I always enjoy novels which accurately portray the contradictions and uncertainties inherent in human behavior and this one does that very successfully. nurture, the merits of psychoanalysis, the damage caused by child abduction, human foibles, secrets, and more.Ī thought-provoking, fast-paced, well written thriller containing several twists and a surprise ending, this novel will appeal to fans of psychological suspense. Many themes are touched upon in “ Blue Monday“. They discover that this case may be linked to another similar case which took place over twenty years ago… Together they chase down leads and encounter shocking revelations whilst searching for a young, abducted boy. The policeman in charge of the case is at first skeptical, but she ultimately wins his trust and professional respect. When one of Freida’s clients leads her to believe that he may be implicated in a child abduction, Frieda surrenders her professional ethics and goes to the police. Will her longing and affection for him allow her to forfeit the life she has built for herself? She prefers the well denoted boundaries of her work relationships to those of a personal nature, though recently she has fallen for a man whose presence could upset the structure of her well-ordered life. However, she holds little affection for her family whom she feels do not value her, nor she them. She has a penchant for structure, rules, and orderliness.įrieda loves London and the affection of place is obvious in the atmospheric “Blue Monday”.

Yet… Frieda loves her house, a dark and comfortable oasis which she deems a place of cleanliness and sanctuary. She doesn’t have a cell phone, preferring to be adrift and out of contact when not at work. She goes for solitary walks through London in the dead of night to tire herself when suffering from insomnia. She is a risk taker with seemingly little regard for her own personal safety. The first novel to feature Frieda Klein, a solitary, sometimes stern, unmarried, childless woman in early middle-age who works as a psychoanalyst in London.įrieda’s character fascinated me. As a long-time fan of Nicci French novels I was delighted when my ‘in-person’ bookclub, Whodunit, selected “ Blue Monday” as our group read for the month of September.

Nicci french blue monday series