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The Daughter's Secret
My daughter is a liar. A liar, liar, liar. And I'm starting to see where she gets it from.
When Rosalind's fifteen-year-old daughter, Stephanie, ran away with her teacher, this ordinary family became something it had never asked to be. Their lives held up to scrutiny in the centre of a major police investigation, the Simms were headline news while Stephanie was missing with a man who was risking everything.
Now, six years on, Ros takes a call that will change their lives all over again. He's going to be released from prison. Years too early. In eleven days' time.
As Temperley's release creeps ever closer, Ros is forced to confront the events that led them here, back to a place she thought she'd left behind, to questions she didn't want to answer. Why did she do it? Where does the blame lie? What happens next?
When Rosalind's fifteen-year-old daughter, Stephanie, ran away with her teacher, this ordinary family became something it had never asked to be. Their lives held up to scrutiny in the centre of a major police investigation, the Simms were headline news while Stephanie was missing with a man who was risking everything.
Now, six years on, Ros takes a call that will change their lives all over again. He's going to be released from prison. Years too early. In eleven days' time.
As Temperley's release creeps ever closer, Ros is forced to confront the events that led them here, back to a place she thought she'd left behind, to questions she didn't want to answer. Why did she do it? Where does the blame lie? What happens next?
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2015
41 people are currently reading
1397 people want to read
About the author
Eva Holland
17 books51 followers"Holland builds a fascinating story around a compelling subject. And the ending? It certainly leaves its mark. A great debut - Holland is definitely one to watch." — HEAT
"Eva Holland's gripping debut is unputdownable." — HELLO
"Tense and emotionally charged with an uncomfortably ominous atmosphere, this startling novel leads us through the complex relationship between a mother and daughter." — SUNDAY EXPRESS
Eva Holland was the winner of the 2014 Good Housekeeping novel writing competition. She grew up in Gloucestershire and studied in Leeds before moving to London.
The Daughter's Secret was published by Orion in August 2015 and is Eva's first novel.
"Eva Holland's gripping debut is unputdownable." — HELLO
"Tense and emotionally charged with an uncomfortably ominous atmosphere, this startling novel leads us through the complex relationship between a mother and daughter." — SUNDAY EXPRESS
Eva Holland was the winner of the 2014 Good Housekeeping novel writing competition. She grew up in Gloucestershire and studied in Leeds before moving to London.
The Daughter's Secret was published by Orion in August 2015 and is Eva's first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
May 16, 2017
*3.5 stars
The Daughter’s Secret by Eva Holland caught my eye in an airport as I was making my way home from a recent overseas trip. The cover advised me that it was the 2014 recipient of the Good Housekeeping novel competition. Knowing this was a winning novel, I was looking forward to delving into the lives of mother Rosalind, her daughter Stephanie and the teacher who ruined this ordinary family’s lives.
The scenario presented by author Eva Holland in her debut novel is a headline grabbing one. Rosalind’s beautiful and clever 15 year old daughter Stephanie vanishes from school one cold winter’s day. The search for Stephanie eventually leads to a shocking clue, she has not been abducted or met foul play, but rather, Stephanie has run away with her high school geography teacher Nathan Temperley. When the two are eventually discovered by authorities, dangerously close to making a getaway far away from home, Nathan is arrested and imprisoned. Seven years later, Nathan is due to be released from prison. Rosalind fears for her fragile daughter Stephanie, as she wonders whether or not she will be drawn back to the teacher. The story that follows is a criss cross between the details of Stephanie’s disappearance, as well as the days leading up to and immediately after Nathan Temperley’s release. Rosalind’s anxiety and the extreme lengths she goes to protect her daughter forms the unfolding storyline.
Eva Holland taps into every parent of a teen's fear, that their son or daughter could be led astray and taken advantage of by a trusted person of authority. In The Daughter’s Secret, this very real and complicated scenario is played out. Holland does a fine job of recreating the story of a teenage girl infatuated with her teacher and the teacher’s abuse of his position. Holland also explores the feelings and reactions a family impacted by this awful event. The use of Rosalind, the mother as the chief voice of the novel, gives the reader an insight into a parent’s reaction to this abysmal situation.
The structure of TheDaughter’s Secret is a hooking one. Transitioning between the past, offering the reader a picture of the events leading up to Stephanie’s disappearance was compelling. Linking this story in the past to a gradual lead up to Nathan’s release served to tie me to the story further. At no point did I find the past/present transitions clunky or confusing. The pace of the book was also maintained at a steady level. With mother Rosalind at helm of the narration, the tone of the novel rises in anxiety and tension as Nathan’s imminent release gets closer by the day.
Rosalind’s voice is extremely strong and her narration comprehensive. However, Stephanie’s perspective is less clear. I did want more from her, which may have been possible if the book was also narrated by Stephanie. Nathan is a definitely a chilling and manipulative character and an opportunity to include his voice in the narration would have been welcomed, to really get inside his motivation for committing the crime. Rosalind’s husband Dan fades into the background of this novel, never really holding much impact, while their son Freddy fares much the same.
Eva Holland certainly takes the reader on an unexpected, as well as emotionally trying ride in her debut novel. There were a few unexpected turning points in this novel that I didn’t see coming at all and this added to my enjoyment of the novel. Overall, The Daughter’s Secret offers a good examination into a family fractured by a life changing incident in the past. An insightful read that I recommend.
The Daughter’s Secret by Eva Holland caught my eye in an airport as I was making my way home from a recent overseas trip. The cover advised me that it was the 2014 recipient of the Good Housekeeping novel competition. Knowing this was a winning novel, I was looking forward to delving into the lives of mother Rosalind, her daughter Stephanie and the teacher who ruined this ordinary family’s lives.
The scenario presented by author Eva Holland in her debut novel is a headline grabbing one. Rosalind’s beautiful and clever 15 year old daughter Stephanie vanishes from school one cold winter’s day. The search for Stephanie eventually leads to a shocking clue, she has not been abducted or met foul play, but rather, Stephanie has run away with her high school geography teacher Nathan Temperley. When the two are eventually discovered by authorities, dangerously close to making a getaway far away from home, Nathan is arrested and imprisoned. Seven years later, Nathan is due to be released from prison. Rosalind fears for her fragile daughter Stephanie, as she wonders whether or not she will be drawn back to the teacher. The story that follows is a criss cross between the details of Stephanie’s disappearance, as well as the days leading up to and immediately after Nathan Temperley’s release. Rosalind’s anxiety and the extreme lengths she goes to protect her daughter forms the unfolding storyline.
