Everything Happens For A Reason by Katie Allen @KtAllenWriting @OrendaBooks #RandomTTours #JubilantJune #EveryThingHappensForAReason #BlogTour

Everything Happens For A Reason
by Katie Allen

Firstly I would like to thank Orenda Books and Random Things Tours for the copy of this heart-rendering and moving book. Find out in the blurb and my review about what I actually thought about this pretty unique debut book for this great blog tour.

Blurb

A beautiful, poignant and enchantingly funny debut,
inspired by journalist Katie Allen’s own experience of stillbirth and grief

Mum-to-be Rachel did everything right, but it all went wrong.
Her son, Luke, was stillborn and she finds herself on maternity leave without a baby, trying to make sense of her loss.
When a misguided well-wisher tells her that ‘everything happens for a reason’, she becomes obsessed with finding that reason, driven by grief and convinced that she is somehow to blame. She remembers that on the day she discovered her pregnancy, she’d stopped a man from jumping in front of a train, and she’s now
certain that saving his life cost her the life of her son.
Desperate to find him, she enlists an unlikely ally in Lola, an Underground worker, and Lola’s seven-year-old daughter, and eventually tracks him down, with completely unexpected results…
Both a heart-wrenching portrait of grief and a gloriously uplifting and disarmingly funny story of a young woman’s determination, Everything Happens for a Reason is a bittersweet, life-affirming and, quite simply, unforgettable read.

Review

Fairly uniquely, Everything Happens For A Reason, has no chapters as such and is instead, punctuated with emails from character to character. As much as it felt different to other books that do have chapters, the flow and movement through the book worked well, perhaps because of the timeline within the emails and instead of jarring, like it might do with chapters, in this rare instance, it gives it a stronger sense of a certain amount of reality. The book is a work of fiction but it is inspired by Katie Allen’s own experiences.

There is a strong belief of “Everything Happens For A Reason” is an interesting concept, that is used in a way to justify and perhaps come to terms with everything, is a theme that is carried throughout the book. Rachel even believes that meeting Lola was for a reason and both are interesting characters and there is the gradual uncovering of Ben Palmer, a guy she saved at Oval, when she was pregnant, months before her baby was stillborn. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, there’s no two ways about it. The grief and the trying to live life feels authentic and pierces through to your heart. On the other-hand it also talks truthfully about how there isn’t always the time to grieve. Most of the characters have their issues they are living with.

There are also moments to smile about. It’s is full of bittersweet moments, such as some thought given to baby groups, such as baby and rhyme (if you’re in Scotland its a little bit like Bookbug), and baby yoga etc.

I am glad that there are some funny moments. In some ways it lightens the book in a good way and in other ways, it is a brave decision to include it as some people don’t think you should find something funny, when grieving etc, but this shows life in every aspects from friendships to the politics of the day. There’s a particularly humorous analogy about a spider, for example. It shows life and grieving is not a straight line and life presents itself with unexpected moments and a web of people and situations. There’s some moments of pragmatism and others that has a bit of humour, but most of all it is emotional and an aura of it lingers round you after you’ve read it.

This is not a light read by any means, but it is some original storytelling, with a subject matter that is still almost taboo and uncomfortable for some people to talk about. It is a subject matter that is rare in books, if there at all. If you’re wanting something different and meaningful, this is your book.

ABOUT KATIE ALLEN

A beautiful, poignant and enchantingly funny debut, inspired by journalist Katie Allen’s own experience of stillbirth and grief.
Everything Happens for a Reason is Katie’s first novel. She used to be a journalist and columnist at the Guardian and Observer, and started her career as a Reuters correspondent in Berlin and London. The events in Everything Happens for a Reason are fiction, but the premise is loosely autobiographical. Katie’s son, Finn, was stillborn in 2010, and her character ’s experience of grief and being on maternity leave without a baby is based on her own. And yes, someone did say to her
‘Everything happens for a reason’.
Katie grew up in Warwickshire and now lives in South London with her husband,
children, dog, cat and stick insects. When she’s not writing or walking children and dogs, Katie loves baking, playing the piano, reading news and wishing she had written other people’s brilliant novels.

