"powerful psychological character study"

In London, twenty-seven years old events planner executive Holly Krauss seems to have it all. Her business is not only a major success; she is the driving force behind it. She is married to a nice man Charlie who cherishes her and has close friends like her business partner Meg who want to be there for her.

However, Holly cannot see how much her inner circle care for her because she suffers from bipolar disorder; a condition she assumes will one day consume her just like her father. Thus regardless of whether she is in her manic or depressive stage she lives over the edge at work, at home, and in between with alcohol and drugs her prime partners. One particular over indulgence leads to a one- night-stand with dangerous Rees, who she afterward believes is stalking her. Other incidents of out of control behavior push Charlie and Meg away from her as they assume she is paranoid; Holly insists that being paranoid or as in her case bipolar does not mean someone is not following you to do harm. Still Meg tries to be there for her.

CATCH ME WHEN I FALL will remind readers of the film Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? Readers will wonder if Holly's self destructive nature is the real cause behind her fear or whether Rees is really stalking her. The tale loses some of the early tension caused by Holly's behavior as Nicci French switches emphasis to the suspense (is she being stalked by someone planning to harm her?) over the impact of untreated bipolar disorder. Thus what starts as a potentially powerful psychological character study turns into a well written thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted May 16, 2006