Eva Holland taps into every parent of a teen's fear, that their son or daughter could be led astray and taken advantage of by a trusted person of authority. In The Daughter’s Secret, this very real and complicated scenario is played out. Holland does a fine job of recreating the story of a teenage girl infatuated with her teacher and the teacher’s abuse of his position. Holland also explores the feelings and reactions a family impacted by this awful event. The use of Rosalind, the mother as the chief voice of the novel, gives the reader an insight into a parent’s reaction to this abysmal situation.
The structure of TheDaughter’s Secret is a hooking one. Transitioning between the past, offering the reader a picture of the events leading up to Stephanie’s disappearance was compelling. Linking this story in the past to a gradual lead up to Nathan’s release served to tie me to the story further. At no point did I find the past/present transitions clunky or confusing. The pace of the book was also maintained at a steady level. With mother Rosalind at helm of the narration, the tone of the novel rises in anxiety and tension as Nathan’s imminent release gets closer by the day.
Rosalind’s voice is extremely strong and her narration comprehensive. However, Stephanie’s perspective is less clear. I did want more from her, which may have been possible if the book was also narrated by Stephanie. Nathan is a definitely a chilling and manipulative character and an opportunity to include his voice in the narration would have been welcomed, to really get inside his motivation for committing the crime. Rosalind’s husband Dan fades into the background of this novel, never really holding much impact, while their son Freddy fares much the same.
Eva Holland certainly takes the reader on an unexpected, as well as emotionally trying ride in her debut novel. There were a few unexpected turning points in this novel that I didn’t see coming at all and this added to my enjoyment of the novel. Overall, The Daughter’s Secret offers a good examination into a family fractured by a life changing incident in the past. An insightful read that I recommend.
August 30, 2017
This review was originally posted on [Between My Lines]
Balancing the books is a quick fire review where I list the assets and liabilities of a book (as I see them)and leave you decide if you think this book is worth investing in.
The Assets of The Daughter’s Secret by Eva Holland:
Intrigue: The book holds out the mystery of what exactly what happened 6 years ago when Stephanie disappeared really well. And this shadows the whole book with an air of secrecy.
Non Stereotype Characters : The characters are very unique. Not exactly likeable but definitely not cookie cutter. I liked that they represented all the families that don’t really talk feelings (like mine!) as so often I see families in books spilling all the feels to each other and I find it hard to identify with that. But here they are a family of dark horses and that I can relate to!
Decisions that make you cringe! I love when I get so involved in a book that dubious decisions make me flinch! I was totally immersed and I felt connected to the characters. Whether that connection was annoyance, fearful for them or impatient with them; I felt it!
A story from the headlines: I enjoyed that the book felt like it was plucked out of the news headlines but as well taking on the scary missing child theme, it also dealt with the knock-on repercussions.
The Liabilities of The Daughter’s Secret by Eva Holland:
Slow Pace: The pace is snail slow. It’s slowed down by a lot of inner turmoil and angst on behalf of Rosalind and I did find the book suffered a bit for this.
Secondary characters are harder to understand: For example Rosalind’s husband, I find it hard to understand exactly why he behaved as he did and I’d love to have had a little more insight into what motivated his actions/lack of them.
Investment potential: The Daughter’s Secret by Eva Holland
I’d say go for it if you like complicated characters, suspenseful plots and are ok with a slower pace. Fans of Before you Die by Samantha Hayes and The Mistake I Made by Paula Daly might also enjoy as these also feature realistically flawed characters.
Thanks to Orion for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Balancing the books is a quick fire review where I list the assets and liabilities of a book (as I see them)and leave you decide if you think this book is worth investing in.
The Assets of The Daughter’s Secret by Eva Holland:
Intrigue: The book holds out the mystery of what exactly what happened 6 years ago when Stephanie disappeared really well. And this shadows the whole book with an air of secrecy.
Non Stereotype Characters : The characters are very unique. Not exactly likeable but definitely not cookie cutter. I liked that they represented all the families that don’t really talk feelings (like mine!) as so often I see families in books spilling all the feels to each other and I find it hard to identify with that. But here they are a family of dark horses and that I can relate to!
Decisions that make you cringe! I love when I get so involved in a book that dubious decisions make me flinch! I was totally immersed and I felt connected to the characters. Whether that connection was annoyance, fearful for them or impatient with them; I felt it!
A story from the headlines: I enjoyed that the book felt like it was plucked out of the news headlines but as well taking on the scary missing child theme, it also dealt with the knock-on repercussions.
The Liabilities of The Daughter’s Secret by Eva Holland:
Slow Pace: The pace is snail slow. It’s slowed down by a lot of inner turmoil and angst on behalf of Rosalind and I did find the book suffered a bit for this.
Secondary characters are harder to understand: For example Rosalind’s husband, I find it hard to understand exactly why he behaved as he did and I’d love to have had a little more insight into what motivated his actions/lack of them.
Investment potential: The Daughter’s Secret by Eva Holland
I’d say go for it if you like complicated characters, suspenseful plots and are ok with a slower pace. Fans of Before you Die by Samantha Hayes and The Mistake I Made by Paula Daly might also enjoy as these also feature realistically flawed characters.
Thanks to Orion for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
November 24, 2018
Well-written and perceptive family drama but frustratingly with an overly neurotic narrator!
The Daughter’s Secret sets up a fascinating premise and has obvious potential to be a moving tale of a family caught in the midst of a crisis, but disappointingly I was underwhelmed and found even finishing the novel was a slog. The story begins with married middle-aged mother, Rosalind (Ros) Simms, taking a call from the police officer who liaised with the family six years ago when fifteen-year-old daughter, Stephanie, ran away with her twenty-nine-year-old geography teacher, Nathan Temperley. Hearing the news of Temperley’s early release in eleven days time sends Ros into free fall, leaving her with a dilemma as to just how to break the news to her pompous husband, Dan, and fragile Stephanie. As Ros delays the inevitable she frets over smug Temperley once again coming close to her daughter and ruining her life which is back on track with Stephanie in her final year of university in London. Yet Ros cannot overcome her frustration that the family never discussed just what happened during the six days that Stephanie was away and how easily she was able to lie to her family, with her daughter never having opened up about her emotions.
Now twenty-one and studying in London, a call from Stephanie’s flatmate about her excessive drinking and her obvious fragility sees Ros and Dan bring her back to the family home in St Albans. As Ros attempts to support her daughter, gauge her emotions and understand her recent actions, she struggles to find the appropriate moment to break the shocking news and once again rock her daughter’s world. But how will Stephanie and Dan respond to the news and could it prove to unravel all of their lives a second time over? And will the secretive Simms ever destroy the wall of silence that have divided their lives in pre- and post- Nathan Temperley?
The unfolding tale is narrated solely by Ros, who I found heavily self-involved with a tendency to ramble and follows her in the present as she counts down to Temperley’s release with intermittent flashbacks to the time of Stephanie’s disappearance. At points I felt the constant returns to the past bogged down the story and interrupted the building of suspense and I would have also appreciated some narrative input from either Stephanie or Dan to the story which would have made for a more compelling drama with potentially conflicting points of view. However Eva Holland is a perceptive writer and steers clear of melodrama or hysteria in a moving story with the affluence and status of the family dictating Dan’s attitude to the family crisis.
I was unconvinced by the characterisation with Ros beyond neurotic even prior to Stephanie’s abscondment with the family all very aware of her paranoia and husband, Dan, short on patience with her behaviour. Given Ros is riddled by fears such as luggage falling from the hold of an aeroplane and crashing through the house roof and keeps her children off school in St Albans after a shooting in an American high-school, I really felt for the man and his frustration. Husband, Dan, is also vastly underdeveloped with his sole interest being is keeping up appearances and his lack of tolerance being his most significant involvement in the story. Meanwhile, Stephanie remains a distant figure and her part in the drama never seems to give Eva Holland an opportunity to get at her inner core and expose her obviously tumultuous emotions, with Ros’ point of view focal. Sadly I didn’t feel I got any closer to understanding either mother or daughter throughout the course of the story or even understood Stephanie’s difficulty in opening up honestly to her mother.
Whilst the ending is left rather open with the obvious intention being that the reader can form their own conclusions, my dismay was that the story never really addressed the questions such as what exactly happened during Stephanie’s time away with Nathan Temperley or her honest feelings about his impending release. In that sense the novel fails in its aim and proves rather frustrating, being both long-winded and never getting behind the headlines of an intriguing family crisis. Whilst the story offers up a host of divisive dilemmas, it fails to tackle them or even scratch the surface and therefore feels like a missed opportunity.
The Daughter’s Secret sets up a fascinating premise and has obvious potential to be a moving tale of a family caught in the midst of a crisis, but disappointingly I was underwhelmed and found even finishing the novel was a slog. The story begins with married middle-aged mother, Rosalind (Ros) Simms, taking a call from the police officer who liaised with the family six years ago when fifteen-year-old daughter, Stephanie, ran away with her twenty-nine-year-old geography teacher, Nathan Temperley. Hearing the news of Temperley’s early release in eleven days time sends Ros into free fall, leaving her with a dilemma as to just how to break the news to her pompous husband, Dan, and fragile Stephanie. As Ros delays the inevitable she frets over smug Temperley once again coming close to her daughter and ruining her life which is back on track with Stephanie in her final year of university in London. Yet Ros cannot overcome her frustration that the family never discussed just what happened during the six days that Stephanie was away and how easily she was able to lie to her family, with her daughter never having opened up about her emotions.
Now twenty-one and studying in London, a call from Stephanie’s flatmate about her excessive drinking and her obvious fragility sees Ros and Dan bring her back to the family home in St Albans. As Ros attempts to support her daughter, gauge her emotions and understand her recent actions, she struggles to find the appropriate moment to break the shocking news and once again rock her daughter’s world. But how will Stephanie and Dan respond to the news and could it prove to unravel all of their lives a second time over? And will the secretive Simms ever destroy the wall of silence that have divided their lives in pre- and post- Nathan Temperley?
The unfolding tale is narrated solely by Ros, who I found heavily self-involved with a tendency to ramble and follows her in the present as she counts down to Temperley’s release with intermittent flashbacks to the time of Stephanie’s disappearance. At points I felt the constant returns to the past bogged down the story and interrupted the building of suspense and I would have also appreciated some narrative input from either Stephanie or Dan to the story which would have made for a more compelling drama with potentially conflicting points of view. However Eva Holland is a perceptive writer and steers clear of melodrama or hysteria in a moving story with the affluence and status of the family dictating Dan’s attitude to the family crisis.
I was unconvinced by the characterisation with Ros beyond neurotic even prior to Stephanie’s abscondment with the family all very aware of her paranoia and husband, Dan, short on patience with her behaviour. Given Ros is riddled by fears such as luggage falling from the hold of an aeroplane and crashing through the house roof and keeps her children off school in St Albans after a shooting in an American high-school, I really felt for the man and his frustration. Husband, Dan, is also vastly underdeveloped with his sole interest being is keeping up appearances and his lack of tolerance being his most significant involvement in the story. Meanwhile, Stephanie remains a distant figure and her part in the drama never seems to give Eva Holland an opportunity to get at her inner core and expose her obviously tumultuous emotions, with Ros’ point of view focal. Sadly I didn’t feel I got any closer to understanding either mother or daughter throughout the course of the story or even understood Stephanie’s difficulty in opening up honestly to her mother.
Whilst the ending is left rather open with the obvious intention being that the reader can form their own conclusions, my dismay was that the story never really addressed the questions such as what exactly happened during Stephanie’s time away with Nathan Temperley or her honest feelings about his impending release. In that sense the novel fails in its aim and proves rather frustrating, being both long-winded and never getting behind the headlines of an intriguing family crisis. Whilst the story offers up a host of divisive dilemmas, it fails to tackle them or even scratch the surface and therefore feels like a missed opportunity.
August 24, 2015
I really loved The Daughters Secret. For starters it was a bit of a departure in plot from the plethora of (mostly great) family drama novels I’ve read this year and had a particular depth and resonance to it that really appealed to me.
Eva Holland uses the past/present timeline to great effect here, painting a picture of the rifts in the family caused by her daughter absconding with her teacher years before, and now when he is about to be released from prison, putting new and deeply disturbing pressures on an already ruptured dynamic.
There is a great perception to the writing as we see the different ways the characters try to deal with the issues – none of them are particularly practical or indeed particularly likeable, but they are eminently realistic with an intuitively drawn depth that really gets you inside the issues. Ros especially, full of anxiety and neurosis, as the story unfolds and you see flashes of the home life Stephanie had, you begin to understand that there is more to things than meets the eye.
I was intrigued mostly by what would happen when Nate was released. Would Stephanie see him again? In that sense it was a real page turner and I was engaged all the way through. A story ripped straight from the headlines, imagnining the people behind the drama, The Daughters Secret was compelling, often sad and very authentic with a spot on pitch perfect ending.
Highly Recommended.
Eva Holland uses the past/present timeline to great effect here, painting a picture of the rifts in the family caused by her daughter absconding with her teacher years before, and now when he is about to be released from prison, putting new and deeply disturbing pressures on an already ruptured dynamic.
There is a great perception to the writing as we see the different ways the characters try to deal with the issues – none of them are particularly practical or indeed particularly likeable, but they are eminently realistic with an intuitively drawn depth that really gets you inside the issues. Ros especially, full of anxiety and neurosis, as the story unfolds and you see flashes of the home life Stephanie had, you begin to understand that there is more to things than meets the eye.
I was intrigued mostly by what would happen when Nate was released. Would Stephanie see him again? In that sense it was a real page turner and I was engaged all the way through. A story ripped straight from the headlines, imagnining the people behind the drama, The Daughters Secret was compelling, often sad and very authentic with a spot on pitch perfect ending.
Highly Recommended.
August 8, 2016
Hot damn! This thrilling debut novel from Eva Holland was impossible for me to put down. The central storyline is every parent's worst nightmare. Rosalind and Dan's fifteen year old daughter, Stephanie goes missing and even more disturbing, willingly with her high school geography teacher. Holland opens her story with placing readers six years after this event takes place by Rosalind receiving the unsettling news that her daughter's predator is getting out of prison in nine days. A tense atmosphere is created as Holland interweaves the past with the horrifying present. Will this family's nightmare ever end?
Unputdownable!
Unputdownable!
January 26, 2019
This was an okay read. I really enjoyed it at the beginning, but found myself losing interest as the story progressed. I don't have any children, so perhaps that stopped me connecting with the characters and situation so much.
November 19, 2015
really enjoyed this novel a different type of suspense thriller as the simms family went through when 6 years previously their daughter went missing with her geography teacher and he is due for release shortly and like the different time lines present/past within the scale of the days before release. the author keeps you on your toes until the end.
December 6, 2018
Congratulations to Eva Holland winner of the Good Housekeeping novel competition.
August 20, 2015
The subject of this intriguing and quite beautifully written novel is extreme, but not unheard of. In fact, it is refreshing and a new direction for this genre. Like other novels recently published, The Daughter's Secret centres on family relationships but this isn't a story of domestic abuse, or hidden marital secrets, it is a novel that encapsulates the devastation caused to a tight family unit when the fifteen-year-old daughter runs away with her male teacher.
Stephanie and her teacher absconded six years ago, and whilst the family have never really recovered from this, they have some sense of normality, with Stephanie now living away at University and Ros and her husband Dan skirting around the subject. When Ros receives a phone call to tell her that the teacher; Temperley is due to be released from prison, it feels as though they haven't moved on at all. Life becomes almost unbearable for Ros, imagining as she does on a regular basis, the terrible things that will happen when he is free.
Ros is a deeply flawed character, she verges on the neurotic and it is clear that the events six years ago have deeply affected the whole family. The story is told in snapshots; the present day, as Ros tries to deal with the here and now, and to keep her family together, and the past. Each day, both then and now is painfully created by this very clever author, with a mounting feeling of tension and menace that builds and builds, slowly and surely.
Most of us are fairly ordinary, everyday folk. Going about our daily business; working, doing the housework, shopping, meeting friends. Most of us see the headlines; a disappeared child, a family changed by illness, or by good fortune, but how many of us think about what happens to those people next? The Daughter's Secret takes the reader on those steps, past the days when the big story slips further down the headlines, until eventually it disappears all together. This story shows how one event can change a normal family, and their relationships. Ros finds herself examining her family, she finds herself realising and facing up to things that she has preferred to ignore.
Perfectly paced, perceptive and incredibly compelling, The Daughter's Secret is full of unexpected twists and turns, populated by flawed, but realistic characters and is a story that poses many questions. I loved the ending too, it makes the reader work and think and consider what next
Stephanie and her teacher absconded six years ago, and whilst the family have never really recovered from this, they have some sense of normality, with Stephanie now living away at University and Ros and her husband Dan skirting around the subject. When Ros receives a phone call to tell her that the teacher; Temperley is due to be released from prison, it feels as though they haven't moved on at all. Life becomes almost unbearable for Ros, imagining as she does on a regular basis, the terrible things that will happen when he is free.
Ros is a deeply flawed character, she verges on the neurotic and it is clear that the events six years ago have deeply affected the whole family. The story is told in snapshots; the present day, as Ros tries to deal with the here and now, and to keep her family together, and the past. Each day, both then and now is painfully created by this very clever author, with a mounting feeling of tension and menace that builds and builds, slowly and surely.
Most of us are fairly ordinary, everyday folk. Going about our daily business; working, doing the housework, shopping, meeting friends. Most of us see the headlines; a disappeared child, a family changed by illness, or by good fortune, but how many of us think about what happens to those people next? The Daughter's Secret takes the reader on those steps, past the days when the big story slips further down the headlines, until eventually it disappears all together. This story shows how one event can change a normal family, and their relationships. Ros finds herself examining her family, she finds herself realising and facing up to things that she has preferred to ignore.
Perfectly paced, perceptive and incredibly compelling, The Daughter's Secret is full of unexpected twists and turns, populated by flawed, but realistic characters and is a story that poses many questions. I loved the ending too, it makes the reader work and think and consider what next
March 12, 2017
Thrilling and unputdownable. A great read!
August 22, 2015
How do you think you’d react to knowing that the teacher who abducted your fifteen year old daughter six years ago was about to be released from prison? Rosalind was an anxious mother before Stephanie went missing and her fears have only escalated in the intervening period, but Stephanie is no longer a child and she never really talked about what happened in the days the police were searching for her.
The Daughter’s Secret is told in part in the present, counting down to the release of Nathan Temperley and in part from the past when Stephanie was missing. This could easily have been confusing but the author handles this aspect is extremely well with the switches in viewpoint being carefully considered. We see the damage that has been done over the longer term to this seemingly perfect family with their beautiful house, high disposable income and the requisite two children. In the immediate aftermath the parents are concentrating on hoping that she will return and although there are minor disagreements between Ros and her husband Dan at the time, it is their inability to move past the event after she returns that causes the most damage. We see the contrast in their behaviour to Stephanie and each other that lead to the point where we meet them six years later.
Stephanie has moved away from St Albans to London to live with Sarah, her best friend from school but when she turns to alcohol Sarah becomes alarmed and Ros and Dan intervene. With both Ros and Dan keeping secrets and their reluctance to discuss the missing time with Stephanie, or she with them, the reader has to wonder if this is the best… The tension resulting from the impasse between the parents and daughter is broken by some touching scenes with Steph’s brother giving the reader another point of view.
Of course what we all want to know is does Steph meet up with Nate on his release from prison. Was this in fact a case of true love as he proclaimed at the time? This alone had me turning the pages faster as the release date came closer and those secrets start tumbling out and demanding their consequences.
I wasn’t particularly enamoured by any of the characters in this book, all have flaws and on the whole they were believable, even Dan whose behaviour in wanting someone else to deal with his daughter had a strong resonating truth about it. The fact is in real life people don’t always think before they speak and in the midst of a difficult time the path that is easiest at the moment can be awfully appealing, perhaps even more so to a family that appears to have the perfect life.
This storyline isn’t a million miles away from a fairly recent big news story in the UK but the author hasn’t simply rehashed the facts from this known news story, the feeling I got is that she used it as a starting point and explored the possible cause and effect for her characters.
I am usually reluctant to talk about endings to books as I hate giving even minor spoilers to the story but this tale had a completely satisfactory dénouement; the ending is complete but the author has wisely not tried too hard to tie up everything in a neat bow and it is left to our imagination to determine what the future may hold for the characters.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from the publishers Orion ahead of the publication date of 13 August 2015
The Daughter’s Secret is told in part in the present, counting down to the release of Nathan Temperley and in part from the past when Stephanie was missing. This could easily have been confusing but the author handles this aspect is extremely well with the switches in viewpoint being carefully considered. We see the damage that has been done over the longer term to this seemingly perfect family with their beautiful house, high disposable income and the requisite two children. In the immediate aftermath the parents are concentrating on hoping that she will return and although there are minor disagreements between Ros and her husband Dan at the time, it is their inability to move past the event after she returns that causes the most damage. We see the contrast in their behaviour to Stephanie and each other that lead to the point where we meet them six years later.
Stephanie has moved away from St Albans to London to live with Sarah, her best friend from school but when she turns to alcohol Sarah becomes alarmed and Ros and Dan intervene. With both Ros and Dan keeping secrets and their reluctance to discuss the missing time with Stephanie, or she with them, the reader has to wonder if this is the best… The tension resulting from the impasse between the parents and daughter is broken by some touching scenes with Steph’s brother giving the reader another point of view.
Of course what we all want to know is does Steph meet up with Nate on his release from prison. Was this in fact a case of true love as he proclaimed at the time? This alone had me turning the pages faster as the release date came closer and those secrets start tumbling out and demanding their consequences.
I wasn’t particularly enamoured by any of the characters in this book, all have flaws and on the whole they were believable, even Dan whose behaviour in wanting someone else to deal with his daughter had a strong resonating truth about it. The fact is in real life people don’t always think before they speak and in the midst of a difficult time the path that is easiest at the moment can be awfully appealing, perhaps even more so to a family that appears to have the perfect life.
This storyline isn’t a million miles away from a fairly recent big news story in the UK but the author hasn’t simply rehashed the facts from this known news story, the feeling I got is that she used it as a starting point and explored the possible cause and effect for her characters.
I am usually reluctant to talk about endings to books as I hate giving even minor spoilers to the story but this tale had a completely satisfactory dénouement; the ending is complete but the author has wisely not tried too hard to tie up everything in a neat bow and it is left to our imagination to determine what the future may hold for the characters.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from the publishers Orion ahead of the publication date of 13 August 2015
August 17, 2015
Stephanie chose to lie to her parents and run away with her teacher when she was fifteen and hasn't talked honestly about it since. Now he's being released from prison years earlier than planned. She moves back home after a rough few weeks but Ros (her mum) doesn't want to break the news whilst her daughter is fragile. Her own life was just about setting and she wants to keep that sense of calm for as long as possible.
The book is told from Rosalind's point of view and includes flashbacks to her daughter's disappearance. She was devastated by what happened and family relationships have been changed dramatically since then. Now that he's being released and Stephanie is home Ros is worried about the future. What will Stephanie do? Does she want to see him, or does she want to move on? Will she tell the truth or keep her feelings hidden like she has in the years since he was arrested?
I struggled to empathise with Ros. She seemed overly anxious before her daughter ran off and I wanted her to be a stronger person. Yes she went through a terrible event, but her reaction was frowned upon even by her own family when her anxiety didn't settle. It felt like she took the attention away from her daughter when she needed things to return to normal.
The story is quite a slow burner for the first half but picks up for the final third of the book. I wasn't convinced by the female characters and was left wanting more from the ending. It was a good representation of life after a traumatic event and covered the various relationships within the family well.
I received this book directly from the publisher.
For more of my reviews visit
https://mrsredsreviews.wordpress.com
The book is told from Rosalind's point of view and includes flashbacks to her daughter's disappearance. She was devastated by what happened and family relationships have been changed dramatically since then. Now that he's being released and Stephanie is home Ros is worried about the future. What will Stephanie do? Does she want to see him, or does she want to move on? Will she tell the truth or keep her feelings hidden like she has in the years since he was arrested?
I struggled to empathise with Ros. She seemed overly anxious before her daughter ran off and I wanted her to be a stronger person. Yes she went through a terrible event, but her reaction was frowned upon even by her own family when her anxiety didn't settle. It felt like she took the attention away from her daughter when she needed things to return to normal.
The story is quite a slow burner for the first half but picks up for the final third of the book. I wasn't convinced by the female characters and was left wanting more from the ending. It was a good representation of life after a traumatic event and covered the various relationships within the family well.
I received this book directly from the publisher.
For more of my reviews visit
https://mrsredsreviews.wordpress.com
November 22, 2016
❃❃ 2 Snail Paced Stars
After reading some really positive reviews I must admit that I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this book more. The blurb sounded interesting and different to what I would usually go for but I'm very open minded when it comes to books.
What got to me the most about this book was that it was so very slow, my eyes would start to glaze over after every couple of pages, it would repeat itself and the jumping forwards and backwards in time got a bit confusing. The main characters were unique but others got swept under the rug and many questions were left unanswered. I would of liked to know more about Stephie's dad and why he was...well...the way he was.
If the mother wasn't so anxious and didn't question everything in life then I feel that we may not have had much of a story.
The prejudice towards tattooed people and the gothic subculture left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth...because they're just as bad as paedophiles right? *Grumble*
I didn't hate it but I didn't love it.
After reading some really positive reviews I must admit that I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this book more. The blurb sounded interesting and different to what I would usually go for but I'm very open minded when it comes to books.
What got to me the most about this book was that it was so very slow, my eyes would start to glaze over after every couple of pages, it would repeat itself and the jumping forwards and backwards in time got a bit confusing. The main characters were unique but others got swept under the rug and many questions were left unanswered. I would of liked to know more about Stephie's dad and why he was...well...the way he was.
If the mother wasn't so anxious and didn't question everything in life then I feel that we may not have had much of a story.
The prejudice towards tattooed people and the gothic subculture left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth...because they're just as bad as paedophiles right? *Grumble*
I didn't hate it but I didn't love it.
May 14, 2016
I was disappointed that I didn't enjoy this book more as it had so many good reviews. I found it quite slow and didn't feel that very much actually happened. If the mother hadn't been so incredibly neurotic there would have been even less! I'm not sure what the secret was, or if it was explained at the end!
June 11, 2016
The story is told from Rosalind (mum) point of view...the story is eeked out drip, by drip. It's a psychological thriller that is different to the usual pace.
When it ended I still had many questions unresolved, but it was a good read and the twisty way the plot was given was great. You will need patience with this book.
When it ended I still had many questions unresolved, but it was a good read and the twisty way the plot was given was great. You will need patience with this book.
September 2, 2015
Great read. about a young girl who gets manipulated by her teacher into thinking she is in love and disappears with him. What her teacher didn't realize is that her mom was on his trail like a blood hound who would never give up on her daughter!
January 27, 2016
Barely ok.
June 30, 2016
Not my cup of tea. Didn't engage me at all....I started of real excited but soon felt myself trudging through the book. Took me more than a month to complete!
February 20, 2025
This book kept me asking questions throughout and had a tense feel to it throughout. I enjoyed the development of the mother-daughter relationship but felt some of the other characters got a bit left behind. The ending was slightly predictable but still written well and with a fast pace to it that perhaps the rest of the book lacked slightly. Overall a good read but not the best of its kind.
August 31, 2015
Recently I've read rather a lot of Domestic Noir dramas/ psychological chillers, which is where I'd place this excellent debut novel. Some have been greatly applauded by others yet I haven't warmed to them at all, some have deserved and lived up to the hype, while others have been stunning in their twisty simplicity and sheer cunningness feeling like a real discovery, and I've loved them.
I'm pleased to announce that this falls firmly into the "LOVED it" category for the sheer readability, strong characters and easy to follow yet gripping storyline. It's full of "there but for the grace of God go I" situations, where you try and work out how you'd feel and react in that position and even though I rather disliked the main protagonist Ros I'm sure if I had a teenage daughter who'd been abducted by her teacher I too would be a neurotic wreck ....(will the person who knows me and said I AM, please keep quiet.)
Rosalind has a privileged life, a beautiful home in the wealthiest part of town, plenty of disposable income and the perfect sub nuclear family - a husband and two grown children one girl, one boy. But her life went sour 6 years ago when her, then just 15 year old daughter Stephanie, went missing and her carefully constructed world began to fall apart. 6 years have passed and we know Steph has returned to the family fold, but the unexpected discovery that the schoolteacher who lured her away, having served his sentence for child abduction is due to be released from prison early, bringing to the surface thoughts, worries and secrets which have remained buried until now.
Rosalind is a complex character with some wonderfully written neuroses and character quirks and flaws. I love the way she faces every event by pre-empting every possible disaster and unlikely scenario which might go wrong to the point of creating totally ridiculous catastrophes and allowing her obsession to overtake her life. Even more than this I loved the slightly tongue in cheek recipes for revenge she conjures up and imagines, knowing she is never likely to act on them just allows her to be even more creative and original in dreaming up imaginary punishmnent for those who have harmed her and her family, I found some of them pretty amusing. Steph is a rather selfish mess, having inherited some of her mothers phobias and faults and grown a whole new load of her own in addition.
The intricate story jumps back and forth between then and now but this never makes it a difficult book to follow. I really enjoyed the look inside this fractured families life and breathed a sigh of relief that I'm not living it. It's cleverly and beautifully written and I thoroughly appreciated reading it. My thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my thoughts.
I'm pleased to announce that this falls firmly into the "LOVED it" category for the sheer readability, strong characters and easy to follow yet gripping storyline. It's full of "there but for the grace of God go I" situations, where you try and work out how you'd feel and react in that position and even though I rather disliked the main protagonist Ros I'm sure if I had a teenage daughter who'd been abducted by her teacher I too would be a neurotic wreck ....(will the person who knows me and said I AM, please keep quiet.)
Rosalind has a privileged life, a beautiful home in the wealthiest part of town, plenty of disposable income and the perfect sub nuclear family - a husband and two grown children one girl, one boy. But her life went sour 6 years ago when her, then just 15 year old daughter Stephanie, went missing and her carefully constructed world began to fall apart. 6 years have passed and we know Steph has returned to the family fold, but the unexpected discovery that the schoolteacher who lured her away, having served his sentence for child abduction is due to be released from prison early, bringing to the surface thoughts, worries and secrets which have remained buried until now.
Rosalind is a complex character with some wonderfully written neuroses and character quirks and flaws. I love the way she faces every event by pre-empting every possible disaster and unlikely scenario which might go wrong to the point of creating totally ridiculous catastrophes and allowing her obsession to overtake her life. Even more than this I loved the slightly tongue in cheek recipes for revenge she conjures up and imagines, knowing she is never likely to act on them just allows her to be even more creative and original in dreaming up imaginary punishmnent for those who have harmed her and her family, I found some of them pretty amusing. Steph is a rather selfish mess, having inherited some of her mothers phobias and faults and grown a whole new load of her own in addition.
The intricate story jumps back and forth between then and now but this never makes it a difficult book to follow. I really enjoyed the look inside this fractured families life and breathed a sigh of relief that I'm not living it. It's cleverly and beautifully written and I thoroughly appreciated reading it. My thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my thoughts.
August 22, 2015
It's really difficult to stand out as new and different in the crowded thriller market, but here's a debut novel that has most certainly succeeded. The Daughter's Secret by Eva Holland was published in hardback and for kindle on 13th August by Orion, and when it's published in paperback in March 2016 deserves to be a massive bestseller. In fact, if I knew Richard and Judy personally, I'd be on the phone to them right now, making sure they reserve a place for it in their Spring list.
I'll admit to some thriller reading fatigue at the moment, and I really couldn't take another book about a missing child. This book is so very different, because the missing child scenario has been over and done with for some time - the teacher she ran away with was imprisoned, and life has gone on for everyone involved. I say "gone on" rather than "moved on" quite deliberately. The trauma has affected everyone, fracturing the marriage, the family, Rosalind's fragile mental state - and things get worse with the news of the teacher's impending release from prison. The structure of this novel is so very clever - it charts the day by day countdown in the present day, with the story of Stephanie's disappearance slowly revealed in between. It works so well as a thriller - yes, I'm going to use that word "unputdownable" again, because this was a book that had me reading bleary-eyed into the early hours, wondering what Nathan's release would bring.
But it's so much more than a thriller - it's quite mesmerising in the way it shines an unforgiving spotlight on Ros and her family, exposing every crack and fissure. Ros was totally mesmerising, and I couldn't take my eyes off her - I loved her extreme reactions to everything that happens, her expectation of catastrophe at every turn, her joy, misery and fear. Making her the narrator was an absolute masterstroke - you share her thoughts, see her mind working, feel able to laugh with her at her extremes, shed a tear with her over the twists and turns of her marriage, and as she papers over the tears in her relationship with her daughter. There are times you could shake her, when you can see problems coming that she fails to see - and you also wonder whether there are things she just might not be sharing.
This is quite wonderful writing, with absolutely nothing of "first novel" about it. And the book's end and climax, when it finally comes (and it'll probably be in the early hours for you too...), is everything you want it to be - thoroughly brilliant. Well done Eva Holland - I think you have a big hit on your hands, and I'm just desperate to see what you come up with next...
My thanks to netgalley and publishers Orion for my advance reading e-copy.
I'll admit to some thriller reading fatigue at the moment, and I really couldn't take another book about a missing child. This book is so very different, because the missing child scenario has been over and done with for some time - the teacher she ran away with was imprisoned, and life has gone on for everyone involved. I say "gone on" rather than "moved on" quite deliberately. The trauma has affected everyone, fracturing the marriage, the family, Rosalind's fragile mental state - and things get worse with the news of the teacher's impending release from prison. The structure of this novel is so very clever - it charts the day by day countdown in the present day, with the story of Stephanie's disappearance slowly revealed in between. It works so well as a thriller - yes, I'm going to use that word "unputdownable" again, because this was a book that had me reading bleary-eyed into the early hours, wondering what Nathan's release would bring.
But it's so much more than a thriller - it's quite mesmerising in the way it shines an unforgiving spotlight on Ros and her family, exposing every crack and fissure. Ros was totally mesmerising, and I couldn't take my eyes off her - I loved her extreme reactions to everything that happens, her expectation of catastrophe at every turn, her joy, misery and fear. Making her the narrator was an absolute masterstroke - you share her thoughts, see her mind working, feel able to laugh with her at her extremes, shed a tear with her over the twists and turns of her marriage, and as she papers over the tears in her relationship with her daughter. There are times you could shake her, when you can see problems coming that she fails to see - and you also wonder whether there are things she just might not be sharing.
This is quite wonderful writing, with absolutely nothing of "first novel" about it. And the book's end and climax, when it finally comes (and it'll probably be in the early hours for you too...), is everything you want it to be - thoroughly brilliant. Well done Eva Holland - I think you have a big hit on your hands, and I'm just desperate to see what you come up with next...
My thanks to netgalley and publishers Orion for my advance reading e-copy.
September 7, 2015
How far would you go to protect your daughter?
Five years ago Rosalind Simms' perfectly ordered world was torn apart when her then fifteen-year- old daughter Stephanie absconded with her Geography teacher, Nathan Temperly. Things are just about getting back to normal for Ros – an art class at which she excels, a flirtation and maybe something more with a fellow student – when she hears the news she’s been dreading for the past five years: Temperly is about to be released. This is the last thing Ros wants – and she’ll do anything to protect her damaged daughter from the man who preyed upon Stephanie when she was so young, changing her world forever.
As attention-grabbing as the pulled-from-the-headlines subject matter of this book may initially seem, The Daughter’s Secret is not the salacious page-turner you might be expecting or hoping for. Rather it is the slow-burn story of a damaged family that beneath the shiny surface of its affluent postcode is rotting away at the seams through a series of secrets, lies and deceit.
Read the rest of this review: http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
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Notes: Slow-moving with a very irritating (to me!) narrator. Still, an interesting exploration of family dynamics. I felt like this book could have been more than it is; the pulled-from-the-headlines subject matter is interesting and a total attention grabber, but the book is a little lacking in certain areas. Maybe a multi-POV would have worked better here. Full review to come...
Five years ago Rosalind Simms' perfectly ordered world was torn apart when her then fifteen-year- old daughter Stephanie absconded with her Geography teacher, Nathan Temperly. Things are just about getting back to normal for Ros – an art class at which she excels, a flirtation and maybe something more with a fellow student – when she hears the news she’s been dreading for the past five years: Temperly is about to be released. This is the last thing Ros wants – and she’ll do anything to protect her damaged daughter from the man who preyed upon Stephanie when she was so young, changing her world forever.
As attention-grabbing as the pulled-from-the-headlines subject matter of this book may initially seem, The Daughter’s Secret is not the salacious page-turner you might be expecting or hoping for. Rather it is the slow-burn story of a damaged family that beneath the shiny surface of its affluent postcode is rotting away at the seams through a series of secrets, lies and deceit.
Read the rest of this review: http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot...
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Notes: Slow-moving with a very irritating (to me!) narrator. Still, an interesting exploration of family dynamics. I felt like this book could have been more than it is; the pulled-from-the-headlines subject matter is interesting and a total attention grabber, but the book is a little lacking in certain areas. Maybe a multi-POV would have worked better here. Full review to come...
July 11, 2015
I received a copy from Netgalley of the book to review. Here's what the blurb says
"When Rosalind’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Stephanie, ran away with her teacher, Nathan Temperley, this ordinary family became something it had never asked to be. Now, six years on, Ros takes a call that will change their lives all over again. He’s going to be released from prison. Years too early. In eleven days’ time. As Temperley’s release creeps ever closer, Ros is forced to confront the events that led them here, back to a place she thought she’d left behind, to questions she didn’t want to answer."
The book follows the family 6 years later on over a period of 11 days leading up to the release of Nathan Temperley. The family have far from recovered from the events of 6 years ago and the story concentrates on how in particular the daughter and mother were affected and continue to be affected. I would rate the story as a 3.5 stars as the story was better than average however, I did not feel the urge to read "just a couple more pages" which is when I know a story is good. I did find the chapters were a little on the long side however, completely understand why they were structured like they were. I also found the ending lacked a little oomph and would have liked a little more clarity.
"When Rosalind’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Stephanie, ran away with her teacher, Nathan Temperley, this ordinary family became something it had never asked to be. Now, six years on, Ros takes a call that will change their lives all over again. He’s going to be released from prison. Years too early. In eleven days’ time. As Temperley’s release creeps ever closer, Ros is forced to confront the events that led them here, back to a place she thought she’d left behind, to questions she didn’t want to answer."
The book follows the family 6 years later on over a period of 11 days leading up to the release of Nathan Temperley. The family have far from recovered from the events of 6 years ago and the story concentrates on how in particular the daughter and mother were affected and continue to be affected. I would rate the story as a 3.5 stars as the story was better than average however, I did not feel the urge to read "just a couple more pages" which is when I know a story is good. I did find the chapters were a little on the long side however, completely understand why they were structured like they were. I also found the ending lacked a little oomph and would have liked a little more clarity.
May 11, 2016
This book has so many twists and turns that you will find yourself constantly changing your opinions as to the characters. However, I am in a love-hate relationship with this book. Overall, the book is a thriller but has not got the predictable plot. Holland keeps you waiting for information and reveals only little bits at a time which kept me hooked. However- I was not a fan of the ending- at all. The 'crescendo' was rushed and did not really follow where the book was going. Needless to say I was quite disappointed. In addition, a lot of information was left out and the secrets and details I was hooked on finding out were not explained. I had to give this book 3 stars though as up till the final 15 pages I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even though the main character/first person character was not necessarily likable all the time, I still liked reading her story. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense, thriller, crime, drama etc, but I will say that some of the main plot is missing and some things are never solved.
I don't like writing reviews where I was disappointed with a book however, It's an honest opinion, and remember, every book is not for everybody.
Happy reading
Lx
I don't like writing reviews where I was disappointed with a book however, It's an honest opinion, and remember, every book is not for everybody.
Happy reading
Lx
May 5, 2017
this is literally the slowest book I've read in my life.
even when things were happening it felt like nothing was going on, the characters were kinda dull with the narrator being extremely annoying and the plot had such potential but fell flat. the characters I genuinely found interesting (Freddy and Sarah) were never developed and a lot of things were left unanswered (e.g. Dan's "bit on the side")
also, Temperley's looks were eerily reminiscent of Ezra from PLL and I HATE EZRA AND THE WHOLE ROMANTICISING OF THE TEACHER PUPIL TROPE so that made me uncomfortable - although this book does not romanticise the relationship between Stephanie and Temperley at all, it was still weird.
even when things were happening it felt like nothing was going on, the characters were kinda dull with the narrator being extremely annoying and the plot had such potential but fell flat. the characters I genuinely found interesting (Freddy and Sarah) were never developed and a lot of things were left unanswered (e.g. Dan's "bit on the side")
also, Temperley's looks were eerily reminiscent of Ezra from PLL and I HATE EZRA AND THE WHOLE ROMANTICISING OF THE TEACHER PUPIL TROPE so that made me uncomfortable - although this book does not romanticise the relationship between Stephanie and Temperley at all, it was still weird.
February 11, 2017
This book could have been so good, the subject of teacher pupil relationships is always a controversial one and I thought it would be explored well, but I was left so disappointed by this mish-mash of a story and truly loathsome characters.
The story jumps around so much I found it had to follow, the mother is a neurotic nightmare and the daughter a spoilt brat. Don't even get me started on the pointless inclusion of characters that are superfluous to the plot and the ridiculous ending.
The story jumps around so much I found it had to follow, the mother is a neurotic nightmare and the daughter a spoilt brat. Don't even get me started on the pointless inclusion of characters that are superfluous to the plot and the ridiculous ending.
June 4, 2017
Very let down by this one.
The blurb indicated it could be a good, raw read about a teacher running away with a pupil. Whilst written from the Mum's point of view, she was so unhinged prior to the abduction that it all seemed very tedious.
Stuck with it in the hope that 'the secret' would be the part that wowed..... Ummm.
Not impressed. Rating as a 2 only because I rate 1 for books I don't see through to the end.
The blurb indicated it could be a good, raw read about a teacher running away with a pupil. Whilst written from the Mum's point of view, she was so unhinged prior to the abduction that it all seemed very tedious.
Stuck with it in the hope that 'the secret' would be the part that wowed..... Ummm.
Not impressed. Rating as a 2 only because I rate 1 for books I don't see through to the end.
September 2, 2015
A brilliant psychological thriller - Eva Holland gets right to the heart of the characters in this tale - touching on ordinary human fears which for the family in this story turn into reality - a child missing - drama is brought to life
May 4, 2017
I was quite disappointed with this book after reading the good reviews and the blurb which may it sound like an interesting idea for an intriguing story. However it was quite slow, not much seemed to happen and there seemed to be a lot of unanswered questions which left me feeling frustrated.
October 26, 2017
Intriguing book and very well written. It kept me guessing about what was going to happen and wasn't blatantly obvious from the beginning. I will certainly look to read more by this author.
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