Books
Dear Reader: a letter from Natalie Daniels
Dear Reader,
It’s something we’d all rather avoid, but I want you to close your eyes and think of a time when you were at your lowest ebb. Perhaps you found yourself overwhelmed by the slings and arrows of life; confused, churning with pain and anger, suffocated, physically unable to breathe. And then what if the slings and arrows kept coming? Given the right triggers and the wrong situation, is it not possible that you might have done something unspeakable? What are you really capable of? How far might you go?
Too Close is the story of a suburban woman – she could be me or she could be you – who, after one trigger too many, commits a heinous crime. For none of us is wholly secure; our grasp on sanity seems, at best, tenuous. How do we struggle to keep our heads above water? We do all the right things – hold the right opinions, wear the right clothes, eat the right foods, give to the right charities, send our kids to the right schools, have the right kind of sex, etc. And then one little thing goes wrong, then another and then… well, one shove too many, how easy it is to slip under. And how extremely difficult it is to swim out of that sea of troubles. I wanted to really explore this aspect of mental health with as much honesty as possible. Control the mind or the mind will control you…
Too Close is a psychological thriller, but above all, it is an exploration of female friendship. I feel blessed with my female friends; the older I get the more grateful I am. But friendships have their rhythms too, their ups and downs, their intimacies and their distances; they bring with them their own jealousies and disappointments, just like a love affair. And like a love affair, things can suddenly turn toxic. And at that point, you might need to ask yourself: how close is too close?
Enjoy!
Natalie Daniels
Can’t wait to read Too Close by Natalie Daniels? Let us know in the comments below!
Natalie Daniels is the pseudonym for screenwriter, author and actress Clara Salaman who you may recognise as DS Claire Stanton from The Bill. She lives in London and in Northern Spain.
Follow Natalie on Twitter.
1 Comment
Join the discussion
Please note: Moderation is enabled and may delay your comment being posted. There is no need to resubmit your comment. By posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.
I read Too Close and absolutely LOVED it. Best book I’ve read in years. WOW do I look forward to more Natalie Daniels books!