Andrea was Leah’s best friend. A strange attraction between a wild, confident, fun-loving, widow and a quiet, insecure housewife.But Leah’s gentle and loving nature hide the depths of an underlying iron-hard mental strength. After surviving her vicious husband’s terrifying games and the mental asylum he committed her to, Leah’s only desire now is for a life of peace with her new partner, and her … partner, and her best friend, Andrea. What could possibly go wrong?
Plenty, as it turns out. With her husband now on the run from a mob hitman, and his family each hiding their own secrets, they are prepared to go to any lengths to finish what they started three years ago. Will they succeed this time?
Leah knew the only person she could rely on was Andrea.
This is book two in the series and answers all the questions raised in Book 1: A Year In The Life of Leah Brand.
more
From the start this engaging thriller captivates the reader’s emotions. They will undoubtedly come to: dislike, even hate; feel frustrated and powerless; experience deep felt annoyance and irritation; wish they could intervene, and more. The mixed characteristics of manipulation, weakness, and belligerence will draw deeply upon any reader who harbours the slightest sense of right and wrong, and what constitutes appropriate behaviour. There is no argument the characters are well formed, and not just the principle protagonists. This book is a further example of the author’s excellent writing skills.
The tale provides an example of how supposed friendships can turn out to be anything but. How, people may seek to take advantage of a more sensitive, less robust, soul. How, the apparent lack of gratitude may, in part, hold a secret. How a hurtful abandonment can be motivated by the very opposite. The story keeps the reader engaged throughout and though the motivation becomes clear early on they will still find themselves being drawn forward.
The first half of the book is occupied with setting up the scenario and reason for the cruel, underhanded, treatment. Some readers may feel this is a little too prolonged however, once into the main action, they will find their preconceived ideas and conclusions seriously challenged. They may find themselves holding their breath until the true facts are revealed and the story reaches its conclusion. However, will they find their tensions released or feel there is justice at the end? It would spoil it for potential readers to say more in this short review.
This is the second book in Lucinda’s psychological thriller series and, though it would be possible to read it as a standalone, the reader would benefit from having read the first ‘A Year In the Life of Leah Brand’. This tale is essentially a continuance of the first with references to events therein which will lose some of their impact without knowledge of the previous incidents.
I loved the first book in this series and was delighted there was to be a second. Ms Clarke didn’t disappoint, in fact I empathised so much I began to feel paranoid myself. Leah’s attempts to get along with step-daughter, Belinda, her odd friendship with Andrea Coe, and her relationship with her estranged husband, Mason, take several twisting turns for the worse and kept me in suspense to the very end. It was interesting to see Leah from Andrea’s viewpoint. Who is on whose side and what parts are they playing? A satisfying ending, but I’m now very nervous for poor Leah as I hear there’s a third book on the way. What more can happen to this lovely lady. I would strongly recommending reading the first book in the series, and then dive straight into this one. Treat yourself.
Having read A Year In The Life of Leah Brand, I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reading copy of Lucinda E Clarke’s latest book.
Well, she’s done it again with this intriguing sequel of what happened after Leah began a new life, in a new town with a new man.
Manipulative Andrea Coe manages to lure Leah away from her partner Bill, and the unsuspecting woman gets unwittingly carried along with her ‘friend’s’ sinister subterfuge.
When Leah’s criminal ex-husband Mason suddenly gets in touch, the plot takes on a new twist and a journey for the women, from the UK to Australia and back with the ever-belligerent teenage Belinda tagging along for the ride.
Andrea is pure evil and hell-bent on procuring Leah’s financial entitlement, due to her after her accident, which left her first husband and children dead. Throughout the story, the reader is left wondering as to what lengths the wicked woman will go to deceive her seemingly gullible friend. But is Leah really that unwary?
A great psychological read and a definite 5 stars from me.
Leah has moved on a new house and her attempts to get along with her step daughter Belinda was portrayed well. What was scary was there was a sense of unease throughout. Leah’s relationship with Andrea and her husband were all intricately plotted.
The tension, the helplessness of the main characters, their frustrations were so convincing, that I found myself immersed in it.
Delightful psychological thriller.
The nightmare continues…
This is the second psychological thriller in this trilogy I’ve read from this author. I’ve read and enjoyed other books and was interested to discover how the drama would develop. Carrying on from the first book, Leah has moved house with Bill and Belinda, and is still in the thick of things as her ‘best friend’ Andrea’s character comes to the fore. Criminal activity is not far away, and their lives become knotted and twisted to breaking point. Good characters and incredible plotting make this story a page turner and it lays a cracking foundation for the third part of the trilogy. Recommended.
This story was even more exciting than the first one. It starts out with the knowledge that someone has been murdered and an unknown woman in jail. As Andrea begins to tell her story to the reader, you wonder if she killed Leah … or someone else. Plenty of surprises in store as everything goes against Leah once again … just when she thought her life was on the mend. Will justice prevail in the end and will it all end HEA? Or will the comments about books not being real life crime come true? Get prepared for a psychological thriller that will mess with your mind.