This book has a great cover; one I find both thought provoking and sinister. So when the author contacted me and asked if she could send me a copy in exchange for an honest review, how could I refuse? I’m a huge fan of psychological thrillers so I was more than happy to oblige. However, as most of the story is set on a university campus and the four main characters are a group of young female students thrown together as roommates, I must admit to being a little reticent at first. My chief concern being that I might exceed the target reading age. I’m pleased to say I was wrong, and The Roommates is a thought provoking, dark tale, full of intrigue, that kept me gripped from the first page.

The story begins with a character, as yet unknown, standing on a bridge, clearly distressed, clearly suicidal. But why? Fast forward three years to the present day and one by one we are introduced to the four main protagonists of the story, namely Imogen, Tegan, Phoenix and Amber. Roommates, strangers at first, brought together as they embark on their first exciting year at university. However, each of the characters has a personal backstory, including a hefty amount of emotional baggage in some instances. Imogen, in particular, seems very pre-occupied and withdrawn – but for good reason. Seven months prior, her older sister, Sophia, went missing, and despite an in-depth investigation by the police and a frantic search by Imogen and her family, she remains missing, which is something that has, and continues to haunt Imogen. So, when the four flatmates attend the Freshers’ Fair together during their first week on campus and something, or someone, appears to spook roommate Amber, who then disappears, we find Imogen (through some misplaced guilt for failing to find her sister) compelled to look for her, also drawing her other roommates into the search.

Could Amber’s disappearance have something to do with the hooded stranger that Phoenix has noticed loitering outside their flat, or the creepy student Riku, that occupies the room opposite?

Gripping and unsettling, The Roommates is easy to read with short, snappy chapters and believable characters. A well written, intriguing, and clever whodunit that will keep you turning the pages to the very end.