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Things We Cannot See
Set on the magical coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula and inspired by true events, Things We Cannot See is Dianne Maguire's second domestic suspense novel - a compelling story of children and families, love and betrayal. Laura Nesci has found her forever partner - until he leaves her for no apparent reason. It is only in the wake of a family tragedy and the unearthing of her husband's secret life that things fall into place, including Laura's burgeoning attraction for local artist Flynn. Fighting against the temptation of another possibly disastrous relationship, Laura channels her energies into her work as a victim support officer with the police. Fifteen-year-old Alex is a girl with secrets. Her best friend Maddi believes it's wrong, but Alex knows that what she has with their science teacher is special. When Alex is attacked, Maddi and Laura become locked in a silent battle of Laura suspects that Maddi is keeping secrets for her friend, and Maddi must decide whether to speak up or remain silent. But the final telling of Alex's deepest secret is met with shock and disbelief from everyone, including Laura, who thinks she has seen it all - until now.
- GenresContemporarySuspense
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 19, 2016
6 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Dianne Maguire
2 books32 followersDianne Maguire left a career as a social worker for families and children when her first novel 'What Matters Most' was published by Harper Collins Impulse in 2015.
Her second novel, 'Things We Cannot See,' was published by HarperCollins Impulse in 2017.
Author/parent/grandmother/dog whisperer and lover of life (well most of the time) Dianne writes stories of contemporary women's fiction by the sea, always by the sea.
Her novels may be purchased from HarperCollins, Amazon and all quality eBook providers.
Her second novel, 'Things We Cannot See,' was published by HarperCollins Impulse in 2017.
Author/parent/grandmother/dog whisperer and lover of life (well most of the time) Dianne writes stories of contemporary women's fiction by the sea, always by the sea.
Her novels may be purchased from HarperCollins, Amazon and all quality eBook providers.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 30, 2018
3★
I chose this because it’s set on the Fleurieu Peninsula of South Australia, which sounded interesting, and the publisher calls it “domestic suspense”, which I don't remember hearing before.
The author has a background in social work, and it shows, with her description of how Laura, a 60ish police victim support officer, manages the many personalities in a fairly large cast of characters involved with the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl.
We get lots of back stories for all the characters:
*Alex, her best friend Maddi, and their parents
*Roger, the 28-year-old social misfit who lives across the street from Alex and watches her (while a suspicious old lady watches him)
*Isaac, with whom Laura works at the shop, but whom she thinks of as only a brother
*A handsome science teacher all the girls adore (except Maddi, who finds him creepy)
*Laura and her second husband who’s just walked out
*Laura's daughter Tara and grandson
*Flynn, the handsome young guy on the beach with whom Laura’s begun flirting, and his dog and bird (and paintings)
And more. Some are doubtless meant to raise our suspicions, as these girls are often left to their own devices by parents too busy with shift work or too distracted by high-powered jobs. But many are irrelevant.
After school, Alex works part-time at a shop and usually walks home unconcerned, but one night seemed different.
“The stagnant silence of night did not usually bother Alex Holt. But on this night she sensed a disturbing stillness from the very moment she stepped out through the store’s back door.”
She tried to get Isaac, her co-worker, to offer to walk her home with his bike, but no luck. So off she goes and is attacked in a laneway across the street from her house. She’s found and revived and remembers nothing. There was a clue error, as well.
She has sudden flashbacks and freak-out episodes, this one walking home from the shops with Maddi, when they see their science teacher (the handsome creep).
“Maddi stared in disbelief as Alex stopped talking, her eyes staring ahead like a zombie’s, the colour draining from her face as though someone had pulled a plug. Turning to her, Maddi grasped Alex’s arms but still her friend’s avid gaze did not alter. She grasped tighter, anticipating from the look of her that Alex was about to collapse on the pavement.”
As everyone tries to calm Alex down, more information about her life is revealed. Through it all, the real brick is Maddi, who remains loyal and caring and aware. She pays attention.
