The Accident is a fast paced psychological thriller from debut author, C.L. Taylor.

Desperate to understand why her comatose 15 year old daughter would deliberately step into the path of a bus, Susan Jackson begins a frenzied hunt for clues amongst the secrets her daughter kept from her. As Susan slowly begins to piece together information from Charlotte's diary, phone and friends, shocking evidence of betrayal and blackmail begins to emerge, along with ugly secrets from Susan's own past.

The author nurtures an uneasy atmosphere from the first few pages of The Accident, building mistrust and dread as the story unfolds. Surrounded by secrets and lies, Susan doesn't know where to turn or how to make sense of the information she learns but is certain she can find the truth, even if everyone else believes she is simply chasing ghosts.

Taylor quickly establishes Susan an an unreliable narrator, Susan is deeply distressed and confused as you would expect of a mother whose child is lying in a coma but it soon becomes obvious that she is also unusually neurotic, and paranoid. While the present day, first person narrative communicates Susan's growing nervousness and fear, it's Susan's journal excerpts from 22 years earlier that helps to explain why she is so anxious.

A well crafted thriller, The Accident is fast paced and tense, culminating in a dramatic conclusion. A strong debut, I'd recommend it particularly to those who enjoyed Kimberly McCreight's novel, [b:Reconstructing Amelia|15776309|Reconstructing Amelia|Kimberly McCreight|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1350193583s/15776309.jpg|21488217].