Close Your Eyes by Rachel Abbott #Review

 

Rachel Abbott's psychological thriller, Close Your Eyes,  is published by Black Dot Publishing on February 11th. I am delighted to be part of the celebrations for its publication. 

Murderer?

A woman lies dead - murdered - just yards from her home.

Martha Porter is running. She has to get as far from the scene of the crime as she can.

It's not the first time she's had to run. 

She's had an escape plan since the day she arrived in this city, and there's no time to lose.

She goes home, collects the packed bag she keeps ready for this moment, and destroys every trace of her existence.

 

Or Serial Killer?

DCI Tom Douglas doesn't know who Martha Porter is. Neither, it seems, does anyone else.

All he knows is that she's been running for years, since long before this murder.

Has she done this before?

How many other people have been caught?

Who else must die before the chain is broken?

My Thoughts

This is the tenth book in Rachel Abbott's Tom Douglas series.  The police murder investigation is interwoven with a mystery concerning why Martha Porter feels she has to run away. Both stories complement each other and you find yourself going up several dead alleys before you realise the truth. Nevertheless, the ending has a twist in the tail. Secret and manipulation are at the heart of the story and the IT aspect gives it a contemporary feel.

    I also enjoyed the insight into Tom Douglas' home and family life. It deepens his character. Indeed, I really liked his team member DI Becky Robinson who seemed so perceptive and down to earth. There is a great balance between the flash backs and present- day episodes. The plot never feels clunky and despite the level of detail, I felt the story sped by.

In short: An engrossing crime thriller with deft characterisation.

About the Author

 

Rachel Abbott, born and raised in Manchester, founded her own interactive media company in the 1980s, before selling it and retiring in 2005. She then moved to Italy where she worked on the renovation of a 15th century Italian monastery, and it was here that, one day, she found herself snowed in and decided to begin writing for pleasure. This became her debut novel Only The Innocent, which she went on to publish via Kindle Direct Publishing, topping their chart for 4 weeks. A true self-publishing pioneer, Close Your Eyes is Abbott's tenth full-length novel in the DCI Tom Douglas series. All of her previous thrillers have hit no.1 in the Kindle charts. She splits her time between Alderney in the Channel Islands and Italy.

You can follow Rachel here: Twitter  |  Website 

Book link: Amazon UK

 Thanks to Rachel Abbott, Black Dot Publishing and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours  for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

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