I think this was intended to be Alex’s story, not Laura's, about the risk of sexual predators taking advantage of susceptible underage kids. It is, certainly, a cautionary tale and reminds us not to take anyone’s reliability for granted. Teen-aged girls, particularly, can look older than they are and think they’re more mature than they are, which is why we worry about them.
I thought Laura’s story was unnecessary. There was no connection to Alex and the subject, so I didn't need to know so much about her and her love life and her daughter's love life. It feels like two or three stories slotted together to make a novel.
.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins / Impulse for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted (so quotations may have changed).
I chose this because it’s set on the Fleurieu Peninsula of South Australia, which sounded interesting, and the publisher calls it “domestic suspense”, which I don't remember hearing before.
The author has a background in social work, and it shows, with her description of how Laura, a 60ish police victim support officer, manages the many personalities in a fairly large cast of characters involved with the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl.
We get lots of back stories for all the characters:
*Alex, her best friend Maddi, and their parents
*Roger, the 28-year-old social misfit who lives across the street from Alex and watches her (while a suspicious old lady watches him)
*Isaac, with whom Laura works at the shop, but whom she thinks of as only a brother
*A handsome science teacher all the girls adore (except Maddi, who finds him creepy)
*Laura and her second husband who’s just walked out
*Laura's daughter Tara and grandson
*Flynn, the handsome young guy on the beach with whom Laura’s begun flirting, and his dog and bird (and paintings)
And more. Some are doubtless meant to raise our suspicions, as these girls are often left to their own devices by parents too busy with shift work or too distracted by high-powered jobs. But many are irrelevant.
After school, Alex works part-time at a shop and usually walks home unconcerned, but one night seemed different.
“The stagnant silence of night did not usually bother Alex Holt. But on this night she sensed a disturbing stillness from the very moment she stepped out through the store’s back door.”
She tried to get Isaac, her co-worker, to offer to walk her home with his bike, but no luck. So off she goes and is attacked in a laneway across the street from her house. She’s found and revived and remembers nothing. There was a clue error, as well.
She has sudden flashbacks and freak-out episodes, this one walking home from the shops with Maddi, when they see their science teacher (the handsome creep).
“Maddi stared in disbelief as Alex stopped talking, her eyes staring ahead like a zombie’s, the colour draining from her face as though someone had pulled a plug. Turning to her, Maddi grasped Alex’s arms but still her friend’s avid gaze did not alter. She grasped tighter, anticipating from the look of her that Alex was about to collapse on the pavement.”
As everyone tries to calm Alex down, more information about her life is revealed. Through it all, the real brick is Maddi, who remains loyal and caring and aware. She pays attention.
I think this was intended to be Alex’s story, not Laura's, about the risk of sexual predators taking advantage of susceptible underage kids. It is, certainly, a cautionary tale and reminds us not to take anyone’s reliability for granted. Teen-aged girls, particularly, can look older than they are and think they’re more mature than they are, which is why we worry about them.
I thought Laura’s story was unnecessary. There was no connection to Alex and the subject, so I didn't need to know so much about her and her love life and her daughter's love life. It feels like two or three stories slotted together to make a novel.
.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins / Impulse for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted (so quotations may have changed).
December 23, 2016
Fifteen year old Alex was a little freaked out walking home late at night from her job – the violent attack on her when she was almost home was the beginning of a time of trauma for Alex, her mother Cynthia and step-dad Greg, as well as Maddi, who was Alex’s best friend. Maddi’s support of Alex never wavered, but Maddi grew more and more concerned for Alex; she was sure there were secrets to Alex’s life that even she didn’t know.
Laura Nesci was a victim support officer with the local police and generally loved her job. She immediately took Alex’s case and worked closely with her as Alex tried to remember what happened that awful night. But Laura’s frustration was mounting as the evidence just wasn’t there and with Alex unable to recall the events of the night, the police were working in the dark.
Laura was also struggling with the fact that her husband of eight years had walked out on her – Laura had no idea why but gradually came to relish the peace and tranquillity of her little home on the beach of the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia – that was until Simon returned as if nothing had happened...
Would Alex’s attacker be found? And would Maddi discover the secrets she was sure Alex was hiding? What would be the outcome for them all?