#BookReview by Lou – Love and Miss Harris by Peter Maughan @PeterMaughan5 @farragobooks @RandomTTours #ContemporaryFiction #Theatre #HistoricalFiction #Humour

Love And Miss Harris
By Peter Maughan

Love and Miss Harris is perfect for theatre-goers and everyone working in theatre productions. It is also perfect for people who enjoy Ealing Comedies and authors such as P.G. Wodehouse and Jerome K. Jerome and people who enjoy a good bit of capers and humour as the book captures a certain era so divinely. It’s a lot of theatrical fun! This is book 1 of what is becoming a series and I am looking forward to the second already. It’s a feel-good funny book.

Find out more in the blurb and review below. Thanks to Random Things Tours for inviting me to review and for Farrago Books for gifting me a copy of the book.

About the Author

Peter Maughan’s early career covered many trades, working on building sites, in wholesale markets, on fairground rides and in a circus. He studied at the Actor’s Workshop in London, and worked as an actor in the UK and Ireland, subsequently founding a fringe theatre in Barnes, London.
He is married and lives currently in Wales.

Blurb

Titus Llewellyn-Gwlynne, actor/manager of the Red Lion Theatre, has lost a backer who was going to fund a theatrical tour – when unexpected salvation appears.
Their home theatre in the East End of London having been bombed during the war, The Red Lion Touring Company embarks on a tour of Britain to take a play written by their new benefactress into the provinces.

This charming series transports the reader to a lost post-war world of touring rep theatre and once-grand people who have fallen on harder times, smoggy streets, and shared bonhomie over a steaming kettle.
The mood is whimsical, wistful, nostalgic, yet with danger and farce along the way.

Review

I love theatre and everything about it, ever since my mum introduced me to the theatre when I was a teenager, I’ve had a passion for them, so much so, that I even volunteered for just over a decade for a local theatre company, mostly doing front of house duties and occasionally backstage. So, when I was invited to review this book, I jumped at the chance and I think the timing is most apt as theatres and everyone has struggled to get by at this time and now they are starting, slowly but surely, and safely to re-open. This book instantly brings back the joy of theatre and also comedy. The fact it is The Company of Fools series, is in itself theatrical and Shakespearean in that subtitle, although the book itself is not Shakespearean, it’s thoughtful and adds fun and history right there and also cleverly alludes to the fun readers will have, as does that cover. This is worthwhile hopping onto that bus on the cover and enjoying the ride the book takes you on…

Titus, Reuben, Dolly, Jack are prominant characters within this theatrical cast, that instantly transports readers to rep theatre and with wonderful characterisation and observations are divine and everything comes to life. It is also nice that The Windmill Theatre gets a mention as it is pretty famous for rep theatre at this time.

The title of the book is more clever than you’d think. Love and Miss Harris is the title of a play that Lady Devonaire has written, or rather George, with this as his pseudonymn. The style of writing is quite theatrical in places, which is wonderful and it has a lot of charm. It’s easy to depict in your minds eye – The Red Lion Touring Company losing their theatre due to it being bombed and how they overcome it by jumping on a tour bus and travelling. It shows a certain ingenuity and resillience and admiration how theatre has had to overcome hard times to survive, a bit like today in a way…. So hop on the bus with them and enjoy the ride that is full of humour and get to know a little about the places they go to. That isn’t to say that things are all plain sailing, the company are suspicious of Jack and there’s financial issues to try to overcome. There are also interesting bits about war times too, in memories, that isn’t to say this is a book that jumps from one time frame to another, it isn’t as that wouldn’t have enhanced what is a perfectly good read as it is.

All in all, it is a thoroughly enjoyable book.

I have read the preview for the second in the series and I must say, it is sounding good.

