Book Review: The Fear by C.L. Taylor

Synopsis

When Lou Wandsworth ran away to France with her teacher Mike Hughes, she thought he was the love of her life. But Mike wasn’t what he seemed and he left her life in pieces.

Now 32, Lou discovers that Mike is involved with teenager Chloe Meadows. Determined to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself, she returns home to confront him for the damage he has caused.

But Mike is a predator of the worst kind, and as Lou tries to bring him to justice, it’s clear that she could once again become his prey….

Review

Lou has spent her life living with the repercussions of her teenage years which have left her unable to maintain a relationship for more than a few months. Now with the death of her Father she must move back to the town where it all happened and is forced to face the demons she left behind.

As a young impressionable teenager, who’s homelife was far from happy and stable, Lou falls for her karate teacher Mike Hughes, a man old enough to be her Father. Mike has all the right lines to feed her youthful insecurities, telling her exactly what she wants to hear and making her fall in love with him. Besotted, Lou agrees to a romantic weekend away in France covering her tracks by telling her parents she is away at a karate camp. However, Mike has other ideas and once in France Lou soon realises he has no plans for their trip to include a return journey.

Years later when she returns to her hometown Lou plans to confront Mike and tell him exactly how his actions have destroyed her life, but instead discovers he is up to his old tricks and is involved with another teenage girl, Chloe Meadows. With this knowledge Lou embarks on a mission to prevent another young life being ruined at the hands of this despicable man. Things aren’t quite so straight forward though, and her plans take a sinister turn.

This is the first book I have read by Cally Taylor and it is hauntingly breath-taking. I was literally gripped from the very first page, with Cally’s writing style weaving the perfect fast-paced thriller. The narrative is written from different perspectives; Lou, Chloe and Wendy. Wendy is somewhat of a mystery for a large part of the book and becomes a real game changer when her identity is revealed. We also get to see glimpses of the past and the relationship between Lou and Mike when she was a teenager through diary excerpts which really help to build a full picture of what she endured.

I am usually one of those readers than can figure out the outcome of a book, but this one had me guessing all the way to completion, especially with a final dark twist thrown in at the end for good measure. I spent a good portion of my time whilst reading (figuratively) sitting on the edge of my seat often with no clue how situations could be resolved and unsure which way the roller-coater would take me next.

If you are a thriller fan, then this is a must-read; it’s compulsive reading, I couldn’t put it down I was so desperate to find out what would happen next! The story line is one that I know will stay with me for a long time to come and I can’t wait to read more from this author. Highly recommended!

The Fear by C.L. Taylor is available to purchase from Amazon*

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