Sweetpea by C.J. Skuse

Written in a diary style, Sweetpea tells the intimate thoughts of Rhiannon, a psychopath with a twisted sense of humour we can all relate to every now and then.

Genres: Thriller, Humour, Crime
Published: 20th April, 2017
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon UK
Series: Sweetpea #1
Rating: 5

Rhiannon is your average girl next door, settled with her boyfriend and little dog…but she’s got a killer secret.
Although her childhood was haunted by a famous crime, Rhiannon’s life is normal now that her celebrity has dwindled. By day her job as an editorial assistant is demeaning and unsatisfying. By evening she dutifully listens to her friend’s plans for marriage and babies whilst secretly making a list.
A kill list.
From the man on the Lidl checkout who always mishandles her apples, to the driver who cuts her off on her way to work, to the people who have got it coming, Rhiannon’s ready to get her revenge.
Because the girl everyone overlooks might be able to get away with murder…

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Rhiannon is not your average psychopath, if you ask me (and considering you are here, reading this, I take it you are asking me, so…). For starters, she wasn’t born like that. But what happened back then has changed everything.

To a certain extent, we are all Rhiannon sometimes. We might not formulate a daily kill list in our lil’ diary, but I’m sure even the best of us fantasized about dishing out some sweet revenge to people who cut in front of us in the line at the coffee shop, or patronized us at work, behaved like a general nuisance when out and about, or just simply displeased us in some lowly way, or wished for the sweet feeling of “cunt punching people into the sun“. I know I have… But we shall not speak of that!

Feeling trapped in a relationship, not finding anything in common with her friends (a.k.a. the PICSOs – ‘People I Can’t Shake Off’) poor Rhiannon is getting more agitated every day, and as a result, more murderous. She goes on epic rants in her little journal, and if you have even the tiniest inclination towards dark humour, you will surely find yourself nodding in agreement.

Editorial assistant by day, serial killer by night, Rhiannon has a newly awakaned need to rid her town of creepy men who prey on women and children. During the weekend he also babysits her friend’s newborn baby, has Sunday roast with her boyfriend’s parents, plays with her Sylvanian dollhouse, and goes on walks with her tiny dog, Tink (not short for Tinkerbell, just sayin’), like a normal person. Kind of like a blonder, boobier, and funnier version of Dexter.

Our little Sweetpea is shadier than an underground tunnel at midnight, but her shenanigans and thoroughly entertaining, and a delicious treat for fans of gory stuff with a weird sense of hilarity.

P.S. The sequel, In Bloom, is coming out in August 2018. Yay!

I must say, the Polish cover is spot on! I still prefer the original with the cutesy flowers though.