About The Book
In a dark, dark wood
In Summer 1990, Caroline and Joanna are sent to stay with their great aunt, Dora, to spend their holidays in a sunlit village near the Forest of Dean. The countryside is a welcome change from the trauma they know back home in the city; a chance to make the world a joyful playground again. But in the shadowy woods at the edge of the forest hide secrets that will bring their innocence to a distressing end and make this a summer they will never forget.
There was a dark, dark house
Years later, a shocking act of violence sends Joanna back to Witchwood. In her great aunt’s lonely and dilapidating cottage, she will attempt to unearth the secrets of that terrifying summer and come to terms with the haunting effects it has left on her life. But in her quest to find answers, who can she trust? And will she be able to survive the impending danger from those trying to bury the truth?
My Review
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. A Place To Lie contains everything I love in fiction. A dual time frame with the same characters where events that have happened in the past can cause heartache and tragedy years later.
This book has put me off living in a village for life. There was the violent death of the young girl but there was also the gossiping villagers who were betrayed brilliantly, the sense of being watched by just about every character and the too quick to judge attitude of all of them.
I expected to find the wooded areas spooky but found that what was more intimidating were the hints of the young children being watched and photographed.
The one who was the main suspect, despite being the local bad boy was the one I suspected least, and he was probably the one I had the most sympathy for. But there were many others who I did have my doubts about.
Throughout a lot of this book is an almost overwhelming sense of loneliness and guilt. Not just from Caroline but also Cecilia, Liz in her later years and Dora with her dreams about the younger men in the village and hints of a tragic past.
It’s a strange original novel that had me feeling uneasy a number of times.
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