Published February 13th 2020 by Boldwood Books
The new chilling and captivating novel from the best-selling author of Richard & Judy pick The Secrets Between Us.
When Edie's mother-in-law, Anna DeLuca, dies, she is relieved. Edie blames Anna for the accident that destroyed her family. So, when her will lures Edie to Sicily and the long-abandoned Villa della Madonna del Mare, she sees through Anna's games.
Suspecting Anna is meddling from beyond the grave to try to reunite her and her ex-husband Joe, Edie is determined to leave Italy as soon as possible. But before she can, the villa starts to shed its mysterious secrets.
Who are the girls beside Anna in her childhood photos, and why has one of them been scratched out? Why does someone, or something, want them to leave the past untouched? The villa is a place where old ghosts feel at home, but does their legacy need to be laid to rest before Edie and Joe can move on....
Best-selling author Louise Douglas returns with a captivating, chilling and unforgettable tale of betrayal, jealousy and the mysteries hidden in every family history.
THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
Edie and Joe’s marriage fell apart after a deadly tragedy. Edie unable to recover is still reeling from the grief, that she continues to suffer pain and anger. Joe’s mom Anna passes away and leaves both of them her Villa in Sicily. Frustrated and annoyed about seeing Joe over the inheritance, she is determined to get this done as quickly as possible. However, while in the Villa, something grips them to the mystery surrounding the home and their family.
Douglas is a master storyteller and really kept my attention from the start. I enjoyed the mysterious component and the suspenseful romance in the story. I highly recommend this book.
Please enjoy this EXTRACT:
One
I was walking the dogs along the footpath beside the River Avon when my sister, Martha, called to tell me that Anna DeLuca had died.
It was April. The air was cool, the tide was out and I was alone. The dogs sniffed the grassy fringes of the path, while I held the phone to my ear and listened as Martha described how my former mother-in-law had passed away peacefully in a sunlit room in a hospice in south London. As she spoke, I watched a boy cycling towards me. He was fourteen or fifteen, dark haired, slightly built. He could have been Daniel. I stepped aside as he passed. He stood on the pedals to keep the bike steady, leaned over the handlebars and nodded his thanks. He was wearing school uniform: rolled up shirtsleeves, a jumper tied around his waist, black shoes with scuffed toes, mud on the knees of his trousers. His cheeks were flushed with exertion.
‘It was a lovely room,’ Martha said, ‘and Cece said the staff were angels. She said it was a good death. All the family were there.’
I watched the back of the boy, cycling away from me. The jumper flapped behind him.
‘Edie?’ Martha asked. ‘Did you hear me?’
I would have liked to tell her about the boy who looked like Daniel, but I knew if I did she would make the face she always made when I told her about something that reminded me of my son. Even though I couldn’t see her, I’d know that was what she was doing.
A silence grew between us. Martha was expecting me to say that I was sorry about Anna’s death or to ask her to pass on my condolences to Cece, but I couldn’t. I simply couldn’t bring myself to say it was all for the best, or that at least it was an end to Anna’s suffering, or some other cliché. I’d spent ten years picking at my hatred for Anna and the wound was deep and bloody. I could hardly say something kind about her now.
I watched the boy on the bike riding through the tunnel made by the overhanging branches of trees. He went around a bend and disappeared.
‘Was Joe there?’ I asked.
‘Sorry?’
‘Was Joe with Anna when she died?’
‘Yes, I just said, all the family were. He’s spent a lot of time with his mother over the last few weeks.’
I expect she was asking him for forgiveness, craving his reassurances. I could imagine him holding her trembling hand, telling her that what happened to Daniel wasn’t really her fault and she, oh, she’d be doing her best to believe him, but deep down she must have known Joe was only saying those words because he loved her. In her heart she must have known he didn’t mean it, because it was her fault, she was responsible for us losing Daniel, and even if Joe said he forgave her, it wouldn’t be true. Daniel was his son as much as mine. How can anyone forgive the unforgivable?
PURCHASE LINK:
Amazon Link - https://amzn.to/2rSVj2V
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:
Louise’s Twitter - @LouiseDouglas3
Louise’s Facebook - Louise Douglas Author
Louise’s Instagram - louisedouglas3
Louise’s profile on our website – https://www.boldwoodbooks.com/contributor/louise-douglas/
Louise’s newsletter sign up - http://bit.ly/LouiseDouglasNewsletter
Louise Douglas is the bestselling and brilliantly reviewed author of 6 novels including The Love of my Life and Missing You - a RNA award winner. The Secrets Between Us was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. She lives in the West Country.
Goodreads:
No comments:
Post a Comment