Things We Cannot See by Aussie author Dianne Maguire is absolutely brilliant! Heartbreaking and filled with raw emotion, the story ripples with suspense and the horrors of betrayal of trust. Inspired by true events it was interesting to read the “how” and “why” by the author at the end of the book. I have no hesitation in highly recommending Things We Cannot See – a novel classified as “domestic suspense”.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
Laura Nesci was a victim support officer with the local police and generally loved her job. She immediately took Alex’s case and worked closely with her as Alex tried to remember what happened that awful night. But Laura’s frustration was mounting as the evidence just wasn’t there and with Alex unable to recall the events of the night, the police were working in the dark.
Laura was also struggling with the fact that her husband of eight years had walked out on her – Laura had no idea why but gradually came to relish the peace and tranquillity of her little home on the beach of the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia – that was until Simon returned as if nothing had happened...
Would Alex’s attacker be found? And would Maddi discover the secrets she was sure Alex was hiding? What would be the outcome for them all?
Things We Cannot See by Aussie author Dianne Maguire is absolutely brilliant! Heartbreaking and filled with raw emotion, the story ripples with suspense and the horrors of betrayal of trust. Inspired by true events it was interesting to read the “how” and “why” by the author at the end of the book. I have no hesitation in highly recommending Things We Cannot See – a novel classified as “domestic suspense”.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
March 19, 2017
This is a wonderful suspense/family drama read with true to life characters and one of the most magical settings - the Fleuriu peninsula which I'm now desperate to visit for myself. Against this background of sea and sky, victim's officer Laura struggles to establish a new relationship whilst investigating the abuse of a local school girl. As secrets are revealed and Laura's own past comes back to haunt her, Things We Cannot See races towards a thrilling and unpredictable conclusion. I highly recommend this one; it's currently ebook format so download onto your reader for the trip to work....
March 18, 2017
Weeeeeeell) I don't think that this book is wonderful because some characters were not fully represented. For example, Alex. She is really interested in sex and doens't mind to have it with her schience teacher and her stepfather (when Maddi saw them doing some dirty things there was only pleasure on Alex's face). But the government and the society must protect such children. So the problem is - would Alex like doing that or had she simply no choice because they are adults and have a power to persuade her? As for me, I'd like Alex's motives to be clearer.
Laura. We doens't now anything about her past in fact, about her daughter's father and so on. But we know about Simon. And Laura's job. I think, Laura is the best character. She is a strong and supportive woman. And when she was faced with betrayal she didn't feel pity for her betrayer and she made a good and wise decision.
Flynn. I want to know more about him! He is clever, wise and really good at cooking. It'd be great to know more about his life and feelings. (But when he said that he fell in love with Laura when he saw her for the first time I was really glad - I like Flynn's character as well)
Things we cannot see can be hidden inside everybody until some bad situation happens. Laura couldn't see bad things in her husband and Flynn's feelings towards her until Simon had an accident. Tara (Laura's daughter) couldn't see that her son needed father's support. Alex couldn't see Maddi's care and Alex's mother couldn't notice Greg's unhealthy interest for her daughter before Alex's assault. So life is hard and difficult. But we should be kind, supportive and wise to pay attention to all the things we cannot see.
Laura. We doens't now anything about her past in fact, about her daughter's father and so on. But we know about Simon. And Laura's job. I think, Laura is the best character. She is a strong and supportive woman. And when she was faced with betrayal she didn't feel pity for her betrayer and she made a good and wise decision.
Flynn. I want to know more about him! He is clever, wise and really good at cooking. It'd be great to know more about his life and feelings. (But when he said that he fell in love with Laura when he saw her for the first time I was really glad - I like Flynn's character as well)
Things we cannot see can be hidden inside everybody until some bad situation happens. Laura couldn't see bad things in her husband and Flynn's feelings towards her until Simon had an accident. Tara (Laura's daughter) couldn't see that her son needed father's support. Alex couldn't see Maddi's care and Alex's mother couldn't notice Greg's unhealthy interest for her daughter before Alex's assault. So life is hard and difficult. But we should be kind, supportive and wise to pay attention to all the things we cannot see.
January 12, 2017
Having enjoyed Dianne Maguire's debut novel 'What Matters Most', I was thrilled to obtain a copy of her second novel 'Things We Cannot See' on its date of release. I couldn't wait to start reading it!
Maguire has an innate gift for storytelling and with this novel, it is no different. Set against the backdrop of the Fleurieu Peninsula we are thrown into the lives of 15 year old Alex, her best friend Maddie and Victim Support Officer Laura after Alex is assaulted on the way home from work. Telling two parallel stories at once of Alex and Laura we see youth and maturity, naivete and wisdom, victim and victor.
In the telling of these tales, Dianne Maguire has again been able to challenge conventional wisdom, delved into the murky waters of child protection and provide a renewed sense of hope in where our main characters may go when the story ends.
Congratulations to the author on an extremely satisfying and enjoyable read!
Maguire has an innate gift for storytelling and with this novel, it is no different. Set against the backdrop of the Fleurieu Peninsula we are thrown into the lives of 15 year old Alex, her best friend Maddie and Victim Support Officer Laura after Alex is assaulted on the way home from work. Telling two parallel stories at once of Alex and Laura we see youth and maturity, naivete and wisdom, victim and victor.
In the telling of these tales, Dianne Maguire has again been able to challenge conventional wisdom, delved into the murky waters of child protection and provide a renewed sense of hope in where our main characters may go when the story ends.
Congratulations to the author on an extremely satisfying and enjoyable read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2017
A well-written and thoughtful story on a difficult topic. A teenage girl finds herself a target for child sexual abuse and the clues to find the person responsible are intriguing. The author handles this subject matter with sensitivity and honesty. Well worth a read.
March 14, 2017
I received a free electronic copy of this novel on Feb 21, 2017 from Netgalley, Dianne Maguire, and HarperCollinsPublishers AU in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.
Things We Cannot See takes place on the Fleurieu Peninsula of Southern Australia. Laura is pushing 60, a victim’s support advocate with the local police department who has not had great luck in her personal life. In her professional life, however, she has it all under control.
And fifteen year old Alex needs all the help she can get. Alex’s abusive situation is classic in detail, yet still more often than not overlooked in our society today. This is an excellent novel with a quietly spoken heads up for us all. This type of abuse is rampant and should never be tolerated. Dianne Maguire is an author to watch for.
Pub date Dec 19, 2016
rec Feb 21, 2017
Things We Cannot See takes place on the Fleurieu Peninsula of Southern Australia. Laura is pushing 60, a victim’s support advocate with the local police department who has not had great luck in her personal life. In her professional life, however, she has it all under control.
And fifteen year old Alex needs all the help she can get. Alex’s abusive situation is classic in detail, yet still more often than not overlooked in our society today. This is an excellent novel with a quietly spoken heads up for us all. This type of abuse is rampant and should never be tolerated. Dianne Maguire is an author to watch for.
Pub date Dec 19, 2016
rec Feb 21, 2017
February 5, 2017
I loved Dianne's debut novel so grabbed a copy of this without even reading the blurb. I was totally absorbed in the suspenseful drama and devoured the book over a couple of days. Family drama, crime, suspense with a splash of romance - there's something for everyone to enjoy.
This story opened my eyes to the reality of grooming and sexual abuse. Dianne was able to capture the voice of a sixty-year-old woman as well as the inner thoughts of a fifteen-year-old girl.
This story opened my eyes to the reality of grooming and sexual abuse. Dianne was able to capture the voice of a sixty-year-old woman as well as the inner thoughts of a fifteen-year-old girl.
May 12, 2017
This read brings many elements into it and at times may make the reader uneasy. Dianne Maguire’s experience in Child Protection comes through in no uncertain terms and forms a little too much of the story. It makes one believe that there is a paedophile lurking behind every tree. One incident relating to Alex would have been sufficient with more story of Laura, her working life, her family and even the selfish cheating husband would have made this book more enjoyable. The strong relationship with her grandson given in more detail and perhaps with a side story could help give the book more balance. Laura appears to be in conflict with everyone and it is surprising that there was a positive outcome in her relationship with Alex. Having Alex a victim of several incidents made the read a little too curdling. Physical assault, sexual assault and grooming by 3 different persons seems unlikely. The likelihood of someone like Laura, in her early 60s, and obviously not in a good headspace running along the beach, hair flowing and meeting the gorgeous widower total fantasy.
