The Source by Sarah Sultoon #Review #Giveaway

 

The Source is Sarah Sultoon's debut novel. This crime thriller was published by Orenda Books  on 15th April. I am fortunate to be able to offer a great giveaway - a print copy of The Source. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post. 

A hugely anticipated debut thriller from former CNN international news executive Sarah Sultoon. Inspired by Sarah’s own time in the newsroom, The Source follows a young TV journalist who is forced to revisit her past when she’s thrust into a sex-trafficking investigation in her hometown. TV rights have already been sold to Lime Pictures, with Jo Spain writing the screenplay.

1996. Essex. Thirteen-year-old schoolgirl Carly lives in a disenfranchised town dominated by a military base, struggling to care for her baby sister while her mum sleeps off another binge. When her squaddie brother brings food and treats, and offers an exclusive invitation to army parties, things start to look a little less bleak...

2006. London. Junior TV newsroom journalist Marie has spent six months exposing a gang of sex traffickers, but everything is derailed when New Scotland Yard announces the re-opening of Operation Andromeda, the notorious investigation into allegations of sex abuse at an army base a decade earlier. As the lives of these two characters intertwine around a single, defining event, a series of utterly chilling experiences is revealed, sparking a nail-biting race to find the truth... and justice. 

A tense, startling and unforgettable thriller, The Source is a story about survival, about hopes and dreams, about power, abuse and resilience.

My Thoughts

 In The Source, you follow the stories of Carly, a schoolgirl in1996 and Marie, a journalist in 2006. You move between the two times and slowly began to appreciate how they might be linked. This thriller deals with some grim issues and does so in an unflinching manner. Nevertheless, it is always a readable and gripping tale. You follow both girls; story through their own eyes, in the first person, which seems to makes the subject matter all the more chilling.

   I am not surprised to read that the TV rights to The Source have been sold. As I was reading it, particularly in the latter stages, I could visualise it quite clearly. This is a tense and tale which looks at the loss of innocence and corruption at the highest level. Power when misused threatens to stifle the innocent but there is nevertheless a hopeful thread, felt through the determination of some to survive and thrive.

In short: Power and corruption has an iron grip.

About the Author

 

Sarah Sultoon is a journalist and writer whose work as an international news executive at CNN has taken her all over the world, from the seats of power in both Westminster and Washington to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. She has extensive experience in conflict zones, winning three Peabody awards for her work on the war in Syria, an Emmy for her contribution to the coverage of Europe’s migrant crisis in 2015, and a number of Royal Television Society gongs. As passionate about fiction as nonfiction, she recently completed a Masters of Studies in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge, adding to an undergraduate language degree in French and Spanish, and Masters of Philosophy in History, Film and Television. When not reading or writing she can usually be found somewhere outside, either running, swimming or throwing a ball for her three children and dog while she imagines what might happen if...

You can follow Sarah here: Twitter

Book links: Amazon UK

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

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Giveaway (UK only) 

 

To win a print copy of The Source, just Follow and Retweet the pinned Tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!

 Closing Date is April 27th 2021 and there is one winner.

*Terms and Conditions –UK 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.