What do you think?
Rate this book
The Wave
Lucy Jones and Kelly O’Brien each have their problems. When they meet in Phuket in December 2004 and share their troubles, the future begins to look more promising. Lucy devises a plan to help Kelly escape from her controlling and violent partner. But a tsunami sweeps through the resort causing tragedy and chaos.
After recovering from her injuries, Lucy, whose husband died in the tsunami, travels to Llandudno in Wales to visit her in-laws. Thirteen years later, still in Llandudno and having established a successful business there, an unexpected visitor turns up on Lucy’s doorstep who turns her whole world upside down. She then has to consider how far she will go to protect all she holds dear.
The Wave is a psychological thriller set in: Phuket, Thailand; Melbourne, Australia and Llandudno, Wales.
After recovering from her injuries, Lucy, whose husband died in the tsunami, travels to Llandudno in Wales to visit her in-laws. Thirteen years later, still in Llandudno and having established a successful business there, an unexpected visitor turns up on Lucy’s doorstep who turns her whole world upside down. She then has to consider how far she will go to protect all she holds dear.
The Wave is a psychological thriller set in: Phuket, Thailand; Melbourne, Australia and Llandudno, Wales.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 10, 2020
173 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
L.E. Luttrell
7 books105 followersL.E. Luttrell was born in Sydney, Australia and spent the first 21 years of her life there before moving to the UK. After working in publishing (in the UK) for a few years she went on to study and trained as a teacher. From the 90s she spent many years working in secondary education, although she’s also had numerous other part time jobs. A frustrated architect/builder, L.E. Luttrell has spent much of her adult life moving house and wielding various tools while renovating properties.
L.E. Luttrell currently lives in Merseyside England, but also spends time travelling between Liverpool, Wales (UK) and Australia when there is not a Covid crisis.
L.E. Luttrell currently lives in Merseyside England, but also spends time travelling between Liverpool, Wales (UK) and Australia when there is not a Covid crisis.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
January 20, 2021
Well this book was a very pleasant surprise - I downloaded it as a free Kindle book with low expectations & I am so glad I did! I really enjoyed the story & enjoyed it being told from many points of view. Whilst some bits were a bit far fetched & probably wouldn’t happen in real life, I enjoyed it all the same as it was an interesting storyline. I have recommended to friends, it is well worth a download!
June 1, 2021
The story follows two women with traumatic pasts as their lives are turned upside down by the tsunami of 2004.
Kelly, who lost her whole family in a fire and then was passed from pillar to post to abusive foster family, until she was old enough to escape her devastation, start a career as a dancer, and lose it all: her independence, her job, herself, due to the aggressive, mafia-type she gets involved with. But with bodyguards watching her at all times, and no means of getting away from her boyfriend watching from the balcony, Kelly is stuck in Phuket and losing hope.
Lucy and her husband Tom have recently lost a child. The trip to Phuket was supposed to pull her out of her depression and back to some semblance of normality, if only for the sake of their surviving child who is staying with neighbours back home in Australia.
When Lucy hears of Kelly’s controlling boyfriend, noting the similarity in their looks, she makes a decision that will impact on everyone around them for years to come.
And it all feels a bit flat. The writing is not professional. There are far too many inverted commas, clutches in parentheses, and italicised words to call it professional. I can’t bring myself to trust a writer who puts the word books in inverted commas.
There are large sections that are effectively repetitions from earlier in the book and a pretty hefty reliance on certain words; things like - opportunity, dangerous, luxurious and nervous - came up with disappointing regularity. In some ways, the book felt overwritten. There were long expositional sections with a lot of detail that could have been left out or known only to the writer, if only to give the reader room to imagine things for themselves.
Although the parts which had to do with the tsunami were pretty detailed, to me, it felt like a truly appalling natural disaster, that many of us remember, had just had a soap opera shoehorned into it.
