Lies Behind the Ruin
by Helen Matthews
Emma Willshire has overcome plenty of obstacles in her life. From student bride to single mum of a son, Owen, but she has found happiness with her second husband, Paul and another child, Mollie. Emma’s dark days seem far behind her until a fatal accident happens at Paul’s work and he is held responsible.
On holiday in France, Paul’s behavior turns erratic. On impulse, he buys a cheap, dilapidated property and, to Emma’s dismay, persuades her they can renovate it into a holiday home.
Back in England, their problems spiral out of control. Escape to a new life in France seems the only solution but with heart-breaking loss for Emma. As the couple strives to renovate their ruin and open a small business, shadows from the past threaten their happiness and safety. Because, how can you build a new life on toxic foundations?
My Rating:
Favorite Quote:
My empty kitchen shelves yawn, as if they’ve been plundered by a thief with a crockery fetish.
My Review:
Family drama, deceit, betrayal, duplicity, financial strain, and lots of angst underscore this slowly evolving tale of treachery. The writing was easy to follow and held my attention and despite the slow pace, I remained curious as to how long the deception could remain undetected. Apparently, Emma wasn’t a deep thinker, or at all observant, or diligent about birth control. Ms. Matthew’s storylines were taut with tension and fraught with various stressors and uncertainty as a British family stumbled and fractured while attempting to start anew in France amidst the insecurities of Brexit. I didn’t find any of the main characters to be totally likable yet I was sympathetic to the blinkered and beleaguered Emma, although I had nothing but disdain for either of her husbands.
About the Author
Helen Matthews is the author of Lies Behind the Ruin, a contemporary suspense novel set in France, to be published in April 2019 by Hashtag Press. Her debut novel After Leaving the Village, published in 2017, won first prize for the opening pages of a novel at Winchester Writers’ Festival. Born in Cardiff, she read English at the University of Liverpool and holds an MA in Creative Writing from Oxford Brookes University. Helen’s short stories and flash fiction have won prizes and been published in Reflex Fiction, Ad Hoc, Artificium, Scribble and Love Sunday. Her freelance journalism has been published in the Guardian and broadcast on BBC radio. She is an ambassador for Unseen, a charity that campaigns to end human trafficking and modern slavery.
Social Media Links – Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelenMK7Writer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelenMK7
Giveaway
Win 2 x Signed copies of Lies Behind The Ruins
(Europe Only)
*Terms and Conditions –European entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.
Great review, doesnt sound like a book for me.
Not my type of book but great review
I can’t say that it would be a book for me. I also can’t say that anyone I know is that worried about Brexit that they have upped and left the country, even if it is a shambles. Great review.
Another great review from you, but i can’t say this is a book I would read.
Great review. This sounds like a heavy hitter and I have a lot of books right that now, so it’s prob not for me right now but it sounds really interesting.
the cover definitely caught my attention as did the title..