The Book Of You by Claire Kendal

The Book Of You by Claire Kendal is a terrifying and disturbing psychological thriller about obsession, sexual perversion and stalking. I was really engrossed and felt really apprehensive for the protagonist as the story hurtled to its final. But I have to admit that I was disappointed by the ending.

The Book Of You by Claire Kendal

Clarissa, 38, is secretary to a university department head and is trying to recover from a broken relationship with Henry, a professor at the university who had left his wife for her.

Clarissa attends the launch of a new book by Rafe, a lecturer at the same univeristy. Towards the end of the function, she accepts a drink from Rafe to celebrate the ocassion. The drink had been spiked and after sending Clarissa back to her home, Rafe rapes her. When Clarissa wakes up, she is naked, bruised, and sore.

Clarissa would give anything to forget that night, but Rafe has taken an uncanny interest in her and stalks her relentlessly, giving her unwanted gifts, and involving himself in the lives of her friends. Clarissa is scared, vulnerable and trapped but she feels she can’t do anything because she feels that the police are unlikely to believe her as Rafe is a skilled manipulator. Rafe won’t leave her alone, and he refuses to take no for an answer.

When she’s called up for jury duty in a criminal case in which a drug-addicted prostitute is kidnapped, raped, and beaten , she thinks it’s a godsend as the courtroom is a safe haven and she does  not have to go to work at the university. But as the court case unfolds, Clarissa begins to see parallels between her own situation and that of the young victim on the witness stand.

Realizing that she bears the burden of proof and prompted by self-help literature, Clarissa begins to document Rafe’s behavior in a diary, hoping it will convince the police to act.

As Clarissa’s nightmare with Rafe deepens, she becomes attracted to Robert, a fellow juror. Robert is a fire-fighter and Clarissa feels a sense of security in his presence.

Rafe’s special interest is fairy tales and he tells Clarissa about their gory, dark true meanings. Clarissa is terrified by the macabre fairy tale Rafe has spun around them, the ending of which can be more terrifying than she could have imagined.