Review
Readers who enjoy psychological suspense will appreciate the misleads and twists that Courtney Psak delivers in The Tutor. She sets the tone early in the story and potentially messy character relationships. Rose has a 14-year-old son James and moves from New York to Florida with her second husband Grant, at the request of her mother-in-law Evelyn. And throughout most of the story, readers will recognize the often tense dynamic between a man’s mother and new wife.
Then Isabel comes along, and offers to tutor James. Not only is she successful, but she and James get along well. But through her POV readers know that she has ulterior motives. And when she brings those motives to light, she doesn’t get the answers she expected. Consequently, readers won’t expect where the truth finally takes them.
I’ll admit that I was wrong about the characters so many times throughout The Tutor. And yes this is by design. I thought I had Evelyn figured out and I was wrong. I kept trying to connect the dots between Isabel’s background and Grant’s family. But I never got it right. I honestly felt as in-the-dark as Rose, who didn’t know the truth about who her husband really was. Once it was all laid out, I felt like I was playing catch-up.
Despite the excellent plotting and twists, the writing style felt off at times. It was also hard to connect with the characters to an extent. Either way, this was a fun read and I didn’t know where it was going to take me.
Courtney Psak joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about what draws her to the genre and plans for the future. Keep an ear out for the episode and pick up a copy of The Tutor, available now.
Book
Rose is a dedicated wife and mother to her husband Grant and her son James. Having recently moved to a grand mansion in Florida, Rose is keen for James to fit in with his new life and hires a tutor.
Isabel is young, smart and beautiful, and not only gets along with James, but she gets results.
But when Isabel starts to get too close for comfort, Rose can’t help but think that Isabel is looking for more than just tutoring.
Can Rose uncover who exactly she has let into her house, or will this lesson be deadly?
