A Life Between us was published via Matador in March 2017. My thanks to the Author for sending me a review copy.
Tina Thornton’s twin sister Meg died in a childhood accident, but for almost forty years Tina has secretly blamed herself for her sister’s death. During a visit to her aging Uncle Edward and his sister Lucia, who both harbour dark secrets of their own, Tina makes a discovery that forces her to finally question her memories of the day her sister died.
Who, if anyone, did kill Meg? As Tina finds the courage to face the past, she unravels the tangled family mysteries of her estranged parents, her beautiful French Aunt Simone, the fading, compassionate Uncle Edward, and above all, the cold, bitter Aunt Lucia, whose spectral presence casts a long shadow over them all.
A Life Between Us is a beautifully evocative story of a family torn apart at the seams, which will appeal to readers who enjoy family sagas and modern-day mysteries.
My Thoughts:
A Life Between Us is an utterly intriguing and compelling story. It is set across varying decades including the present day and it tells the story of one family. The characters were haunting, emotive and nuanced.
An exploration of family secrets, betrayals and mysteries, makes this book taut and suspenseful. I particularly enjoyed discovering how the characters past actions can cause lasting effects in the future both for themselves and others.
Tina is still grieving the loss of her twin, who died when they were children, she has never quite got over it. It effects her daily life and relationship with her husband. Tina's Aunt Lucia is not a likeable character and is very unhappy in life, nothing pleases her and everybody feels her wrath and bitterness. Tina is particularly close to her Uncle Edward, but he seems to have something to hide.
Particularly poignant parts of the book include Tina's childhood letters that she writes to her cousin in America. This only added more detail to a character that was to become deeply involved with the loss of her sister.
This book is something of a family saga with an element of mystery involved. The pace of the book is not fast but it was exciting to read, waiting patiently for the characters and their pasts to unravel for the reader.
I found this book to be absorbing and wonderfully written, the different threads of the story never becoming confused but carefully being sewn together at the end to create a satisfying ending.
I really recommend this one, a story of grief and loss, family ties, mysteries and secrets.
About the Author:
Louise Walters lives in Northamptonshire with her husband and five children. Louise's debut novel, Mrs Sinclair's Suitcase (Hodder 2014), was translated into 15 languages. A Life Between Us is her second novel.
You can find her on Twitter: @LouiseWalters12
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