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Dusk
Tredgarrick Bay, 1980.
School has closed and the long summer break has begun. For lifelong friends Norah and Daisy, it’s a turning point in their lives, the last holiday they will spend together. Daisy is finishing school and getting married before the new term start; Norah is returning to take A levels. So, the next few weeks are going to be a very special time.
But they reckoned without the strange, charismatic young man, Jack Hannay, who has come to live in the local boatyard. Instead of visiting all the places they had planned, the girls fall under the dark spell of Jack Hannay, along with the beautiful Amanda Pilgrim who wants to be an actress when she grows up.
Sadly, the holiday comes to an end, but Daisy refuses to accept it is over. She insists on one last visit to Jack’s boat when something so horrific happens that it changes the three girls’ lives in an ugly, brutal way.
Sixteen years later, all three in their own different ways are still suffering from the effects of that night. But there are matters yet to be resolved, mysteries to solve, dragons to slay, and lives to return to normal. Will all the women manage to cope with the future?
School has closed and the long summer break has begun. For lifelong friends Norah and Daisy, it’s a turning point in their lives, the last holiday they will spend together. Daisy is finishing school and getting married before the new term start; Norah is returning to take A levels. So, the next few weeks are going to be a very special time.
But they reckoned without the strange, charismatic young man, Jack Hannay, who has come to live in the local boatyard. Instead of visiting all the places they had planned, the girls fall under the dark spell of Jack Hannay, along with the beautiful Amanda Pilgrim who wants to be an actress when she grows up.
Sadly, the holiday comes to an end, but Daisy refuses to accept it is over. She insists on one last visit to Jack’s boat when something so horrific happens that it changes the three girls’ lives in an ugly, brutal way.
Sixteen years later, all three in their own different ways are still suffering from the effects of that night. But there are matters yet to be resolved, mysteries to solve, dragons to slay, and lives to return to normal. Will all the women manage to cope with the future?
Hardcover
First published May 12, 2011
30 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Maureen Lee
76 books274 followersMaureen Lee was born in Bootle, England, UK, near Liverpool during the World War II. She attended Commercial College and became a shorthand typist. She married Richard, and they had three sons, now adults. The last years the marriage lives in Colchester, Essex.
During years, she published over one hundred and fifty short-stories, before published her first novel Lila in 1983. She continued published dramatic historical sagas mainly setting in Liverpool since 1994. In 2000, her novel Dancing in the Dark won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.
During years, she published over one hundred and fifty short-stories, before published her first novel Lila in 1983. She continued published dramatic historical sagas mainly setting in Liverpool since 1994. In 2000, her novel Dancing in the Dark won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 24, 2015
a bit of a let down...I loved all her other books, but sadly I felt like this story wasn't even written by the same author.
March 12, 2025
Listened to the rather poorly read audiobook of this title. Ultimately disappointing, felt like the twists and turns had been included for the sake of trying to shock rather than as an intrinsic and coherent part of the narrative. Rather too much irrelevant fluff in the second half of the book.
November 3, 2019
Interesting story.
May 13, 2024
Okay. Not fantastic but it didn't suck either.
September 21, 2012
Maureen Lee has written a great many nostalgic family saga type books about her native Liverpool, but this is a different kind of story, set in Cornwall, written some years ago and now self published. Or rather, it was - it seems to have disappeared from Amazon, and the author's website has no information about other plans, so I'm not sure whether it's about to be republished or whether she simply withdrew it from sale.
This book has ‘THRILLER’ on the cover in capital letters, but it wasn't, in the end, a particularly thrilling experience. The story of three sixteen-year-old girls, not children and not yet women, and what happened during their last summer of innocence and the secret they kept for many years afterwards, is not an original idea, and for most of the book the story crawls along predictably and uninterestingly. The author has made some attempt to give the three distinctive personalities, and to some extent this works but there wasn't quite as much depth as I would have liked to any of them. It's difficult, admittedly, to describe severe depression convincingly. Daisy should have been a sympathetic character, but somehow we never quite get under her skin, although, to be fair, this is partly because we only ever see her through Norah’s eyes.
