BOOK DESCRIPTION
A little girl has been left for dead. And now my husband is missing.
‘I can give you a lift home,’ the man says. Little Alice tightens the zip of her big red coat. She’s unsure, but the walk will be cold and dark. ‘I’m not supposed to get in a stranger’s car.’ He forces a smile. ‘I’m not a proper stranger, am I?’
I return home to our beautiful house on a chilly winter evening expecting to find my handsome husband Richard waiting for me by the fire. We’re still so in love, and he always takes care of me: buying us this home in the little village where he grew up, making sure I settled in and made friends, and treating my teenage daughter like his own. There’s a bit of gossip about our age gap, but the death of his first wife years ago was so tragic that he still gets sympathetic looks. Everyone loves Richard.
He usually comes straight back from work. But tonight, our antique clock ticks on through the dark evening, with no sign of him. Then a knock at the door shatters my perfect life. A 12-year-old-girl, Alice from the village, has been found unconscious in the field behind our house. They say she was last seen getting into Richard’s car.
Now rumours are flying. As Alice fights for her life in hospital, nobody will speak to me: and when they do it’s to ask if he didn’t hurt Alice, why hasn’t Richard come home?
I know that revealing my own darkest secret about Richard’s first wife could prove his innocence… but even if I do, he’s still missing. Is everyone right, and is my husband on the run? And will telling the truth about my past turn my own daughter against me, and tear our lives apart for good?
‘I can give you a lift home,’ the man says. Little Alice tightens the zip of her big red coat. She’s unsure, but the walk will be cold and dark. ‘I’m not supposed to get in a stranger’s car.’ He forces a smile. ‘I’m not a proper stranger, am I?’
I return home to our beautiful house on a chilly winter evening expecting to find my handsome husband Richard waiting for me by the fire. We’re still so in love, and he always takes care of me: buying us this home in the little village where he grew up, making sure I settled in and made friends, and treating my teenage daughter like his own. There’s a bit of gossip about our age gap, but the death of his first wife years ago was so tragic that he still gets sympathetic looks. Everyone loves Richard.
He usually comes straight back from work. But tonight, our antique clock ticks on through the dark evening, with no sign of him. Then a knock at the door shatters my perfect life. A 12-year-old-girl, Alice from the village, has been found unconscious in the field behind our house. They say she was last seen getting into Richard’s car.
Now rumours are flying. As Alice fights for her life in hospital, nobody will speak to me: and when they do it’s to ask if he didn’t hurt Alice, why hasn’t Richard come home?
I know that revealing my own darkest secret about Richard’s first wife could prove his innocence… but even if I do, he’s still missing. Is everyone right, and is my husband on the run? And will telling the truth about my past turn my own daughter against me, and tear our lives apart for good?
A place full of small minded people who are swift to pass judgement, ostracise others and follow and obey Harriet like mindless lemmings. Maddy, our main character of this gripping thriller has never felt truly accepted by the residents of the Leavesfield. She has felt like a misfit since she moved into the house,situated on the outskirts of the village that she shares with her husband Richard. So she's not that surprised or overly bothered when she finds herself ostracised once the news spreads around the village that twelve year old Alice was seen getting into Richard's car on the evening that she was attacked. Maddy steadfastly refused to listen to any of the gossip and rumours, she ignores the glares and whispering and decides to stand by her husband and uncover the truth behind his disappearance. Because Maddy knows,from past experience that things are not always what they appear to be, mistakes can be made that have devastating repercussions and that unfortunately, sometimes the saying innocent until proven guilty is just a bunch of meaningless words. But once she starts digging into Richard's movements on the day of the attack, she discovers that he had been lying to her and the more she digs the more she discovers that Richard was not the man she thought he was. Could her husband have actually been the perpetrator of the attack on young Alice? I really liked Maddy, I thought she was a fantastic, realistic character who had a ingrained sense of loyality, was feisty, determined and had a wicked, witty sense of humour. Some of her observations and comments about the village and it's residents were really funny.
"When it comes to this place, if it's not on Facebook, then it didn't happen. In the event of a nuclear apocalypse, then no one will believe it unless a friend has taken a thumbs-up selfie in front of a mushroom cloud" 😂😂😂😂
She also had a vulnerable side to her character and harboured a desire to be accepted by her fellow villagers. I think most of us have felt the same way at some point during our lives wether it was when we started a new school,new job or moved to a new area. I thought that her interactions with her outspoken teenage daughter Kylie were very realistic and I also enjoyed her interactions with Detective inspector Brian Dini who was also one of my favourite characters. The other characters were a mixed bunch of diverse, vivid individuals and personalities, many of whom were harbouring secrets, some of their lives were not what they appeared on the surface, some were likeable and some were not so likeable.
Interspersed throughout the book was chapters that took the reader back in time and through events in Maddy's life from the age of ten until she was sixteen years old. Events that gave the reader a understanding into her loyalty and determination as a adult.
As with all of Kerri Wilkinson's brilliant books, this is a very well written, captivating thriller that hooks the reader in from the first page, keeps you guessing and glued to your kindle. I love this very talented author's thrillers and this one was no exception. A very enjoyable read and very very highly recommended
Author Bio:
Kerry Wilkinson has had No.1 crime bestsellers in the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Singapore. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States. His book, Ten Birthdays, won the RNA award for Young Adult Novel of the Year in 2018 and Close To You won the International Thriller Award for best ebook in 2020.
As well as his million-selling Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written the Silver Blackthorn trilogy - a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults - a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.
Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry spent way too long living in the north of England, picking up words like 'barm' and 'ginnel'.
When he's short of ideas, he rides his bike, hikes up something, or bakes cakes. When he's not, he writes it all down.
Recent and upcoming UK releases:
The Child Across The Street: 23 July 2020
What My Husband Did: 17 Nov 2020
Find out more at:
As well as his million-selling Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written the Silver Blackthorn trilogy - a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults - a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.
Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry spent way too long living in the north of England, picking up words like 'barm' and 'ginnel'.
When he's short of ideas, he rides his bike, hikes up something, or bakes cakes. When he's not, he writes it all down.
Recent and upcoming UK releases:
The Child Across The Street: 23 July 2020
What My Husband Did: 17 Nov 2020
Find out more at:
PUBLICATION DATE: 17th November 2020
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3n1Zal6
Apple: https://apple.co/3lffwGy
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3eIqAtj
Google: https://bit.ly/2GO6K3C
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