The Mental Health Nurse: A gripping psychological thriller novel (Kindle Edition) - April E Swan

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A Gripping but Flawed Psychological Thriller

April Swan’s The Mental Health Nurse (2019) is a dark, twisted psychological thriller. It's a serial killer story that’s sickening and addictive simultaneously – a fascinating read even when it’s needlessly twisty. It's worth persevering with. Ellie is decidedly (and deliciously) disturbed.

It’s brave of Swan to have placed such an unappealing character at the heart of this narrative, and I was often as disgusted by Ellie as the next person. Still, her crimes were so compelling, and the gradual peeling back of the layers surrounding them (both Ellie’s and those of her supporting characters) so good that I was forced to finish the book and find out what had happened to Ellie to make her do the things that she did.

The Birmingham location serves as an evocative milieu for the unpleasant developments. Swan’s prose is at its best in the more dramatic parts of The Life and Crimes of Ellie Light, especially when Ellie is at her most sinister. The narrative is gripping at these moments, and Swan demonstrates a real talent for tension.

But the book could have been better: the random formatting issues (such as the inconsistent justification and paragraph numbers that switch from preceding the colon to following it) and the rush to put the words on the page often made for a less-than-sublime reading experience. This is especially true in the early parts of the book, where some of the most important character developments appear to be happening to Ellie rather than stemming from her own thoughts and feelings.

The last third of the book, too, begins to introduce multiple characters and their intertwined lives in a way that feels forced and (occasionally) strains credibility. Though these additions create a layered storyline, they also subdue some of the laser-like intensity that made the first segments of the novel so gripping because the focus turns away from Ellie.

As fiction, ‘The Mental Health Nurse’ is an easy read. It’s the kind of novel that keeps you up late, even as you’re struck by its dark material and morally ambiguous characters. It’s flawed, but it’s promising. I’ll be reading the sequel when it comes out. I’ll keep an eye out for Swan’s next book.

If you’re into psychological thrillers with an inside view from some seriously disturbed characters and can stomach a lot of gory, action-packed details, you’ll want to give it a chance. Bring a gut check for the slumps in writing style and formatting.