The Shape of Lies

I'll buy a Rachel Abbott book without reading the blurb! There are just a few authors in whom I have so much confidence.

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Book description

Scott was Anna’s boyfriend. She loved him, but he ruined her life. When he died, she should have been free, but today Scott is on the radio, threatening to spill her secrets.

Anna is a mother, a wife, and head teacher of a primary school.
And she’s a good liar.

She made one mistake, and now she is having to pay for it. Scott is the only person who knows the truth about her past, but how can he be alive?

Soon, DCI Tom Douglas is going to knock on her door looking for answers. But Anna is already running scared: from the man she loved; the man she watched die; the man who has come back to life.

She has one week to find him. One week to stop him. 

My review - 

Another ‘nose to the book’ novel by Rachel Abbott. It deals with the snowballing of one lie that Anna told to help someone she loved. Her current, happy and successful life is all built on this lie. There are present day scenes in which people are murdered and Anna feels under severe threat. There are past scenes in which we see her student days unfolding. The finale is terrific – exciting and shocking, but credible, in the circumstances. Rachel Abbott is one of the few authors whose books I will buy without reading the blurb. I know I’m in for a great read.

About the author

In 2015 Amazon celebrated the first five years of the Kindle in the UK, and announced that Rachel was the #1 bestselling independent author over the five-year period. She was also placed #14 in the chart of all authors. Stranger Child was the most borrowed novel for the Kindle in the first half of 2015.

Rachel splits her time between Alderney - a beautiful island off the coast of France - and the Le Marche region of Italy, where she is able to devote all her time to writing fiction. For more information, see Rachel's website, or follow her on Twitter.

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Just a thought - 

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.― Anna Quindlen

Rachel Abbott

Another excellent offering from Rachel Abbott. She's never let me down yet!

Come a Little Closer

Amazon.com link

My review -

A young woman is found dead in a country park with no wounds and no apparent cause of death. It looks like assisted suicide. Tom Douglas and his team find another case of a similar type and a pattern emerges. Callie, another young woman is helped by a mother figure after meeting her on a cruise. She’s given accommodation at the older woman’s house and things begin to deteriorate. Tom’s on the case.

This story is very persuasive in terms of the psychological effects of the woman and her partner, a retired psychiatrist, on the girl Callie, who believes she murdered her boyfriend. Another girl has gone missing, the sister of one of Tom’s old friends. The tangled web Rachel Abbott weaves is both intriguing and horrifying and I found myself living this story. I was totally gripped by it.

Rachel Abbott

Rachel's a firm favourite author with me. Crimne, thriller, spychological fiction - they include something of all these categories.

The Sixth Window

Amazon.com link

My review - 

Natalie’s husband was killed by a hit-and-run driver and she has found a safe haven, with her fifteen year-old daughter Scarlett, in the home of his old best friend, Ed. It’s not long, though, before she begins to believe that Ed might have certain proclivities which make him a danger to her young daughter. Natalie and Scarlett move to an apartment which Scarlett hates. She can hear things which her mum can’t, and she’s afraid. She’d rather go back home to live with Ed.

This is a masterclass in tension from the queen of the genre. You can feel Scarlett’s frustration at being treated as too young to have her fears taken seriously. You can also feel Natalie’s genuine concern for her daughter and agree with the clues she has picked up on to bring her to that conclusion. In this story, however, the old adage of Trust No-one is the underlying theme. This is a scarily believable, tense and compelling thriller and it’s impossible to ration yourself to a few pages at a time. Go on. I dare you!

I received a pre-publication review copy.

Rachel Abbott

Rachel's new book is a psychological thriller which I enjoyed a great deal.  

Stranger Child

Amazon.com Stranger Child

My review - 

Abduction must be a parent’s worst nightmare. David doesn’t only lose his wife in an accident but his six year-old daughter disappears. He remarries and has a son with his second wife. Then, unbelievably, his daughter reappears, now aged thirteen. In this gripping and disturbing thriller we find out gradually what has happened to young Natasha over the intervening years. DCI Tom Douglas becomes involved when David’s second child is kidnapped and we watch as his mother, Emma, struggles with the decision to involve the police. We find out more about Tom’s late brother Jack and his relationships in this story, too.

Rachel Abbott’s plots are always complex but believable psychological thrillers and this is no exception. I found myself asking what I would do in this case and I honestly don’t know. A very gripping thriller indeed. I received an advance copy of this book from the author, in exchange for a review.

Rachel Abbott

Another great thriller from Rachel Abbott! 

Sleep Tight

Amazon.com Sleep Tight

My review - 

Olivia is controlled by her husband Robert. He watches her even when they are in the same room. Early in the book, he takes the children away, telling her he’s taking them for a pizza, but doesn’t return straight way. She knows he is giving her a message here – what he will do if she leaves him. The story gathers momentum as we follow Liv’s point of view, her husband, her best friend and the police who try to fathom what has gone on, as Liv and the children go missing. 

The writing as always, is excellent, and the beginning of the novel is tight and claustrophobic. It becomes tense and exciting as the hunt is on. Fans of the policeman Tom Douglas will be pleased to see him playing a lead role in the story. There are twists and turns in this tightly constructed plot and towards the end I felt my hear t racing as I hoped for a good outcome for a trio of innocent children. A darned good read!

Rachel Abbott

This is Rachel's long-awaited new thriller.  It's a brilliant read and drew me in and mis-directed me a couple of times.  I enjoy being fooled by a clever author though!

The Back Road

Amazon.com  - The Back Road

My review -

Rachel Abbott’s second thriller tells us the story of two half-sisters, Ellie and Leo, who have survived a difficult childhood.  Ellie and her husband have restored the family home, inherited by Ellie and scene of childhood fears for Leo.  Ellie is receiving phone calls and is being ‘stalked’ and subjected to blackmail.  A young girl has been the victim of a hit and run driver on the Back Road and Ellie is one of the nursing team looking after her.  Several couples and individuals who come together for a housewarming at the newly renovated house are bound together in the aftermath of the accident. 

The story is an exciting and complex one, where past and present echo and reflect one another.  Here and there a mis-direct made me feel I knew what was happening but in a Rachel Abbott story there’s more there than immediately obvious.  This is a tightly written psychological thriller, very nicely paced, and I enjoyed it very much.  My attention was caught and kept by the intrigues of the people in the village.  I wasn’t able to guess the full implications until close to the end.  It seems to me that some of these characters might appear again in further works by Rachel Abbott, as their story and their possibilities haven’t been exhausted.  Here’s hoping!

I received a review copy of this book pre-publication.

Rachel Abbott

Rachel had a storming success with several weeks at the top of the kindle charts with this great thriller.

Only the Innocent

Amazon.com  Only the Innocent

My review -

This first novel by new writer Rachel Abbott is an accomplished and well written story based on the premise that no-one, not even nearest and dearest, knows what goes on in the privacy of a marriage.

A titled gentleman, perceived to be a pillar of society, is murdered. As the intriguing story progresses we find he is not all he is thought to be by those who think they know him.

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of believable characters and the story had sufficient in the way of plot twists to keep me guessing. It was written in a graceful style that kept the story moving and I have to say I love the character of Beatrice though she didn't play a huge part in the book! A highly recommended read.