Three people, leading very different lives, are about to be brought together – with devastating consequences . . .
John has a perfect life, until the day his daughter goes missing.
Maisie cares for her patients but hides her own traumatic past.
Miller should be an innocent child but is obsessed with something he can’t have.
They all have something in common, though none of them know it – and the truth won’t stay hidden for long . . .
A gripping psychological thriller for fans of Clare Mackintosh, Shari Lapena and Lisa Jewell.
I'm absolutely thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for Lies Between Us by Ronnie Turner today together with two fabulous bloggers, Jacob at Hooked From Page One and Yvonne at Me and My Books. Huge thanks to Ronnie and HQ Digital for inviting me and for my advance copy of the novel, received through NetGalley.
It's a very special review I'm sharing today because Lies Between Us is the debut novel of a fellow book blogger (and fellow Dorset resident!). And what a book it is! I love novels with more than one narrative and Ronnie Turner spoiled me here with three viewpoints.
Miller's story follows one of fiction's most disturbing characters - the evil child. These chapters are truly chilling as we see inside the mind of a very damaged individual and witness the lengths he is prepared to go as his obsession grows over a number of years. It's a testament to Ronnie's writing that even though he perpetuates the most terrible acts, there were moments when I felt desperately sad for him. The chapters told from John's perspective are equally as unsettling but also absolutely heartbreaking. His life with Jules seemed to be idyllic; he's a successful author and they have a beautiful young daughter, Bonnie with another child on the way. Then Bonnie is kidnapped from their home and the only clues are the photos that are sent of her damaged body, each with a note on the back referring to his past. The mystery as to what happened to Bonnie is compelling but what really shines for me here is the sympathetic study of a man wracked with fear and guilt as he wonders what he possibly could have done to deserve such a punishment.
The third part of the novel is arguably the most slow-burning though no less intriguing. Maisie is an intensive care nurse looking after Tim who is in a vegetative state after being beaten up and left for dead in the street. Maisie becomes close to his wife, Heidi and as they share moments by his bedside, she slowly reveals her own touching story. She has been keeping her own secrets which is perhaps why she is perceptive enough to notice the emotions that others believe they are hiding.
We eventually learn just how the lives of these characters are linked and although I thought I'd figured things out, Ronnie still managed to surprise me with the final disclosures. Lies Between Us is a tense and enthralling thriller with three equally engaging storylines, all of which would have made superb books in their own right. However, writing one novel with the three narratives proves to be a masterstroke creating a book which is beautifully crafted, full of emotion and with a deftness of touch when it comes to the characterisation that belies this is a debut novel. Lies Between Us has everything I hope for in a thriller and I'm looking forward to Ronnie's next book with eager anticipation. Highly recommended.
Lies Between Us was published by HQ Digital on 1st October 2018 and can be purchased from Amazon, Google Play, Kobo and iTunes.
Don't forget to check out some of the other stops on the (mammoth!) blog tour, details are below.
About the Author
Ronnie's debut novel, Lies Between Us, will be published by HQ Digital in October 2018.
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