Fortunately, there are some twists at the end which raise the book above the merely pedestrian. It isn't a bad book, actually, it's a workmanlike and readable affair, with characters which are moderately realistic, a plot that rises above the hackneyed and a comfortable writing style. There are numerous minor typos, words missing and the like, but nothing drastic. It's disappointing, however, that it never quite manages the depth that would have made it memorable. The way in which the three women are affected by their experience and how it influences their lives is a theme that the author touches on, but never manages to imbue with the emotional resonance it deserves. Nor is there much sense of time or place, just a few topical issues tossed for dramatic effect. So I never much cared about the characters and it wasn’t particularly thrilling, but nevertheless I kept turning the pages, and it was an easy enough read. Three stars.
This book has ‘THRILLER’ on the cover in capital letters, but it wasn't, in the end, a particularly thrilling experience. The story of three sixteen-year-old girls, not children and not yet women, and what happened during their last summer of innocence and the secret they kept for many years afterwards, is not an original idea, and for most of the book the story crawls along predictably and uninterestingly. The author has made some attempt to give the three distinctive personalities, and to some extent this works but there wasn't quite as much depth as I would have liked to any of them. It's difficult, admittedly, to describe severe depression convincingly. Daisy should have been a sympathetic character, but somehow we never quite get under her skin, although, to be fair, this is partly because we only ever see her through Norah’s eyes.
Fortunately, there are some twists at the end which raise the book above the merely pedestrian. It isn't a bad book, actually, it's a workmanlike and readable affair, with characters which are moderately realistic, a plot that rises above the hackneyed and a comfortable writing style. There are numerous minor typos, words missing and the like, but nothing drastic. It's disappointing, however, that it never quite manages the depth that would have made it memorable. The way in which the three women are affected by their experience and how it influences their lives is a theme that the author touches on, but never manages to imbue with the emotional resonance it deserves. Nor is there much sense of time or place, just a few topical issues tossed for dramatic effect. So I never much cared about the characters and it wasn’t particularly thrilling, but nevertheless I kept turning the pages, and it was an easy enough read. Three stars.
October 12, 2011
Two stars seems a little bit measly for what was actually a perfectly alright book but I'm reluctant to tick three, somehow. Imagine that I give this thrilless 'thriller' a two and a half, will you? Just imagine that.
Now imagine a perfect 50% book. Here it is! Despite it being pitched to me as a thriller - which I find incredibly annoying - this story of Norah, a woman with a neck like a lily, some half formed dreams and some long strung out friendships was 5/10 and mildly entertaining. (Even though that horribly rambling sentence I just wrote was quite painful.)
She has one horrible summer - actually, just one bad night at the end of summer which is completely glossed over - with a bad man along with her best-friend-forever Daisy and a new-girl-in-town, Mandy. This doesn't haunt her life but does haunt Daisy FOREVER because she's one of those weird/wimpy peeked-in-high-school married-too-early blonde-and-petite girls. (I am one of those overly-fond-of-the-hyphen girls.) But this one bad night that happens off stage is the crux of the book that everything kind of pivots on, regardless.
Some bad things happen to Norah but mostly nothing happens to her because her life is boring, despite having a movie star best friend. And she lives in fear of being found out, kind of... oh god, I cannot write about this book without giving everything away. I don't want to give it away to you who haven't read it but as soon as you start reading this everything will be incredibly obvious, anyway. It's that kind of book.
It has a happy ending, though (that you can see a mile off.) But some bad things happen on the way, even thought they happen off stage, so to speak. Nothing bad is actually uh, written. Which is annoying. So.
Right, I give up. I'm done with this 'thrilling' review.
Now imagine a perfect 50% book. Here it is! Despite it being pitched to me as a thriller - which I find incredibly annoying - this story of Norah, a woman with a neck like a lily, some half formed dreams and some long strung out friendships was 5/10 and mildly entertaining. (Even though that horribly rambling sentence I just wrote was quite painful.)
