The Last Stage by Louise Voss #Review #Giveaway

 I am thrilled to have been invited to be on the Orenda Blog Tour to celebrate the publication of Louise Voss' thriller, The Last Stage. Sharing the very last stop on the tour, I am able to offer a Giveaway with the chance to win a copy of the book (UK only). Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.

At the peak of her career as lead singer of a legendary 1980s indie band, Meredith Vincent was driven off the international stage by a horrific incident. Now she lives incognito in a cottage on the grounds of Minstead House, an old stately home, whilst working in the gift shop. Her past is behind her and she enjoys her new life.

But a series of inexplicable and unsettling incidents have started to happen around her – broken china, vandalised gardens… And when a body is found in the gardens of Minstead House, Meredith realises that someone is watching, someone who knows who she is and who wants to destroy her…  

A dark, riveting and chilling psychological thriller, The Last Stage is a study of secrets and obsessions, where innocent acts can have the most terrifying consequences.

My Thoughts

Louise Voss has demonstrated what a great writer she is with this suspenseful thriller. The plot is excellently paced with the timeline going back and forward between 1983 and 2017. You are given the clues and red herrings in dribs and drabs and teased along the way.  Add to that the fact that you see the story through the perspectives of twin siblings, Meredith and Pete, as well as Gemma, the police investigator and you build up quite a layered and textured narrative. 

    Meredith is an interesting character who can be sociable but prefers to retreat to her isolated cottage and her cloistered job in the Estate of Minshull House. It takes time for you to understand quite why she has pushed most people away and what has caused her to turn her back on her music career. I also enjoyed the police investigating team who are refreshingly human in their reactions and approach. As a study in obsession and concealment, this is a powerful read, with an ending which does not let you down. 

In short: The past stalks the present.

 

About the Author

Over her eighteen-year writing career, Louise Voss has had eleven novels published – five solo and six co-written with Mark Edwards: a combination of psychological thrillers, police procedurals and contemporary fiction – and sold over 350,000 books. Her most recent book, The Old You, was a number one bestseller in eBook. Louise has an MA (Dist) in Creative Writing and also works as a literary consultant and mentor for writers at www.thewritingcoach.co.uk. She lives in South-West London and is a proud member of two female crimewriting collectives, The Slice Girls and Killer Women.

 

You can follow Louise here: Twitter   |  Website

Book link: Amazon UK 

Thanks to Louise Voss, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.  

Here's some brilliant blogs to take a look at!

 

 

Giveaway (UK only)

 

To win a copy of The Last Stage,  just Follow and Retweet the pinned Tweet at @bookslifethings.

 Closing Date 7th August 2019 and there is one winner.

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries only.  The winner will be selected at random via Tweetdraw from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.