Kelly, who lost her whole family in a fire and then was passed from pillar to post to abusive foster family, until she was old enough to escape her devastation, start a career as a dancer, and lose it all: her independence, her job, herself, due to the aggressive, mafia-type she gets involved with. But with bodyguards watching her at all times, and no means of getting away from her boyfriend watching from the balcony, Kelly is stuck in Phuket and losing hope.
Lucy and her husband Tom have recently lost a child. The trip to Phuket was supposed to pull her out of her depression and back to some semblance of normality, if only for the sake of their surviving child who is staying with neighbours back home in Australia.
When Lucy hears of Kelly’s controlling boyfriend, noting the similarity in their looks, she makes a decision that will impact on everyone around them for years to come.
And it all feels a bit flat. The writing is not professional. There are far too many inverted commas, clutches in parentheses, and italicised words to call it professional. I can’t bring myself to trust a writer who puts the word books in inverted commas.
There are large sections that are effectively repetitions from earlier in the book and a pretty hefty reliance on certain words; things like - opportunity, dangerous, luxurious and nervous - came up with disappointing regularity. In some ways, the book felt overwritten. There were long expositional sections with a lot of detail that could have been left out or known only to the writer, if only to give the reader room to imagine things for themselves.
Although the parts which had to do with the tsunami were pretty detailed, to me, it felt like a truly appalling natural disaster, that many of us remember, had just had a soap opera shoehorned into it.
April 19, 2021
Good storyline although I'd have enjoyed this alot more if it was in chronological order it seemed unnecessary and confusing to keep jumping forwards and backwards many years. Also the ending was just like oh have I finished, not much of an ending
January 29, 2021
The description of this book sounded interesting, and I liked the premise. Right away, I knew Luttrell created something truly unique. The Wave is a story about many people reacting to extraordinary events. She wrote the book in first-person but from each character’s perspective. This writing choice resulted in each chapter describing one character revealing their story. This bold style pulls the reader in and connects them to the characters. I never encountered a book using this approach.
The plot explores a group of people escaping their problems and putting their lives back together. Everybody had unique agendas and goals. Here are three great paragraphs that exemplify Luttrell’s work:
Indecision crippled me. Could I bear to leave Clara? I had become extremely attached to her. Some days I would forget that I wasn’t Lucy and really thought of Clara as my daughter. The truth was though, she wasn’t mine, and I was committing countless crimes pretending to be Lucy. I lay in bed at night planning my departure so that I wouldn’t get caught. I could pack my rucksack and sneak out when Clara was at kindy, Gwyneth busy in the kitchen and Howell out on one of his shopping runs. I would leave them a note saying I had to leave and I would write further to explain all. Once I was safely back in Australia I would write with the full explanation, telling them about my promise to Lucy in the final moments we had together. How the actions I had taken were the only way I could keep the promise because of the danger Carlos represented. Howell would remember Carlos mentioning me and might recall my name. If I explained it all, they might not do anything about it. It was a risk though. Gwyneth was the one who I thought might alert the authorities and have me traced back to Australia. I could go to prison. As it turned out, fate intervened – or more likely a human hand, and the decision was taken out of my control.
I was an emotional wreck all afternoon. Once Clara left to meet Eva, I paced back and forth from the living room to the kitchen. Running through all the possible scenarios if the truth came to light. All were unbearable. At one point I had a panic attack. I couldn’t breathe, just thinking about the idea of no longer having Clara in my life. I felt as though I was underwater in the tsunami all over again, struggling to surface. I collapsed on the floor clasping my chest, gulping and gasping. When my breathing calmed and resumed to a steady rhythm, I sat reasoning out the situation. Everyone knew I was Lucy who had survived the tsunami. I was an accomplished liar. Hadn’t I achieved my greatest lie for the past thirteen years? I could deal with this. Eva could be dismissed as a hysteric. The only problem I could see arising would be if Eva, in her determination to expose me, convinced the police that I should take a DNA test. Then all would be lost. I could only hope with my little mention of Noel, Eva would drop her quest. I doubted it though.
