An Accusation: A Novel

I received this free as the December Amazon offering. It appeared to be the least bad of the offered options, which is the only reason I selected it. All the books offered as free reads for several months now have been basically the same. Mediocre and formulaic. Mediocre writing, mediocre plot, mediocre characterizations, and basically manipulative and boring. Why is every offering from the same genre? Millennial snark meets gothic romance. Amazon, please widen the choices to include a greater variety of books. The past several months' offerings have just been garbage.

This book is told mostly in first person, from the accused teacher's view, intercepted with transcripts from a documentary film narrated by the accuser, as well as chapters devoted to a few other characters. It doesn't always follow a chronological timeline, but each chapter states clearly the character it highlights as well as month and year.I wasn't pleased with how quickly certain characters jumped into bed together (no details) or with the use of profanity, but the story itself was quite interesting.I had suspicions from the start as to what really happened, but the clues as to WHY were only gradually made clear as the story progressed.My favorite character was actually Suzanne's "crazy" mother... I think she was a lot more lucid than most gave her credit for and she definitely added comic relief! Actually, both she and another background character show more perception of human character than anyone else involved.It was a decent read. It was nice to have a little humor sprinkled in and even though I was convinced I knew the perpetrator of the alleged crime early on, the details seem so clearly to point to something else entirely I did second guess myself various times. 3.5 stars.

THE ACCUSATION is that rare book that actually delivers on all the of the promises made to the reader in the synopsis. First, it is a trully baffling mystery. As with any really clever mystery, you will not have this one figured out or neatly neatly wrapped up until the author is ready to put a bow on it. And Wendy James DOES put a bow on it!From the beginning until the very last page, I found THE ACCUSATION to be a compelling page-turning read. Even when I set the book aside from time to time, I kept mulling the crime (the kidnapping and imprisonment of an 18 year old girl) over in my mind, trying to reconcile the squeaky clean reputations of both the accuser and the accused with the overwhelming evidence in the case. I came up with, and discarded several scenarios, none of which worked as well as the authors. I haven't read the true crime this book was based on (I plan to, now, though), so I don't know how closely the solution to the mystery here, stacks up against the original.The characters are few, but interesting, unique, and all of their motivations are realistic. Nothing here will force you to suspend disbelief. James has written people who readers of this book will like and care about. Everyone has a past, and it is spoon fed to the readers, in such a way as to keep you engaged in the characters, still liking them, even admiring them, no matter their past (and very human) mistakes.One of the most interesting characters, is the addled mother of the accused, suffering from early onset dementia. I have worked with dementia patients, and she is, in my opinion, realistically portrayed. She is confused, childish, combative, inappropriate, (if bad language or crude allusions to sex bother you, this is where you will find it), feisty, and a complete handful to her caregiver (her adult daughter). She suffers from Sundowner Syndrome, forcing the daughter to be home before dark, when, her mother is at her worst. Through all of this, this damaged, rarely coherent, woman manages to worm her way into your heart, endearing her to the reader, as well as the other characters in the small Australian farming town, who come to know her. I loved that her daughter seldom felt the need to apologize or make excuses for her often rude or outlandish behavior.I really really liked this book. I highly recommend it

I was in the mood for a mystery novel and came across The Accusation by Wendy James. This book I learned after reading the author's note was based on a case that took place in the 18th Century in the UK called The Canning Affair, which later was developed into a novel set in the post-war by Josephine Tey called The Franchise Affair. Wendy James took both accounts and then added her twist to create The Accusation set in modern times in a small Australian town. The book starts with a young teacher who loves her work and wants to make a difference in the world, after her break-up and her mother's break. She moves with her mother to a small town and gets a job at the school. During this time, she meets her neighbors, including one who used to be a big-time TV Star and is now a Social Media and Agent for celebrities. After a failed relationship, Susannah - our main character also starts to form a relationship with her landlord, Chip. In the town, she also is befriended by Honor - our Celebrity Agent. Soon the community is rocked when a young teenaged girl is found wandering the rural backwoods with claims she was kidnapped and tortured. The young girl Ellie Canning at first can't recall anything but soon becomes a celebrity when Honor takes her under her wings and makes her into a TV star and inspirational model to all. As the story goes along, Ellie starts recalling things, and all the evidence points to newcomer Susannah. How can this be if Susannah has never met her in her life? Soon it will become the world against Susannah as Ellie's story, and the evidence becomes damning? Who is setting Susannah up and why? Will the real truth ever be revealed or by the time it does - what will be left of Susannah's reputation and life? Find out in this Australian hit - The Accusation by Wendy James.

A different type of storyline to most books, which tend to have similar thread to the story.Twists and turns, both unexpected and expected once understood characters.Throughly good read. Would recommend and will be looking for other books from this writer. This was first book I've read of hers. I'm sure I wont be disappointed.

The Accusation is another great story by Wendy James. I really enjoyed the writing and the tale of deception and manipulation using the media. It was gripping right from the beginning. Readers should also have a look at Wendy’s The Golden Child, another excellent read.

Never slow, couldn’t put it down. Loved the characters who all felt so “country town” normal. Another great Australian author.