Number 47 is a thriller written by Hannah R Palmer, an author from South East England.
It is told, initially, through the eyes of Sarah, a young woman who has a deep, obsessive crush on a man named Liam. The story begins with a strong sense of ambiguity around Liam’s feelings for her, as he seems distant and extremely quiet. One day, Sarah sees Liam with another woman, and Sarah’s mind enters a downward spiral. As the back cover states, she’d rather die than not have him, and oh boy, doesn’t she make that clear.
So why pick this book up and read it?
The Main Character
Hannah has an incredible way of building Sarah’s personality through her everyday habits, and I found that part of the story a pleasure to read. Sarah, as the story unfurls, becomes a much deeper and complicated character. This allowed me to learn what her likely response to certain situations would be. When things went pear shaped, I had to find out what happened next.
The Writing Style
Hannah’s writing style and voice remain strong and consistent from start to finish, and makes the book approachable and comprehendible.
Sarah’s thoughts and voice are distinct and it all flows naturally. There were no hang ups or moments were I needed to stop and reread.
Its Simplicity
It should be noted that this is Hannah’s debut novel, and she has made a great decision in keeping things simple. The cast is small, and there are very few locations, and this is a good thing. It opens up space for character building and emotionally driven choices, either by Sarah or the rest of the cast.
A Quick Read
This isn’t a long novel, but I like that. It makes for a quick, exciting read that you could put on the shelf and read twelve months later with the same joy.
Hannah Takes Risks
Throughout the story Hannah has dotted little quirks that make you think what is really going on here?
The Negatives?
Like with nearly every novel out there, there is room for improvement, such as:
Unusual Actions
Some of Sarah’s actions, the more malicious type, come across a little out of character. Not so much what she does, but how she does it. Of course, Sarah can be interpreted differently between readers.
Is There a True Good Guy?
I believe Liam was under developed, and what I mean by that is I couldn’t find a good, strong reason to want to root for him.
A Big Risky Decision Could Have Been Made
Not to spoil the story, but there was a point in the latter half of the story where I wanted things to go even further than they did before the story came to a close.
So, What is My Rating?
4 / 5
Final Words
An excellent debut novel! It is fun, thrilling and compelling from the first page.
Go pick it up.
You can buy Number 47 on Amazon as a paperback or Kindle version. It is free with Kinde Unlimited.
Thanks for reading.