Description
The young friends were unaware of the man who had followed them through the park. With his trilby pulled down, he moved stealthily through the trees. He was careful and kept to the shadows. He worried it might not have been his wisest move to join the girl on the bench but hadn’t been able to resist seeing her sitting alone like that: she was his absolute ideal.
London 1949: Queenie Osbourne and her best friend Joy are walking through the bustling city streets looking forward to a bright future. The two friends have a striking beauty which draws everyone to them. Queenie dreams of making her fortune as a singer in America and Joy is engaged to wealthy bachelor Charles Gilchrist.
As they prepare for the wedding, it becomes clear that there is a spark between Queenie and Charles and soon they commit the ultimate betrayal. But Queenie’s dream is shattered in an instant when she discovers she is pregnant.
With nowhere else to turn, Queenie is told about a man named John Reginald Christie. He helps women like her and will keep her secret. But as she stands on the steps outside 10 Rillington Place, she feels instantly threatened.
On the other side of the door, Reg Christie is waiting. Queenie doesn’t know that he has been watching her for a long time. To Reg she is perfect in every way. Now, all she has to do is knock…
Inspired by the true crime story of the Rillington Place killer John Reginald Christie, this is a chilling mystery based on a fictional cast of characters. Fans of Gregg Olsen, Louise Douglas and Jess Lourey will be hooked.
This novel was previously published as The Rope Chair.
About the author
Rebecca Griffiths grew up in west-Wales and went on to gain a first class honours degree in English literature. After a successful business career in London, Dublin and Scotland, she returned to rural west-Wales where she now lives with her husband, a prolific artist, their four black cats and two pet sheep the size of sofas and writes full-time.
My thoughts
‘The Girl at my Door’ is one of the most atmospheric books I’ve read in ages. I got a sense of the time in which it was set from the post-war London smog, to the sounds and smells of the streets. It’s all there. The mixture of fact surrounding the crimes of Reginald Christie and the fictional characters, Terrence, Queenie and Joy, made it all fantastic.
Each character had a story and each one was different. The realism was chilling. Queenie with her flawed character and huge talent. Terrence keeping a huge part of his life in the shadows and very sweet, Joy. I felt like I knew them within no time and I wanted so much for them.
This book was a fast read for me. I enjoyed the historical crime aspect and certain things were left reeling through my mind. There are huge themes, miscarriage of justice being the one that really stood out. I also felt the social injustice of the time. I won’t comment on this as it will spoil the unravelling of the story. My heart went out to all the characters.
On top of a being a brilliant story, ‘The Girl at my Door’ is well written and took me on an emotional journey. What more could I as the reader ask for?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-My-Door-gripping-thriller-ebook/dp/B0992HXJ97/
Thanks for reading!
Why not check out one of my other reviews? Maybe you’ll find your perfect read.
The Liar’s Child by Sheryl Browne – review. https://griffbuck.wordpress.com/2021/09/21/the-liars-child-by-sheryl-browne-review/
Carla Kovach – author of Amazon and iBooks bestselling DI Gina Harte crime series.
Carla Kovach - Author 
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