One Step Behind
By Lauren North
Rated: 5 stars *****

Catch your breath before reading this fantastic, outstanding psychological thriller. It is on the edge of your seat, breath-taking writing from Lauren North.
I would like to thank Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to join this blog tour.
Find more about the author, the blurb and my review below.

About the Author

Lauren North writes psychological suspense novels that delve into the darker side of
relationships and families. She has a lifelong passion for writing, reading, and all things
books. Lauren’s love of psychological suspense has grown since childhood and from her
dark imagination of always wondering what’s the worst thing that could happen in every situation.
Lauren studied psychology before moving to London where she lived and
worked for many years. She now lives with her family in the Suffolk countryside. 
Readers can follow Lauren on Twitter @Lauren_C_North and Facebook @LaurenNorthAuthor

Blurb

Jenna is a wife, a mother, a doctor. She’s also the victim of a stalker.
Every time she leaves her house, she sees him. Disturbing gifts are left at her door. Cruel emails are sent to her colleagues. She has no idea who this man is but she feels powerless against him.
Until the day he is brought into her hospital after a serious accident, and Jenna is given he chance to find out once and for all why his man is tormenting her. Now, the power is all hers.
But how many lines is she willing to cross to take back control of her life?

Review

It begins on Wednesday 12th June with Dr. Jenna Lawson trying to cope with the whirlwind of life. That’s what it feels like from the first page, with her school-aged children, Beth and Archie.
The fear in Jenna is intense!
It’s a book that won’t leave as pages turn and words are read and the intensity is sustained.
Jenna is being stalked and the writing is of great calibre. It’s edgy, powerful and haunting.
Every single page is gripping. It’s edge of your seat inducing. Just remember to breath!

What makes this story quite unique is that it shows how stalking affects the rest of the family in parts too and does it well. It’s powerfully emotive and descriptive.

Readers meet Sophie. Throughout we see Sophie growing up, more or less as you’d expect and doing the things at each age, you would find an 8, 11, 13, 15 year old doing as she grows up, such as baking, playing board games, discovering music and discos, watching the latest trendy tv shows and social media. Matthew, we discover is far, far from following in his sister’s footsteps and has a darker and there is nothing ‘normal’ or ‘typical about him as his actions and behaviours have far reaching consequences as he spirals out of control.
Sophie however is also an intriguing character.

The scenes in the hospital where Jenna works are insightful, professional in manner and have a twist to them as she fights and holds her own to not let her stalker destroy her career as a doctor. It all shows strength of character.

All the while, Jenna’s stalker is watching and sending creepy emails; enough to make anyone shudder.

The book just grows in intensity right to the climatic finishing chapters.
From beginning to the end, this is a terrific psychological thriller.

The cover cannot go without a mention. It is as emotive and as powerful and leading as the story within.

Other Praise for the author:

A gripping psychological thriller that pulls the reader through the story at a terrific pace, not giving them a moment to draw
breath’ – Nikki Smith, author of All in Her Head
‘A really gripping rollercoaster of a read – I absolutely loved it, and read it in one sitting’ – Lisa Hall, author of Between You and Me
‘I absolutely adored this disturbingly twisty tale of stalking, obsession and control’ – Emma Curtis, author of The Night You Left
‘Twisty and addictive – I loved One Step Behind’ – Louise Beech, author of I Am Dust

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