When I Was Ten Paperback – 30 Dec. 2021

What a devastating and utterly compelling story When I Was Ten is. I absolutely loved it!Twenty-one years ago Richard and Pamela Carter were viciously murdered in their beds. The case became infamous, partly due to the respect held by the local community for Dr Carter – the local GP – but mainly because the killer was their youngest daughter. After spending time in a secure unit for children, the daughter assumed a new identity and started a new life. But now a documentary crew have found the older of the two sisters and questions are being asked. The Angel of Death is back in the spotlight, the last place she ever wanted to be, and her new life is about to come crashing down around her…Oh my goodness, When I Was Ten is SO GOOD! This is, I’m ashamed to admit, the first book I’ve read by this author despite being told repeatedly by fellow readers for years that I would love her books. They were right. I loved the story, the characters and Cummins’ writing. So much so, I plan to download the author’s entire back catalogue as soon as I’m physically able to.When I Was Ten centres around the Carter sisters and their friend and neighbour from 21 years ago, Brinley Booth. Told in the past and the present, we get to hear from journalist Brinley as she decides whether to reveal her connection to the biggest story of the year to her boss. In doing so, she knows it’ll give her failing career a real boost. But does she really want to dredge up difficult memories from that time again? Particularly as Brinley knows more than she’s letting on. We also get to hear from Catherine as her carefully created life crumbles around her. As her daughter and husband realise who has actually been head of their family for the last twelve years. How well do we really know those we’re closest to? There are also deeply unsettling flashbacks to the past which show the reader how the Carter sisters were treated by their supposedly perfect parents in their nice big house. It makes for difficult reading at times but I couldn’t tear myself away!Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. When I Was Ten is dark and twisty and absolutely everything I love about crime fiction. There were a number of brilliantly written surprises along the way, some which left me with my jaw on the floor. I thought the characters were very well-written and really pulled the reader into the story. The book is paced beautifully, encouraging ‘just one more chapter’ before turning out the light. But before you know it, half of the night has passed and you know you’ll be living on coffee and fumes come the morning *true story* (it was so worth it though 😉)! When I Was Ten is undoubtedly one of my favourite reads of 2022 and fans of family centred crime thrillers should put this one top of their wish list. You’ll be missing out on something quite special if you don’t! Hugely compelling, immensely readable, heart breaking and unexpectedly emotional, and impossible to put down. Loved it. Highly recommended.

I have to be honest the first 6 or so chapters, I was struggling. I wasn’t a fan of Catherine or her husband and to be honest the daughter Honor annoyed me as well.I especially struggled with the chapter about Catherine going out to look for her daughter (no spoilers its an early chapter don’t worry) The reference to the cold and snow was incessant in my opinion. I think she talked about lighting a fire 3 times over a couple of pages in another chapter as well. Also no one seemed to be overly bothered that Honor wasn’t at school and Catherine seemed to give up after a while and went home to light the fire (again!)BUT then its shifts to a different timeline, the story of 2 sisters aged 10 and 12, and their best friend. How they were treated by both sets of parents, and how they had to endure incredibly difficult situations. I genuinely thought this was great writing, and I was hooked.The story moves across these 2 times lines, with Catherine and Brinley’s point of view for both timeframes. You also get the odd anonymous letter. I think this all works really well.The only addition that I didn’t see relevant was the MP storyline. There is a link, albeit tenuous and I didn’t think it added depth to the story and the ending of that storyline was unnecessary.This was a love/hate book for me. I thought parts were brilliant, and fast paced but other parts dragged. There were also some questionable gaps in the story, but no spoilers here. So I’ll leave you to decide. There is a nifty little twist at the end, and it does keep you guessing various bits throughout, as it slowly drip feeds you.If you love a good thriller I would say give it a go, I’m pleased I read it. But please don’t shout at me if it doesn’t quite live up to your thriller standards. 😊

I’m a huge fan of Fiona Cummins’s writing, and I couldn’t wait to read her new novel When I Was Ten. This is a highly engaging read, and once I started it, I was hooked. This is a novel with a really intriguing premise. A family have been slaughtered; their children have been separated. But the horrifying part is that Dr Carter and his wife were murdered by one of their children. It’s why it has become one of the most talked about crimes of the modern age. But what really happened that night? What is the untold story?In When I Was Ten, Fiona Cummins delves into the psychology of the characters at the centre of the crime. Now everything is about to change for them. An explosive new documentary is about to air, and new revelations are about to come to light when one of the Carter sisters speaks to the press. Fiona Cummins introduces us to two characters, Catherine and Brinley. Brinley works at a local newspaper, and as interest in the Carter case heightens again, her boss is after an exclusive interview with one of the Carter sisters. But what he doesn’t know is that Brinley once lived next door to the Carter family. She chooses to keep this to herself. Catherine is also a really intriguing character. You can see she is keeping secrets, and she is determined to make sure that her past stays buried.As the novel progresses, Fiona Cummins takes us back in time. We see the events leading up to the murders of the Carter family, and she begins to build a picture of what really took place. As Fiona Cummins did reveal more about what happened at that time, I could see why the events escalated in the way they did. But I don’t want to go into any further detail here. The book darkens as we begin to understand the truth, and the darkness becomes palpable as we reach the horrifying conclusion. It asks a terrifying question, what can prompt a child to murder their parents?The writing is taut right the way through, and I could not put this book down. The chapters are short and snappy, and I wanted to find out more about the characters. Fiona Cummins writes some horrific scenes when we go back to the time of the murders. This is when the bigger picture here begins to unravel.Fiona Cummins is one of the best crime writers out there. If you haven’t yet discovered her books, then you really need to. I highly, highly recommend When I Was Ten! I’m sure this is going to be one of the most talked about thrillers of the year, and it deserves to be.

I have been on the lucky road of reading not just good books but great books by excellent authors. And When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins easily fell into the category of great. The chapters flew by as they entertained. The scariest parts were the ones where Fiona leaves it up to your imagination. Having us come to our conclusion as to how the girls parents treated them behind closed doors was way scarier then if she had told us. This to me is the mark of a great writer. It's the writers way of removing one piece of jewelry before you go out.I hope this is made into a movie. I hope all her books are made into movies.Ten stars. Screw the five star system.

Great story, lots of interesting characters that draw you into their stories. However It’s not always clear if the narrative is true. Lots of story twists and so it’s a very engaging read. You want the answers the truth by the end and we are rewarded.

I'm not sure why this book was so popular. The timeline went from past to present and from the view of multiple characters. Normally I enjoy this writing technique, but it didn't work here.First, there was a section mixed in about a politician who brings nothing to the story. He is brought in because he was overheard saying something he shouldn't about Sara Carter, and then they kept him in the story for no real purpose.Then, despite telling the story in a non-linear fashion, there were no real twists or surprises. If you've never read a thriller, maybe this book will surprise you. But I knew where the author was going by halfway through the book, so the second half was boring.