Book review: The Cry by S. D. Robertson
How well do you really know your neighbours?
Genres: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller, popcorn thriller
S.D. Robertson's The Cry has all the trappings of a salty popcorn thriller that delves into the murky waters of one neighbourhood’s sordid secrets, suspicion, red herrings, and the lengths people will go to for the people they love.
Here are my thoughts:
Let’s drop the synopsis:
We thought it was nothing. Now she’s missing…
I look at our neighbours gathered in the garden for our annual summer barbecue, sipping chilled wine and smiling at my two daughters sprawled on the grass. I go inside to help refill glasses, and then I hear it. A shrill scream that stops me in my tracks.
I race outdoors to silence, a sea of bewildered faces. My first thought is for my girls, but they are there unhurt. With relief, we push the chilling sound to the back of our minds, returning to our drinks and conversations like it never happened.
But it was a terrible mistake. The following day, we heard that Jenna, my younger sister, who often babysits my daughters, was missing. A frantic search began, and when Jenna’s slender gold necklace was discovered in the bedroom of our strange neighbour, suspicion fell on him.
But he denies knowing where Jenna is, and little details are keeping me awake at night. One of my daughters has a secret about Jenna that I know I should share with the police. But I don’t want anyone to look too closely at our family because then our secrets will surface, and I'll do anything to prevent that…
CCB thoughts:
The Cry by S.D. Robertson begins against the backdrop of a seemingly innocent neighbourhood summer barbecue. The meat is sizzling, the drinks are flowing, and the host is entertaining. However, the tranquility is abruptly shattered by a piercing scream - one that becomes the catalyst for a darker narrative, unearthing hidden desires and buried secrets. The façade of a perfect suburban life crumbles, exposing the unsettling realities lurking behind closed doors.
The next day, Jenna, a neighbour who didn't attend the annual event, is seemingly ‘missing’. Paige, her best friend, who has just returned from her travels in Australia after dropping out of University 12 months ago, suspects something is deeply wrong. Jenna’s out-of-character behaviour and cryptic messages spark Paige’s investigation, unravelling a web of (sometimes saucy, sometimes sordid) secrets that those around her desperately try to keep hidden.
I've always enjoyed this kind of setup: a close-knit group of people living on the same street, their actions and decisions delicately influencing each other. With this in mind, The Cry’s greatest strength lies in its exploration of the moral compromises made behind the scenes in these seemingly perfect households. On the surface, everything appears idyllic, but behind closed doors, flaws are revealed, building tension as each character’s vulnerabilities come to light.
The multi-POV structure works effectively, offering insights into the motivations of key figures while leaving breadcrumbs for readers to follow. The novel allows us to play detective alongside Paige as the neighbourhood's mysteries unfold. With a cast that includes a local GP, wellness guru, bored housewife, wanna-be writer, and breadwinning/rarely-at-home mother, to name a few, The Cry poses compelling questions about trust, loyalty, and the lengths people will go to protect themselves. As readers, we are constantly left pondering and analysing every small interaction. Who can be trusted? Who knows more than they are letting on? Who will do the unthinkable to keep their dirty laundry hidden? Who is the guiltiest in this collection of sinners?
The novel doesn’t shy away from unsettling themes, particularly the behaviour of three odious characters whose predatory actions are uncomfortable to read. These elements reinforce that while life can be depicted as idyllic outwardly, it can harbour darker forces beneath the surface.
Robertson's pacing is well-executed, with suspense building steadily. Readers are drawn into a web of suspicion as Jenna's secret relationship with a mysterious figure (revealed only by email snapshots), strange behaviour, and out-of-place discoveries pile up. While the multiple conflicting viewpoints do an excellent job of maintaining tension, they can occasionally feel overstuffed with secondary plotlines. Some readers may find the many different perspectives a bit overwhelming. Still, those who enjoy following ambiguous lines of inquiry will likely appreciate the breadth of false starts and abrupt ends scattered throughout. Personally, I found the multilayered narrative compelling, and it kept me engaged.
The Cry does a great job of purposefully misleading the reader. Red herrings - misplaced items, suspicious CCTV footage, and secret car park encounters - keep us guessing while also subtly critiquing how quickly society jumps to conclusions based on superficial evidence.
Paige, in particular, is a standout character. Her role as an amateur investigator, while also grappling with personal trauma, adds an empowering element. The balance between her loyalty to Jenna and growing distrust of her neighbours keeps readers on edge up to the final, satisfying revelations.
Overall, The Cry is an engaging, fast-paced thriller that balances domestic tension with an intriguing mystery. It offers a compelling examination of family secrets, moral compromise, and the hidden dynamics that govern seemingly perfect lives.
Fans of psychological thrillers that blend domestic drama with mystery will find much to enjoy. However, some may wish for more complexity in the resolution, and others who prefer a more streamlined story might struggle with the sheer number of characters and subplots. That said, The Cry remains a solid, suspense-filled journey through the dank underbelly of ‘perfect’ suburbia.
Recommended for fans of:
Lisa Jewell, K.L. Slater, and Freida McFadden
A fast-paced popcorn thriller you can read in a couple of days
Lots of red herrings, points of view, and secondary plotlines
Content warnings:
Descriptions of graphic sexual fantasies, sexual assault.
Buy the book:
You can purchase The Cry here and at your local bookstore.
Publisher: Bookouture | Page count: 347
Discover what others thought:
Thank you to Bookouture for inviting me on this book tour and for allowing me access to the book via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
About the author:
Former journalist S.D. Robertson is a USA Today and #1 Kindle bestseller. He quit his role as a local newspaper editor to pursue a lifelong ambition of becoming a novelist – and he’s never looked back. Stuart, whose work has been translated into ten languages, is a reluctant DIYer and unofficial tech support provider for his family. He lives in a village near Manchester and is married with one daughter. There’s also his cat, who likes to distract him from writing by any means possible.
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As always, happy reading!
Until next time,Â
Sian | Criminally Creepy Books