Tendrils Of The Past

by Anthea Fraser

Some secrets won't let go . . . Is the truth about a devastating family tragedy about to be unveiled?

Tragedy strikes a quiet Dorset town when the bodies of Sarah and Charles Drummond are discovered in their home one morning while their two young children, Abby and Mia, sleep upstairs. The police seem certain that Charles killed his wife before taking his own life, and the girls' grandmother, Cicely Fairfax, makes sure that they are shielded from the horrific truth.

Until now. Sixteen years later, an accident at work leads Mia to have disturbing flashbacks to the night her parents met their untimely deaths. What did she see? What really happened that fateful evening? When Mia and Abby eventually share painful memories from the night that changed their lives forever, they get closer to uncovering the truth, and a dark secret from the past is finally revealed . . .

Genres: Mystery

186 pages, Hardcover

Published January 3, 2023

About the author

aka Vanessa Graham

Reviews

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

It has been fifteen years since the bodies of Charles and Saran Drummond were discovered in their home with their two young daughters, Abby and Mia, asleep upstairs. It was presumed that Charles had strangled Sarah before stabbing himself to death. The children were taken in by their grandparents who promptly relocated, changed the girls’ surnames to avoid public attention and told them that their parents died in a car crash.

But now, after a freak accident at work Mia starts getting flashbacks from her childhood – memories similar to the one her sister Abby has been experiencing. When their grandmother finally shares the truth about what happened to their parents, it is evident that their memories are from that fateful night. When a journalist spots the girls’ grandmother at a seniors’ hotel, the renewed interest in the case fuels the search for new facts and witness statements.

The narrative takes us back and forth between past and present and as the story progresses we get to know the events that led to the night of Charles’ and Sarah’s death. What truly happened that night? Is their parents’ killer still out there? Are Abby and Mia in danger?

Tendrils of the Past by Anthea Fraser has all the components for a gripping thriller – a heinous crime and suppressed memories, secrets and lies and a multitude of characters who are connected to the crime and/or the perpetrator. The writing is good and I liked how the author creates a complex web of connected characters. Unfortunately, this story held absolutely no suspense for me. The culprit was rather obvious from early on and the twist at the end was predictable ( if you follow the narrative carefully), there wasn’t much of a pursuit for the perpetrator till the last quarter of the novel and the ending was convenient and gives no satisfaction whatsoever. I had hoped for a gripping and suspenseful read but was more than a tad disappointed with this one.

Many thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due for release on January 03, 2023.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tendrils of the Past by Anthea Fraser is a recommended domestic drama.

The bodies of Sarah and Charles Drummond are discovered while their two daughters, Abby and Mia, are asleep upstairs. It appears that Charles killed Sarah before taking his own life. Cicely Fairfax, the girl's grandmother, whom they go to live with after their parents demise, makes sure the incident is never discussed. She tells the girls their parents died in a car accident. When Mia falls at work and hits her head, she has flashbacks from the night her parents died. Abby and Mia begin to share their memories, and talk to Cicely and their uncle, while attempting to uncover the truth of what really happened.

The narrative alternates between the point-of-view of Sarah fifteen years ago and the present day. The girls are still close to their former nanny, Nina, who has some insight into their past. Once the girls begin to talk about their memories, they begin to realize that the answer the police came up with may not be the truth.

The writing is good in this domestic drama that moves along at a fast pace due to the limited page count. The characters are portrayed in a realistic manner and as individuals in both time periods. There aren't any great surprises, thrills or suspense in the novel, but the clues are there to solve the crime, which makes for an acceptable mystery. Following the clues, events of the past, and the memories of Abby and Mia makes for an entertaining mystery and a good way to pass an evening.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Severn House via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/1...

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
An excellent, absorbing read centering around the horrid murder and suspected suicide of Sarah and
Charles Drummond 15 years previously, while their two young girls lay sleeping. We fast forward to today, when the two girls are teenagers and discover their dreams are similar: they both see their mother arguing with a man who's not their father. Is it wishful dreaming or the dreadful truth?
I loved this book by an accomplished author, going back and forth in time to end in a very satisfying way, I loved it! The cast of characters held my attention all the way...great story. Highly recommended.

[Lynette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan. I knew - when I opened the book and there was a "cast of characters' listed I was in trouble. Too many characters, and t00 much switching back and forth betwen their stories! It was hard to keep up. I kept having to refer back to the list and there were some that weren't even listed. If you want to indulge in this one, read it in a day or two so can can figure out who is who. A very predictable story. It's a short one, thank goodness.

The story is about a 15 year old murder that was put down as a murder suicide but then the girls who were home start remembering...

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mia and Abby have always believed that their father Charles killed their mother Sarah before himself but is that what really happened? Mia's having flashbacks to that night 16 years ago. She knows something is off but what? Who can she trust? This moves back and forth in time to tell the story of this family tragedy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. The plot is a tad trope-y but the characters are interesting and Fraser is a good storyteller.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve loved this author’s earlier works and various series, but in recent years the writing has fallen off (probably not surprisingly). This was an enjoyable enough read centering on a 15-year-old suspected murder-suicide. My main complaint that between the shifts in time periods and the many characters, it was sometimes hard to follow. Not bad, but not the author’s best.

[John Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has written so many books, it's hard to avoid grabbing one every now and then. She never reaches great heights, though. As usual there's a long list of characters, and in this case, we also jump frequently between two timelines 15 years apart. All revelations are through discussions among the characters. The ending is a confession.
Rating 2.8.

[Collette Mcgaahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many unlikely situations to contrive the plot along e.g. parents sent away from young child about to have @n operation… would never happen. Can’t give mor3 or it would be telling the plot but that incident allowed the next turn of events. Easy to predict what was going to happen.

[Rieta · Rating 3 out of 5]

The jump between time periods was vague at best. It wasn't until much later in the book that I tied the 2 Richard's together. Also, the apology at the end didn't seem to fit the character's selfishness.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Anthea Fraser's novels and I'm not a fan of domestic thriller but this one kept me hooked and reading.
There's past and present, a pinch of paranormal, a past drama that could be murder and not suicide
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Rebecca Mclaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to keep track of all the characters

[Louise Marwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read, but quite a lot of different characters to keep track of!