BOOK SYNOPSIS
A forest of secrets
Two bodies are found buried in a Highland forest, a place that haunts the dreams of Kate Sharp. Her mother, Ellen, died when Kate was a child. Does the forest hold the secret to her death?
A secret journal
Kate discovers her mother’s journal, and the tale of a tragic unravelling begins to unfold. Ellen’s story is one of fear and hope, love and loss, set against the imposing background of Craig Dunain, a psychiatric hospital where she should have been safe.
Unravelling the truth
Someone else from Ellen’s past is searching for answers, and he will stop at nothing to find them. Unaware of the danger stalking her, Kate continues her search. Will she find the answers? And can she save her own life?
Beautifully written, cleverly plotted, and meticulously researched, Unravelling is a captivating tale of family secrets.
This enthralling tale of troubled minds, deception, families, lies, manipulation and hidden secrets is written in three parts. The first part is written from the alternating perspectives of Kate and two men called Daniel and Jamie. The middle section is written from the perspectives of Kate's mother Ellen and starting from when she was fifteen took the reader through the events which led to up to the night that changed her life forever.We were given insights into her thoughts about her parents, then taken through the birth of her beloved daughter and the time Ellen spent in Craig Dunain psychiatric hospital and the events leading up to her death.The intense concluding part of the story in which the hidden truths and betrayals from the past are finally revealed is written from the perspectives of Kate and Jamie.
Kate worked in a care home inhabited by a number of realistic characters including a new arrival called Lucille who insisted on referring to Kate as the princess. Kate's best friend at the home was her work colleague Stefan who was Polish and quite often made humorous mistakes whenever he got his words muddled up. I really liked Stefan and loved the interactions between the two characters. Kate's only known relative was her Gran who had taken care of Kate since she was a young girl, it was while Kate was sorting out her gran's possessions after her tragic death that she stumbled across her Mother Ellen's journal. Kate's gran had always did everything in her power to avoid talking about Ellen and the discovery of a dark secret within the pages of the journal compels Kate to try and learn more about her mother's troubled hidden past.
But unbeknownst to Kate,she is being watched by a individual who is terrified that the secrets of the past are going to be revealed, someone who is certain that Kate has something in her possession which was rightfully his and is determined to get the object back. This person was clever and manipulative and was prepared to do everything in his power to get his hands on the item in question.was
The parts of the story which were set in the psychiatric hospital had a authentic vibe to them and it was obvious that the author had carried out a vast amount of research into her subject matter. When you think about it, there is not really a vast amount of difference between a care home and a psychiatric hospital, they are both inhabited by individuals whose minds have caused them to become incapable of taking care of themselves. One of the main differences being that some patients who find themselves in need of psychiatric care can get better with the correct treatment whereas scientists are still unable to uncover a cure for dementia. As someone who suffers from mental health issues, I found it easy to relate to Ellen's fluctuating thoughts and mood swings, how one minute everything in her life was going well and then the next your brain feels like it's packed full of cotton wool and you are walking around with a dark cloud floating above your head. How your thoughts can do easily be overrun with feelings of paranoia, self doubt and mistrust of the people who genuinely care about your wellbeing. The characters who appeared throughout these parts of the story were a eclectic mix of vivid individuals, some who were more trustworthy and likeable than others
The scenery around the hospital was beautifully and vividly described, the beauty and majesty of the trees in the forest with the wind rustling the branches and leaves. The stark contrast between the beauty of mother nature and the darkness of the nature of some of the characters who walked within the walls of the old hospital and the evil acts that man can inflict on their fellow human beings.
unravelling is a mesmerising story that pulled the reader in with a chilling prologue, the author's words flow with ease as her story unfolds before your captivated eyes. It's beautifully descriptive cleverly plotted with a cast of characters who are authentic and believable. There are some clever twists scattered throughout the book and the story has a intense edge of your seat conclusion. The plot covers some sensitive and realistic subject matter and the author had written those parts of her story with care and understanding. I thought this was a very well written,enjoyable read. Very highly recommended by little old me.
AUTHOR INFO
Crime fiction was not what lawyer, Helen Forbes, expected to write. As a single parent and mature law student, she used her limited spare time to write contemporary and historical fiction . It was a chance remark at a writing club that led her to develop a short story into her debut crime novel, In the Shadow of the Hill, featuring DS Joe Galbraith. The novel is set in the Scottish Highlands and Islands , and it was described in one newspaper review as having ‘more twists and turns than the road to the isles, making it impossible to put down.’ The novel and characters proved popular with readers, leading to the publication of a second book in the DS Joe Galbraith series. Madness Lies is set in Inverness and North Uist. Helen has now taken to crime with a passion, and has published two psychological thrillers. Unravelling is set in Inverness, against the background of a former psychiatric hospital. Deception is set in Edinburgh, and tackles the themes of domestic violence, prostitution and trafficking. Helen has also completed a further thriller set in Edinburgh, which she hopes to publish in 2022 . Queen of Grime’s main character is a crime and trauma scene cleaner with a big secret. It is gritty and dark, but also funny and uplifting. Helen hopes to expand Queen of Grime into a series.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Helen-Forbes-Author-457783327732599
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/foreva48
Website: https://www.helenforbes.co.uk/
PURCHASE LINKS...
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unravelling-gripping-tale-secrets-murder-ebook/dp/B099NCT6ZM
US: https://www.amazon.com/Unravelling-gripping-tale-secrets-murder-ebook/dp/B099NCT6ZM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
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Fabulous review, thank you. I'm so pleased you enjoyed it :-)
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