Traces of Her ~ Amanda Brittany
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Published: October 2019 | HQ Digital
Swathi’s Rating: 4.5/5
Verdict: Beach reads are my favorite and Amanda aces it with the perfect murder mystery with twists till the last page.
Hey guys!
Hope you’re having a great start to the month. I am reading some brilliant thrillers, this time of the year and so excited to be sharing my thoughts on Amanda Brittany’s new thriller today!
That weekend I was looking for a book that checks some points I had in mind and Traces of Her was the perfect match! Here’s my checklist.
- Fast paced, Short crispy chapters ✔
- Setting: Gorgeous small town with a beach closeby ✔
- A beautiful mansion with secrets to explore ✔
- Strong female leads ✔
- An unsolved murder from the past ✔
If this is what you’re looking for in a book to binge over, then congratulations you’ve just found your next read!!! Happy reading! xx
About the Book:
An unsolved murder.
Rose isn’t surprised anymore when her free-spirited step-sister, Willow, decides to disappear off somewhere without notice. But something feels different this time. When Willow sends her a mysterious package containing photographs of suspects in a cold case she is obsessed with solving, Rose realises she needs to find her sister before things get out of hand.
A missing girl.
With no sign of Willow to be found, Rose takes up the search for answers about the deaths that shook a small Cornish village eighteen years before. But what is the connection between Willow and the two sisters marked by tragedy?
Time is running out.
Someone knows where Willow is and what happened all those years ago. And they will do anything to stop the truth from coming out.
Can Rose find Willow and the answers she needs, before it’s too late?
Swathi’s Thoughts:
Present: Rose gets frantic phone calls and messages from her stepsister Willow who believes her birth mother has been murdered and wants to solve it. Rose does not take this seriously as Willow has been known for her frantic nature and tend to disappear from home for holidays and such. However when Rose receives a mysterious package from Willow containing 4 photographs of unknown men among whom she believes is her mother’s killer, Rose has to know what is going on in her sister’s life. She takes a road trip with her teenage daughter Becky to the picturesque village of Cornwall, a gorgeous cottage where Willow seems to be staying. Only to find out, Willow is not there!
What happened to Willow? Where is she gone??
Past: Meet Ava 2001. A young girl who is shadowed by her older sister and brother at home. Gets pregnant with a local boy and works very hard to survive in her own home without any support from her mother.
What is her connection to the present? How does her life intervene with the lives of the woman in the present? You’ll have to read to find out!
The chapters shuffle between Rose and Ava as the author lets her readers mull over the connection and where exactly the story is leading. There are less number of characters in each timeline and they’re well developed for the readers to understand them. Reading between timeless might be confusing at times, but Amanda has done a brilliant job in bridging the chapters without letting the plot down.
There were enough elements to keep me engaged throughout the book such as the gorgeous mansion overlooking the sea, and the description of the picturesque village of Cornwall. Rose’s teenage daughter is a treat with her sparkly ideas and young impulse. Issues such as rape, neglect in a teenager’s life are imposed on the characters and makes us think over those difficult situations.
I read this book on my kindle in one setting and totally devoured it. It was the perfect way to spend my sunday and I’m so glad i found this book. Highly recommended for thriller fans. Thanks to the publisher for inviting me to the official blog tour and my reader copy. All opinions are solely mine and no way biased.
Meet the Author:
Amanda Brittany lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and two dogs. She loves spending time with family, travelling, walking, reading & sunny days.
Her third psychological thriller TRACES OF HER is out in October 2019.
Her second psychological thriller, TELL THE TRUTH is out now. Published by HQ Digital/HarperCollins.
Her debut HER LAST LIE reached the Kindle top 100 in the US and Australia and was a #1 Bestseller in the UK. All her eBook royalties for HER LAST LIE are being donated to Cancer Research UK, in memory of her sister who lost her battle with cancer in July 2017. It has so far raised over £7,000
She is presently writing her fourth novel.
Website: www.amandabrittany.co.uk
You can follow her on:
Twitter @amandajbrittany
Facebook www.facebook.com/amandabrittany2
Instagram @amanda_brittany_author
