Caroline England’s bone-chilling psychological thriller Behind her Smile has made me very suspicious of dentists.
Set in Altrincham, Manchester, the novel follows the dual perspectives of criminal solicitor Laurie Dunn and solicitor Finn Ballentine. Laurie is somewhat the black sheep of the family, having diverted from the dentistry path her father and sister, Jules, took — and there’s an insidious reason for it. She’s just broken up with her boyfriend, Nico, and moved out of their shared flat and back into her father luxurious house-slash-dentistry office. Things start to get a little strange after that. Laurie dreams about her teeth falling out, a creepy ragdoll, and a mysterious woman watching her. Then, her father starts sleepwalking and muttering about looking for her mother, who died when Laurie was born. There are already layers of intrigue early in the novel, feeding you titbits that indicate something is not quite right with Laurie’s family and her past.
Meanwhile, Finn is dealing with his own problems: an obsessive ex-wife who finds his new number, calls him at his new workplace, and seems to be watching his every move. Plus, his mysterious new client, Genevieve Armstrong, who seems to want a divorce, but won’t tell him why. He bumps into Laurie when she comes to collect her things from Nico’s flat, where Finn is staying, and the two of them have a frosty reunion. Things didn’t end well when they broke up after dating in university, and Nico is Finn’s close friend, so he isn’t Laurie’s biggest fan, nor is she his. Their back-and-forth bickering is entertaining, and it becomes clear they genuinely care about each other as Laurie turns to Finn after being mugged. From this point onwards, they work together to solve Laurie’s family mystery, and their romantic development feels both inevitable and earned.
The most fascinating character for me is Jules, Laurie’s older sister. She’s dependable, sensible (possibly to a fault), and meticulously tidy. She loves her work and loves her sister, often calming Laurie down when everything becomes too much. As the plot progresses and Laurie finds out more of the truth, Jules is there alongside her, equally horrified, but something doesn’t seem quite right. By the end of the novel, a new side of Jules is revealed, as well as an unsettling tragedy. The book approaches her complexities with nuance and empathy, as it does with many of the dark subjects of this book, which is a refreshing change from the gratuitous shock-value that many thrillers lean on.
Behind her Smile is full of twists and turns, cleverly leading you one way before sharply turning in the other direction. The ‘house of horrors’ feels almost Gothic at times, as do Laurie’s nightmares, but the truth behind this paranormal imagery is uncomfortably real. The plot dances between feeling like a cosy Christmas romcom and a dark thriller about drugs, rape, and child abuse. Whilst this was often emotional-whiplash and made me increasingly impatient for the next plot development, it succeeded in keeping my attention and investment in the characters. Finn and Laurie are funny and engaging, and their romance is threatened by the ominous main plot, so stakes are high. Further realism comes from fun details like therapy chickens, designer handbags, and a father’s obsessive golf habits, which gives the dark twists a sense of credibility; these horrors could really happen.
Ultimately, this was a thought-provoking and gut-wrenching read that gripped my attention from the beginning to the end.
Behind Her Smile is published by Bullington Press
Reviewed by Emma Lansdown