In Sweetpea by C.J. Skuse, the main character, Rhiannon, is a 27-year-old editorial assistant with a unique personality that the author reveals in a striking way. Instead of using common methods like her music taste or her outfit, Skuse takes a different route by presenting a graphic description early on that hammers home Rhiannon’s character. During a New Year’s Eve dinner with her self-centred friends and her live-in boyfriend, Craig, Rhiannon’s disturbing actions steal the spotlight. She coldly describes sawing off a man’s member with a steak knife and then pushing him into a canal to bleed out.
These unsettling moments are meant to challenge readers’ expectations, setting the tone for a dark horror comedy that makes Rhiannon’s personality stand out in a way that few other novels can manage. Through these brief examples and a vivid portrayal of her dynamic with those around her. Skuse cleverly establishes Rhiannon as the unpredictable force of the novel, completely flipping the typical romance narrative and giving us something refreshingly dark and bold.
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Unveiling the Dark World of Sweetpea
In Sweetpea, C.J. Skuse pulls you into a chaotic and insane narrative where the protagonist, Rhiannon, takes the spotlight as a serial killer who’s driven by the thrill of the kill rather than any sense of justice-serving righteousness. Unlike your typical vigilante, Rhiannon’s actions are not about righting wrongs but simply about satisfying her own twisted desires. The story begins when a drunken creep attempts to sexually assault her, and though his fate might seem deserved.
It quickly becomes apparent that Rhiannon’s judgment is unpredictable and dangerous. As the first novel in the Sweetpea series unfolds, you’ll quickly discover that she’s not the heroine we expected. Instead, her actions make for a gory, batshit-fucking-crazy ride that leaves you both appalled and captivated. The novel is a blast for anyone who enjoys gory, darkly humorous reads that defy conventional storytelling.
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Rhiannon’s Double Life
Rhiannon, the average girl next door, seems to live a simple life with her boyfriend and a little dog. But beneath her normal existence, she hides a killer secret that dates back to her childhood, where she was haunted by a famous crime. Though her celebrity status has dwindled, the past still shadows her every move. By day, she works as an editorial assistant, a job that feels demeaning and unsatisfying.
Her evenings, however, are a different story. As she listens to her friends talk about their plans for marriage and babies, Rhiannon secretly creates her own list. It’s not a list of hopes and dreams, but a kill list. No matter whether it’s the man at the grocery checkout. Who mishandles her apples or the driver who cuts her off on the way to work. Rhiannon keeps track of those who have wronged her. Ready to exact revenge on the people who, in her mind, deserve it.
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The Sharp Edge of Rhiannon’s Inner Monologue
In Sweetpea, Rhiannon’s inner thoughts come across as sharp and cutting, almost like a butcher knife. The pitch-black humor in her reflections is the heart of the book, revealing a side of her that’s brutally honest and unforgiving. She feels an exquisite privilege in witnessing people’s downfall, even admitting that causing someone’s death is almost worth getting dolled up for. If you’ve read Joanna Wallace’s You’d Look Better as a Ghost. You’ll notice how Rhiannon reminds you of a twisted, darker version of its protagonist. Her character is a complex blend of murderous and psychopathic, much like Fleabag. But with a deeper sense of childhood trauma. This trauma drives her, forming part of what fuels her thoughts on true crime. As she envisions herself as part of the “industrial complex” of twisted tales that could dominate the next decade.
“As you move through the book, you’ll find yourself laughing at Rhiannon’s crass frankness and shocking audacity as she navigates her life in a small English town. Her internal commentary on her condescending coworkers and the kleptomaniac behavior of her neighbor is unsettling, yet strangely entertaining. Her fantasy of brutally murdering those around her. Even for minor slights, it highlights how deeply she’s affected by deep betrayal and infidelity. This mix of dark humor and unsettling violence makes Sweetpea a standout, leaving you to question just how far you’d go to take revenge for personal wrongs.”
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The Tragedy Rhiannon Endures as a Child
The tragedy that Rhiannon faces as a small child is truly heartbreaking. The events that unfold in her early life leave her a charred and empty version of who she might’ve been. Her past is so horrific that she becomes a deranged husk of the person she once was—something that, while hard to read, feels understandable given the circumstances. As the origin story of Rhiannon is gradually unveiled. The layers of her painful history are revealed slowly, showing us the true extent of her suffering. Her complex relationship with her late father adds another layer to the mystery, making her transformation even more tragic. I personally liked how the elements of her backstory framed her character.
Rather than simply seeing her as a rage-driven killing machine. She is instead portrayed as a sympathetic anti-hero, which adds depth to the story. However, by the second half of the book, she begins to morph into something less relatable, as the darkness inside her starts to take over.
A Twisted Ride Through Madness
In Sweetpea, C.J. Skuse introduces us to Rhiannon, a character whose reckless actions spiral into madness as the story progresses. What starts as entertaining and darkly amusing soon takes a turn when her behavior grows more brashly murderous and, at times, downright stupid. As Rhiannon’s journey flies further off the rails, I found myself rooting for her unhinged exploits, though there were moments when I couldn’t help but feel praying she’d get caught — just to put me out of my suffering. The plot is filled with twisted humor and wild moments that drop your jaw in shock. Funny one minute and murderous the next, the book is a Kindle Unlimited gem that keeps you hooked.
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However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Rhiannon’s character development is not without its flaws. The tension between her chaotic actions and the escalating stakes sometimes leads the story into stupid territory. That said, I won’t be picking up the sequel, In Bloom. But I’m curious about the TV adaptation on Starz. With Ella Purnell playing Rhiannon, it seems like the show might have sanded down some of the book’s rougheredges, making it a little more palatable for the screen. The book’s murderous charm might not have made it to my top list, but it certainly left a lasting impression. Follow Quillreading for more books.
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