characters were so well written. I think the cover would have been better. I do recommend this book to beginners with an interest in this genre.