Why a Booktrail?
2000s: How would you feel if someone not only knew your deepest darkest secret but wrote a book about it? Sometimes keeping a secret can be worse than revealing it.
Disclaimer
What you need to know before your trail
Catherine Ravenscroft and husband Robert both have successful careers and a grown up son, Nicholas, who although not as ambitious as the would like,seems happy enough.
But then Catherine stumbles upon a book with the disclaimer “any resemblance to persons living or dead…” neatly crossed out with red ink. This book was obviously written by someone who knows her, someone who knows here very well indeed. And not only that this someone who knows her deepest darkest secret that risks ruining Catherine, her family and everything she holds dear.
And someone – the writer? – is out to ensure she knows how the story ends.
Locations
ResetTravel Guide
Not the strongest sense of time and place unless you consider the darkest recesses of the human mind! However the two locations which matter are the anonymous streets of London where the characters live and the holiday resort of Tarifa, Spain where an incident takes place forming the crux of the story.
London
Catherine and her husband Robert live and work successful jobs in London – Robert at the prestigious address of 54 Berkeley Square
Whenever I step into one of London’s beautiful squares I regret that I haven’t made an effort to do it more often.
And Berkeley Square is a gem”
Life in London is not all cosy however as Catherine soon finds out and so her London is one of suspicion and stress. The man who sees London as somewhere to enjoy is a former teacher Stephen Brigstocke who spends time at the British Library on Euston Road with his latest writing project. He soon becomes someone who Catherine has to keep looking over her shoulder as he seems to have taken quite an interest in her..
Spain
Cut to Spain and the setting for the secret that Catherine has been hiding from everyone including herself. A location for a holiday and for some rest and relaxation two years prior to the events in the main story.
It was the largest beach we had been to Miles and miles of white sand. It was a desert although there were crowds of people there”
But danger can lurk in paradise and follow you home….
Booktrailer Review
Susan: @thebooktrailer
Well this was a shocker! Totally didn’t guess where it was leading and what I did think turned out not to be true. Very hard to review and say much more without spoiling at least some of the reveal and red herrings but suffice to say I was intrigued to find out the secret and the plot of the book which Catherine thinks is about her. As events unfold, the reader is led down one path that you think you know what’s going on and then well, read it for yourself as this is one clever thriller.
Not ideal for a booktrail when you read the end but it’s an interesting premise and creeped me out in several places. There’s a film which it reminded me of for the creepy character of Stephen Brigstocke reminded me of the Robin Williams character in One Hour Photo. Brrr….
Red herrings and varying interpretations of events keep the book moving along at a cracking pace and if you pause to reflect, well that’s when your thoughts run away with you.
Is keeping a secret actually worse that what people realise when they find out what it is? Can one thin lie ever really hide so many assumptions and misunderstandings?
I thought the reaction of Robert – before he knew the truth and after – very revealing indeed.
This looks set to be a much talked about thriller of 2015 we think!
Where Next?
