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From The Outside: a gripping and emotional psychological suspense
When internet millionaire and philanthropist Harry Melville dies in a car crash at the age of 44, the lives of his wife, Sarah, and twin brother, Ben, are thrown into turmoil. Harry seemed to have it all; a close-knit family and a happy marriage - along with all the trappings of wealth. Yet as he recalls his past from the afterlife, a story emerges of the unspoken and bitter jealousies between brothers and of an unhappy wife burdened by loneliness and guilt.
When Ben takes over the running of Harry's charity foundation, he begins to find purpose for the first time in years. But the arrival of a talented young artist brings a series of revelations that expose Harry's complex and dual personality in full. As he learns his part in the suffering of those he left behind, is it too late for Harry to make amends?
A tale of regret and redemption in this world and the next, From the Outside looks at the futile rivalries that can destroy sibling relationships and the lost opportunity for happiness when ego is allowed to reign over emotion.
When Ben takes over the running of Harry's charity foundation, he begins to find purpose for the first time in years. But the arrival of a talented young artist brings a series of revelations that expose Harry's complex and dual personality in full. As he learns his part in the suffering of those he left behind, is it too late for Harry to make amends?
A tale of regret and redemption in this world and the next, From the Outside looks at the futile rivalries that can destroy sibling relationships and the lost opportunity for happiness when ego is allowed to reign over emotion.
Kindle Edition
Published April 19, 2021
About the author
Clare Johnston
1 book17 followersClare Johnston is a journalist living in Edinburgh with her husband and two sons.
She is weekly columnist and digital content specialist with DC Thomson media, and runs a popular lifestyle channel on YouTube - The Honest Channel.
She is the author of political thriller Polls Apart, and the emotional psychological thriller, From the Outside.
Clare is a former head of magazines and commercial editor with the Daily Record and Sunday Mail, and editorial director of the Press Association in Scotland.
She contributes regularly on BBC Radio Scotland, including on the satirical comedy show, Breaking the News.
Clare writes the novels she loves to read with the essential ingredients of pace, emotion, twists and a number of fable-like elements to really get readers thinking about the characters and what can be learned from them.
She is weekly columnist and digital content specialist with DC Thomson media, and runs a popular lifestyle channel on YouTube - The Honest Channel.
She is the author of political thriller Polls Apart, and the emotional psychological thriller, From the Outside.
Clare is a former head of magazines and commercial editor with the Daily Record and Sunday Mail, and editorial director of the Press Association in Scotland.
She contributes regularly on BBC Radio Scotland, including on the satirical comedy show, Breaking the News.
Clare writes the novels she loves to read with the essential ingredients of pace, emotion, twists and a number of fable-like elements to really get readers thinking about the characters and what can be learned from them.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 16, 2019
4☆ An Emotive, Thought Provoking and Compelling read.
FROM THE OUTSIDE is a Compelling and Emotive story about Family, Regret, Secrets, Drama, Siblings, moving on, and life after death.
Harry had it all until a tragic accident leaves him for dead, but somehow still able to watch over his wife and twin brother Ben.
But watching over his family isn't easy, as he starts to uncover secrets and finds out how his life effected those around him as he watches them grieve, move on and uncover truths and secrets.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book, I liked the concept of the afterlife and overlooking loved ones.
From The Outside Is a compelling and thought provoking read about family strains, secrets, sibling bonds, grief, relationships, moving on, letting go, and finding peace,
It's a slower paced read but it works really well with the plot, as the title suggests your on the outside looking in.
There are a few twists, some drama, and it really gets you thinking.
I would definitely recommend reading this wonderful book, if you're looking for a an emotive and compelling read that is a lil different.
Thank you to Love Book Group Tours and Urbane for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...
FROM THE OUTSIDE is a Compelling and Emotive story about Family, Regret, Secrets, Drama, Siblings, moving on, and life after death.
Harry had it all until a tragic accident leaves him for dead, but somehow still able to watch over his wife and twin brother Ben.
But watching over his family isn't easy, as he starts to uncover secrets and finds out how his life effected those around him as he watches them grieve, move on and uncover truths and secrets.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book, I liked the concept of the afterlife and overlooking loved ones.
From The Outside Is a compelling and thought provoking read about family strains, secrets, sibling bonds, grief, relationships, moving on, letting go, and finding peace,
It's a slower paced read but it works really well with the plot, as the title suggests your on the outside looking in.
There are a few twists, some drama, and it really gets you thinking.
I would definitely recommend reading this wonderful book, if you're looking for a an emotive and compelling read that is a lil different.
Thank you to Love Book Group Tours and Urbane for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...
July 10, 2019
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, or how it would play out but was pleasantly surprised that once I started this I could not put it down.
From the moment the book starts we instantly meet Harry Melville sitting on the embankment at the side of the motorway viewing a crashed car, then we learn he was the driver and he is now dead.
