Blood Between Us: A Gripping British Crime Drama of Family Secrets and Betrayal

by Lindsay Scott

Perfect for fans of Emylia Hall, Julie Wassmer, Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths. If you enjoy compelling British mysteries with a strong female lead, small-town secrets, and plenty of emotional drama, you’ll feel right at home with Blood Between Us, the first in the atmospheric New Forest Crime Drama series.

When a local woman is left for dead in a hit-and-run, New Forest Chronicle journalist Hep Anderssen is determined to uncover the truth. But the deeper she digs, the closer the trail leads to home and the erratic behaviour of her older brother Bill. Has he made her an unwitting accomplice to a terrible crime?

As the community demands justice and her newspaper offers a reward, Hep finds herself torn between loyalty to her family, her moral duty to reveal the truth, and the betrayal that could shatter everything she holds dear.

In this gripping mystery set against the brooding backdrop of the New Forest, Lindsay Scott weaves a tale of sibling bonds tested by dark revelations. How far will Hep go to protect her brother—and herself?

281 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2025

Reviews

[Mary Carbajosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just a wonderful story, beautifully written. It’s a fascinating tangle of bizarre, family relationships all mixed up with moral dilemmas, and all the usual themes are present, greed, lust, ambition, lies and of course death.

The plot follows Hepzibah Andersen, known as Hep, a journalist for the New Forest Chronicle, as she uncovers the truth about a hit-and-run accident. The further she digs for answers the more she starts to suspect a member of her own family, and she finds herself torn between doing what’s right and protecting her loved one.

From the start, the writing felt strong with believable characters who were easy to connect with, and a well constructed plot line, nicely executed. This story had me feeling many emotions from sadness to anger, with the key characters experiencing doubt, betrayal and conflict.

I really thought the characters were very well written, and the scenarios they faced felt realistic, plus the dialogue throughout was natural, adding to the sense of authenticity. I particularly enjoyed getting to know Hep, who is a fabulous character, I felt invested in her life and well being, and genuinely wanted her to come out on top. The familial bond between the characters adds warmth and grounding, while the unraveling mystery keeps the pages turning.

This isn’t a breakneck thriller, but the story unfolds in a way that steadily tightens the tension. It’s thought provoking with a strong family theme, forcing the reader to think about how far they would go for their loved ones, and if the end can ever justify the means. This is is book to curl up with and totally immerse yourself in, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’ll definitely be recommending. Bring on book 2 ! 4.5 stars

My thanks to the author for the gifted copy.

[Emma Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

💜 Blurb -
When a local woman is left for dead in a hit-and-run, New Forest Chronicle journalist Hepzibah Anderssen is determined to uncover the truth. But the deeper she digs, the closer the trail leads to home and the erratic behaviour of her older brother Bill. Has he made her an unwitting accomplice to a terrible crime?
As the community demands justice and her newspaper offers a reward, Hep finds herself torn between loyalty to her family, her moral duty to reveal the truth, and the betrayal that could shatter everything she holds dear.
In this gripping mystery set against the brooding backdrop of the New Forest, Lindsay Scott weaves a tale of sibling bonds tested by dark revelations. How far will Hep go to protect her brother—and herself?
💛 Review -
For a debut novel, this book was such a brilliantly written novel. From the very first page the author's writing had me hooked. There was plenty of detail and content to keep me interested, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing until the end. It's obvious that the author has done their research for the book as the attention to detail was spot on. Overall, a brilliant novel that I highly recommend to other readers.
💝 Thank you to the author, Lindsay Scott for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Louise Gaskell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood Between Us by Lindsay Scott is a tense and emotionally novel that explores family bonds, buried secrets, and the lasting impact of past choices. Told over three months with dual timelines and childhood flashbacks, the story hooked me from the very first page. What a start, just how I like it! 🩸🩸🩸

The suspense builds gradually, revealing layers of truth that keep you turning the pages. The title is particularly symbolic, reflecting not only shared bloodlines but also the emotional and moral divides between the characters. The characters are complex and believable, making you question how far you would go to protect the ones you love.

The open ending left me desperate for answers, and I truly hope book two will deliver them. I can't wait 🤗

This compelling debut is ideal for fans of psychological and domestic thrillers.

Thank you to Lindsay Scott for gifting me a copy to read and review.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am an ARC reader for Book Sirens and this is my honest opinion. I've had to really think about what I wanted to say about this book. It is very well written, the characters well drawn and believable, the world building very good. The author started the book at the end then told the story by going backwards and forwards in time over three months, piecing together the actions of all the characters so that by the end the reader could understand everything that led up to the critical event. It was cleverly done. The suspense inserted into the every day. But I didn't give it five stars for a couple of reasons. The principal character is presented with a terrible moral dilemma by someone very close, which, frankly I found a little depressing - and for me, the end left me with questions.

[Leslie Oberhaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

My overall rating is 3.5 stars. I rounded up to 4 stars because I think others may enjoy this one even more than I did. It was a little bit too much of a slow burn for me, but I really enjoyed the concept. The alternating timelines worked well to reveal information (and confirm/debunk reader theories :)). I really didn't like Bill and the flashbacks to his and Hep's childhood didn't quite connect for me in making him a more fleshed out character. I was a little confused at the end, but I suspect that is because this is part one of a series. :)

I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kay Adkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story built up tension right from the off. A journalist is drawn into the centre of her own story when a woman is killed on a dark, woodland road in the New Forest. There are plenty of twists and the characters feel real. By this, I mean that even the ones you are meant to like (and I did), had dark sides to them. The atmosphere of the Forest is also very much part of this book and the author definitely knows the area she is writing about as she brings it to life vividly.
This is the first one of a series of books featuring Hep, the local journalist but will her own demons come back to haunt her as she continues to seek out the truth.

[Mary McKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A psychological thriller

Betrayal and family loyalty are the underpinnings of this intrinsically constructed story. The pacing is swift and the suspense is ongoing from the first page to the last.