It’s far too long since I featured Gail Aldwin here on Linda’s Book Bag when I reviewed her novel The String Games. I’m delighted to rectify that by reviewing Gail’s latest book The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell.

The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is published today by Bloodhound Books and is available for purchase here.

The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell

A true-crime podcaster investigates a decades-old suspected abduction, in this powerful psychological suspense novel.

1979
Sixteen-year-old Carolyn Russell grows increasingly infatuated with her school mathematics teacher who is also giving her private lessons. Then she disappears.

2014
Struggling journalist Stephanie Brett creates a true-crime podcast focused on the disappearance of Carolyn Russell. By digging deep into this mysterious cold case, her confidence and flagging career are boosted. But after she confronts the suspects—and talks to a potential witness—the leads dry up. However, Stephanie refuses to let the story rest . . .

Can a small-time journalist with a shoestring podcast really hope to reconstruct the ultimate fate of Carolyn Russell after all these years, or are some secrets best left buried?

My Review of The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell

What really happened to Carolyn Russell?

The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is a layered read that needs to come with a warning – there are a lot of references to food and I found it made me ravenous as I read!

The plot is carefully crafted and ends leaving the reader pondering many aspects of morality and truth. What The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell does is to open up a world where mis-interpretation, half truths and obfuscation impact lives far beyond any initial intention. I found reading the narrative made me think long and hard about what appears in our various media because of the mature observation I found here.  

As well as a mystery to enjoy, The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is a sensitive insight into burgeoning womanhood, complex feelings and relationships with an exploration into how our upbringing can impact our behaviour.

I especially enjoyed two time frames as Gail Aldwin conveys the eras really well, particularly through cultural and societal references so that the reader gains a good understanding of the way Carolyn and Stephanie are living; particularly through Carolyn’s first person account that reveals her friendships and her innermost feelings. This element of the narrative enhances the reader’s enjoyment as it feels as if Carolyn is addressing the reader directly, drawing them into the story. 

Interestingly, although I was totally invested in finding out what had happened to Carolyn and she gained my sympathy, I didn’t like her, as she is frequently immature and selfish – exactly as a teenager should be! I think this illustrates skilled writing because the balance of uncovering what kind of person she is as a flawed, layered and true to life character in the mind of the reader is so carefully done by Gail Aldwin. There is also real trauma in Carolyn’s life that influences both her behaviour and the reader’s response.

Whilst discovering what caused Carolyn’s disappearance is entertaining in its own right as Stephanie conducts her investigations and carries out interviews for her podcast, The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell includes important themes too, from racism to suburban living, poverty to bullying, echoes of #MeToo, sexism and education for example, so that the story holds concepts to ponder after the book is read. Indeed, I think The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is one of those books that deserves rereading so that all the nuances can be fully appreciated. 

The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is both entertaining and thought provoking, lingering in the mind long after it’s read and I enjoyed it very much. 

About Gail Aldwin

Novelist, poet and scriptwriter, Gail Aldwin has been writing for over a decade. Her first two coming-of-age novels were runners-up in the Dorchester Literary Festival Writing Prize 2020 and 2022. Gail was awarded a creative writing PhD in 2018 and still laughs whenever she’s called Doctor. She has appeared at Bridport Literary Festival, Stockholm Writers Festival and the Mani Lit Fest in Greece. Her psychological suspense mystery The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is published by Bloodhound Books. Gail splits her time between a tiny flat in South West London and a home overlooking water meadows in Dorset.

You can follow Gail on Twitter @gailaldwin, visit her blog and find her on Instagram and Facebook.