Compulsion [Hardcover]

Hilary Norman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2005

Jude Brown is a builder by day, artist by night. He and speech therapist Alex Levin have both survived tragedies. Thrown together by a workmate's accident, they're both working hard at reshaping their lives - and sometimes, hardworking people need a little help around the house. Alex has never met anyone as passionate about cleaning as Frankie Barnes. She seems to have found the perfect career to suit her obsession with hygiene. But unbeknown to her new employers, Frankie suffers from other compulsions too and the greatest of them all is the compulsion to have. All Frankie wants is a home of her own as lovely as the ones she scrubs and cleans. She'll do anything to achiever her aim. But her first attempt has gone horribly wrong and her dream house loses its shine when she allows herself to think about the two bodies slowly rotting in the cellar. Next time Frankie intends to be more careful with her planningAnd Alex's home is the prettiest cottage Frankie's ever laid eyes on

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Heart-stopping suspense.' Mary Higgins Clark 'An accomplished novelist.' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW 'A goose-pimply, page-turning read right to the end.' COMPANY 'A nerve-shredding tale of murder, revenge and calculated cruelty and a plot which twists and turns to the end.' JEWISH CHRONICLE 'Dark and completely engrossing... compulsive stuff.' THE BOOKSELLER

About the Author

Hillary Norman is the author of 17 internationally selling novels translated into seventeen languages.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Piatkus Books (July 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0749907290
• ISBN-13: 978-0749907297
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,716,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrifying obsession, February 18, 2006

By 

Beverley Strong (Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Compulsion (Hardcover)

Frankie Barnes suffers from OCD...Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a condition in which a mentally disturbed person is driven to repeat various actions, over and over. In Frankie's case, her only release is in cleaning, so she decides to put her obsession to work in a practical way by working as a cleaner in other people's houses. She particularly covets the house of her present employer, a single, wealthy woman, with no relatives or close friends, so devises a plan to murder her and just move into her house as a squatter. After her plan succeeds, and after hiding the body, her "gottahaveit" urges kick in again so she moves on to work at another attractive cottage, keeping the first house as a base. The owner of the cottage has too many friends around for Frankie's original plan to work again, so she's thinking of moving on when she is forced to call for the services of a plumber to fix the pipes in the first house, but unfortunately for this poor man, his nosiness brings about his demise. The strain of murder and body disposal proves to be too big a strain on Frankie's fragile mind and causes her to have a stroke, after which her manipulative and sadistic ex boyfriend moves in with her as her carer but with his own agenda in mind. This book is a frightening glimpse into the mind of a mentally ill person with decided homicidal tendencies, and is written in very short chapters which work very well to keep the story flowing.

3.0 out of 5 stars Clean Up Your Own House, Being Lazy and Hiring Others May Result in Being Wiped Clean Out of This World, March 18, 2006

By 

James N Simpson (Gold Coast, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Compulsion (Hardcover)

Frankie Barnes suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder of hating germs and needing everything to be sterile, she even showers ten times a day. This means she is rather good at her job as a cleaner. She is also rather good at her hobby as a serial killer and taking over the lives of her former rich employers. She is satisfied with her latest acquisition of a mansion with her former employer in a coffin under the floor until a persistent plumber will not take no for an answer, meaning she can no longer live happily in the mansion. Speech therapist Alex Levin is looking for a housekeeper one day a week, Frankie is looking for a new acquisition but life doesn't go as smoothly as Frankie plans when after an emergency ex boyfriend Bo is on the scene and she can't remember what she was doing lately let alone the plan she was carrying out.

Not a bad book but it does drag on in parts and relies heavily on the amnesia factor for the story to happen which just seems too convenient. I have also read Deadly Games as well as Twisted Minds by Norman which are in a much higher quality league.