BOOK DESCRIPTION
Meet Frankie Baxter. She's trying to make ends meet and keep the boat afloat for her three kids. She's harassed, sometimes impatient. but she's a
fabulous mum. So imagine her distress when Henry, her youngest child, goes missing ...
Henry returns safety accompanied by a stranger, Cora, a fairy godmother who starts to change the Baxter family's lives in the best of ways. So why
do things suddenly start going wrong? Is Cora fulfilling their dreams, or is she the start of a nightmare?
Funny, terrifying and a real page-turner, The Hoax puts a whole new slant on psychological thrillers
Friendships can be diverse, some are close and loyal,some can last for years, some can be short lived and some are simply just toxic. You can believe that someone is your friend but in reality they are stabbing you in the back at every opportunity and then suddenly they are ghosting you. And,as in this gripping thriller,there are friendships that are initiated for reasons that are known to only one side of the relationship,someone who has a plan to ruin the other person's life to fulfil their own personal agenda.
The vast majority of this chilling story is written from the duel perspectives of two diverse female characters Frankie and Cora. Frankie is a struggling single mother to three children Harry, Shannon and Johnny. Their small, two bedroom flat is cramped and untidy and their life is a chaotic battle from one day to the next. Life is hard but despite their struggles, there is a lot of love within the walls of their tiny home. Frankie adores her children and does everything in her power to keep them happy and safe. I really liked Frankie, yes, she had a bit of a short fuse but she was a very realistic individual who's life was blighted by the various issues that most parents face everyday whilst bringing up their children. Harry, Shannon and Johnny were also very realistic characters with their own individual character traits. Harry was cute and mischievous,Shannon was a typical, stroppy teenage girl and Johnny was a typical teenage boy who was the peace maker of the family and genuinely loved his mother. Cora lived on her own in a apartment that overlooked the park,she was a strange, lonely character with her flaming red hair and long, flowing yellow and green coat. But despite her strangeness, to Frankie,she was a angel because Cora had brought her precious son Harry home after he disappeared whilst the family were walking Dimwit the dog in the park. As the two women grow closer and Cora becomes a integral part of the family, it appears that Cora really is a guardian angel as the families lives suddenly change for the better. But, the reader knows that Cora isn't the nice person she appears to be, she has a hidden agenda,her own personal reasons for befriending Frankie and her family. Mistakes from the past have caught up with Frankie, mistakes that could result in her losing everything that she holds dear in the present.
Interspersed throughout the book was chapters that were set in the past and narrated the stories of Lettie and a unnamed little girl. Both girls had been abandoned in the care system for different reasons and had developed a close friendship. But as with a lot of friendships,as time passed,things changed and cracks began to appear in their relationship. Eventually circumstances caused them to go their separate ways and they both found themselves trapped in their own personal living nightmares. Little girl's story was particularly shocking and heart breaking. But how did these two characters stories fit into the events that were unfolding in the present.
The Hoax is a very well written, intricately plotted tale of friendships, families, deception and manipulation that had me hooked in and glued to my kindle from the first page. It's a captivating and at times chilling thriller which has a antagonist who appears so caring and friendly but also behaves in ways that chill you to the bone. It's not a story that's packed full of twists and turns but there was one mind blowing unexpected reveal that I most definitely didn't see coming. The characters were vivid, well rounded and believable and the story had a heart string pulling but realistic conclusion. I really,really enjoyed this gripping thriller and would happily read more of this author's books in the future. Very very highly recommended
Author Bio
Best known to audiences for five series of the BAFTA award-winning Channel 4 sitcom "Peep Show” and for two series of the BAFTA winning comedy “Him and Her” from BBC 3. He has enjoyed stints as regular characters in soaps “Hollyoaks”, “Coronation Street” “Doctors” is well known to viewers from a considerable volume of the television. Most recently appearances in series 2 of "The Crown", "Black Earth Rising", "Wolf Hall", "The Split”, "Holby", “ This Time with Alan Partridge” “Shakespeare and Hathaway” “Breeders”
He is currently well known and loved by thousands of sci fi fans for his role as “Mr Colchester – terminator in a cardigan”- the leader of the Torchwood team, in the Big Finish ‘Torchwood’ audio dramas.
He recently filmed “Danny Boy” for the BBC
He is the author of "So You Want to Be a Corporate Actor?" and "The Working Actor" and is a regular columnist and feature writer for The Stage.
He is patron of the children's literacy charity Grimm and Co (www.grimmandco.co.uk) based in Yorkshire for whom he has staged young authors live dramas and facilitated six independent films written by 9 – 11 year olds.
His first novel “The Punishment” met with great reviews when it was published in 2019.
“"I LOVED this book. It's funny, dark, sexy and sharp as a knife. A brilliant story with three intricately woven strands that keep you hooked all the way through. Definitely recommend!"
Social Media Links –
Claytoncast (Twitter) Claytoncastgram
Purchase Links -
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hoax-Paul-Clayton-ebook/dp/B08ZH9MB29/
US - https://www.amazon.com/Hoax-Paul-Clayton-ebook/dp/B08ZH9MB29/
Giveaway to Win 3 x paperback copy of The Hoax (Open to UK Only)
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