This Is How We Are Human By Louise Beech @louisewriter @OrendaBooks #JubilantJune #BlogTour

This Is How We Are Human
By Louise Beech

Today I have a review of the emotionally poignant – This Is How We Are Human, that may spark some debate and plenty of talk in a book that is beautifully written and is somewhat uplifting too. The more I think about it, the more I think it is such a good and unique book. Find out more in the Blurb and my Review. Continue down to find out what inspired Louise Beech to write this story and a bit about her.
Thank you to Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the blog tour and for Orenda Books for gifting me the book

Blurb

Sebastian James Murphy is twenty years, six months and two days old. He loves swimming, fried eggs and Billy Ocean. Sebastian is autistic. And lonely. Veronica wants her son Sebastian to be happy, and she wants the world to accept him for who he is. She is also thinking about paying a professional to give him what he
desperately wants. Violetta is a high-class escort, who steps out into the night thinking only of money. Of her nursing degree. Paying for her dad’s care. Getting through the dark.
When these three lives collide, and intertwine in unexpected ways, everything changes. For everyone!

Both heartbreaking and heartwarming, This Is How We Are Human is a powerful, moving and thoughtful drama about a mother’s love for her son, about getting it wrong when we think
we know what’s best, about the lengths we go to care for family and to survive.

Review

I reckon, even though this is quite different in some aspects, but readers who were swept along with “The Curious Incident With The Dog In the Midnight”, may also find they are with “This Is How We Are Human”. Although different in that this is a man with ASD and the other was a boy with Aspergers, but I mention it because I have liked and totally appreciated both of these books.

Firstly, that cover is beautiful and as you read through the story, you’ll see it has some symbolism, including in the snowglobe, and emotion, in this deeply thoughtful book about subjects not often talked about.

Sebastian is Autistic and is now an adult with all the needs and desires of any other adult and a few extra. There is so much that parents who have children and adult offspring, will be able to relate to.
There’s a rawness about the story and sense of truth as it tells the story of a mother and son needing support and guidance for this next stage of life – adulthood.

It’s emotional and sometimes heartbreaking and a bit uplifting, but most of all, poignant and thought-provoking with some possible themes that may be controversial to some, but others would be open to debate, especially when it comes to Sebastian’s sexual desires and how they are handled. It’s a pretty unique book in the subject matter of an autistic adult who is suggestive and has desires like the majority of humans on the planet.

You can see the frustrations and the love coming from Veronica who is desperate to help her son and also the challenges and complexities that surround this. It is emotional and pretty hard-hitting and yet the love of the mother to her son is tender, yet desperate to help him understand relationships and his sexual desires, so hires people to assist.

Aside from Sebastian, there is Isabelle who goes by the name, Violetta, who is trying to be brave and deal with her seriously ill dad, as it shows how being a high class escort and her home/personal life sit very differently next to each other. It also shows how much she needs support and the money to pay for her nursing career. She then becomes linked to Sebastian and lives alter.

How We Are Human, is ultimately a powerful book, which shows lives that may be different from your own and how some things are almost so unimaginably complex and brings topics to the fore that aren’t heard about being discussed so much; if at all in the wider world, in a highly emotionally charged way, mixed with love, desire, lust, family relations. It is beautifully written, without shying away from the biggest of subjects. The book becomes so absorbing and emotionally poignant and ends in a way, perhaps not quite as expected, but better than expected.

Read the Author’s Note too in the book. I think it is important to as it will explain a little bit about ASD and a bit about a family who inspired Louise Beech to write this story.

Inspiration for This Is How We Are Human.

