Unravelling by Helen Forbes

Well, my Bookaholics friends, you know I like crime books and the book I bring you today is a cracker. Seriously, I'm blown away. Unravelling by Helen Forbes draws you in from the first exciting sentence to the very last word. I am going to start by giving you the blurb as come context.

Kate Sharp’s family is a mystery. Her mother, Ellen, disappeared into the shadows of Craig Dunain psychiatric hospital when Kate was a child. When her grandmother dies, Kate is desperate for answers. What were the circumstances of her mother’s life and death? Who is her father? Kate’s not the only one trying to uncover the truth. The remains of two bodies with murderous injuries have been found buried in the forest next to the former hospital. And someone else is searching for answers, and he will stop at nothing to find them. As the tale of Ellen’s tragic unravelling unfolds, the secrets that led to her death are exposed, along with the shocking truth about Kate’s father. Unaware of the danger stalking her, Kate continues her search. Will she find the answers? And can she save her own life?

Forbes is an outstanding wordsmith and this is apparent throughout the book. I do workshops on writing a killer first line and this first line is going to make it to the workshop as being a perfect example. I am hoping the author and publisher will forgive me but I just had to share it here. 

'The sway of the noose was mesmerising against the shimmering light that danced between the branches'.

From the minute I read that line, I was hooked and knew I just had to read on. This is writing which invites and tantalises drawing you in word by perfectly crafted word. 

The tense plotline is also superb with highs and lows which had my emotions all over the place and I genuinely wanted to know the secrets that had shaped Kate's Life. Kate is a troubled character but realistic and interesting. I think the author has drawn her well and takes the reader deep inside her head an her soul. We certainly know her by the end of the book.

Page-turner may be a cliche but it certainly applies in this case. I found myself reading way past the point of a sensible bedtime as I wanted to know what happens.

Well done to the author, I am going to search out more books by her. 

You can buy the book from any bookstore or from Amazon via the links below. These are affiliate links and I will receive a few pence if you purchase via the link. 

 

I was given a review copy of  this book as part of the Reading Between the Lines Blog Tour. At no pint was I asked to provide a positive review and my review is based on my reading and enjoyment of the book.