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The Blurb
A woman with a dark past...
Helen Appleby just wants a quiet life. Recently released from prison for the manslaughter of her partner, she's trying to forget her past mistakes – all of them - to rebuild her life and move on.
When she decides to open a bookshop, she’s certain this is the perfect new start. Here, amongst the quiet shelves of her shop and between the covers of her books, she can hide away from the real world and begin again. The world of books the perfect place to find happiness - even if it is all lies.
But the past can never stay hidden…
As she settles into life as an apparently timid bookseller, it seems that someone is determined to sabotage Helen's new life and ruin everything she's built.
But Helen has killed once before. And to protect her future, she could be willing to kill again...
Don't miss another page-turning, nail-biting read from the queen of psychological thrillers, Valerie Keogh! Perfect for fans of J.A. Baker, Keri Beevis and Nina Manning.
My Review
I am always excited when a new novel by Valerie Keogh comes along. I have read several and they never disappoint. This one was no exception. In fact, a Valerie Keogh novel set in a bookshop is dream reading material for me.
Full of suspense, the book had me gripped from the very first page to the last.
The main character is Helen who has been recently released from prison for killing her partner, Toby. Her dream has always been to open a secondhand bookshop. Now that she has served her sentence, she embraces her dream and the opportunity for her to start afresh.
Helen was a fantastic character; full of hope for the future but her paranoia threatens it all. On several occasions I found myself questioning how reliable a narrator she was. Throughout the book we are told that there is something darker lurking from her past which is eventually revealed to the reader. I loved the way her character developed throughout the story and the author did a brilliant job in her portrayal of Helen.
The secondary characters each had a vital part to play in the story. As each one comes into her life, we see the potential motive that they might have to bring Helen's new life tumbling down around her ears. In all of Ms. Keogh's novels, she introduces a limited number of characters and therefore, they are well formed and have an significant part to play.
The plot is appropriately paced for it's genre. It was fast paced enough to make it a quick read but equally had enough going on in the plot to provide depth. I felt the ending was satisfying and I was pleased by the way the author concluded the book, particularly regarding Helen's self-awareness.
If you enjoy psychological suspense books with a darker edge, I guarantee that this one will keep you gripped. Another triumph of a book from Valerie Keogh and I hope you enjoy it every bit as much as I did.
My Other Reviews of Books by Valerie Keogh
Book Details
ISBN: 978 1805494508
Publisher: Booldwood Books
Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)
No. of Pages: 288 (paperback)
Purchase Links
About the Author
.jpg "Author photo of Valerie Keogh")
Valerie Keogh is the best-selling author of The Nurse. She lives in Wiltshire with her husband and a huge black cat, Fatty Arbuckle. She grew up reading Agatha Christie and initially wrote crime novels - she now writes psychological thrillers.
The Little Lies was shortlisted for the Crime Fiction Lovers Award 2021
Valerie has a BA in English and an MA in American Literature.
She is currently published with Boldwood Books.
You can also find Valerie at:
(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)
(all opinions are my own?
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