Review: Sweet Pea by CJ Skuse

Following a gruesome massacre at her daycare, Rhiannon was the sole survivor amid a score a children’s corpses. However, she was struck in the head with a hammer, and since then her brain has been different. After several years in therapy, and relearning how to walk and talk, Rhiannon has perfected what she calls The Act. A boyfriend, job and group of friends ensure that The Act is maintained – a play of being normal, conventional. However, underneath her perfected exterior is a murderous mind inclined to violence, and fueled by an ever-expanding kill list. When opportunities present themselves, Rhiannon’s two worlds collide, and The Act has intervals of murder.

Sweet Pea is a bubble of conflict. While it is refreshing that the story features a female lead hell-bent on murder and discord (as Rhiannon herself admits – nobody suspects a woman), our protagonist lacks depth. Where there could be sneaky psychology, there is a bombardment of crass swearing and language, a fixation on sex, and a one-dimensional rage that together provide the feeling that the author is trying too hard to make a female a killer, and unhinged at that. Sadly, Rhiannon’s execution and thinking seem forced and contrived, redeemed only by an immensely clever plot with unexpected twist. While the character leaves much to the imagination, the execution of her dastardly deeds is pure brilliance – had Rhiannon been different, this book would have been on another level.

Sweet Pea remains enjoyable – a good way to pass the time, and heralds a first – albeit shaky – in the presentation of a female bad guy.

Sweet Pea by CJ Skuse is published by HG (an imprint of Harper Collins) and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.