I stood up too quickly and felt dizzy. Too many glasses of wine? Or was it due to drugs? I’d have to be careful. Once my head cleared I began making my way up. It was tricky and I kept sliding back and would have to start again. For some reason, I thought it was funny and laughed. I started up again, slower this time, checking my footholds were secure. I was looking down as I almost reached the top when I felt something press hard against my head and chest forcing me backwards. I went tumbling back down, landing uncomfortably on the ledge again with my right foot tucked under me at an awkward angle. Was it sprained? That was going make my climb trickier. Had someone pushed me? Looking up I couldn’t see anyone, but the light was fading fast now. I tried to stand up, being careful with my foot. I didn’t immediately realise that I was very close to the edge of a long drop. My feet weren’t gripping solid ground and I began to slide. Fuck. In desperation, I clawed at grass, but none would hold my weight. Clumps tore free of their precarious hold. I couldn’t stop giggling and didn’t dare look down. Then I started slamming into hard rock knocking the breath out of me. The pain was unbearable. I tried to cry out, but the sound coming from me was feeble – I was too winded to scream. My descent increased in speed, the pain greater each time another piece of rock tore at my skin until suddenly I was flying. I’d always wondered what it would be like to fall from a great height. Before I could analyse how it felt, I collided with a large slab of stone and stopped. My brain told me to get up, but I was unable to move. The remarkable thing was there was no longer any pain. I couldn’t feel a thing. I was so tired I just wanted to go to sleep.
My favorite part of this book is the character, Kelly. She reminded me of a spunky girl I knew in College. She had a great outlook and challenged me to be a better person.
Luttrell marketed The Wave as a psychological thriller, but I feel the book has a broader appeal. I categorize it as an intelligent drama. This book is a superb read, and even before finishing, I emailed friends about it. Every reader who picks up a copy will become engrossed in the plot and appreciate Luttrell’s unique vantage point.
The plot explores a group of people escaping their problems and putting their lives back together. Everybody had unique agendas and goals. Here are three great paragraphs that exemplify Luttrell’s work:
Indecision crippled me. Could I bear to leave Clara? I had become extremely attached to her. Some days I would forget that I wasn’t Lucy and really thought of Clara as my daughter. The truth was though, she wasn’t mine, and I was committing countless crimes pretending to be Lucy. I lay in bed at night planning my departure so that I wouldn’t get caught. I could pack my rucksack and sneak out when Clara was at kindy, Gwyneth busy in the kitchen and Howell out on one of his shopping runs. I would leave them a note saying I had to leave and I would write further to explain all. Once I was safely back in Australia I would write with the full explanation, telling them about my promise to Lucy in the final moments we had together. How the actions I had taken were the only way I could keep the promise because of the danger Carlos represented. Howell would remember Carlos mentioning me and might recall my name. If I explained it all, they might not do anything about it. It was a risk though. Gwyneth was the one who I thought might alert the authorities and have me traced back to Australia. I could go to prison. As it turned out, fate intervened – or more likely a human hand, and the decision was taken out of my control.
I was an emotional wreck all afternoon. Once Clara left to meet Eva, I paced back and forth from the living room to the kitchen. Running through all the possible scenarios if the truth came to light. All were unbearable. At one point I had a panic attack. I couldn’t breathe, just thinking about the idea of no longer having Clara in my life. I felt as though I was underwater in the tsunami all over again, struggling to surface. I collapsed on the floor clasping my chest, gulping and gasping. When my breathing calmed and resumed to a steady rhythm, I sat reasoning out the situation. Everyone knew I was Lucy who had survived the tsunami. I was an accomplished liar. Hadn’t I achieved my greatest lie for the past thirteen years? I could deal with this. Eva could be dismissed as a hysteric. The only problem I could see arising would be if Eva, in her determination to expose me, convinced the police that I should take a DNA test. Then all would be lost. I could only hope with my little mention of Noel, Eva would drop her quest. I doubted it though.