From this moment we are viewing his family - his twin brother Ben and his wife Sarah from the Outside along with Harry following the aftermath of this death and how it impacts everyone.
His twin Ben always seemed to have paled in comparison to his millionaire brother over the years, so when he tasked with taking over The Melville Foundation he feels out of his depth but also rises to the challenge in a way he never thought was possible.
Harry’s wife Sarah we discover had a one night stand before his death and is now pregnant. The only problem is Harry had fertility problems so it becomes clear that the father is the other guy. We get a first hand view from Harry’s inner thoughts looking over Sarah as she comes to terms with what she has done and how she tries to keep it from Ben.
There is so much I want to say about this book but worry I will just recount the book and spoil things. Clare Johnston has weaved a tale that is real, thought provoking and though it is a slow read it also a very emotional read it is filled with a sense of loss and of how the people left behind cope when a loved one is gone, and for me it was one great read!
From the moment the book starts we instantly meet Harry Melville sitting on the embankment at the side of the motorway viewing a crashed car, then we learn he was the driver and he is now dead.
From this moment we are viewing his family - his twin brother Ben and his wife Sarah from the Outside along with Harry following the aftermath of this death and how it impacts everyone.
His twin Ben always seemed to have paled in comparison to his millionaire brother over the years, so when he tasked with taking over The Melville Foundation he feels out of his depth but also rises to the challenge in a way he never thought was possible.
Harry’s wife Sarah we discover had a one night stand before his death and is now pregnant. The only problem is Harry had fertility problems so it becomes clear that the father is the other guy. We get a first hand view from Harry’s inner thoughts looking over Sarah as she comes to terms with what she has done and how she tries to keep it from Ben.
There is so much I want to say about this book but worry I will just recount the book and spoil things. Clare Johnston has weaved a tale that is real, thought provoking and though it is a slow read it also a very emotional read it is filled with a sense of loss and of how the people left behind cope when a loved one is gone, and for me it was one great read!
June 28, 2019
From the Outside, by Scottish writer Clare Johnston, is the story of two grown brothers—twins—barely connected while together on earth, but brought together after one of them dies in a tragic accident. The title is perfect, as it is truly suited to the story. Or, perhaps, it is the other way around, with a narrator perfectly suited to the title. The title From the Outside seems to offer different meanings: 1. A literal meaning: A dead man watches his loved ones (and not so loved) from beyond the grave; 2. A psychological meaning: One must step outside his narcissistic self in order to see what is truly important; and 3. A spiritual meaning: It is better to totally immerse oneself into the human condition, instead of living a lonely life on the periphery.
So many of us wish to be a fly on the wall after death to see how others move forward without us, or how they viewed us in life. Maybe this idea is not as fictional as some believe. Maybe this is part of the process, being able to listen in on our loved ones’ thoughts, and watching them as they struggle—or not—to move on without us. Buried truths are often exposed after the death of a loved one, and this story is no different. But I don’t really want to talk about the story, because, for me, it is the narrator who has stayed with me long after the book ended. The author astutely uses an omniscient narrator, Harry Melville, who has the ability to see all, hear all, and understand all about the ones he left behind. What a unique and open-minded way to tell a story, with a dead man looking back over his life, and explaining it to the reader, inch by inch, including revelations that unfold in real time.
From the Outside does not follow a strict exposition-to-denouement format. The climbing action takes up most of the novel, and the climax isn’t a slap-in-the-face surprise like in many novels. While some readers may find the story a bit dry, I enjoyed it for the slow burn. So many authors today are hell bent on writing a story with such high stakes that we sit on the top of the roller coaster for most of the book, when really some of the best parts of life are what we find at the bottom and at the slower turns.
While Sarah, Harry’s widow, is not my favorite female character of all time—too many highs and lows with her moods distanced her from me—she does play an important catalyst, allowing us to see Harry through her eyes. Also, I would have enjoyed seeing Harry in movement from time to time, as opposed to being ONLY a fly on the wall. While I understand that he has no special powers as a dead man to change things on earth, it would have been interesting to see his character a bit more emotional. But that is only my opinion, and it neither detracted from the author’s purpose, nor the strength of the narration itself.
All in all, Clare Johnston brings us a beautifully-written tale of brotherly ties, family fractures, and finding peace with those we leave behind. For me, the lesson is this: Sometimes it takes a sudden separation for us to discover a new connection, one that is created not because of, but in spite of what we did while alive. For some, this means that the connection is not made until it is too late. But I see things as Harry does: that perhaps it is never too late.
Whatever your takeaway from this story, I hope you connect to the deeper meaning that our spirits continue to learn even after death, and much of this knowledge is gained through the ones we leave behind.
So many of us wish to be a fly on the wall after death to see how others move forward without us, or how they viewed us in life. Maybe this idea is not as fictional as some believe. Maybe this is part of the process, being able to listen in on our loved ones’ thoughts, and watching them as they struggle—or not—to move on without us. Buried truths are often exposed after the death of a loved one, and this story is no different. But I don’t really want to talk about the story, because, for me, it is the narrator who has stayed with me long after the book ended. The author astutely uses an omniscient narrator, Harry Melville, who has the ability to see all, hear all, and understand all about the ones he left behind. What a unique and open-minded way to tell a story, with a dead man looking back over his life, and explaining it to the reader, inch by inch, including revelations that unfold in real time.
From the Outside does not follow a strict exposition-to-denouement format. The climbing action takes up most of the novel, and the climax isn’t a slap-in-the-face surprise like in many novels. While some readers may find the story a bit dry, I enjoyed it for the slow burn. So many authors today are hell bent on writing a story with such high stakes that we sit on the top of the roller coaster for most of the book, when really some of the best parts of life are what we find at the bottom and at the slower turns.
While Sarah, Harry’s widow, is not my favorite female character of all time—too many highs and lows with her moods distanced her from me—she does play an important catalyst, allowing us to see Harry through her eyes. Also, I would have enjoyed seeing Harry in movement from time to time, as opposed to being ONLY a fly on the wall. While I understand that he has no special powers as a dead man to change things on earth, it would have been interesting to see his character a bit more emotional. But that is only my opinion, and it neither detracted from the author’s purpose, nor the strength of the narration itself.
All in all, Clare Johnston brings us a beautifully-written tale of brotherly ties, family fractures, and finding peace with those we leave behind. For me, the lesson is this: Sometimes it takes a sudden separation for us to discover a new connection, one that is created not because of, but in spite of what we did while alive. For some, this means that the connection is not made until it is too late. But I see things as Harry does: that perhaps it is never too late.
Whatever your takeaway from this story, I hope you connect to the deeper meaning that our spirits continue to learn even after death, and much of this knowledge is gained through the ones we leave behind.
October 17, 2019
www.bookread2day.wordpress.com
When internet millionaire Harry Melville one morning loses control of his car he dies in a car crash on the M8, he is having an outer body experience, watching over people trying to see if his lifeless body was breathing. He watches over his wife Sarah, and Ben his twin brother, and looking at everyone at his funeral.
The truth was Harry Jonathan Melville and Ben were twins, but similarities between the pair were very different, they didn’t have that much in common. Harry was a man who cared about futures of young people. At 39, Harry set up his own Youth Foundation to help disadvantaged teenagers get on a career path. Now Ben is going to take over Harry’s charity.
I can promise you all this story is Unputdownable with Harry narrative throughout watching his wife and brother and feeding us through the past to what is happening at the present time.
Wow ! what a story one that I simply cannot forget and makes me question can the dead really watch over us.
This story is about regret and redemption in this life and the next . From the Outside explores the futile rivalries that destroy siblings relationships, and the lost chance for happiness when ego takes control.
A story about outer body experience that you will never forget, very much like Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.
When internet millionaire Harry Melville one morning loses control of his car he dies in a car crash on the M8, he is having an outer body experience, watching over people trying to see if his lifeless body was breathing. He watches over his wife Sarah, and Ben his twin brother, and looking at everyone at his funeral.
The truth was Harry Jonathan Melville and Ben were twins, but similarities between the pair were very different, they didn’t have that much in common. Harry was a man who cared about futures of young people. At 39, Harry set up his own Youth Foundation to help disadvantaged teenagers get on a career path. Now Ben is going to take over Harry’s charity.
I can promise you all this story is Unputdownable with Harry narrative throughout watching his wife and brother and feeding us through the past to what is happening at the present time.
Wow ! what a story one that I simply cannot forget and makes me question can the dead really watch over us.
This story is about regret and redemption in this life and the next . From the Outside explores the futile rivalries that destroy siblings relationships, and the lost chance for happiness when ego takes control.
A story about outer body experience that you will never forget, very much like Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.
March 25, 2026
My mum COOKED
February 2, 2022
“From the Outside’ by Clare Johnston is a sweet book. It is the story of twin brothers. The story begins with the funeral of the ‘older’ twin, and the story is narrated by his voice. This grants him a keen insight into not just his own life, but also that of his twin. It is a moving story, and rather unputdownable. My only grouse is that it has been marketed as a psychological suspense novel. Which it most definitely isn’t. The reader could feel cheated. But so moving is the story that all the complaints are forgotten.
A note to publishers and blurb writers- please don’t mislead the reader.
4 Stars
A note to publishers and blurb writers- please don’t mislead the reader.
4 Stars
March 25, 2020
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. It resinated with me. Found myself reading well into the early hours and got quite emotional.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews