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The Estate #4
Written in the Scars
Welcome to The Estate - where even the darkest times have their lighter moments...
Scars.
Sometimes they’re visible. Sometimes they’re burdens that we carry around with us.
You can’t see Donna’s scars from a joke of a marriage.
You can’t see Lewis’s scars from his time in the army.
You can see Megan’s scars but she won’t let you.
And Mary can’t always remember how she got hers.
If the past could be erased to make a better future, we’d all want to do that, wouldn’t we? No matter how dangerous the consequences might be…
WRITTEN IN THE SCARS is the fourth book in The Estate Series but each one can be read as a standalone novel.
Scars.
Sometimes they’re visible. Sometimes they’re burdens that we carry around with us.
You can’t see Donna’s scars from a joke of a marriage.
You can’t see Lewis’s scars from his time in the army.
You can see Megan’s scars but she won’t let you.
And Mary can’t always remember how she got hers.
If the past could be erased to make a better future, we’d all want to do that, wouldn’t we? No matter how dangerous the consequences might be…
WRITTEN IN THE SCARS is the fourth book in The Estate Series but each one can be read as a standalone novel.
- GenresThriller
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2015
157 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
Mel Sherratt
44 books534 followersI write police procedurals, psychological suspense and women's fiction with a punch - or grit-lit, as I call it.
I live in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, with my husband and terrier, Dexter (named after the TV serial killer) and makes liberal use of my hometown as a backdrop for some of my books.
You can find out more at my website www.melsherratt.co.uk or I'm on Twitter at @writermels
I also write women's fiction under the pen name of Marcie Steele.
I live in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, with my husband and terrier, Dexter (named after the TV serial killer) and makes liberal use of my hometown as a backdrop for some of my books.
You can find out more at my website www.melsherratt.co.uk or I'm on Twitter at @writermels
I also write women's fiction under the pen name of Marcie Steele.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
December 8, 2015
I have loved each book in this series. But this book 4 literally blew me away with the indepth characters, they're troubles, strife and woes.
The Estate is just it. Its an Estate where families live in different homes, some poorer than others, and each from all walks of life.
Some dysfunctional families that have terrible problems to some with everyday family problems.
Written In the Scars was a story to me where there were different individuals, some friends with each other, some related. All with Scars.
There some scars that can be seen. There are some scars that lay unseen by the human eye.
Lewis He had scars that you could see by his personality and his reactions in life. But they were not evident scars on the body. Oh no, not ones that could be seen for you to meet him and realize that he was scared. You would have to have known a little about him first. Otherwise, his reactions, his behavior would simply come across to you as a thug, a bully. But he Lewis was sad. He had a secret. He went through something that he couldn't cope with when in the Army.
He has PTSD symptoms.
He has lost his wife, he hardly sees his child.
He's determined to get them back.
Donna she has scars. The first half of the book you can't see her scars. They are emotional scars left over from her marriage.
She falls in love, another chance...she thinks.
Later though, she gets scarred.
Scars you can see, scars you can hear from her sad lips.
I cringed for Donna.
Donna has all her families burdens and worries on her shoulders as most Moms do.
She also is worried about her own Mother in the care home. Her Mother has dementia and she doesn't know what to believe or not, but is her Mother being badly treated? Another thing for her to worry about.
Then there is Sam.
Then there is Megan. Megan works at the hospital where Sam has had his operation.
Megan has scars, Megan has visible scars. But no one can see them under the heavy make up.
I don't know why, but each time I have read one of these books from The Estate by Mel Sherratt I feel like a nosy neighbor. Someone twitching at her curtains and peeking out after dark, watching the neighborhood and wondering 'just what is gonna happen next'. Its that kind of "feel" to me.
I am not sure if that is how the author wanted a reader to feel, but it certainly did that for me.
A kind of 'sit down at the table over a cuppa and a gossip about this one and that'
I also took away something from this book about Scars
We all have them.
Some are hidden.
Some are visible by the naked eye.
Some are known to us by the actions and thoughts plus decisions we may make in the future because of them.
We can be an acress/actor, and we can cover up our scars, we can invent ourselves and pretend they are just not there...
but there they are...
beneath the surface of:
Make up
A smile
A laugh
A thought
A frown.
And some need help overcoming the Scars.
Thank you Mel for a wonderful read that kept me up last night :)
October 17, 2015
I was fortunate enough to be given an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I am a big Mel Sherratt fan and a huge fan of The Estate Series, so when given the opportunity to read this book I squealed…yes literally squealed, with gleeful excitement. I had been waiting for Book 4, Written In The Scars, for a very long time…or at least it felt that way!
The minute I got this book I delved right in and I was not disappointed. Mel Sherratt has a wonderful way of reeling you in to her books. The Estate Series, including this one, is a story about real people, real life and real feeling. I was hooked from the start and literally had to force myself to stop so I had something to look forward to reading the next day. I devoured this book. I could have read it in a few hours easily as the stories and characters really got under my skin.
And of course, the return of one of my favourite characters: Josie Mellor. I feel like I actually know this lady!! How scary is that?! Josie is a housing officer who spends her days not only trying to keep the Estate in order, but really touching the resident’s lives in a bid to help them through their turmoil. Love this lady!!
Something else I love about Mel’s books is how each of the characters become a part of you as you are reading. I felt a wide range of emotions reading these stories…empathy and anger at what poor Donna experienced (no spoilers); sadness for Lewis and willing him to seek help; pure admiration for Megan; and Mary, well she could not always speak for herself and needed the kindness and caring of others. It is true what they say, scars come in many forms…some obvious, some hidden…and how people deal with them can make them stronger or utterly destroy them.
I can honestly say that there was nothing I did not like about this book. It stayed true to form with the grit, suspense, raw emotion and realism that I have come to love about this author’s books!
In case it is not obvious, I highly recommend not only this book, but the whole Estate series!! You have no idea what you have been missing!
Written in The Scars is currently available on amazon for pre order…so what are you waiting for?
I am a big Mel Sherratt fan and a huge fan of The Estate Series, so when given the opportunity to read this book I squealed…yes literally squealed, with gleeful excitement. I had been waiting for Book 4, Written In The Scars, for a very long time…or at least it felt that way!
The minute I got this book I delved right in and I was not disappointed. Mel Sherratt has a wonderful way of reeling you in to her books. The Estate Series, including this one, is a story about real people, real life and real feeling. I was hooked from the start and literally had to force myself to stop so I had something to look forward to reading the next day. I devoured this book. I could have read it in a few hours easily as the stories and characters really got under my skin.
And of course, the return of one of my favourite characters: Josie Mellor. I feel like I actually know this lady!! How scary is that?! Josie is a housing officer who spends her days not only trying to keep the Estate in order, but really touching the resident’s lives in a bid to help them through their turmoil. Love this lady!!
Something else I love about Mel’s books is how each of the characters become a part of you as you are reading. I felt a wide range of emotions reading these stories…empathy and anger at what poor Donna experienced (no spoilers); sadness for Lewis and willing him to seek help; pure admiration for Megan; and Mary, well she could not always speak for herself and needed the kindness and caring of others. It is true what they say, scars come in many forms…some obvious, some hidden…and how people deal with them can make them stronger or utterly destroy them.
I can honestly say that there was nothing I did not like about this book. It stayed true to form with the grit, suspense, raw emotion and realism that I have come to love about this author’s books!
In case it is not obvious, I highly recommend not only this book, but the whole Estate series!! You have no idea what you have been missing!
Written in The Scars is currently available on amazon for pre order…so what are you waiting for?
December 23, 2015
Hard to believe it’s been but two years since I read Somewhere to Hide & fell in love with Cath Mason, who’s the house supervisor of a refuge for victims of domestic abuse, & who is both a believable & vulnerable person & the closest thing to a saint you’re likely to encounter in this life. Since then Mel Sherratt has published three other books set on the Mitchell Estate in the English Midlands. Written in the Scars is her latest & the author was kind enough to supply me with an advance e-copy.
The residents of the estate can be divided into four classes: @ the bottom are the scoundrels, the out-&-out criminals - drug dealers, car thieves, burglars, most of whom have spent some time ‘banged up inside’. Then we have the skivers, idlers who draw benefit. One of them, Nick, describes his ‘between jobs’ status: ‘Have been for near on five years now. As long as the government keep paying me to stay @ home, that’s where I’ll stay. . . . I’m not getting out of bed to earn six pounds an hour.’ As another character remarks: ‘Half the women on this estate walk around in their pyjamas & slippers.’ But I would describe Sherratt’s principal characters as strivers. We have Donna, a 40-something single-mum with a 22 y/o son Sam & 19 y/o daughter, Keera. Sam about half-way between skiver & scoundrel. He’s nearly cut off a finger with a chainsaw whilst clearing a path to pilfer from a building site. Keera is terrified lest her mother discover that she is working @ The Candy Club as a masseuse No sex is involved, but there are always customers eager for extras. Another striver is Megan, who works as a cleaner @ the hospital & @ a care home. (I have the privilege to meet people in her line of work almost every day.) Megan hides a disfiguring birthmark under mascara & falls in love with Sam whilst he’s in hospital. We also follow Lewis, an ex-army Afghanistan veteran who’s treating PTSD with ETOH & risking GBH. Only one of Mel Sherratt’s really saintly characters plays a role in this novel, Josie Mellor, the housing officer who was the principal character in Behind a Closed Door, the second book of the series.
I love this series because the author portrays very ordinary people attractively, so that you really care about what happens to them. Sometimes they make really stupid choices, as does Donna when - urged on by her friend & co-worker Sarah -she goes off for a fling with Owen, a man she barely knows. When you’re Donna’s age & you find an attractive man who just happens to seem unattached & available - there is probably a good reason that you’ll want to find out before getting involved. As Sarah had been eager to hear all the details, I think Donna should have unloaded on her just what happened @ the fancy hotel with Owen. Might have helped Sarah acquire a more grown-up attitude towards relationships. If it looks too good to be true . . .
Written in the Scars did not have as much appeal for me as the first two books in the series (I’ve not read Fighting for Survival yet). I miss Cath & Josie plays only a supporting role here, as an angel for Lewis. In Somewhere to Hide & in some Allie Shenton mysteries, Mel Sherratt wraps up the story very fast & think that happens here too, especially for Lewis & for Megan. She should indeed be good for Sam but I wasn’t entirely persuaded that he’d be good for her. Tho’ I think Mel Sherratt is really flourishing in the detective story genre, & I want to start following Marcie Steele @ well, the Mitchell Estate remains closest to my heart as a place to meet characters whom I love, speaking a bit differently but whom I’ve come to recognise almost as neighbours & friends. And in the case of caregivers like Cath & Josie & Megan, as models & exemplars as well.
The residents of the estate can be divided into four classes: @ the bottom are the scoundrels, the out-&-out criminals - drug dealers, car thieves, burglars, most of whom have spent some time ‘banged up inside’. Then we have the skivers, idlers who draw benefit. One of them, Nick, describes his ‘between jobs’ status: ‘Have been for near on five years now. As long as the government keep paying me to stay @ home, that’s where I’ll stay. . . . I’m not getting out of bed to earn six pounds an hour.’ As another character remarks: ‘Half the women on this estate walk around in their pyjamas & slippers.’ But I would describe Sherratt’s principal characters as strivers. We have Donna, a 40-something single-mum with a 22 y/o son Sam & 19 y/o daughter, Keera. Sam about half-way between skiver & scoundrel. He’s nearly cut off a finger with a chainsaw whilst clearing a path to pilfer from a building site. Keera is terrified lest her mother discover that she is working @ The Candy Club as a masseuse No sex is involved, but there are always customers eager for extras. Another striver is Megan, who works as a cleaner @ the hospital & @ a care home. (I have the privilege to meet people in her line of work almost every day.) Megan hides a disfiguring birthmark under mascara & falls in love with Sam whilst he’s in hospital. We also follow Lewis, an ex-army Afghanistan veteran who’s treating PTSD with ETOH & risking GBH. Only one of Mel Sherratt’s really saintly characters plays a role in this novel, Josie Mellor, the housing officer who was the principal character in Behind a Closed Door, the second book of the series.
I love this series because the author portrays very ordinary people attractively, so that you really care about what happens to them. Sometimes they make really stupid choices, as does Donna when - urged on by her friend & co-worker Sarah -she goes off for a fling with Owen, a man she barely knows. When you’re Donna’s age & you find an attractive man who just happens to seem unattached & available - there is probably a good reason that you’ll want to find out before getting involved. As Sarah had been eager to hear all the details, I think Donna should have unloaded on her just what happened @ the fancy hotel with Owen. Might have helped Sarah acquire a more grown-up attitude towards relationships. If it looks too good to be true . . .
Written in the Scars did not have as much appeal for me as the first two books in the series (I’ve not read Fighting for Survival yet). I miss Cath & Josie plays only a supporting role here, as an angel for Lewis. In Somewhere to Hide & in some Allie Shenton mysteries, Mel Sherratt wraps up the story very fast & think that happens here too, especially for Lewis & for Megan. She should indeed be good for Sam but I wasn’t entirely persuaded that he’d be good for her. Tho’ I think Mel Sherratt is really flourishing in the detective story genre, & I want to start following Marcie Steele @ well, the Mitchell Estate remains closest to my heart as a place to meet characters whom I love, speaking a bit differently but whom I’ve come to recognise almost as neighbours & friends. And in the case of caregivers like Cath & Josie & Megan, as models & exemplars as well.
November 15, 2017
The fourth in Sherratt's gritty series about life on the Mitchell Estate, set in a town in the North Midlands (based on Stoke). A soldier with PTSD, at least two sexual assaults and various other problems abound. A bit like a soap opera, no core narrative.
October 29, 2015
I have to say I approached Written in the Scars with mixed feelings as I absolutely love The Estate series and have read the first three books in the last two weeks alone, so was over the moon to be able to read the fourth one but I also felt quite sad as I now will have to wait a while before the next one.
Even though I wanted to savour this book and to drag it out for as long as possible as I didn't want it to end, I actually devoured it in one afternoon as could not put it down.
Written in the Scars concentrates on Donna, her children Sam and Keera and a lovely young woman called Megan and an ex army man, Lewis.
Donna is a hard working single parent who struggles to find time for herself. Her mother suffers from dementia and she visits her often and even though her children, Keera and Sam are adults, she still worries over them, especially Sam who always seems to be getting himself involved in stuff he shouldn't be.
Megan is very much like Donna, even though she is barely only an adult herself, she works numerous jobs and helps cares for her mother. She is another one who has no time for herself to make friends and have some fun.
It is hard to go into the story to much with out giving to much away, so I won't but I have to say that I really do not know how the author does it but she always seems to manage to shock the readers with twists that we don't see coming, well I for one did not. She again touches on crimes that truly are appalling which can make some parts slightly uncomfortable to read yet you need to carry on. One thing I have learned and enjoy from this series is that the tenants in this series maybe victims from crimes or circumstances yet they are all fighters and I think that for many that may find themselves in similar situations that it gives them hope and hopefully they can see a light at the end of that very dark tunnel.
Another gripping read in what I can only describe for me should be an award winning series.
Many thanks to the author for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Even though I wanted to savour this book and to drag it out for as long as possible as I didn't want it to end, I actually devoured it in one afternoon as could not put it down.
Written in the Scars concentrates on Donna, her children Sam and Keera and a lovely young woman called Megan and an ex army man, Lewis.
Donna is a hard working single parent who struggles to find time for herself. Her mother suffers from dementia and she visits her often and even though her children, Keera and Sam are adults, she still worries over them, especially Sam who always seems to be getting himself involved in stuff he shouldn't be.
Megan is very much like Donna, even though she is barely only an adult herself, she works numerous jobs and helps cares for her mother. She is another one who has no time for herself to make friends and have some fun.
It is hard to go into the story to much with out giving to much away, so I won't but I have to say that I really do not know how the author does it but she always seems to manage to shock the readers with twists that we don't see coming, well I for one did not. She again touches on crimes that truly are appalling which can make some parts slightly uncomfortable to read yet you need to carry on. One thing I have learned and enjoy from this series is that the tenants in this series maybe victims from crimes or circumstances yet they are all fighters and I think that for many that may find themselves in similar situations that it gives them hope and hopefully they can see a light at the end of that very dark tunnel.
Another gripping read in what I can only describe for me should be an award winning series.
Many thanks to the author for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 9, 2015
So I finally made it to book 4 having caught up with this series very recently. The great thing about that is that I already have a feel for characters and residents that live on the Mitchell Estate, where the books are set. This latest book features less of Housing Officer Josie, and much more of other residents. It focuses around 2 main families and the characters within them and they all have their own issues and problems.
Donna is always spending time caring for her sick Mother, or running around ensuring her grown up children are doing okay. When she meets a guy she feels like it’s finally time for her to be a little bit selfish. Donna’s children Keera and Sam are also featured heavily in the story. In addition to Donna we meet Lewis whose story is extremely tragic. As a soldier returning from War it’s clear that he is suffering and his actions become more and more dangerous as he struggles to by in daily life. I really liked a character Megan, who has her own ‘scars’ that stay hidden and she was one of my favourites from the early stages.
The stories that Mel Sheratt achieves are always intricately plotted so that everyone gets enough ‘page time’ if you know what I mean, I really felt myself getting to grips with and having empathy for various characters almost from the outset. The story featuring Donna was quite harrowing and was something I ‘felt’ coming. I always see that as a good sign, because it means the author is creating enough suspense to scare you senseless! The only thing that I struggled with was a particular character and relationship in the book with a character called Derek. I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling it for others, but for some reason this element of the story didn’t sit right with me?
There is a lot of story packed in here but it’s easy to follow and once again gives you an idea of the type of people living on The Mitchell Estate. I think book 3 held the edge for me over this one but this is still a superb and solid read. Josie Mellor the housing officer only makes very brief appearances, but enough to keep us in the loop with her life. As it had been a while since I got back into reading this series I forgot how much I loved it. This is another great book from Mel Sherratt and this series is an absolute MUST read.
Donna is always spending time caring for her sick Mother, or running around ensuring her grown up children are doing okay. When she meets a guy she feels like it’s finally time for her to be a little bit selfish. Donna’s children Keera and Sam are also featured heavily in the story. In addition to Donna we meet Lewis whose story is extremely tragic. As a soldier returning from War it’s clear that he is suffering and his actions become more and more dangerous as he struggles to by in daily life. I really liked a character Megan, who has her own ‘scars’ that stay hidden and she was one of my favourites from the early stages.
The stories that Mel Sheratt achieves are always intricately plotted so that everyone gets enough ‘page time’ if you know what I mean, I really felt myself getting to grips with and having empathy for various characters almost from the outset. The story featuring Donna was quite harrowing and was something I ‘felt’ coming. I always see that as a good sign, because it means the author is creating enough suspense to scare you senseless! The only thing that I struggled with was a particular character and relationship in the book with a character called Derek. I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling it for others, but for some reason this element of the story didn’t sit right with me?
There is a lot of story packed in here but it’s easy to follow and once again gives you an idea of the type of people living on The Mitchell Estate. I think book 3 held the edge for me over this one but this is still a superb and solid read. Josie Mellor the housing officer only makes very brief appearances, but enough to keep us in the loop with her life. As it had been a while since I got back into reading this series I forgot how much I loved it. This is another great book from Mel Sherratt and this series is an absolute MUST read.
October 25, 2015
Written In the Scars is the fourth in the Estate series by Mel Sherratt. It tells the story of two families - the Adams' and the Prophetts. Donna Adams is the linchpin in her family, running round after her two grown up wayward kids and her elderly mother suffering from dementia. She never has time for herself until she meets Owen. Lewis Prophett is struggling to be a civilian after several years in the army and doing numerous tours of war torn Afghanistan. He's haunted by his experience and it's affecting him and those who love him.
The story is about relationships, the secrets that can destroy them and the bond that can strengthen them. Sometimes you keep a secret to protect those you love the most and even yourself. But secrets can destroy your relationships with those around you.
This is the first Estate novel I've read and it won't be the last. I felt compelled to keep reading, the characters were real to me. I even had my own image of the Mitchell Estate. I didn't feel I'd missed out by not having read the first three in this series but I will be going back to read them all.
Mel Sherratt had a knack of writing such wonderful stories, not just in the "Grit Lit" genrewith the Estate series but she's written a heartwarming romance novel in Stirred With Love and I love the Allie Shenton crime novels.
Thank you so much to Mel Sherratt for sending me a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.
The story is about relationships, the secrets that can destroy them and the bond that can strengthen them. Sometimes you keep a secret to protect those you love the most and even yourself. But secrets can destroy your relationships with those around you.
This is the first Estate novel I've read and it won't be the last. I felt compelled to keep reading, the characters were real to me. I even had my own image of the Mitchell Estate. I didn't feel I'd missed out by not having read the first three in this series but I will be going back to read them all.
Mel Sherratt had a knack of writing such wonderful stories, not just in the "Grit Lit" genrewith the Estate series but she's written a heartwarming romance novel in Stirred With Love and I love the Allie Shenton crime novels.
Thank you so much to Mel Sherratt for sending me a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.
October 26, 2015
I'm lucky enough to have been given an ARC of the book by the lovely author which I'm very grateful for!
While I have had Mel's books on my TBR shelves, both real and digital, I hadn't gotten around to them so when asked would I like to read Written In The Scars my only question was did I need to read the previous books in the estate series! Thankfully, Mel assured me that although they are a series, they can be read as standalones also!
Anyway, I digress!
I started this book last night and was instantly engrossed. The way the characters are written makes you feel as though you know them for years. Their struggles, their day to day routines, it all felt familiar reading it so it felt like catching up with old friends.
I loved the theme of scars running through the book. Everybody has them, physically and/or emotionally, so you can instantly relate to the characters.
There was a plot twist just over halfway through which I wasn't expecting, and it took the character in a completely different direction towards the end of the book. I found myself reading faster to see how everyone would fare out in the end.
I thoroughly enjoyed Written In The Scars, my first Mel Sherratt book (I've read her as Marcie Steele), and definitely not my last! :)
While I have had Mel's books on my TBR shelves, both real and digital, I hadn't gotten around to them so when asked would I like to read Written In The Scars my only question was did I need to read the previous books in the estate series! Thankfully, Mel assured me that although they are a series, they can be read as standalones also!
Anyway, I digress!
I started this book last night and was instantly engrossed. The way the characters are written makes you feel as though you know them for years. Their struggles, their day to day routines, it all felt familiar reading it so it felt like catching up with old friends.
I loved the theme of scars running through the book. Everybody has them, physically and/or emotionally, so you can instantly relate to the characters.
There was a plot twist just over halfway through which I wasn't expecting, and it took the character in a completely different direction towards the end of the book. I found myself reading faster to see how everyone would fare out in the end.
I thoroughly enjoyed Written In The Scars, my first Mel Sherratt book (I've read her as Marcie Steele), and definitely not my last! :)
December 31, 2016
Written in the Scars focuses on two families, the Adams and the Prophetts. Donna Adams is desperately trying to hold it all together as a single mum and a carer for her mum while Lewis Prophett is losing it all as he struggles to cope with PTSD after his 12 years in the army. Although the focus is on both these families, old familiar faces are always around the estate.
Mel has a real canny knack of writing characters and scenes that draw the reader in hook, line and sinker and this book is no different. Each of the characters are scarred visibly or otherwise and the impact of those scars is the thread running through the book. As a reader I felt an emotional connection with each of the characters, Donna I warmed to straight away - as a hard-working single mum she is trying to be there for everyone and to be the "fixer" for them all but she has little or no time for herself and so when she meets Owen he sweeps her off her feet. I found myself so caught up in Donna's life and wept for her as the story progressed - she was dealt some serious blows in this book and I honestly felt like I lived next door to her and lived her life with her.
Lewis is on self destruct mode and risks losing everything, yet you cannot help feel for him as he describes the sounds in his head that never leave him alone, the sounds of war that make him terrified to sleep and drive him to drink and destructive behaviour - my heart went out to him and I so wanted him to reach out for help but also totally got the reasons he struggled to do so.
The Mitchell Estate is a tough place to live but it is also a community with a heart and this shines through in this series and challenges some of the preconceptions that people might have about people who live in Estates like this all over the country.
Mel has a real canny knack of writing characters and scenes that draw the reader in hook, line and sinker and this book is no different. Each of the characters are scarred visibly or otherwise and the impact of those scars is the thread running through the book. As a reader I felt an emotional connection with each of the characters, Donna I warmed to straight away - as a hard-working single mum she is trying to be there for everyone and to be the "fixer" for them all but she has little or no time for herself and so when she meets Owen he sweeps her off her feet. I found myself so caught up in Donna's life and wept for her as the story progressed - she was dealt some serious blows in this book and I honestly felt like I lived next door to her and lived her life with her.
Lewis is on self destruct mode and risks losing everything, yet you cannot help feel for him as he describes the sounds in his head that never leave him alone, the sounds of war that make him terrified to sleep and drive him to drink and destructive behaviour - my heart went out to him and I so wanted him to reach out for help but also totally got the reasons he struggled to do so.
The Mitchell Estate is a tough place to live but it is also a community with a heart and this shines through in this series and challenges some of the preconceptions that people might have about people who live in Estates like this all over the country.
October 30, 2015
Another great book from Mel Sherratt — part of her ‘grit-lit’ series set in the Midlands of England, she looks at the lives of the people who live there. It follows the paths of several residents and the local housing officer: among them, a single mum and her two, very different adult children, a young carer and a shell-shocked ex-serviceman just trying to get his life back.
The storylines are very different, yet they weave in and out effortlessly, tying these lives together with more than just their proximity on the estate. Lewis has been out of the army for a while, but he’s not adjusting to civilian life, the horrors of what he’s seen dogging his every step. Donna works at the local shop, while checking on her mother who has dementia, worrying about her lazy son and her hard-working daughter; not an ideal place to be meeting men, is it? Then she met Owen…
Josie has been a housing officer on the estate for a number of years and knows the residents more intimately than she probably wants to. Young Megan hides her scars, while doing her best to look after the people in her care, including Donna’s mother, not daring to hope for a relationship.
This is the fourth book in the series, but you don’t need to have read the others to fill in the gaps (but you should go buy them now, they’re great!). I like Sherratt’s writing and she always pulls me into the story with minimal effort. Great characters and storylines. Go now and buy it!
The storylines are very different, yet they weave in and out effortlessly, tying these lives together with more than just their proximity on the estate. Lewis has been out of the army for a while, but he’s not adjusting to civilian life, the horrors of what he’s seen dogging his every step. Donna works at the local shop, while checking on her mother who has dementia, worrying about her lazy son and her hard-working daughter; not an ideal place to be meeting men, is it? Then she met Owen…
Josie has been a housing officer on the estate for a number of years and knows the residents more intimately than she probably wants to. Young Megan hides her scars, while doing her best to look after the people in her care, including Donna’s mother, not daring to hope for a relationship.
This is the fourth book in the series, but you don’t need to have read the others to fill in the gaps (but you should go buy them now, they’re great!). I like Sherratt’s writing and she always pulls me into the story with minimal effort. Great characters and storylines. Go now and buy it!
October 9, 2015
I love Mel Sherratt - but this is the first Estate series book I've read, even though they are all on my kindle. I love her DS Allie Shenton series, so when I was offered an advance copy of this, I thought it was time to start on the Estate!
This didn't disappoint - think Martina Cole, but with far more likeable characters. I found the storyline easy to get into and straight away there were characters I identified with, along with some that I got the bad vibe about ( and I was right, which made it even better!).
Mel's writing is strong, and there is some excellent dialogue - you can really hear some of the characters in your ear as they speak, always a good sign for me!
Although similar in style to Martina Cole, I much prefer Mel - the characters are not quite so rough, and where I began to find Martina Cole's characters all a little bit "samey" Mel' characters all have quite a distinctive, individual feel. There's no massive, shocking plot twist, but the plot line tells the story of life on the estate, and this was something that I did really like - almost a focus on real people, living real lives.
In short, I really enjoyed this. Despite it being the last one so far in a series I didn't feel like I missed anything by not reading the others, but I definitely will be going back to catch up.
This didn't disappoint - think Martina Cole, but with far more likeable characters. I found the storyline easy to get into and straight away there were characters I identified with, along with some that I got the bad vibe about ( and I was right, which made it even better!).
Mel's writing is strong, and there is some excellent dialogue - you can really hear some of the characters in your ear as they speak, always a good sign for me!
Although similar in style to Martina Cole, I much prefer Mel - the characters are not quite so rough, and where I began to find Martina Cole's characters all a little bit "samey" Mel' characters all have quite a distinctive, individual feel. There's no massive, shocking plot twist, but the plot line tells the story of life on the estate, and this was something that I did really like - almost a focus on real people, living real lives.
In short, I really enjoyed this. Despite it being the last one so far in a series I didn't feel like I missed anything by not reading the others, but I definitely will be going back to catch up.
October 30, 2015
Wow. Firstly what a year it has been for Mel Sherratt. Who is also now writing contemporary fiction under the name of Marcie Steele.
I can't believe we are now at book 4 in the Estate Series. A series I have enjoyed reading. And I felt like I was visiting somewhere I actually knew when I dived into this book.
Set on the Mitchell Estate, It is easy to relate to. Most big area's have an estate of some description and the Mitchell Estate is no different from those, which is what helps the feel of the book, it is what helps make the book real.
This book is mainly based around Donna, a resident that we can all relate to as a person. Hard working, caring for a family and her elderly mother. Wanting just that bit of something special.
Also Lewis, another resident who is suffering after returning back to the estate from the Army. Life never seems dull on the Estate.
We also see Josie, the Michelle Estate housing officer, although she's not in this book as much as previous books.
As with other reviews i'm struggling with this one, not to give too much away. But anyone who has read the previous 3 books, will enjoy this addition. It seemed like a really easy read, no complicated plots to follow, but the book grabs you in the way you want to carry on read to see where the story is going.
I can't believe we are now at book 4 in the Estate Series. A series I have enjoyed reading. And I felt like I was visiting somewhere I actually knew when I dived into this book.
Set on the Mitchell Estate, It is easy to relate to. Most big area's have an estate of some description and the Mitchell Estate is no different from those, which is what helps the feel of the book, it is what helps make the book real.
This book is mainly based around Donna, a resident that we can all relate to as a person. Hard working, caring for a family and her elderly mother. Wanting just that bit of something special.
Also Lewis, another resident who is suffering after returning back to the estate from the Army. Life never seems dull on the Estate.
We also see Josie, the Michelle Estate housing officer, although she's not in this book as much as previous books.
As with other reviews i'm struggling with this one, not to give too much away. But anyone who has read the previous 3 books, will enjoy this addition. It seemed like a really easy read, no complicated plots to follow, but the book grabs you in the way you want to carry on read to see where the story is going.
October 12, 2015
I'm a massive fan of Mel's books I do love her true grit books and this one is no exception. I have read all the estate books so not a newcomer to the series but I did enjoy this story and it has an underlying theme running through it that stays with you long after the book has finished. The thing that I love about the estate book is how real the characters are in the estate series real people written with real problems and the struggle they face and overcome each day I liked how Mel got this across in this book and the whole estate series it's nice to read a bit of glamour sometimes but nothing beats a book that sometimes you can see happening outside your house. I would like to say a massive thank you to Mel for letting me read this advanced copy of written in the scars.
May 15, 2016
Disappointing...
I've read all of her books and the Estate is my favorite, but this one was disappointing for me. At the end of a book, there should be no unanswered questions, but for me this story felt incomplete and disjointed. I won't go into details as not to spoil it for other readers, but it left gaps that felt unfinished to me.
I've read all of her books and the Estate is my favorite, but this one was disappointing for me. At the end of a book, there should be no unanswered questions, but for me this story felt incomplete and disjointed. I won't go into details as not to spoil it for other readers, but it left gaps that felt unfinished to me.
September 3, 2018
I loved this book
I have read all the books in this series and loved them. The characters storylines were so well written and you kind of got to know them over the series of books, could even relate to them and their situations. Never have I read a series that has so dragged me in, that I have shouted with the characters and even cried with them. Such a great writer and series, read it you won't be disappointed.
I have read all the books in this series and loved them. The characters storylines were so well written and you kind of got to know them over the series of books, could even relate to them and their situations. Never have I read a series that has so dragged me in, that I have shouted with the characters and even cried with them. Such a great writer and series, read it you won't be disappointed.
January 14, 2019
Another great read
The fourth book in the series , yet again another great read from the estate im praying there will be a fifth , I'm so chuffed i came across ur books by accident while looking for a new author , if anyone loves Karen rose , Martina Cole , Casey Heller etc u won't be disappointed by Mel Everett she has u gripped for start to end of book , you are amongst the top authors love ur books keep them coming
The fourth book in the series , yet again another great read from the estate im praying there will be a fifth , I'm so chuffed i came across ur books by accident while looking for a new author , if anyone loves Karen rose , Martina Cole , Casey Heller etc u won't be disappointed by Mel Everett she has u gripped for start to end of book , you are amongst the top authors love ur books keep them coming
December 21, 2016
Having read all four books in the Estate Series, I feel as though I have been on an emotional journey with some really lovely characters (some awful ones too) I have absolutely loved each book and hope there will be more to come in the near future.
May 2, 2020
Written in the scars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mel's books just flow & she's got plenty of characters & storylines to keep the series exciting & also gives herself plenty of material to write about. I will definitely be looking out for her books.I could read her books all day long⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mel's books just flow & she's got plenty of characters & storylines to keep the series exciting & also gives herself plenty of material to write about. I will definitely be looking out for her books.I could read her books all day long⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
May 16, 2020
Great follow up
This is the fourth book of the Estate series that I've read. By the time you get to this book, you really feel like you know the Estate and the characters. Great story which is equally good as standalone.
This is the fourth book of the Estate series that I've read. By the time you get to this book, you really feel like you know the Estate and the characters. Great story which is equally good as standalone.
September 2, 2024
I was sad at the fact it was the last book of the Estate series.
I got to know the characters as if I knew them in real life.
This series of books have been so brilliant to read.
And this last one was a great finish.
Each family had their issues of life.
Thankyou Mel Sherratt 😘
I got to know the characters as if I knew them in real life.
This series of books have been so brilliant to read.
And this last one was a great finish.
Each family had their issues of life.
Thankyou Mel Sherratt 😘
November 16, 2025
brilliant
I’ve read the whole series and look forward to reading more fantastic author such an easy read with many different characters that all tie in at the end but all equally as interesting.
I’ve read the whole series and look forward to reading more fantastic author such an easy read with many different characters that all tie in at the end but all equally as interesting.
December 3, 2016
Did enjoy this one
Yes this was a good book not as good as the first 3 but very interesting stories for all the characters.
Yes this was a good book not as good as the first 3 but very interesting stories for all the characters.
November 30, 2017
So I devoured the whole series in a week. Would highly recommend all books in series. XX
March 8, 2018
Loved this book from start to finish. As with every one of the estate series, once I started, I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend.
June 30, 2018
Great read
Hard to put down realistic character s and great storyline felt like you knew the character s by end of book
Hard to put down realistic character s and great storyline felt like you knew the character s by end of book
July 8, 2019
One of the best in the series until the ending. It just seems to finish with no conclusion to Donna's part of the story.
March 24, 2020
I have enjoyed all 4 of the books so far. 😀
October 31, 2020
The author draws you into the lives of the characters. It's not the gripping book that I prefer but a good story
November 2, 2020
Good story about a family and the things that happen within the dynamics of that family. Very easy read.
April 25, 2021
Gripping to the last page.......
Hooked from the start and read all books in this collection. On to the next collection and more late nights.....
Hooked from the start and read all books in this collection. On to the next collection and more late nights.....
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