“Though This is How We Are Human is fiction, the premise was inspired by my friends, 20-year-old
Sean, who is autistic, and his mum Fiona. Fiona had spoken to me about how much Sean longed to
meet a girl and have sex. No one talks about this, she said – the difficulties navigating romance often faced by those on the spectrum. It ’s an issue that I wanted to explore. Fiona and Sean encouraged me and guided me through the book; Sean regularly consulted on dialogue, rightly insisting that his voice was heard, was strong, and was accurate. I cannot thank my extraordinary friends enough for their help and support.” Louise Beech

About The Author

Louise Beech is an exceptional literary talent, whose debut novel How To Be Brave was a Guardian Readers’ Choice for 2015. The follow-up, The Mountain in My Shoe was shortlisted for Not the Booker Prize. Both of her previous books Maria in the Moon and The Lion Tamer Who Lost were widely reviewed, critically acclaimed and number-one bestsellers on Kindle. The Lion Tamer Who Lost was shortlisted
for the RNA Most Popular Romantic Novel Award in 2019. Her 2019 novel Call Me Star Girl won Best magazine Book of the Year, and was followed by I Am Dust.

#Review by Lou of The Other Times of Caroline Tangent by Ivan D. Wainewright @IvanWainewright @RandomTTours #NewBook #Music #TimeTravel #ContemporaryFiction

The Other Times of Caroline Tangent
By Ivan D. Wainewright

Join Caroline and Jon Tangent in what is like a back catalogue or an Aladdin’s Cave of music festivals and gigs through the eras in this magnificently uplifting time-travelling book that is perfect for music lovers and people who love a great story alike. Gigs/Concerts, we’ve not been to them for quite awhile… The timing is perfect with so many gigs postponed and there are glimmers of light just starting to shine on them again. From the start with all the excitement and music to the trepidation of what can happen when choices in the past are made and change, this book is thought-provoking, entertaining and a page-turner.

Find out more in the blurb and the rest of my thoughts in my review below.
Thanks to RandomTTours for inviting me to review and for Ivan D. Wainewright for sending a copy of the book.

Blurb

If you could travel back in time to see any concert, who would you go to see?

Caroline Tangent’s husband, Jon has invented a time machine so they can visit iconic gigs in history: Woodstock, David Bowie, Edith Piaf in 1930’s Paris – an inexhaustible bucket-list.

But they can’t tell anyone they’re doing so.

As their trips to the past continue, they begin to realise how it could change a devastating moment from their own past.

But for Caroline, it’s clear they don’t want the same outcome.

Until, on one trip, one of them does something unthinkable which will change both their lives forever.

The Other Times of Caroline Tangent is a time travel book set in the ‘real world’. It’s as much about the decisions we make – or don’t make – in our relationships as it is about time travel.

For fans of Matt Haig, Claire North, Kate Mascarenhas, Audrey Niffenegger – or anyone who likes time travel or music!

Review

For a moment, it’s Paris, 1935 and then…. whoosh! Readers are in London, 2021 and meeting Caroline and Jon Tangent, who are the most avid music fans and collectors ever! Music of all sorts of genres and from all sorts of eras from Edith Piaf to The Beatles to Amy Winehouse to KT Tunstall and everyone inbetween, oozes from this book and it is pretty exciting! The back of the book, and the lovely bookmark poses a question: “If you could travel back in time to see any concert, who would you go to see?” Excitingly thought provoking isn’t it? Music and a passion for it simply oozes from this book. It could easily have a sound track to it as readers then slip into huge gigs and festivals. The back of the book has an impressive gig list of where Jon and Caroline go. At a time when people haven’t been able to go to Glastonbury or any gigs for so long, and as there is hope of them restarting, the timing of this book is absolutely perfect! The book takes readers into a back catalogue of time and music and all the stars of certain eras and iconic venues, such as The Cavern Club.
There are so many music artists that everyone (or at least most people) will have heard of all or most of. The excitement and happy vibe is infectious as you read as they forefill life-long dreams, until a moment of trepidation happens as suddenly, they can’t get back home from one of their trips as they’ve lost the time-travelling pen, which allows this. This sparks a totally awesome encounter with a band! That moment of trepidation becomes something bigger and spirals as history starts to change.

