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Once Upon a Thyme by Jane Lovering #Review

  It is a pleasure to feature Jane Lovering's  Once Upon a Thyme which was published by Boldwood Books on June 24th.   All her life, Natalie Fisher has been taught not to ask questions. Why risk uncovering uncomfortable truths, when you can stay in the safety of blissful denial? Since taking over the family herb farm, Natalie has stuck with what she knows, rarely venturing much further than the nearby village where her invalid mother now lives. But then, one day, everything changes with the arrival of unexpected visitors. First comes Zeb, employed by Natalie’s mother to help with the business but soon hinting at other motives. Then comes Simon with the famous band he manages, wanting to film in Natalie’s beautiful garden. The band causes chaos and the attitude of one particular member throws Natalie’s ordered life into confusion. Over one magical summer of revelations and of uncovering secrets, Natalie starts to blossom and by the time autumn arrives she knows n...

The Things You Didn't See by Ruth Dugdall ** Review**


 I am delighted to feature Ruth Dugdall's latest psychological thriller, The Things You Didn't See, here today.
 
Her instincts are telling her something isn’t right…

On a chilly morning in rural Suffolk, Cassandra Hawke is woken by a gunshot. Her mother is clinging on to her life, the weapon still lying nearby. Everyone thinks it’s attempted suicide—but none of it makes any sense to Cass. She’s certain there’s more to it than meets the eye.

With her husband and father telling her she’s paranoid, Cass finds an unlikely ally in student paramedic Holly. Like Cass, she believes something is wrong, and together they try to uncover the truth. But is there more to Holly’s interest than she’s letting on?

With her family and loved ones at risk, Cass must ask herself: is she ready to hear the truth, and can she deal with the consequences?

My Thoughts

If you are looking for a tense and surprising thriller this weekend, look no further than The Things You Didn't See. Ruth Dugdall leads you through the story, with all its twists and turns with great aplomb. It took me several chapters to get attuned to what was going on but once I had, I found I could not put it down. I thought that it was a brilliant device to give Holly, the paramedic, the gift (or is it curse?) of synesthesia. She experiences everything as if through several senses at once, perceiving people in terms of colours and feelings. She can sense intuitively what to ask or senses what may have happened and has visions attached to people she meets. 

    Set against Holly, we have the character of Cassandra who seems to be almost her opposite in that she is unaware of things she has experienced. It is difficult to know what is a true and what is a false memory with Cassandra. You do however have great sympathy for her as her story begins to be revealed, particularly concerning her daughter. Sorting out the other characters is tricky as there are so many red herrings to put you off the trail. I think at some point, I must have suspected most of them. 

In short: An engrossing read which leads you up the garden path and back again! Superb. 
       
About the Author




Ruth Dugdall studied English Literature at Warwick University before training as a probation officer. She decided to concentrate on her writing career when her novel The Woman Before Me won the 2005 Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger. Her novels are informed by her direct experiences working within the Criminal Justice System and are published internationally. The Things You Didn't See is her seventh novel. 


You can follow Ruth here:  TwitterFacebook

Book links: Amazon UK 

Thanks to Ruth Dugdall for a copy of the book. 

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