The Return

by David Hatton

Beverly Hahn has the shock of her life when her husband knocks on her door, ten years after he was declared dead in the September 11th terrorist attacks. How will she tell her children? And how will she face those who supported her through the grief she had no entitlement to feel?

Genres: Fiction

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 18, 2018

About the author

David was born in Preston, Lancashire. His love of writing started in primary school where his teacher would read out his short stories every week. He attended Leeds Metropolitan University (Leeds Beckett) where he was offered an opportunity to live and work in Chicago Illinois (USA). After living in Manchester UK for over eight years, he now resides in Chorley, where he lives with his partner, also called David.

Reviews

[Laura Hundley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beverly Hahn’s husband was supposed to have died when the twin towers were struck down by terrorist. But was he really dead? 10 years later he knocks on her door and she does not understand what’s going on. David Hatton has written a novel that is gripping and will envelop you from page one. I could not wait to see what was going to happen next. Can her love for her husband overcome the lie he has lived? It is worth the read to find out.

[Doreen Ashbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this story to be very engrossing, however, as it progressed it became a little far fetched. The idea of someone escaping their existing life in the aftermath of 9/11 has always fascinated me, so I was pulled in from the very beginning. Again, thank you Goodreads Giveaways.

[Kathy Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through a GoodReads giveaway - thank you to everyone involved. A great book.
It held my attention from beginning to end - I couldn't wait to the end!!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept my attention from the first page to the last

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this book. It kept me gripped throughout.

[Dawn Byers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grab your seats for the ride of a lifetime as the towers explode and a father is lost - or is?
10 years later a knock at the door - the shock - and then - is love so strong you will run away from everything you know?
Turn the pages for an ending you won't believe!

[Lexxi · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. The book didn't draw me in. There were various grammar/formatting errors. It was clearly written by a British speaker, which was really distracting. It would have bothered me a lot less if the book wasn't set in NYC, but when a character took the tube to work or another character pulled her fringe back or British spellings - the World Trade Centre and organisations, it created too much of a dissonance for me.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read with a different story line from an event which has been covered many times before. Can't wait to read another book by the same author!

[Kirk Weikart · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great idea for a book; the return of a man presumed dead, and the impact it has on his family.

Unfortunately, the book fell short for me in many ways. The author's British roots introduce a non-American vernacular to a very American story. A character even drives off in a car sitting in the right front seat. The book was seemingly lightly researched, with detailed explanations of things commonly known in the US. The book was also seemingly lightly edited with a number of grammatical mistakes and a significant number of homophones. These issues distract from the storyline.

It also seemed that the author had a large number of clever ideas, so he incorporated all of them into the plot. It would have been better to maintain the intense focus of the impact and consequences of Marty's re-appearance on his family, but suddenly a Grishamesque plot turned into It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World.

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually very twisty! I think the novel had a good premise and even though it deals with a horrific event as its start, it doesn't offend or handle anything of the subject without care. There is a lot of story here, but if you're looking for a lot of suspense/thriller/mystery for your dollar, this one pretty much has it all.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Writing

In the beginning I was thrown off with the different POVs in a chapter but it began to make sense. This was a well written story of a family affected by 9/11 and a father’s choice and wrong decision. The family was broken from losing their father/husband and the struggles they faced when he returned 10 years later.

[Trish · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF so poorly written I was too distracted to even get past the first 20 pages.

[Glasgowgal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initially a good concept, but then went downhill very quickly.