The Book of You

A psychological thriller by Claire Kendal, The Book of You (2015) is about a young woman who gets a few weeks’ relief from her workplace when she is selected for jury service, only to become embroiled in a violent court case that’s eerily similar to her own situation. Critics praise the book for its tight plotting and tense atmosphere. Kendal is a popular thriller and mystery writer who also works as a creative writing and English literature teacher. Kendal’s debut novel, The Book of You was a Sunday Times bestseller.

The book takes place in Bath, England. Thirty-eight-year-old Clarissa Bourne works in the English Department at Bath University. Her long-term partner, Henry, recently moved to Cambridge, and they split up before he left. She doesn’t have many friends because her whole life revolved around Henry and work. Her parents live miles away and she rarely sees them, so now her only confidant is her boss, Gary. More than anything, Clarissa wants to stop feeling so lonely and isolated.

One day, Gary introduces Clarissa to Rafe Solmes. An author and the newest member of the English department, he will work closely alongside Clarissa. Rafe seems a nice man, and so Clarissa is looking forward to working with him. Like Clarissa, he is quiet and studious, and he has good manners.



Rafe tells Clarissa all about his writing and his special passion which is fairy tales. He recently wrote a book exploring the meaning behind fairy tales, and it’s launching in a few days. He doesn’t know many people in Bath yet, and so he wonders if Clarissa would like to accompany him to the book launch. Although Clarissa doesn’t go out much, she wants to support her new friend, and she agrees to go with him. Clarissa doesn’t realize that Rafe thinks it’s a date, not a friendly meeting.

At the book launch, Clarissa stays at the back and waits for Rafe to finish signing his books. When it’s over, she thanks him for an enjoyable time, planning to head home alone. Rafe, on the other hand, invites her for a drink. She is too polite to say no and they have a few glasses of wine. The next thing Clarissa knows, Rafe’s in her apartment and one thing leads to another. When she wakes up the next morning, she instantly regrets her decisions the night before.

Rafe, however, had a great night. He plans to see much more of Clarissa. Although Clarissa rejects his advances, telling him she doesn’t want a relationship with him, he persists. He follows her around and he calls and texts her at all hours of the night. Clarissa is worried that she might have to report him to Gary, but she doesn’t want Gary to think that she led Rafe on.



Clarissa gets a break when she is called for jury service. She will be out of the office for at least a few weeks, depending on how complex the case gets. However, it is a horrible case to work on. Gang members kidnapped, raped, and tortured a young woman who worked for them. The defense claims she is a drug addict and a prostitute, and that she somehow deserved what happened to her. Unable to believe what she’s hearing, Clarissa is determined to fight in the girl’s corner.

Clarissa’s absence from work only makes Rafe behave more erratically. He shows up at her house and sends her countless gifts, begging her to pay him attention. He claims that they belong together, and she is worried that he will attack her. Clarissa doesn’t want to end up like the girl from the trial. She doesn’t want anyone blaming her for her own abuse.

Deciding that it is time to fight back, Clarissa records everything that Rafe does, from how many texts he sends her to how often he appears on her doorstep. The police, however, aren’t interested. They claim they can’t do anything unless Rafe becomes a serious physical threat. Clarissa realizes that she is on her own, and if she doesn’t fight for her own safety, no one will.



In the meantime, Clarissa develops a crush on her co-juror, Robert, a kind and charming fireman who seems to really like Clarissa. However, she doesn’t want to start a relationship while they’re both on jury duty. She also doesn’t want to provoke Rafe because she is worried that he will take his anger out on Robert.

Unfortunately, Robert only acts like a nice man. He is a liar and a cheat and he doesn’t care about Clarissa. While Clarissa sorts through her feelings for Robert, the police close in on Rafe. They finally have enough evidence to expose him as a dangerous psychopath. It turns out that Clarissa isn’t his first victim, but now she’s his last. Clarissa decides to put everything behind her and move on with her life.