27.7.21

BLOGTOUR, BOOK REVIEW - The Woman In The Water by Kelly Heard

 


                                                                 BOOK DESCRIPTION

How do I keep my family safe, when I don’t know why we’re in danger?

When I get the call, the promise I made to myself to never return to Brightwater is shattered in an instant. The police tell me that my sister Holly slipped and drowned near the old boardwalk, that she was found floating in the dark water of the lake. I am now all my little nieces have left and I need to come home right away, to care for them.

But I know Holly would never have gone out on the water by choice.

As I approach the sign to Brightwater, painful memories start to flood back—of former friends, of my first heartbreak, of dangerous secrets I’d rather forget. Because deep down I know Holly’s death wasn’t an accident. It was a warning. A warning directly aimed at me and those I care about.

I always thought it was just me and Holly who knew what happened all those years ago. But it is clear someone else knows. And they want to make us pay.

But what if the little girls are next? I know I have to protect them. But there are secrets out there in the water. And every one of them could tear our family apart…

Thirteen years had passed since Felicity had left her home town of Brightwater vowing never to return but now she has received a phone call informing her that her sister Holly was dead and that Felicity had been named as emergency guardian to her two nieces Tess and Frankie. There were many bad memories connected to the small town and the nearby swamp with its dilapidated boardwalk, dance hall, collapsing ferris wheel and the haunting legend of The Reverie Girls. Despite the sister's having been estranged for years and Felicity not wanting to take on the responsibility for the two young girls, she finds herself drawn back to the place where her life had gone so wrong all those years ago. 

After she learns the details of what happened to her sister, Felicity is convinced that Holly's death wasn't the accident that the police insist that it was and begins her own investigation 

But someone but happy about Felicity's search for answers, someone who has secrets that they don't want being uncovered and is prepared to do whatever it takes to stop the truth from being revealed.

The story is written entirely from the perspective of Felicity as we follow her journey home, her very often volatile interactions with her mother, her struggles to bond with twelve year old Tess, interactions with characters from past and her investigation into Holly's death. As well as this being a mystery/thriller, this is also a story about families and abandonment, Felicity, her mother, Tess and Frankie all felt abandoned by members of their families for different reasons. Felicity was a complex blend of emotions, there was a soft side to her character but wasn't afraid to stand up for herself and she also had a hard edge to her character, the reasons for which became more apparent as the story unfolded. It was heart warming witnessing the bond developing between Felicity and her two nieces despite her initial fears and reservations. The residents of Brightwater were a mixed bag of realistic, vivid individuals, some likeable,some not so likeable, could Felicity trust any of them when there was a deadly enemy hiding in plain sight?

interspersed throughout the main story was chapters that were set in the past and took the reader through the events that had fractured Felicity and Holly's relationship and caused her to leave town.

I loved the author's descriptions of some of the settings for this story, the eerie swamp with its snake like vines and hidden dangers within the water. The crumbling boardwalk and vegetation covered Ferris wheel that played a very large part in the intense and edge of your seat conclusion to the story. 

This is a extremely well written, captivating blend of family drama, mystery, thriller with a added dash of romance and a sprinkling of the supernatural. It's not a story that is is packed full of twists and turns but it does keep the reader guessing and glued to your kindle. To be honest, there was elements of the plot that I enjoyed more than others but overall,I thought this was a enthralling, entertaining read and I would happily read more of this author's books in the future.

                                                                       AUTHOR BIO


Kelly Heard is a novelist from Afton, Virginia. She published poetry in literary magazines before signing her debut novel, Before You Go, with Bookouture.

Kelly prefers writing to most other pastimes, but you'll occasionally find her in the garden, hiking, or exploring antique shops.

For more updates, follow Kelly on Twitter: @kheardbooks

Website: www.kellyheardbooks.com

Social Media


Pub Day: July 22nd 2021

Buy Links 


Amazon: https://geni.us/B093ZVNQFFcover

Apple: http://ow.ly/pCZO50EEcJw

Kobo: http://ow.ly/3m2Y50EEcGd

Google: http://ow.ly/dJfM50EF89J


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