Close To Me: Now a major TV series

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Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival. Close to Me is a British television psychological drama based on the book of the same name by Amanda Reynolds. It stars Connie Nielsen as a Danish translator who loses a year of her memory following a fall. Christopher Eccleston, Susan Lynch, Leanne Best, Rosy McEwen, Tom Taylor, and Ellie Haddington also star. The six-part series commenced on Channel 4 in November 2021, with all episodes made available for streaming concurrently. [1] Synopsis [ edit ] Now everyone knows I LOVE a dysfunctional family (rumours that this is because it shows my own family in a slightly better light are of course unfounded!!) so I was totally tempted by the blurb of Close To Me which seemed right up my street, with family secrets lying at the heart of this memory loss suspense.

Close to Me by Amanda Reynolds - Fantastic Fiction Close to Me by Amanda Reynolds - Fantastic Fiction

One of the things I liked about Close To Me was the family dynamics and the rather realistic dramatic reactions to things that were happening. It came across like a reality show at times, with “looks” between different family members, non communicative children and lots of emotional responses once hidden secrets had been revealed. With Jo being of the age she was, she had to deal with “empty nest syndrome” as well which cruelly often coincides with the menopause which can make women more emotional and sensitive as well as having a dramatic effect on their sex life. Jo thinks she may have had an affair but if so who with? And is that the reason that she feels her fall wasn’t an accident? Due to the way the story was set out, sometimes we could see what had lead to events before Jo did but the twists and turns towards the end weren’t the ones that I had been expecting! I trusted nobody in this book and that’s just the way I like it! As you can see, straight away from the very first sentence, there is a chasm siting between these two people. Some unknown trouble that lurks there. And, you will see, what follows, as you delve into this book, grows and grows into something so much more than a simple grim miasma. Close To Me tells the story of Jo Harding after she falls down stairs hitting her head and losing her memory of the past year. Close to me delves into the dynamics of family and the resulting aftermath when things ultimately implode.I have no frame of reference for what just happened and no idea what to do next. He’s my husband of twenty-four years; I thought I knew everything about him.” And then there's the mystery of her mobile phone. Jo is sure that she didn't break it during her fall. But she has no reason to believe that anything her husband is telling her isn't the truth.

Close to Me - Is the Channel 4 drama based on a book?

What would you do if you woke up after a fall and can't remember the last year of your life, find yourself apprehensive about a husband you think you love and everyone is tip toeing around you? After forgiving her father, Jo returned home to her family. She then overheard Rob – in an obvious attempt to gaslight her – telling their kids Sass and Finn that he was concerned that she had been imagining things. Despite him repeatedly trying to stop her speaking, Jo then firmly told her kids that she was leaving their father because of his affair. What would you do if you woke up and couldn't remember anything from the last year of your life? CLOSE TO ME by Amanda Reynolds follows Jo Harding as she struggles to find out what happened to her the night she fell as well has the year of memories she has lost. A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy. The book is told in alternating chapters of the days following Jo's accident and the year leading up to it. It works so well, as the reader discovers what led to the breakdown of her family at the same time as Jo. You get to know Jo almost as she gets to know herself and I found I really connected to her and could relate to some of what she is experiencing in the early days before her fall. Jo is going through a time of change, her youngest child has just left home for university and she needs to redefine herself and purpose - something familiar to me as both my children begin to move on. But unlike myself, Jo is surrounded by manipulating people, taken advantage of by her husband, her kids and then others who sense her vulnerability. I loved the subtle development of her character right through the book, and by the end felt satisfied that this now strong and purposeful woman was going to be ok.What begins as an intriguing twist on a tired trope ultimately falls prey to ill-defined stakes and underdeveloped characters. Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. I had a great difficulty connecting with Jo. She wasn't a likable character at all. Truth is, I had a hard time finding any likable character in the book. I found the dialogue frustrating at times. Everyone talking but with no urgency to fill in the gaps of her memory! With this same behavior repeated over and over with very little progress, the book seemed to slow to a crawl. This is a very addictive read. It isn’t as original as some of the books in it’s genre but the writing is fabulous - engaging and engrossing. Really looking forward to Amanda Reynolds’ next book!

Close To Me by Amanda Reynolds | Waterstones Close To Me by Amanda Reynolds | Waterstones

The story-line is told from Jo’s POV from before and after the fall as she tries to regain her memories from the last year. As the 2 timelines converge, the facts surrounding what occurred before vs after the fall became very confusing. Rob denied pushing her, and then begged her not to leave him. He confessed that they had argued (and said some pretty awful things to each other) and that she had stumbled near the top of the stairs as she went to leave him but he had caught her, before she slipped out of his grasp. Jo realised he was lying to her – and that on that fateful night he had let go of her hand on purpose.

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Oh, and what are we to make of the fact that Jo seems to be menopausal? As Chekhov said: don’t leave an oestrogen deficiency providing a host of symptoms including dizziness, brain fog and paranoia on the mantelpiece in the first act if you’re not going to exploit them in the third. When Jo finds herself at the bottom of the stairs, after a violent fall, the paramedics asking her endless questions, her only thought is that she doesn't want her husband near her. But why? He's trying to help? Isn't he? The plot is fast-paced, the drama superb, and the twists and turns in this novel are all excellent and are sure to keep you on your toes. While the characters are not exactly likeable, they are compelling, and as different scenarios ran through my head I wasn't sure which way the story was going to go - and I love the fact that I was kept guessing! I turn away from my husband, shifting my weight on to my side, as far from him as the bed will allow. The movement is instinctive, dulled by the fact I'm only half awake, in the place between reality and unreality." I liked the family drama portions much more than the mystery element (did she fall or was she pushed) especially the relationship Rob and Jo have with their two children, growing pains for everyone as they leave home and make questionable choices.

Close To Me ending explained - Digital Spy Close To Me ending explained - Digital Spy

Jo has no recollection of what happened in the last year of her life. She can’t remember the night of her fall, but she has an overwhelming sense of dread and fear towards her husband. Rob seems to have convinced her children to not to mention what has happened over the course of the last year. He is constantly reiterating to Jo how happy they are in their marriage. If all of this is true, why does Rob insist on hiding the last year? Why is Jo feeling this way towards the man she has been married to for the last 24 years? Is it possible that Rob pushed her down the stairs?

Jo Harding wakes up on the way to the hospital in an ambulance. Everyone around her is telling her she fell down the stairs. The last thing Jo can remember is taking her son, Fin, to university with her husband, Rob. The problem is that was a year ago. And why on earth can't she remember volunteering at a drop in centre with a lovely lady called Rose, whose messages she has found, and who seems extremely concerned about Jo. Instantly hooked, CLOSE TO ME by Amanda Reynolds threw me into the story and I didn't resurface until I had reached the end - and boy, what an ending! This engrossing story of lies,families,secrets and betrayals is voiced entirely by Jo in the third person pov.It unfolds in chapters that alternate between before and after the fall,the chapters are clearly headed and the story flows along nicely.The characters are well developed and realistic but mostly unlikable apart from Jo`s son Fin and Rose who works in the drop out centre where Jo volunteers.It must be absolutely terrifying to lose a whole chunk of your life and the authors portrayal of Jo`s fear,frustration and confusion was believable and realistic but I found it hard to feel any sympathy for her because of some of her thoughts and actions as the story unfolded.