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A review by clairereviews
La vita di prima by Colette McBeth
4.0
Review: The Life I Left Behind by Colette McBeth Publication Date: 1st January 2015
Publisher: Headline Review
ISBN: 978-1472205988
Source: Bookbridgr, NetGalley
Rating: 4*
Synopsis:
Five years ago Melody Pieterson was attacked and left for dead.
She coped by burying the person she was, locking away her memories and creating a new life for herself. Her attacker is behind bars. In four weeks' time she will get married. She's almost normal.
Then the body of another woman is found, close to where Melody was discovered. Like her she has blond hair and green eyes. Like Melody police find a gold bird cage necklace at the scene. And Melody realises her attacker has been out there all along.
The woman's name is Eve Elliot. Melody sets out to discover everything she can about Eve to work out why they were targeted. But the more she gets to know her the more she realises what's wrong with her own life. Eve may be dead but she's the only person who can teach Melody how to live again.
Review:
This book has been languishing on my TBR shelf, alongside McBeth's debut Precious Thing, for a good few months, hidden behind another row of books. To be honest, I had forgotten all about it, but as soon as I discovered it again and re-read the exciting synopsis, I had to read it straight away.
Melody's story is told alongside Eve's, both utterly compelling and hypnotic. The horrific nature of their attacks is told in violent detail, as Melody tries to piece together the events that she has blocked in order to survive.
There are heartbreaking truths and shocking twists as Melody gets nearer to the truth and learns the identity of her attacker and Eve's killer.
The plot is outlined in glorious detail, with McBeth's considerable talent as a storyteller building the layers as there book races towards its conclusion. It's a real page-turner that I begrudgingly put down only when my eyes were stinging with tiredness.
I can't wait to read Precious Thing now!
Publisher: Headline Review
ISBN: 978-1472205988
Source: Bookbridgr, NetGalley
Rating: 4*
Synopsis:
Five years ago Melody Pieterson was attacked and left for dead.
She coped by burying the person she was, locking away her memories and creating a new life for herself. Her attacker is behind bars. In four weeks' time she will get married. She's almost normal.
Then the body of another woman is found, close to where Melody was discovered. Like her she has blond hair and green eyes. Like Melody police find a gold bird cage necklace at the scene. And Melody realises her attacker has been out there all along.
The woman's name is Eve Elliot. Melody sets out to discover everything she can about Eve to work out why they were targeted. But the more she gets to know her the more she realises what's wrong with her own life. Eve may be dead but she's the only person who can teach Melody how to live again.
Review:
This book has been languishing on my TBR shelf, alongside McBeth's debut Precious Thing, for a good few months, hidden behind another row of books. To be honest, I had forgotten all about it, but as soon as I discovered it again and re-read the exciting synopsis, I had to read it straight away.
Melody's story is told alongside Eve's, both utterly compelling and hypnotic. The horrific nature of their attacks is told in violent detail, as Melody tries to piece together the events that she has blocked in order to survive.
There are heartbreaking truths and shocking twists as Melody gets nearer to the truth and learns the identity of her attacker and Eve's killer.
The plot is outlined in glorious detail, with McBeth's considerable talent as a storyteller building the layers as there book races towards its conclusion. It's a real page-turner that I begrudgingly put down only when my eyes were stinging with tiredness.
I can't wait to read Precious Thing now!