I stood up too quickly and felt dizzy. Too many glasses of wine? Or was it due to drugs? I’d have to be careful. Once my head cleared I began making my way up. It was tricky and I kept sliding back and would have to start again. For some reason, I thought it was funny and laughed. I started up again, slower this time, checking my footholds were secure. I was looking down as I almost reached the top when I felt something press hard against my head and chest forcing me backwards. I went tumbling back down, landing uncomfortably on the ledge again with my right foot tucked under me at an awkward angle. Was it sprained? That was going make my climb trickier. Had someone pushed me? Looking up I couldn’t see anyone, but the light was fading fast now. I tried to stand up, being careful with my foot. I didn’t immediately realise that I was very close to the edge of a long drop. My feet weren’t gripping solid ground and I began to slide. Fuck. In desperation, I clawed at grass, but none would hold my weight. Clumps tore free of their precarious hold. I couldn’t stop giggling and didn’t dare look down. Then I started slamming into hard rock knocking the breath out of me. The pain was unbearable. I tried to cry out, but the sound coming from me was feeble – I was too winded to scream. My descent increased in speed, the pain greater each time another piece of rock tore at my skin until suddenly I was flying. I’d always wondered what it would be like to fall from a great height. Before I could analyse how it felt, I collided with a large slab of stone and stopped. My brain told me to get up, but I was unable to move. The remarkable thing was there was no longer any pain. I couldn’t feel a thing. I was so tired I just wanted to go to sleep.
My favorite part of this book is the character, Kelly. She reminded me of a spunky girl I knew in College. She had a great outlook and challenged me to be a better person.
Luttrell marketed The Wave as a psychological thriller, but I feel the book has a broader appeal. I categorize it as an intelligent drama. This book is a superb read, and even before finishing, I emailed friends about it. Every reader who picks up a copy will become engrossed in the plot and appreciate Luttrell’s unique vantage point.
May 9, 2024
I liked it well enough.
I am not sure it should have been called the wave as I came into this expecting more survival and disastor waves. But nope.
More focused on events after a tsunami.
I enjoyed the character growth displayed in all the characters throughout. They were built with imense depth, and i found myself drawn in by all their relationships.
It, however, wasn’t what i signed up for.
It, also, went on way longer than needed.
I'm glad that I read it, but I am also glad that it's over, too.
I am not sure it should have been called the wave as I came into this expecting more survival and disastor waves. But nope.
More focused on events after a tsunami.
I enjoyed the character growth displayed in all the characters throughout. They were built with imense depth, and i found myself drawn in by all their relationships.
It, however, wasn’t what i signed up for.
It, also, went on way longer than needed.
I'm glad that I read it, but I am also glad that it's over, too.
February 22, 2021
This was an enjoyable and impressive book.
The story was gripping and is explored from different characters point of view which helped keep the narrative fast-paced.
Most characters felt very realistic and remained relatable despite facing some extraordinary, unique circumstances.
The story was gripping and is explored from different characters point of view which helped keep the narrative fast-paced.
Most characters felt very realistic and remained relatable despite facing some extraordinary, unique circumstances.
December 12, 2021
Can't believe I read this
I am used to free books being poor but this is on a whole new level.
Avoid, life is too short ! ! !
I am used to free books being poor but this is on a whole new level.
Avoid, life is too short ! ! !
July 11, 2024
"How far would you go to protect someone, or something precious? I didn’t know until I had to face making a decision. Could I commit murder? Pull the trigger on a gun? Plunge a knife into flesh? I’ve longed for an individual’s death. Imagined, visualized and fantasized it. Faced with the cold hard reality though? It’s possible. Those who push things too far, those who take one step too many, will occasionally walk towards their own death. But sometimes they need a helping hand."
A fast page psychological thriller. Such a fun read.
A girl tries to escape her controlling jealous boyfriend of 3 years but all the attempted escapes had failed. She would either get caught by him or his bodyguard. One day they go to Phuket, Thailand for vacation for 2 weeks and there she meets another couple and the women looks very similar to her and this women comes up with a plan to help her escape by giving her money and the her passport so she can leave the island. On the day where the plan was supposed to be set in motion, a tsunami hits and they get separated. The girl wakes up in a hospital with many broken bones and fractures and her face needed facial reconstruction because it was gone. She took this opportunity to fly back to Melbourne and take over her identity and live her life... Will she get caught or would she make a new life for herself from a different identity?
A fast page psychological thriller. Such a fun read.
A girl tries to escape her controlling jealous boyfriend of 3 years but all the attempted escapes had failed. She would either get caught by him or his bodyguard. One day they go to Phuket, Thailand for vacation for 2 weeks and there she meets another couple and the women looks very similar to her and this women comes up with a plan to help her escape by giving her money and the her passport so she can leave the island. On the day where the plan was supposed to be set in motion, a tsunami hits and they get separated. The girl wakes up in a hospital with many broken bones and fractures and her face needed facial reconstruction because it was gone. She took this opportunity to fly back to Melbourne and take over her identity and live her life... Will she get caught or would she make a new life for herself from a different identity?
May 8, 2024
I don't know what I was expecting with this book, came into it blind with an open mind as to what it would be like. I was pleasantly surprised with it. While this book kept my attention and the story line was pretty decent, the way the timelines went back and forth just didn't make sense to me. The changing in timelines seemed to just be random. Yes, the information in each section of time and the storyline throughout gave great character building and addition to the storyline, the changing back-and-forth still seemed random. This may have been an even better read if it would have been in chronological order, but then again I'm not sure, feel odd about how it was put together in a time-line sense of the story. The story overall was very good and kept my attention, it was an easy read, but the back-and-forth in timelines and the randomness of it just didn't sit well with me.
October 3, 2023
Loved this story. I still have some unanswered questions. There were many expositional phrases that I could have done without but overall, it was great. I read it within days and felt like I just had to keep finding out more about the characters. Near the end, I was a little nervous about Clara and what they might have done but I was not spot on with what I had thought. Some moments were a little far-fetched but not unbelievable to the point you can't read on. The part where Eva shows up in Llandudno could've been eliminated completely and the story would have been fine as-is. I liked the different cultures represented and discussed and how Llandudno was described. An interesting twist would have been if the real Lucy's body was actually found.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2024
After a sort of reading slump, this was surprisingly good and kept me engaged until the end
The story follows an incredibly strong female character that goes through so much in her life, from childhood up until adulthood challenges and struggles keep coming at her and she faces them by being brave and continuing to fight for herself.
A story of overcoming hardship, driven by plot but also character, with thrilling subplots and interesting turnovers.
The story follows an incredibly strong female character that goes through so much in her life, from childhood up until adulthood challenges and struggles keep coming at her and she faces them by being brave and continuing to fight for herself.
A story of overcoming hardship, driven by plot but also character, with thrilling subplots and interesting turnovers.
January 23, 2025
Pleasantly surprised by this book. Especially as it was a freebie on stuff your kindle day. Overall, very enjoyable. I enjoyed how the story was told from multiple perspectives and the writing style provided a lot of insight into characters thoughts and decision making. Only thing is that there were a couple situations that just seemed a bit unrealistic and I although the book wrapped up okay, I do wish there was one more small chapter.
May 16, 2025
The Wave
By: L.E. Luttrell
E-Book
Lucy and Kelly are getting to know each other while on vacation. Telling each other things they’ve never shared with others. Kelly needs to escape but has no way out, so her and Lucy develop a plan. That’s when the wave hit…this is the story of how Lucy started her life over and how she kept those secrets buried like everything under that wave.
By: L.E. Luttrell
E-Book
Lucy and Kelly are getting to know each other while on vacation. Telling each other things they’ve never shared with others. Kelly needs to escape but has no way out, so her and Lucy develop a plan. That’s when the wave hit…this is the story of how Lucy started her life over and how she kept those secrets buried like everything under that wave.
August 25, 2025
I have given up on this book. I persevered for just over 60% of it but life is too short to read something that is bringing you no joy. It is just a long, boring monologue and has nothing to do with the subject of the title i.e. the Boxing Day tsunami. Good writing shows not tells and the author of this book does the latter. There is no suspense and it really doesn’t hold my interest at all!
February 27, 2021
I found this difficult to get into at first but I stuck with it.
To balance so many characters over such an extended period of time takes some doing.
Well done L.E.Luttrell, and thanks for an excellent read!
To balance so many characters over such an extended period of time takes some doing.
Well done L.E.Luttrell, and thanks for an excellent read!
May 5, 2021
Water
Well apart from the fact that this book needed a good proof reader! I found that I didn’t want to put the book down until I had finished reading it.
Not to give the plot away, but is she? Isn’t she? If not then how? Read it and you’ll see what I mean and find out.
Well apart from the fact that this book needed a good proof reader! I found that I didn’t want to put the book down until I had finished reading it.
Not to give the plot away, but is she? Isn’t she? If not then how? Read it and you’ll see what I mean and find out.
January 8, 2024
The ending was anticlimactic but I enjoyed the first like 80% where it was thrilling. Were a few typos and mistakes and some of the writing seemed amateur but I mean it’s better than what I could do. Overall enjoyed the book
February 11, 2024
Excellent Read
Best story I've read in quite some time. As complicated and involved as the story was, it was somewhat disappointing that the ending was rather quick and simplistic. IMHO..... Still.........a really great read I would wholeheartedly recommend
Best story I've read in quite some time. As complicated and involved as the story was, it was somewhat disappointing that the ending was rather quick and simplistic. IMHO..... Still.........a really great read I would wholeheartedly recommend
June 2, 2024
This book started off hokey and silly and then got more intriguing. The different timelines and characters worked for me. I would recommend as a fun book to read on holiday.
Finished in Bali, Indonesia.
Finished in Bali, Indonesia.
September 11, 2024
Quick read. I wanted a break from the looong super "spicy" series I just finished, and found this on a stuff your kindle day. It had a twist I didn't expect...at first. Could have had more closure at the end but over all a good book.
March 14, 2026
Well this book goes beyond the tragic tsunami and explains about lucys life and kellys life. And what kelly had to do to keep herself safe. What a nasty piece of work carlos is. Goes from current to past in the chapters. Was a good read
Read
March 30, 2021Couldn't finish it.
The writing was pretty bad. Felt like I was reading a long a$$ Reddit thread. And the characters were awful people.
The writing was pretty bad. Felt like I was reading a long a$$ Reddit thread. And the characters were awful people.
August 15, 2021
What would you do?
Would definitely recommend
Had me hooked right to the end
It's true what they say "Never judge a book by it's cover" .
Would definitely recommend
Had me hooked right to the end
It's true what they say "Never judge a book by it's cover" .
August 24, 2021
Brilliant book, with twists and turns you won't see coming. I did feel it ended rather abruptly though - some loose ends that weren't really tied up
October 25, 2021
The wave
This was a good book and good characters. I think something is missing but I don't know what it is. I know there is alot of time covered here, but it's worth it.
This was a good book and good characters. I think something is missing but I don't know what it is. I know there is alot of time covered here, but it's worth it.
September 23, 2023
great read
Loved this book. Great believable characters and good story line. Looking forward to reading more books by this talented author
Loved this book. Great believable characters and good story line. Looking forward to reading more books by this talented author
January 22, 2024
I was having a really good time until the author had to write dialogue for a teenager. Then I just kept getting completely thrown out of the story. But otherwise, a decent enough read.
April 30, 2024
This definitely needed another round with editors, but the story had me hooked.
December 8, 2024
Great story
Quite an interesting story that kept me entangled throughout. Solid characters and a well told tale gives the reader all they
Quite an interesting story that kept me entangled throughout. Solid characters and a well told tale gives the reader all they
July 1, 2025
Disappointing
Poorly developed characters. Not engrossing nor believable. I wish I hadn't wasted my time reading this poorly written, weak book.
Poorly developed characters. Not engrossing nor believable. I wish I hadn't wasted my time reading this poorly written, weak book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews