Release: September 17, 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: darkstroke / Crooked Cat
Source: Rachel’s Random Resources
Find it at: Amazon, Kindle
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A drowned child. Estranged sisters. A once-perfect home.
Silence echoes louder than truth.
When seventeen-year-old Rachel’s baby brother drowns and her older sister, Imogen, escapes to live abroad with Simon. Rachel must face the family’s grief and disintegration alone.
Twenty years later, Rachel is a successful businesswoman, with a daughter of her own. She supports her parents and their elegant Georgian home. Their old home, The Old Rectory, shackles them to the past.
Meanwhile, Simon’s sudden death in Ibiza brings Imogen back, impoverished and resentful. Her family owes her, and she will stop at nothing to reclaim what is rightly hers.
The rift between the sisters seems permanent. While Imogen has lived a nomadic life, Rachel’s has appeared stable and successful. But, behind the veneer, cracks are appearing. Now, she is vulnerable.
As the wall of silence and secrecy crumbles, danger stalks Rachel’s family. Accordingly, she must re-examine her baby brother’s death. She must find out what happened in Tunisia, and fight to hold onto everything she’s achieved –or risk losing it all.
Façade is a gripping tale of loss, guilt and danger.
About the Author:
Helen Matthews writes page-turning psychological suspense novels. For Example, the darker side of human nature and how a life can change in an instant, always fascinated her. Her first novel was a suspense thriller . She also won the prize for After Leaving the Village, at Winchester Writers’ Festival. She followed it up with Lies Behind the Ruin, domestic noir set in France. In fact, Darkstroke will publish her third novel Façade in September 2020.
Helen from Cardiff, read English at the University of Liverpool .She worked in international development, consultancy, human resources and pensions management. Helen also worked as a freelance while studying for a Creative Writing MA at Oxford Brookes University.
She is a keen cyclist, covering long distances. Besides being a good singer in Choir, she loves spending time in France. Helen is an Ambassador for the charity Unseen, which works towards a world without slavery and donates her author talk fees, and a percentage of royalties, to the charity.
Façade Review:
Wow! This story starts off in an amazing way that immediately pulls you into the plot. The scenes are atmospheric and tense as we get into the lives of the Stapleton family.
Surprisingly, this is one of those books where I did not really like any of the characters. Yet, both the leads are mesmerizing in their own manner that held my interest. Imogen is a character I despised since the first page. She is hostile, jealous and resents Rachel for being the favorite daughter. Even her friend Gabriela suspects that Imogen is involved in Simon’s death. It was so gripping to see Imogen manipulate her way in Rachel’s life and her family and friends for vendetta.
Similarly, I also liked Rachel’s storyline. It is intense seeing her life unravel as she gets bombarded with multiple issues. Max pushing Howard on her, Jack wanting to join the business, Hannah meeting with Gavin, and not knowing what Imogen is up to.
I loved the author’s style of writing. The dialogues are simple, the characters are calculative, and the suspense builds up beautifully. Both Rachel and Imogen have contrasting personalities, and it was entertaining watching their power play. The author also provides flashbacks to the 90s where we see the history of this dysfunctional family. On a side note, I also liked that the author chose Tunisia as a backdrop for the flashbacks. It felt different and exotic as a Middle Eastern location.
Overall, this was a gripping book that had me glued to the last page and I absolutely loved it!
Book Tour Schedule
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Façade by Helen Matthews Blog Tour hosted by Rachel’s Random Resources.