June 25, 2017
Started reading it as a result of a confusion with "All the light we cannot see" and the story managed to grip me. I kept on reading, waiting for a cliffhanger or a turnover in the story, however the ending was disappointing and to me it seemed that it focuses on the woman's sexual emancipation with 60 rather than conclude Alex's story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2017
A quick, light read with a rather dark plot about family relationships, infidelity, honesty, grooming and sexual abuse.
April 29, 2017
Book blurb...
Set on the magical coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula and inspired by true events, Things We Cannot See is Dianne Maguire's second domestic suspense novel - a compelling story of children and families, love and betrayal. Laura Nesci has found her forever partner - until he leaves her for no apparent reason. It is only in the wake of a family tragedy and the unearthing of her husband's secret life that things fall into place, including Laura's burgeoning attraction for local artist Flynn. Fighting against the temptation of another possibly disastrous relationship, Laura channels her energies into her work as a victim support officer with the police. Fifteen-year-old Alex is a girl with secrets. Her best friend Maddi believes it's wrong, but Alex knows that what she has with their science teacher is special. When Alex is attacked, Maddi and Laura become locked in a silent battle of wills: Laura suspects that Maddi is keeping secrets for her friend, and Maddi must decide whether to speak up or remain silent. But the final telling of Alex's deepest secret is met with shock and disbelief from everyone, including Laura, who thinks she has seen it all - until now.
My thoughts…
I enjoyed this story as much as Dianne Maguire's debut novel, What Matters Most. While Things We Cannot See has a lot going on, it is the type of story you can put down when life gets in the way, but is easy to pick up where you left off.
The main character, Laura, manages to not only deal with her own life and marriage troubles but is very dedicated to her day job as a victim support officer. I liked this character, however, she needed to demonstrate her frustrations to me a little more, especially in dealing with her work colleague when he joined a boys club with the boss. As a character I thought she managed things too well and needed to get more emotional, so I became more invested in the story.
Overall this novel did not disappoint and I would recommend Things We Cannot See to go onto your to-be-read pile. It is an Australian author and we need to ‘buy more Aussie made’ and that includes books!
Set on the magical coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula and inspired by true events, Things We Cannot See is Dianne Maguire's second domestic suspense novel - a compelling story of children and families, love and betrayal. Laura Nesci has found her forever partner - until he leaves her for no apparent reason. It is only in the wake of a family tragedy and the unearthing of her husband's secret life that things fall into place, including Laura's burgeoning attraction for local artist Flynn. Fighting against the temptation of another possibly disastrous relationship, Laura channels her energies into her work as a victim support officer with the police. Fifteen-year-old Alex is a girl with secrets. Her best friend Maddi believes it's wrong, but Alex knows that what she has with their science teacher is special. When Alex is attacked, Maddi and Laura become locked in a silent battle of wills: Laura suspects that Maddi is keeping secrets for her friend, and Maddi must decide whether to speak up or remain silent. But the final telling of Alex's deepest secret is met with shock and disbelief from everyone, including Laura, who thinks she has seen it all - until now.
My thoughts…
I enjoyed this story as much as Dianne Maguire's debut novel, What Matters Most. While Things We Cannot See has a lot going on, it is the type of story you can put down when life gets in the way, but is easy to pick up where you left off.
The main character, Laura, manages to not only deal with her own life and marriage troubles but is very dedicated to her day job as a victim support officer. I liked this character, however, she needed to demonstrate her frustrations to me a little more, especially in dealing with her work colleague when he joined a boys club with the boss. As a character I thought she managed things too well and needed to get more emotional, so I became more invested in the story.
Overall this novel did not disappoint and I would recommend Things We Cannot See to go onto your to-be-read pile. It is an Australian author and we need to ‘buy more Aussie made’ and that includes books!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews