Till the Dust Settles

by Pat Young

Two women will never meet, but their lives are about to collide.

Lucie married young. Her husband has become abusive, controlling and violent. Having lost everything as a result of the marriage, Lucie decides it is time to walk away.

As she leaves the house on the morning of September 11th, heading to a job interview at the World Trade Centre and the promise of a new life, the unthinkable happens.

On a street in New York, choking on the dust, Lucie stumbles upon an opportunity to start again.

She thought the grass would be greener but starting again is never that simple. And sometimes, what lies ahead is even more deadly.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Ebooks, Thriller

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2017

About the author

Pat Young grew up in the south west of Scotland. She lives in Scotland and sometimes the south west of France. She studied English, French and German at Glasgow University.

Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a bid to escape a dead end future and an abusive relationship, Lucie is on her way to a job interview in Manhattan. A new start in life. The date is the 11th of September and her interview is in the north tower of the World Trade Centre.
Till The Dust Settles by Pat Young is a thriller that explores the possibility of using 9/11 as a means of disappearing, of escaping reality amid the chaos that consumed New York that terrible day in 2001.
It’s an interesting premise and one that mirrors many urban myths that circulated at the time.
It being a thriller you know that Lucie’s attempt at freedom will be a case of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire (an idiom very relevant to the plot!)
The writing is generally ok although the momentum flags in places and the plot feels a bit unfocused, relying on some unlikely coincidences. My credulity was stretched to breaking point at times.
I found myself questioning the mindset and emotions of characters after they had experienced life changing events. Even in light, action packed thrillers there needs to be a human connection and the characters in Till The Dust Settles teeter on the edge of believability.
This wasn’t a bad read but it’s not among the best thrillers I’ve read recently.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been looking forward to reading Till The Dust Settles as soon as I spotted the blurb. It sounded exactly like the kind of book I enjoy. A thriller, but with some really serious themes running throughout. Till The Dust Settles begins on one of the worst days in American history, the day the Twin Towers fell at the hands of terrorists.

The reader is introduced to Lucie. Stuck in a marriage that has become abusive, she has decided to begin making a new path for herself. The first step finds her on her way to a job interview at the World Trade Center, but she never reaches her destination. Amidst the chaos that ensues on that fateful September morning, Lucie only has one thing on her mind. Can she leave her old life behind and maybe start again…

I don’t want to say much about the plot of Till The Dust Settles to be honest. The reason being, it takes the reader on a completely unexpected and gripping journey. I found myself instantly rooting for Lucie, no matter what she has left behind or is barrelling toward, I was completely engrossed in her story!

I find it hard to believe this is a debut. An accomplished plot, plenty of twists and turns and excellent characterisation made this book a real page turner. I’m pretty sure I read it in less than 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down!

Highly recommended!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic debut novel this is.

I love how the story revolves around the horrendous 9/11 events. It’s a tragedy that none of us will ever forget in our life time and it gives us a slight insight into the chaos that stemmed from it.

Poor Lucie on that terrible day was finally making a stand in her life by going against her husband and trying to get a job which would mean bringing some much needed money into the household. The 9/11 events give her an opportunity to live a new life and get away from an abusive husband. I have to admit I wasn’t to sure whether I could fully believe that a person could get away with what Lucie did but do you know what it didn’t matter as this is a work of fiction and a highly enjoyable one at that.

Curtis, Lucie’s husband I literally hated. Through Dylan, their neighbour, we get to see just how much of a monster he is and it really has you routing for Lucie and knowing what she has done is the right thing.

The author leads you down a dark and winded path with this story. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going it would change course and it had me racing through the pages to see what would happen next.

Dylan is a bit of an underdog in the story. I really liked the guy and felt sorry for him. He is torn between his best friend Curtis as well as Lucie who he has always held a bit of a candle for. To a certain extent I did think both Curtis and Lucie used Dylan and felt he deserved more from both.

Till The Dust Settles is a fabulous debut novel. It had me hooked right from the off and I loved every minute of it. Can not wait to read more from the author.

My thanks to Bloodhound Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

September 11, 2001 ... 17 years ago we had the worst thing happen in the US. This book is about that day (even though this book is considered a fiction thriller) and I wasn’t sure how I would like this book but I couldn’t put it down and read it in a day! It has me guessing all throughout. I have his next book in line to read next.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it from start to finish. It really kept me engaged. I was tickled to learn there was a sequel. Very rarely do I dive right into the second book right away, but I had to know what happened to the characters. I hope to read many more from this author.

[Joanne Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this book is very clever indeed and I’m surprised that no one has thought of it before! There was so much confusion after 9/11 that it was impossible to account for everyone who had gone missing that day. So to base a thriller around a case of mistaken identity was a brilliant idea. The only thing I will say is that the plot does rely heavily on coincidence and the fact that every one seems very susceptible to accepting that Lucie is Charlotte. There seems to be very little suspicion of her at all but what are the chance that two women of a similar age, size and looks would be together at the exact moment of such a significant event? Very slim indeed I would say!

Till the Dust Settles is an intriguing read and one I actually flew through in one sitting. I was never quite sure how I felt about Lucie as my opinions of her changed as often as my emotions sweeping throughout this storyline. I felt sorry for her due to all the problems she had faced before that fateful day as her family life had been reduced to just one person – her husband Curtis. But as the events following 9/11 start to make sense, I veered between sympathy for all she was going through, and frustration at all the ill informed choices she was making! For me, it was only when Dylan became a more integral part of the plot that I began to relax into the narrative and understand Lucies motives more.

For me, one of the most vividly brought to life characters in the book is Lucies Granny, and she isn’t even in it as such!! But she is brought to life perfectly by Lucies vivid descriptions of the old family sayings so that I felt I really knew her. Everything she said was EXACTLY what you would expect from someone of her background. Sometimes “Granny” seemed as though she were actually there in the room with Lucie, her typically Scottish outlook on life making her feel very real to me.

This is a clever thriller unlike anything I’ve read recently. The ending especially was a deeply emotional one and I had goosebumps as it played out with a few unexpected twists and turns. Pat Young has delivered an interesting spin on 9/11 that made me sit up and think about family, second chances and living life to the full as you never know what’s around the corner.

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. After years of being a punching bag for her loathsome and vile husband Curtis, Lucie snaps and hits back and boy has she got a swing, especially with a skillet in her hand! She just prays that the person that is going to interview her for the cleaning position in the Twin Towers will make an allowance for her lateness in getting there. This is going to be her new start for her a chance to escape.
A blast, confusion and a massive choking cloud of white dust on that fateful morning of September 11th means she will never get there. In all the chaos Lucie grabs the wrong bag and when the dust finally settles Lucie is gone and Charlotte is reborn.
This is a superb story Pat Young has woven into this true life event that rocked the world. I really thought that this story was going to be about how one woman’s tragic death helping another get her life together. Boy was I wrong. This story has so many threads that build up into a belting story. Murder, greed, conspiracies so many tragedies. I was experiencing so many emotions on every page right up to the last sentence.
As for the characters they are not complicated each one memorable with the essence of their role in the story portrayed perfectly. I really took to Lucie who was just one of those triers in life that no matter how much effort she put into making things better fate just wasn’t having any of it. There was a real sadness about Charlotte and how her story unwound, loved the ‘Cluedo moments’. There are good guys, bad guys and slime balls which make tense and riveting reading the further you get into this story.
This is a you gotta read book, a brilliant debut. Really excited about this lady’s writing. Superb!
Thank you to Bloodhound Books for my ARC which I reviewed honestly.

[Coco.V]

💝 FREE on Amazon today (2/22/2018)! 💝

Blurb:
Two women will never meet, but their lives are about to collide.

Lucie married young. Her husband has become abusive, controlling and violent. Having lost everything as a result of the marriage, Lucie decides it is time to walk away.

As she leaves the house on the morning of September 11th, heading to a job interview at the World Trade Centre and the promise of a new life, the unthinkable happens.

On a street in New York, choking on the dust, Lucie stumbles upon an opportunity to start again.

She thought the grass would be greener but starting again is never that simple. And sometimes, what lies ahead is even more deadly.

[Katy O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Bloodhound Books for providing me with an early copy of this book for review - I am a stop on the book's blog tour on 7/28/17 at theloudlibrarylady.com

Young has presented readers with a unique premise with TILL THE DUST SETTLES - that of the terror attacks on the World Trade Center of September 11, 2011 and a tale of stolen identity, domestic abuse and conspiracy. I kept being surprised at the twists that the story took, and with the exception of a few questionable turns, I was sucked into this book! Lucie is a Scottish runner who came to the US on scholarship and had her life take a very different turn due to decisions she made, leading her to a very very dark time in her life and marriage. 9/11 turns her entire existence upside down and both offers her a chance to escape and thrusts her into new dangers. Recommended for suspense fans who are looking for a completely original storyline!

[~ Cariad ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a clever book, I couldn't put it down.

I was a little bit concerned about reading a book that might in any way trivialize what happened on September 11th...I don't think any of us could handle that.
However, although some moments at the beginning of the book are horrific to read and always will be, the focus stays on one battered wife's story and how 9/11 irrevocably changes her world - and to be fair, it's really well written, gritty and gripping.

It's a thriller, a love story and a mystery rolled into one. It's well worth reading (or listening to in my case) and for sure, I'll be looking out for more by this new author.

[Lynn Perry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Suggest Readers Let The Dust Accummulate On This One

I hate sloppily written books: a writer should minimally be able to keep the basic facts or fantasies on which his/her book is premised "straight" (i.e. consistent with one another). In this book, the failing had to do with the logistics of a simple key on a ribbon - a safety box key on a ribbon that played a significant role in how the author "resolved" her story - but which, based on events at the beginning of her story, shouldn't/couldn't have been available for the resolution she (the author) constructed. Without getting mired down in a full "blow by blow" of the plot, the book is essentially the story of a "villian" Scott (aka Rick), who having contracted for the muder of his mistress, Charlotte, is initially confused upon receiving information that she might not be dead, but then quickly confirms the "new" Charlotte is an imposter, and then "spends the rest of the book", trying to assess who the imposter is, and what she might or might not know about his past relationship (& criminal dealings) with the real Charlotte. The "key" evidence supporting that Charlotte is actually dead, aside from Scott's own personal observation, is the the ribbon and key necklace the hitman ripped from Charlotte's neck and provided to Scott after her death. (The retrieval of this necklace had actually been part and parcel of Scott's solicitaion of Charlotte's murder - proof in his mind that the hitman had killed Charlotte.) Anyway, as Scott is stumbling through in his efforts to investigate the Charlotte-imposter (aka Lucie) by be-friending her, Lucie, who is impersonating Charlotte only by happenstance, discovers a letter written by the real Charlotte detailing her suspicions that she might be murdered. To the "finder of this letter", Charlotte provides instructions to enable the finder to locate materials that will "solve" the "who's and why's" behind her murder. And lo and behold, if it doesn't turn out that central to this resolution is a ribboned key that she always wore around her neck, which she has left hidden in her safe in her apartment in anticipation of her death. Of course, Lucie finds the key which leads her to a security box at a bank, which leads to the unmasking of Scott - and then a resulting series of events that lead to the book's conclusion. But the writer has left us with a new mystery: the case of the ribboned key being in two places at the same time. How this book ever got published with such an obvious discrepancy is beyond me - how does a hitman rip off a key from someone's neck when it is also supposedly locked up in that someone's safe? A more universal problem with this book, however, was simply the "falseness" of its two main characters: Lucie and Scott/Rick. Lucie's "Sybil-like" personality changes throughout the book were simply unbelievable. And Scott's character, though generally presented with a more consistent set of behaviors for most of the book, was blown out of the ballpark during the story's resolution - with the extent of his "gut spilling as seduction technique" simply ridiculous. In summary, if not already obvious, for me, the story presented here was an inconsistent, unbelievable mess. A lesser (or perhaps more important) issue with this book was the author's distasteful implication of a CIA operative as being the unwitting genesis of Scott's criminal activities.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Thus story is set in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy. Lucie is on her way into Manhattan for a job interview so she can escape her abusive husband. She gets enveloped in the dust cloud, trips over another woman and somehow ends up with the other woman's handbag. The police don't allow her to go back and swap bags so she resolves to go to the woman's address and give it to her family.

As she arrives at the exclusive apartment block, the doorman lets her in without question, calling her Ms Gillespie. She can't correct him as her throat is all clogged up with the dust, she's covered in it. She goes up to wait in the apartment. No-one returns there. She doesn't have her own bag or money so she spends the night in luxury unknown to her.

Long story short, she realises she is almost the twin of the other woman, who has clearly died in the tragedy, and steps into her life. This turns out to be more dangerous than she could have imagined. An intriguing premise but it needs a lot of coincidences to make it work. Also, all the players keep secrets from each other. Does this really happen in real life? Apparently this is a debut novel and I think the author did a really good job. Although it could have been a touch better I did enjoy it and will keep an eye on this author.

[Meggy Chocolate'n'Waffles · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/11 will never be a subject we mention casually. It will never be talked about in a light way. It will never be easy to discuss.

I was 10, waiting for my birthday a week later, and sick at home on this fateful Tuesday. I was watching cartoons on TV when the breaking news logo appeared on the screen. At that time, I was already obsessed by the country, my head and the walls of my bedroom filled with pictures of all the places I wanted to visit in the US, including New York of course.

I witnessed it all. I was glued to the TV, feeling in my stomach that the images I was trying to process were real. I had no idea the shift it would bring to our world, but the little girl sitting in her living room cried for hours.

I am not American. I have American friends. I have always felt a weird connection to that day, probably because it all unfolded in front of my very young eyes. I remember my family asking me if it had changed anything in my wish to go there. I remember my voice firm and resolute when I said “No. I'm going.” I still believe that.

Sixteen years have passed and I hesitated before agreeing to review Till the Dust Settles. Because the images, the feelings still bring tears to my eyes. But I am glad I eventually gave the book a chance. It was difficult at times, but necessary. Now off to the real review instead of the tale of my life!

I think it was a bold move from the author to use 9/11 as the background to her story. I haven't read anything like this before. I remember watching a movie with Robert Pattinson which hinted at the event at the end, but so far, I had believed the tragedy was being avoided. It's a personal feeling, there are probably other stories involving the horrendous events of that September morning, but I have made a good job at staying away from them. But it was time to stop avoiding it and face again what has shaped the world as we know it now.

Here, you can't escape it. Right from the opening, I felt my heart clench and my eyes fill up with tears. The detailed writing brought me back to that day, made me feel I was there. It was as if the words filled a void and could make me “feel” what it was like to run for your life.

This story is a real run for your life for the main character. Lucy was on her way to the Twin Towers, but life took a different turn and she ended up among the hundreds of dust-covered faces, shocked and shaken. I found Pat Young to be very respectful and at the same time very sharp in her narration. The details she inserted recreated the setting in such a vivid way my head could barely handle it. Yet, there was more to the pages than the events occurring, there were things happening to the main character that kept you somehow too busy to process the enormity of the big picture. The confusion was perfectly and painfully spot-on. I was running with Lucy, I was wondering “what the hell?” I was quivering and lost and yet, selfishly caring for her. Fate, serendipity? Call it what you want but suddenly Lucy gets the chance to escape, to be safe... or so she thinks.

I remember all those images hanged on the walls, missing people everywhere. I wasn't there to witness it but I could picture it, and the book gave me a stronger and better look at the chaos inhabiting the streets. This turmoil is the foundation of the plot and I was hooked. I was holding Lucy's hand as she let life take her on a different path, almost against her will.

We only learn about Lucy's past little by little, but by then, I was already completely by her side. Reeling from what had happened, she found herself becoming someone else. I was relieved to see it did not come to her easily and she never really took advantage of it. I could feel her uneasiness and her doubts at her new situation, which was almost as heart-breaking as what was happening. Her life was no fairy tale and I hated her husband before even meeting properly! One of my favorite things about this book is that it is filled with random people, and dangerous ones, at different degrees, all mixed in this together. Everyone has a story, and everyone is affected differently by the events, whether it be the WTC, Lucy's fate, or their own issues. It takes everything to make a world, and that is what the author gives you. Every secondary character had a purpose, a reason to be, and all were needed for the book to feel genuine.

After the shock came the “what's next?”, and this is where the story leaves the dusty nest and reveals a gripping plot. Life doesn't stop, neither does everyone's actions. While firefighters, officers, people are doing their best, not so far, Lucy finds solace in a new identity, only to be thrown in a different kind of nightmare. Starting again is a chance, when you get handled the right cards, but her hand is complicated and her new identity is not one you could envy. At least not on every level. Jimmy Choo shoes were the kind of details that brought half a smile to my face, in such a dark environment, inside and out. I had no idea where the author was taking me, but I was confident and I was not disappointed. Pat Young takes a day no one will forget, and turns its aftermath into a race to find a truth, many truths, that bring goosebumps to your arms and make you wonder about how rotten, how selfish, how ruthless people can be. Horror, conspiracies, lies, domestic abuse, so many subjects and so many threads leading to an ending I was not expecting! I will nonetheless say the last pages felt a little too rushed and cleanly tied up for my taste, but it doesn't take away the strength of the overall story.

The style of writing makes you wander through so much within so little pages, its smooth flow and sharp claws keeping you reading, taking you from one day to another, with its surprises, its hardships, its small rainbows.

I am rambling, I know, but this review is one of the most difficult I have had to write. Not because the story is bad but because I can't find the words to convey the million of emotions I felt throughout the book.

Till the Dust Settles takes a turn on one of the most awful days of our history and builds and intense, gut-wrenching, powerful and compelling thriller served by genuine, terrific, and most of all “human” characters.

I would like to thank the author and publisher for including me into the blog tour for this story.

[Books 'n' All Promotions · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating 4.4 out of 5 stars

This story is based on the 9/11 tragedy in New York and gives a totally different perspective on the events of that day that I found fascinating.

This is a very intriguing book. It doesn’t have the fast paced adrenaline pumping suspense that I like in Crime Fiction but nevertheless it keeps the reader turning the pages. The characters develop gradually throughout the book and there are several twists and turns that adds to the intrigue but I found it all a bit unrealistic. There were far too many 'convenient' coincidences for me.

Thank you to Bloodhound Books for the ARC

[Michelle Ryles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until September 11th 2001, I could never understand how people of a certain generation always knew where they were and what they were doing on the day that President John. F. Kennedy was assassinated. With a family member working only a block away from WTC, I can remember September 11th of 16 years ago as if it was yesterday. I can still feel the shock, fear and disbelief as the majestic twin towers collapsed, towers that I had stood before to photograph only the previous September. So I was a little unsure how I would feel about reading a book set around this horrific event, but I had absolutely no cause for concern as Pat Young recreates events with so much grace and compassion in her EXCEPTIONAL debut novel, Till The Dust Settles.

Lucie is in an abusive relationship with her husband, Curtis, and in an attempt to take back control, applies for a job as a cleaner in the World Trade Center. Her job interview is on September 11th 2001 and she's worried about turning up late after applying make-up to cover up the imprint of her husband's hand on her face. For once, the detestable Curtis has saved Lucie's life as by turning up late she is outside WTC when the plane hits. In the confusion and blindness of the dust cloud, Lucie drops her handbag and when she scambles to pick it up, she picks up somebody else's bag. In an attempt to return it, she is mistaken for the bag's owner and she realises that she might have an opportunity to escape Curtis once and for all.

Phew! What a scorching read. I was shocked to find that this is Pat Young's debut novel, it is so impeccably written and she has created such a strong likeable character in Lucie that you root for her from the start. There are so many moments that tug at your heartstrings and I felt completely emotionally invested in the book that I gasped and held in my tears several times over. Lucie may have been a beaten wife but she is so strong underneath and Pat Young has quite a rollercoaster ride in store for her before she even has a chance of her own happy ever after.

Without capitalising on such a tragic event, Pat Young has written an emotional story of hope and new beginnings. Without darkness we wouldn't have light and this story is the perfect example of that. Till the Dust Settles is such an exceptional debut novel and if ever a book is well worth 5 stars, this is it. It makes me wish I had a secret extra star to give to outstanding books such as this. Absolutely superb!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Fiona Mccormick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think anyone can read a book about 9/11 and not feel personally connected to it in some way. It is such a recent event that still has the power to shock us and I am not 100% sure how I feel about it being used as a backdrop to a work of fiction. However, this is in no way disrespectful to people involved and it is an interesting premise on which to base a story.
Very readable and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Lucie was a strange character, she was so strong in moving to America as a teenager to pursue a sports scholarship, but then seemed to diminish in character and become a downtrodden housewife within such a short time. However, she plotted her escape but things didn't turn out quite as she planned when the events of 9/11 intervened and she took on a new identity. There were a few too many coincidences I felt, and some of the decisions Lucie made were certainly questionable! I did love her Scottish granny, although we didn't meet her, and the wee Scottish phrases and sayings which made their way into the book! I also thought the ending was very satisfactory and am interested where it goes next as reading it, I am sure there will be a sequel. Very impressive as a debut novel.

[Jane Firebaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked from the beginning of the book. Vivid depiction of a horrible, tragic event, using a very likeable, sympathetic character to give us a small feeling of what it might have been like to be caught near the center of the 911 tragedy. Excellent writing . . . this was simply a gripping thriller that I couldn't put down. On to the sequel for me...

[June Bone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in a day...need I say more! Ok I will. It had a great mixture of characters. The main plot and sub-plots merged seamlessly together to form an excellent suspense-filled read. Did I spot a sneaky wee turn at the end pointing towards a sequel? I do hope so.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those stories where the author takes a well-known tragedy and uses it as a background for the real plot line.

September 1, 2011 will live in Americans memories forever as the day terrorists struck at the very heart of New York. In doing so it brought a new era to how we do things in so many areas of transportation and security measures to make it safer.

Lucie was one of those folks who turned out to be in the wrong place at the right time. At least it seemed that way to her in the beginning but in the end she learned just how wrong that assumption was.

The book details a myriad of topics that are hot buttons for certain readers but for me those topics were handled tastefully and did not cause too much angst when they were touched upon.

As a stand-alone tale this works but since obviously it leads into a sequel with the rather intriguing ending twist there is more to come for Lucie after all.

[mrs j e jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Excellent, hard to put down. Will be reading more from this author. Hope they have some follow up books. And Lucie is ok.

[MelMon Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always another twist

The horrors of 9/11 are still fresh in America's minds and hearts. I cried a few times through this book, even if this was a work of fiction. It's still very raw.

Lucie life had so much promise until it was put at a standstill meeting Curtis. Scary where we can meet true friends and enemies. With a serious turn of events, Lucie is given a golden opportunity. Until reality kicks back and she is is some serious danger and given options that are even more dangerous. I did find a few inconsistencies, but this is a book that will keep you reading till the end. Im curious to see where it leads.

[Mary Sue Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

From the destruction of 9\11 to the impersonation of a dead person, this book was very difficult to put down. It is full of surprises.

[Brandy Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast read

This was a great book from beginning to end, couldn't wait to see what Lucie would do next! Highly recommend!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think that there is anybody who was at an age of conscious thought in 2001 who will ever forget that fateful day, September 11th, which changed the world forever. I was a generational equivalent of the falling of the Berlin Wall. You will always remember where you were on the day, the moment, the Towers fell. I was travelling back from Milton Keynes with one of my drivers when the first place struck. We thought it was some kind of joke. I was listening in horror with the rest of my team back at the RDC in Leicester as the first tower fell.

It is this event which acts as the back drop to the novel, Till The Dust Settles, the catalyst for a series of choices which will change lives forever. As the book opens we find ourselves with Lucie who is caught up in the debris of the first tower collapse. Late to an interview at the North Tower, all Lucie can do is watch in terror as all around her ‘ghosts’ and ‘living snowmen’ appear, the figures walking and running from the dust clouds, so covered in the fine ash as to render them unidentifiable, the image so synonymous with the television reports of that day. Young captures this perfectly and her description of the terrifying race to safety that Lucie faces is all the more believable because of it. What happens to her, the tragedy she is faced with presents Lucie with an opportunity which will be both the best and worst chance in her thus far volatile life.

I don’t want to discuss the plot too much but I don’t think I’m giving anything away if I say that Lucie both wants and needs to flee her old life. Stuck in an abusive marriage, she is thankful to be presented with the opportunity to reinvent herself. Now I did have to suspend disbelief a little bit as some of the coincidences which occur are a little too convenient, but if you can look beyond the one in a million chance event which occurs and try and believe it to be fate, or perhaps even serendipity, then this is a very absorbing read, one which I finished in just one evening.

I liked the character of Lucie. She has had a tragic couple of years but as the story developed, far from the victim she is first portrayed as, Young allowed us to see a little of the woman she could have been. Her husband is an idiot pure and simple – driven by greed and as self-serving as they come, while he never felt quite threatening to me, circumstances preventing it, he quickly became someone I could hate. There was not one redeeming quality to him – everything was an act. And as for Richard … This is a man Lucie meets ‘by chance’ but as the reader finds out early on, he has a hidden agenda. WE know he is a bad character and Young has created a heady mix of charm and deceit in writing him, but I don’t think anyone can predict quite how vile this man is in his quest for riches.

This wasn’t a fast-paced thriller, many of the sections seeming quite pedestrian in terms of content. However, there was always this sense of jeopardy for Lucie, in that there was a constant threat of discovery, and this drove the story onward making it flow deftly. It is not until the end that the real tension occurs in a final showdown to Lucie and Richard, but the story doesn’t need it. After all, there is nothing that could happen that could possibly trump the events of that day. If would be foolish to even try.

[Kaisha (The Writing Garnet) · Rating 5 out of 5]

All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com

Wow, wow, wow and WOW! What a book! Set during the devastation that was September the 11th, Till The Dust Settles mixes realism with fiction as we follow the life of one character, Lucie, who was caught up in the horrendous attack. The news bulletins you watched on T.V on September the 11th hit home once again as the terror that the victims faced, are re-visited.

Lucie was running for her life. Her windpipe became narrower with every breath she took. Bodies were strewn here, there and everywhere as multiple lives were destroyed in a spineless attack. Who's looking for Lucie? Will her husband, the man who restricted her breathing on more than one occasion, wonder if she was still alive?

Wowza. Just like millions of people, I too watched the devastation unfold on my T.V screen on September the 11th. Unfortunately, around 3000 people lost their lives. How can you even put into words what happened that day? Pat Young, I'll admit, has been exceptionally brave taking on a storyline which centres around one of America's biggest tragedies. But, without sounding at all macabre, the author has done a brilliant job. I often wondered what went through the minds of the people trying to escape that day, and now, thanks to 'Till The Dust Settles', I have more of an idea.

With Pat Young's novel, it was really difficult not to sit and take notice of the storyline that was unfolding before my eyes. I went through a range of emotions even though I wasn't involved in the travesty directly, yet the author's gut wrenching descriptions, and eye-opening events made me feel as though I was walking the same path as Lucie. 

I also feel that Pat Young deserves a pat on the back (pardon the pun) for putting domestic violence back into the spotlight, in such a realistic and black and white manner. I can't lie, Lucie's situation with her husband sent shivers down my spine, but it's topics like those which need to be written about. 

'Till The Dust Settles' is an intense, powerful and heart-wrenching read about love, loss and ultimate devastation. Pat Young has included two extremely difficult and heart-breaking topics in her storyline, both of which have been written with such poignancy and realism. I sat and took notice. My heart ached for the lives lost and the emotional scars endured.

I feel a bit odd saying this considering the nature of the book, but, I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it had me hooked the entire way through (even though my heart was in my mouth as well!). Fantastic book.

Thanks BloodHoundBooks.

[Rachel (Rae) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I read the description I was intrigued I think mainly because of the book taking place during such a horrific event. It's an opening that held my complete attention as we are introduced to Lucie on this terrible day and I couldn't take my eyes from the pages as I read. I think it's safe to say if you were old enough you would remember the events of September 11th especially seeing the harrowing pictures and footage. Lucie makes quite a strong and brave decision that day when she sets out to leave her husband but suddenly she is pulled into making another decision that will change her life too.

Till the Dust Settles moves pretty quickly and because of Lucie's new life there is also this undercurrent of when will it all unravel for her. As other characters are revealed there are a few twists that kept me on my toes. I liked the fact that you got to see the story from a couple of different perspectives which I think helped move things along brilliantly.

Lucie is for the most part a likeable character although she does things that I had to maybe shake my head at. I felt for her situation and there was also an element of the fact that in her mind her actions were her only choice. I liked that the story shows us the what ifs - what if I had been early or late for something. Making a cup of coffee or going without, these questions often plague us after something happens but you make a choice and I guess you are left with the consequences just like Lucie is. There are some pretty despicable characters in this book and then you have the contrast with Dylan's character who is just trying to do the right thing by both his friends. There are secrets and lies from pretty much everyone and I couldn't wait to see how it would all turn out in the end.

An intriguing story that was so easy to lose myself in!

With thanks to Sarah at Bloodhound Books for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Miss Dizzy Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ive just realised the date by spooky chance, I've finished this book, wasn't planned at all and can as they say remember exactly where I was when this terrible tragedy happens. RIP all those who lost their lives.

Although some of this story involved what happened this day, this book is one of fiction and is primarily about 2 women caught up in this awful event and how their lives combined throughout, I enjoyed it.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would have thought that such a disaster would have changed the life of one individual so dramatically? Lucie is certainly not living the American dream, she was living a nightmare with a controlling and violent husband until the day she decided to try to make some changes to her life by getting a job. That day was the 11th of September 2001 and the job interview she was going to was in the World Trade Centre, New York. Lucie never made the interview but she did change her life dramatically when her world collided with another woman caught up in the hell in the streets of New York.

What a compelling concept for a plot! This novel hooked me right from the very beginning painting a terrifying picture of the streets of New York on a day that is etched into all our memories. From the panic and disbelief to the dust smothering the city and its people, I was thrown straight into the nightmare of the event. Lucie’s panic at the situation she found herself in along with the nightmare she was trying to escape provided a gripping storyline that saw me read this book in less than one day!

The main character, Lucie, intrigued me. I went from feeling sorry for her to become frustrated at her and back again throughout the book. At times her indecision and naivety made me want to give her a good shake! Yet faced with her life and the decisions she had to make I was also able to empathise with the dilemma’s she faced. It was always clear that things were not going to be clear-cut for Lucie, the discoveries she made while living the life of another woman clearly represented a danger for her and her journey into discovering what lay behind the other woman’s life made for a compelling read!

I loved the fact that Lucie was originally from Scotland and all her wee Scottish mannerisms and memories from her grannie’s favourite old sayings to the rhubarb and bag of sugar made me smile!

Lucie’s husband, Curtis and his best friend, Dylan also feature heavily in the story. #NoSpoilers but I was glad at the life Curtis was left to lead following Lucie’s disappearance but oh Dylan why oh why did you let that man use you as his whipping boy for so long!

Living the life of another woman also led to Lucie becoming embroiled in a life full of conspiracy and deceit as she becomes the focus of the attention of someone else who had known this woman very well, so well in fact that she had become dangerous to him. He is determined to find out just what Lucie knows and just how safe is it to let her continue to live this double life.

Till the Dust Settles is an engrossing exploration of the tragic events of 9/11 and the opportunities that this horror opened up to someone who wanted to escape their life. At times there are a few coincidences in the plot that as a reader you might question, but this is fiction and if a storyline grips me enough then I’m happy to embrace the artistic licence of the author and Till the Dust Settles gave me exactly that. A plot that threw up questions, made me think about what I would do in a similar situation. characters that engaged me and a real sense of the terror, fear and loss that 9/11 brought to all those caught up in that day. It also left me wondering how many people in the real world have taken a disastrous situation and turned it into a catalyst for change in their own lives.

If you like a novel that is based on a real situation, a read that will engross you and compel you to read until you finish, a plot that will poke around inside your head and make you question your own morals and decisions then Till the Dust Settles is one for you. An excellent debut and I am looking forward to reading what comes next from Pat Young.

[Susan Corcoran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to both the author and publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

From chaos can come rebirth, a chance to begin again, to start life afresh and put past mistakes behind you. This is the essence of Pat Young’s book Till The Dust Settles. Two young women who never meet, come to together in a tale of violence, betrayal, deception and love; but more importantly their chance meeting in the dust clouds that result from the attacks on New York’s World Trade Centre, begins a tale of the search for justice and the possibility of a life renewed.

Pat Young has delivered a first debut class thriller. She skilfully uses the horror of the collaspse of the Twin Towers and the madness that followed to weave a story that rises from the dust and horror of that day. She gives us in Lucie, a character whom you desperately want to escape a violent marriage, and a protagonist so believeable you can almost feel wealth and power radiating from him.

From page one of Till The Dust Settles the tension leaps from the pages and what I loved about this book was the relentless pace of the story. You can’t help turning the pages to discover Lucie’s fate. If a book compels you to read on and on into the early hours of the morning, then its good and I was still awake past one in the morning even though my desk beckoned me the following morning. While the sense of atmosphere is skilfully written, because you can almost feel the choking cloud of dust clogging your throat, as it does the characters who live through the horrors of 9/11.

The sign of a good thriller is that it has a nugget of truth at it’s core, from which the writer weaves an intricate story, taking that as their starting point, but creating from it a tale that thrills and excites the reader. In Till The Dust Settles, Pat Young has done this very thing! A world shattering event, into which she submerges the reader, then draws them forward to a thrilling conclusion. It’s tense, exciting and just when you think its safe to relax, delivers a punch to the gut. Which forces you to sit up and readjust what you thought would be the fate of characters you had found yourself invested in.

This is yet again a first class thriller from a publisher that recognises great writing and delivers it to it’s eager readers.