Amongst all the jovial fun of time-travel and music, is the harshness of reality of life, with illness in Veronica, Jon’s sister-in-law and yet with it comes a sense of positivity with talk of Jon’s inventions and humour prevails, at least for awhile…
There are also encounters with people in other parts that make the pair more appreciative of the things 2021 Britain has, such as the NHS as their eyes open to other people’s lives. As much as there is much fun, there are thought-provoking parts of discovery too. It is quite a twisty book as social issues and crimes arise and come to the fore as the music scenes fade a bit more into the background. There are also uncertainties as certain choices are made in the past and how things, things are seen that can make or break lives, how things change and what starts off as quite ordinary becomes extraordinary and outcomes can become quite different from what you might expect with concern of the butterfly effect.

From the start with all the excitement and music to the trepidation of what can happen when choices in the past are made and change, this book is thought-provoking, entertaining and a page-turner.

BOTH – Books On The Hill have a new Kickstarter for adult genre books targeted for readers with dyslexia more details here #OpenDyslexia @RandomTTours

BOTH – Books on the Hill

Today is my turn on a very different and very exciting blog tour. This is a terrific sounding Kickstarter that makes excellent books accessible, especially for those with dyslexia. Please do read on to find out more about this and the books; and then why not delve into the link to their website and discover even more for yourself…
Find out a little more about the books too, after discovering what the Open Dyslexia Kickstarter Project is.

Our Kickstarter Starts April 2nd 2021
Making exciting good quality fiction accessible to a minority group currently not provided for by today’s UK traditional mass book market and providing a new tool for booksellers to use in their drive to increase diversity and inclusion.

It is estimated by the NHS that 1 in 10 readers in the UK have dyslexia; this is a learning difference that primarily affects reading and writing skills. It does not anyone from achieving. Books On The Hill has been always passionate about helping people who have dyslexia, or any difficulty with reading, to access the joy of good fiction. These days many publishers are making a lot of effort to have high quality books available for children with dyslexia but there has been a gap in the market for books targeted towards adults.

Who Are We Working With
We have been so fortunate that many great authors have agreed to contribute to this project. All are brilliant authors and are names I am sure you will recognise.

Stan Nicholls, who has been a great support to me particularly with my PhD. He is the author of many novels and short stories but is best known for the internationally acclaimed Orcs: First Blood series.
Steven Savile, the fantasy, horror and thriller writer, now lives in Stockholm whose father is a customer of our bookshop.
The horror duo that is Thana Niveau and John Llewellyn Probert, both well established and engaging authors and also residents of Clevedon.
Adrian Tchaikovsky is an Arthur Clark Award winner and best known for his series Shadows of the Apt, and for his novel Children of Time.
Steven Poore is the highly acclaimed fantasy writer who I first met on my first fantasy convention in Scarborough.
We finish the Magnificent Seven with Joel Cornah, who also has dyslexia, and with whom I participated in a podcast on dyslexia for the Clevedon Literature 2020 ‘Festival in the Clouds’.

How To Get involved
We are launching a Kickstarter beginning in April 2nd 2021 for 30 days, with the focus on paying for the printing of our books and giving us starting capital to continue to print more titles.
There will be many ways you can be involved in this. You can contribute on the Kickstarter website itself There will be a number of different options of donating money, in which you will receive rewards, such as ebooks of a title or a paperback of one or more of the titles to be published. In addition a unique reward from authors who are contributing to the project.
You can still contribute outside the kickstarter. We are happy to receive your help in the shop, where we will have a donation box available.

The Project
Books on the Hill is passionate about helping people who have dyslexia, or have any difficulty with reading, to access the joy of good fiction. There are great books out now for children with dyslexia, with specialist publishers like Barrington Stokes and mainstream publishers such as Bloomsbury doing their part. However, there are sadly very few books for adults with Dyslexia in traditional mass market publishing.
Dyslexia is a learning difference that primarily affects reading and writing skills. The NHS estimates that up to 1 in every 10 people in the UK have some form of dyslexia, while other dyslexic organisations believe 1 in 5 and more than 2 million people in the UK are severely affected.
Dyslexia does not stop someone from achieving. There are many individuals who are successful and are dyslexic. Famous actors, such as Orlando Bloom; Entrepreneurs like Theo Paphitis, and many, many more, including myself. All of who believe dyslexia has helped them to be where they are now. Dyslexia, though, as I can attest to, does not go away. You don’t grow out of it, and so we are acknowledging that and trying to without being patronising, create a selection of books that will be friendly to people who deal with dyslexia every day.
Since we started the project in 2019, Books on the Hill have had many adults customers with dyslexia come in shop the asking for something accessible to read. For example, one customer asked if we stocked well known novels in a dyslexic friendly format. Unfortunately we had to say no, as they just don’t exist. We explained what we are trying to achieve by printing our own and she replied:
“I have been reading [children dyslexic] books but they are a bit childish so am really happy I have found your company!! Thanks so much again and thank you for making such a helpful and inclusive brand – it means a lot. “
This response is not isolated. We have had many adults come in to the shop with dyslexia, who do not read or struggle to read and they they believe dyslexic friendly books would have real impact on their reading for pleasure.

The Team
Books on the Hill is Alistair Sims. He is the manager and commander-in-chief of the bookshop (though his partner, Chloe and his mother, Joanne, who set up the bookshop with him, may disagree with this description ). Alistair is dyslexic and has a PhD in history and archaeology. Alistair could not read until he was 13 and is passionate about helping anyone who has difficulty reading. He is the driving force behind BOTH Press and has been involved in every step in this project, from finding award winning authors to contribute, the cover design, and the road to publication, including setting up for distribution.
Books on the Hill are collaborating with Chrissey Harrison, who is also an local author and member of North Bristol Writers Group. Chressey and Alistair have designed the book-covers together, with Chrissey creating the finished product we now look on at awe with. Nearly all the design work has been done by Chrissey, and she is also in charge of the printing process, typesetting. We are so proud and appreciative to be working with her.
Special mention must go to Harrison Gates, who runs Nine Worthy, and who has dedicated his time and expertise to produce our print catalogue for us free of cost.
Joanne Hall is an author, editor and formerly the Chair of BristolCon, Bristol’s premier (and only) science fiction and fantasy convention. We must give a huge thank you to Jo for proof reading the stories free of cost.
Vicky Brewster has edited all the new stories by the authors. She specialises in editing and beta reading long-form fiction. Vicky is a great professional editor.

Discover more about this brilliant reading initiative at Books On The Hill

More About The Books

Anchor Point by Stan Nicholls

Kye Beven us lacking confidence, and is ruthlessly bullied. Everyone except Dyan Varike, the best archer in the land, believes he is not good enough for the community’s defence. When Kye’s village is menaced by a despotic sorcerer, he reaches for his bow and steps up to the mark…

The Clockwork Eyeball by Steven Poore

In an alternate 1958 Marrakesh, the cold war continues with airships, clockwork cards and deadly spywasps, Young Saif risks his life to bring a defecting Russian agent out of the country,

The Breath by Joel Cornah

The scientist Hala travels to a lost planet civilisation and find it seemingly empty. The old gods of the world may be stirring in the very air she breathes as she searches for answers.

Sherlock Holmes and the Four Kings of Sweden by Steven Savile

Summoned by Swedeish Royalty, The Great Detective must solve a seemingly unsolvable riddle – how can the king be in three plaes at once? What devilry is it that has thousands of eye witnesses placing the monarch at cities a thousand miles apart? Witchcraft? Sorcery? Why? And how does this tie into a string of crimes that seem to hound the King’s footsteps.

The House of the Old by Adrian Tchaikovsky

A collection of desperate investigators are unleashed on a mysterious disappearance, by a lawyer working for clients who care little about the quarry’s fate and more for their own interests.

At Midnight I Will Steal by John Llewellyn Probert

A visitor to a pyschiatric institution gets moe than she bargained for when it becomes apparent the building she finds herself in as a primsoner, doesn;t want her to leave

Ultrasound Shadow by Thana Niveau

A pregnant woman finds herself at the mercy of an unborn baby. Its strange dark presence directs her thoughts and controls her mind and body.

#BookReview by Lou – The Imposter by Anna Wharton @whartonswords @MantleBooks @panmacmillan @RKbookpublicist @RandomTTours #TheImposter #Thriller #PsychologicalThriller

The Imposter
By Anna Wharton

Highly emotional, either experienced in at least part or very well-researched, The Imposter tells the story of Chloe and how she handles her nan who has Alzheimers and her job of newspaper archivist and the newsprint cuttings she discovers of a missing girl from years ago and how involved she gets with her parents. It’s compelling to the end with secrets to unravel… Please find more in the blurb and my full review below…
Published 1st April.

About the Author

ANNA WHARTON has been a print and broadcast journalist for more than twenty years, writing for newspapers including The Times, Guardian, Sunday Times Magazine, Grazia and Red. She was formally an executive editor at The Daily Mail. Anna has ghostwritten four memoirs including the Sunday Times bestseller Somebody I Used To Know and
Orwell Prize longlisted CUT: One Woman’s Fight Against FGM in Britain Today. The Imposter is her first novel.

Blurb

A girl who went missing. A family who never gave up. A lonely young woman who only wanted to help . . .
Anna Wharton’s fiction debut, The Imposter, is a gripping story of obsession, loneliness and the lies we tell ourselves in order to live with ourselves . . .
Chloe lives a quiet life. Working as a newspaper archivist in the day and taking care of her Nan in the evening, she’s happy simply to read about the lives of others as she files away the news clippings from the safety of her desk.
But there’s one story that she can’t stop thinking about. The case of Angie Kyle – a girl, Chloe’s age, who went missing as a child. A girl whose parents never gave up hope.
When Chloe’s Nan gets moved into a nursing home, leaving Chloe on the brink of homelessness, she
takes a desperate step: answering an ad to be a lodger in the missing girl’s family home. It could be the
perfect opportunity to get closer to the story she’s read so much about. But it’s not long until she
realizes this couple aren’t all they seem from the outside . . .
But with everyone in the house hiding something, the question is – whose secrets are the most
dangerous?

Review

Chloe has work at the newspaper and her nan who has Alzheimers on her mind. It’s a tough gig as her nan’s care needs to move on a pace and the house to be sold. Having been there, done that, I can relate to this part of what Chloe is going through and I am sure many other readers will be able to as well.

Everyone’s worst nightmare would for their nan to disappear. Chloe’s nan, Grace Hudson goes missing in a cemetery, creating the upmost heart-rendering scenes and at work, to try and keep herself busy as the police investigate, but to compound matters further, her nan is brought even more to the forefront of her mind as she finds a newspaper cutting about a woman called Angie who had gone missing; but her friend, Hollie tries to provide some comfort, until she is found. It signals a real need for extra care and Park House Care Home appears to be the chosen place to do it. These scenes, the emotions, the environment, the behaviours from her nan of her drifting off and back again as photos are shows, and the things that she doesn’t often wear, are keenly observed and accurate, either by experiencing it all to some degree or another, or incredibly well-researched.

Chloe then gives herself time to work on the intriguing newspaper cutting in the archives, of the mysterious disappearance of Angel and how heartbroken her parents – Patrick and Maureen Kyle were and discovers more newspaper cuttings about a vigil and more and ends up plunging into investigative work herself as she reads how she wasn’t found. It observes grief and how everyone grieves differently, but also how hard and isn’t always understood compassionately by another who is different from you. I think there’s a lot that readers will be able to relate to in terms of loss and a sense of wanting to belong and a desire to reach the truth by character and reader really pierces through in the book as the secrets start to emerge.

It’s an all involving read that goes a quite a pace with some spine-chilling, evocative parts within it, especially in those final chapters, but ultimately it’s a story of one of the saddest books I’ve ever read, but a book that is a page-turner and one that I do think people will really like for all that is within it that compells the story always onwards.