The Cerberus Affair Book Review

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The Cerberus Affair is a thriller novel which centres on Catherine, an ex-journalist whose close friend Adam dies suddenly under seemingly suspicious circumstances. After his death, Catherine is left to deal with the aftermath, and with some help from his widow Lizzie, she begins to uncover the truth of his death and the potentially dangerous people who she may be getting herself caught up with.

The start of this novel is really intriguing, and right from the get-go I was excited to see how the plot was going to unfold. This, coupled with the fact that there were lots of short chapters meant that the pacing of the novel was spot on, and I think Valentine did a really good job in getting the pacing right in order to keep the suspense of the plot going.

The characters who play a part in the plot were all varied and intriguing in their own way. I liked that Valentine made the protagonist relatable by giving her a son and a not-so-perfect life; this plausibility allowed her to be more compelling, and overall I was more invested in her storyline because of it. For a thriller I also think having the narrative jump around between lots of characters adds to the intrigue and suspense too – so Valentine did this well.

On the flip side, I did get a little bit bored of Nina and Lizzie being so interested in Catherine’s love life. I would have preferred for the plot to stay a little more focused on uncovering the truth of Adam’s death, but then again, I do see why Valentine may have included it as another dimension to draw readers in.

This book includes a lot of “thriller archetypes” including a wealthy pharmaceutical company, a mysterious death, a secret twin, and an innocent friend getting caught up in it all. While some may think this makes the book cliché, I actually liked how it made the plot more comfortable. Thrillers aren’t always comfortable books to read, but I liked that right from the start, I knew it was going to tick a lot of boxes I look for in my thrillers.

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For a debut novel, Valentine did a good job of assuring me of her writing prowess and I was impressed by her imagination and ability to come up with this complex plot. I think in places, the dialogue left something to be desired, but I have no doubt that as she writes more, this will become more polished. Overall The Cerberus Affair is a great thriller book that thriller lovers should enjoy!

Thank you to the author, Charlotte Valentine, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.