Catch Me When I Fall [Paperback]

Nicci French (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio (1980)
• ASIN: B000N6B0QO
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars not the usual Nicci French fare, but I enjoyed it thoroughly, January 8, 2006

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catch Me When I Fall (Hardcover)

Seemingly Holly Krauss has everything -- youth, beauty, a successful job, good friends and a loving husband. But there is another side to Holly, a darker side that craves danger and excitement. And one night, when her wild side takes over, Holly commits an incredibly foolish indiscretion, an act that suddenly puts the two separate halves of her life on a collision course, ready for all her secrets to be revealed. As Holly franticly tries to contain the damage and gain back control of her life, she begins to make more and more mistakes, alienating friends and loved ones. Feeling stalked, harassed and all alone, Holly beings to realise that not everyone loves her, or even likes her. Is it too late for Holly to change and salvage her life? and what can she do about the very serious danger she faces from those out to harm her?

I can almost understand why the reception of "Catch Me When I Fall" has been somewhat lukewarm. While well written, compelling and completely engrossing (I read it in one sitting), this novel doesn't really fit in with previous Nicci French novels. Nicci French is well known for writing taut, highly suspenseful reads, and "Catch Me When I Fall" is not all that edge-of-your-seat suspenseful. And fans not ready to for this departure in style may be disappointed. However, I have to wonder, disappointed though one may be, why so much of the plot was revealed in the trade reviews? This was not well done in my opinion.

About two-thirds of the novel is written from Holly's point-of-view, and the author does a fantastic job of conveying Holly's franticness, her anger, her frustrations and her fear -- we're drawn into Holly's messy world and feel sympathetic towards her (well at least I was) even as we're repelled. The sense of mounting urgency, fear and regret that Holly feels about her actions and what they have cost her is masterfully portrayed. The last bit of the novel is seen through Holly's best friend and coworker's eyes, Meg. And it is in this section, as Meg races to save Holly, that the suspense is really felt. All in all, even though "Catch Me As I Fall" is not the usual Nicci French fare, the book was still a good read. So that if you're looking for a well written, urban-London novel that is absorbing and engrossing, you'll definitely enjoy "Catch Me As I Fall."

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Falling for French, December 15, 2005

By 

Samantha Madell (Dundas, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catch Me When I Fall (Hardcover)

Unlike the editorial reviewers, I enjoyed "Catch Me When I Fall" immensely, and thought the novel was classic French (I must admit I am a fan of this wonderful husband and wife writing team).

The story follows Holly, a spectacularly irresponsible firestorm of a woman who sweeps through people's lives, charming some, and making dangerous enemies of others. If you have ever cared about someone who suffers from bipolar disorder, I think you will recognize and warm to Holly's infuriating lovability. Perhaps Holly's greatest asset, though, is her long-suffering best friend, Meg, who gets drawn deeper and deeper into Holly's darkest dramas.

Everything that I love about Nicci French's writing is here: the vibrant characters, the mystery, the suspense. Admittedly, the plot was more predictable in "Catch Me When I Fall" than in previous French novels, but I still found this one an absolute page-turner.

As one of the first Amazon reviewers of this book, I've given "Catch Me When I Fall" five stars partly because I'm a French fan, and partly because I was surprised at the harshness of the editorial reviews, but mostly because this is a good, enjoyable read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars slow at first but picks up, January 5, 2006

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catch Me When I Fall (Hardcover)

Holly Kraus lives life in the fast lane, taking walks on the wild side and running amuck around London.

Nicci French has a way of describing a hypomaniac in action. Although this is classified as a psychological thriller, the basis of the story is more following a manic-depressive through her daily routine for several weeks or months.

The story moves through Holly's doings (and undoings) of herself. When she falls, she falls hard and fast. Holly writes that she died twice but after all her turmoil, who can she trust to catch her when she does fall?

When reading, I knew the ending of the first time Holly dies but not the second. The second time was unexpected in a way.

Armchair Interviews says: The first one-third of the book is a bit slow but the story does pick up after that and keeps the reader involved