#BlogTour: WORST CASE SCENARIO by Helen Fitzgerald @FitzHelen ‏@OrendaBooks @annecater #RamdomThingsTours

Publication: 16th May 2019 – Orenda Books

Mary Shields is a moody, acerbic probation offer, dealing with some of Glasgow’s worst cases, and her job is on the line.

Imprisoned for murdering his wife, Liam Macdowall has published a series of letters to the dead woman, in a book that has made him an unlikely hero – a poster boy for Men’s Rights Activists.

Liam is released on licence into Mary’s care, but things are far from simple. Mary develops a poisonous obsession with Liam and his world, and when her son and Liam’s daughter form a relationship, Mary will stop at nothing to impose her own brand
of justice … with devastating consequences.

A heart-pounding, relentless and chilling psychological thriller, rich with deliciously dark and unapologetic humour, Worst Case Scenario is also a perceptive, tragic and hugely relevant book by one of the most exciting names in crime fiction.

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WORST CASE SCENARIO is my first novel by Helen Fitzgerald and I was amazed by how much I liked. When I first read the blurb, I thought it sounded intriguing and interesting, but I didn’t expect it to be so dark, suspenseful, shocking, and it took me by surprise page after page.

It is the story of Mary Shields, a middle-aged probation officer on her last days on the job. She deals with some of the worst and lowest of humanity and one of her last cases is Liam Macdowall a man who, years before, killed his wife and he is now being released after having published a book. The book is a collection of letters Liam wrote to this wife in prison and it’s an instant bestseller. Mary is convinced that Liam shouldn’t be released and she makes it her own personal mission to make life impossible for him. In the meantime, she has to deal with her other cases, a complicated relationship with her son who she tries to protect against his wishes, and the effects of menopause that created many entertaining and funny moments.

I loved the author’s dark humour, the captivating plot with an ending that was completely unexpected and twisty, the well-developed and corrupted characters, and the flawed, funny, and relatable protagonist. Helen Fitzgerald carefully and masterfully mixes suspense that slowly rises and humour that made me laugh out loud page after page.

Character-driven, remarkable, and addictive, WORST CASE SCENARIO will keep you glued to the pages and wishing for more and I’d like to thank Anne Cater and Orenda Books for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a copy of this compelling novel.

Helen FitzGerald is the bestselling author of ten adult and young adult thrillers, including The Donor (2011) and The Cry (2013), which was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and is now a major drama for BBC1. Helen worked as a criminal justice social worker for over fifteen years. She grew up in Victoria, Australia. She now lives in Glasgow with her husband.