She has one horrible summer - actually, just one bad night at the end of summer which is completely glossed over - with a bad man along with her best-friend-forever Daisy and a new-girl-in-town, Mandy. This doesn't haunt her life but does haunt Daisy FOREVER because she's one of those weird/wimpy peeked-in-high-school married-too-early blonde-and-petite girls. (I am one of those overly-fond-of-the-hyphen girls.) But this one bad night that happens off stage is the crux of the book that everything kind of pivots on, regardless.
Some bad things happen to Norah but mostly nothing happens to her because her life is boring, despite having a movie star best friend. And she lives in fear of being found out, kind of... oh god, I cannot write about this book without giving everything away. I don't want to give it away to you who haven't read it but as soon as you start reading this everything will be incredibly obvious, anyway. It's that kind of book.
It has a happy ending, though (that you can see a mile off.) But some bad things happen on the way, even thought they happen off stage, so to speak. Nothing bad is actually uh, written. Which is annoying. So.
Right, I give up. I'm done with this 'thrilling' review.
February 1, 2017
I listened to the audio of this. There were some issues with it, but I'm not taking that into account in my rating.
This is a pleasant book with some enjoyable characters. Although Nora is dull, I sympathise with her and indeed like her. As such, the book washed over me and often was a very pleasant way to spend my journey to work.
It is hard to explain exactly why I'm giving it three stars (perilously close to being fewer), without some major spoilers. Here goes.
The personality of the main characters is established early in the book, yet they behave out of character, often, in the second half, without a good explanation. Had they behaved in character, I believe events would not have unfolded as they did. It was as if the author had a few moments to reach, and forced them into reaching those points, against their will. Mostly, unfortunately, you see it coming, which left me screaming at my stereo - no, what are doing, can't you see what will happen, you would never do that.
There are some events people have referred to as plot twists. I can't agree. They were utterly coincidental and would never happen. An opportunity was missed because, a reason could have been made for them that could have given the story a darker more interesting edge. I presume the author didn't want this, her style is more - five go fishing, in an adult way. Fair enough. I like the style.
The style also detracts from the seriousness of some of the issues presented, which were pretty serious. There were consequences that befitted the seriousness, but the manner of everything that happens and is said, is so light, it feels strange.
It's like saying (Cornwall accent) - and then he pulled out a machine gun and killed everyone... Really, oh dear me, that's terrible.. Oh yes it is, I shall have nightmares... Best not think about it love. - Kind of.
This is a pleasant book with some enjoyable characters. Although Nora is dull, I sympathise with her and indeed like her. As such, the book washed over me and often was a very pleasant way to spend my journey to work.
It is hard to explain exactly why I'm giving it three stars (perilously close to being fewer), without some major spoilers. Here goes.
The personality of the main characters is established early in the book, yet they behave out of character, often, in the second half, without a good explanation. Had they behaved in character, I believe events would not have unfolded as they did. It was as if the author had a few moments to reach, and forced them into reaching those points, against their will. Mostly, unfortunately, you see it coming, which left me screaming at my stereo - no, what are doing, can't you see what will happen, you would never do that.
There are some events people have referred to as plot twists. I can't agree. They were utterly coincidental and would never happen. An opportunity was missed because, a reason could have been made for them that could have given the story a darker more interesting edge. I presume the author didn't want this, her style is more - five go fishing, in an adult way. Fair enough. I like the style.
The style also detracts from the seriousness of some of the issues presented, which were pretty serious. There were consequences that befitted the seriousness, but the manner of everything that happens and is said, is so light, it feels strange.
It's like saying (Cornwall accent) - and then he pulled out a machine gun and killed everyone... Really, oh dear me, that's terrible.. Oh yes it is, I shall have nightmares... Best not think about it love. - Kind of.
May 19, 2012
A competently written book, but unfortunately the characters were a little shallow and 'larger than life' so I wasn't entirely convinced but that may be more to do with my preference for crime fiction.
September 16, 2016
Loved it
Have read loads of Maureen Reads books over the years. This one was totally different. I wasn't expecting the end. I wanted it to carry on, loved the characters
Have read loads of Maureen Reads books over the years. This one was totally different. I wasn't expecting the end. I wanted it to carry on, loved the characters
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews