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I feel I have been waiting far too long to share this heartrendingly brilliant book with you.
Book Description:
When Natalie snoops through her boyfriend Mark’s possessions she finds more than she bargained for. Mark was once convicted of a brutal killing. Heartbroken by what she has discovered, Natalie’s dreams of a future with him collapse.
However, Mark was not the only person sentenced for the murder of two-year-old Abby Morgan. His former friend, the violent and twisted Adam Campbell, was also convicted and Adam knows more about the murder than he will admit.
When circumstances thrust Mark back in contact with Adam, the past comes back to haunt him. Can Mark ever break free from Adam? Will the truth ever come out?
My Review
I absolutely love this book. It is not an easy read and raises issues that makes the reader think again. The characters are realistic and develop gradually throughout the book into their Adult versions. The story is heartrendingly brilliant. There are twists and turns and unexpected events that build on the intrigue and suspense to such a level that you just keep turning page after page. It is an excellent book from a brilliant author.
Joshua and Adam were 11 years old when they were convicted of murdering Abby and have been released with new identities.
Joshua has been reinvented as Mark and has begun a relationship with Natalie. Mark’s character develops throughout the book as we learn of a boy devastated by the death of his father and unloved by his mother. He is insecure and doesn’t make friends easily when he meets the super confident Adam. The story fluctuates between the past and the present as Mark tries to live with, and make amends for, the events of the past. He grows into a compassionate man who copes with life by being super organised to OCD level.
Adam is a totally different character and as his character is built we realise why he is still Adam even though he has a new identity. He is a domineering over confident bully as an 11 year old and we don’t expect his character to change much or the time inside to rehabilitate him.
Natalie is a victim. Living with a weight problem she is attacked as a young girl and the trauma of this event cause her to comfort eat which has a detrimental effect on her weight which in turn affects her self-confidence and security. It is this lack of confidence in herself that makes the story work and, from personal experience, I can confirm that she has Natalie’s character spot on.
The book also gives a realistic view on how the family who have lost a young child are affected and how each person deals with it differently. It also examines the part guilt plays in how people deal with the cards life deals them.
Thank you to Bloodhound Books who provided me with a free copy of this book.
#thriller #contemporaryfiction #maggiejames #bloodhoundbook @bloodhoundbook @books_n_all @mjamesfiction
About the Author
Maggie James is a British author who lives in Bristol. She writes psychological suspense novels.
Before turning her hand to writing, Maggie worked mainly as an accountant, with a diversion into practising as a nutritional therapist. Diet and health remain high on her list of interests, along with travel. Accountancy does not, but then it never did. The urge to pack a bag and go off travelling is always lurking in the background! When not writing, going to the gym, practising yoga or travelling, Maggie can be found seeking new four-legged friends to pet; animals are a lifelong love!
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