Debbie Howells

Noah Calaway is a lawyer (though he's left his city practice) and semi-successful crime novelist who lives alone in a secluded cabin in Devon. A barely functioning alcoholic, Noah is stuck in the past, when he was in love with a beautiful girl, April Moon, "his goddess" and supposed the love of his life. April and Noah were schoolmates and Noah rescued April from a strange situation and her terrible home life. Over time, the two would run into each other and were even engaged for some time. show more But April left Noah shortly before the two's wedding, and he's never really recovered. However, years later, Noah receives a call from another of their friends, Will. April is in the hospital, nearly dead from an overdose, and even worse, she's suspected of murder. Noah makes the trip to her side, and begins sifting through the pieces of April's life, trying to figure out what happened. As he does, he uncovers a different April than the one he thought he knew--and much more.

This is a suspenseful and fascinating thriller. It alternates Noah's story with a tale of a young girl named Ella, whose tale is told in italics. Noah's story flashes back in forth in time as he recalls his various encounters with April, as well as describes the present day happenings. This is a little confusing at first--it takes some getting used to--but once you're in the groove, the book picks up speed and completely hooks you. This is a feat in itself because our main character, Noah, is not particularly likeable, a bit clueless, and really rather frustrating. The one we truly might empathize with, April, is in a coma, and we only learn about her life through various stories filtered by our potentially unreliable narrator.

But somehow, Howells makes it all work. She's really a master at unfurling the suspense. The story becomes crazily readable (hey, that's a term) quite quickly. The cast of characters is layered, complicated, and complex, but they add to the story and its intrigue in just the right way. The plot leaves you constantly guessing and trying to stay a step ahead. I found myself figuring some things out and kicking myself for missing others.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Parts of the plot and Noah's actions certainly frustrated me, but the storyline was exciting and fun to read.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 7/26.

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This gripping psychological thriller is told from the perspectives of fourteen-year-old Niamh, her mother, Elise and DS Jo May, initially responsible for the investigation into sixteen-year-old Hollie’s disappearance and then, when the teenager’s body is found, the search for the person responsible for killing her. Although the reader knows from the start that Niamh’s determination to honour her promise not to divulge the secret Hollie told her is likely to hamper the police show more investigation, it soon becomes clear that she isn’t the only one who has something to hide and that Jo will need to display equal determination if she is to uncover the truth.
Following the recent break up of her marriage and a month’s compassionate leave, Jo has only just returned to work and is still feeling emotionally vulnerable so, when her boss wants her to take on the case, she’s reluctant to as she doesn’t feel ready to be exposed to the raw pain of Hollie’s distraught parents. However, she’s persuaded to when he points out that as she’s familiar with an ongoing investigation into a suspected porn ring, one which appears to have links with the village of Abingworth, her legitimate presence in the village won’t arouse the suspicions of anyone who may be involved in that investigation. Although there’s no immediate evidence to suggest that the two cases are linked, what quickly emerges is that there are many in this affluent, middle-class enclave who either have something to hide, or are reluctant to face up to suspicions they may have about what’s happening behind closed doors. The deeper Jo digs, the more frustrated she becomes by the many ways in which her investigation is being hampered by the web of deceit she encounters. Although her personal experiences of abuse, and her struggles to deal with the ongoing emotional impact of this, exacerbate the challenging nature of this case for her, occasionally clouding her objectivity, she remains dogged in her determination to expose the truth.
The multiple storylines in this novel incorporate many upsetting themes (including abusive relationships, domestic violence, coercive behaviour, mental illness, suicide, child pornography, the dark web, blackmail, how powerful men can use their influence to escape justice) and the convincing ways in which the author so effectively captured the impact of abuse on her characters made this a very disturbing story to read. She dealt with all of these issues in a sensitive way but it was her portrayal of abuse and coercive control in Elise’s marriage to Andrew, the local GP and an apparently upstanding member of the community, which I found most impressive. She demonstrated how Elise’s confidence and self-belief had been so gradually and insidiously undermined that she found it impossible to believe that she could escape the abusive relationship, how she was able to ‘put on a front’ to the outside world even though she was living in daily fear of the next violent attack, and how desperate she was to hide the abuse from Niamh. But it wasn’t only the impact on Elise which the author so convincingly captured, she explored how Niamh had been affected by the unacknowledged violence in her parents’ relationship, as well as the fears and conflicts of loyalty the teenager was struggling with.
Although the final revelations came as no surprise, that didn’t spoil my appreciation of this compelling story. I found the plot-development well-paced, with the controlled ‘drip-drip’ of clues (and occasional red-herrings!) creating an ever-increasing sense of tension. I think the frequent shifts between the narrative voices of Niamh, Elise and Jo contributed to this because this changing focus allowed gradual insights into their very different perspectives and motivations, as well as the different pressures they faced as the investigation progressed. The only slight struggle I had was that whilst I found Elise’s and Jo’s voices convincing, I did find it rather difficult to believe in Niamh’s as that of a fourteen-year-old. I think this was because although the underlying psychological integrity of her narrative felt credible, many of her expressions and insights seemed to be too intellectually and emotionally ‘mature’.
At the beginning of the story Elise, a member of the cabin-crew on a London-bound flight, has just noticed a headline ‘Only Ten Per Cent of People are Good’ on the cover of a magazine one of the passengers is reading. She reflects on what a small number of the population this is and tries to work out whether she can count herself as one of them … but how can you tell? Looking at the hundred and twenty-three passengers she reflects that just as she knows nothing of their lives, they know nothing about hers, all they see is the professional persona she presents. This dissonance between outward appearances and what goes on ‘behind closed doors’ is a recurring theme in this deeply disturbing story, one which the author used so effectively that, by the time I reached the end, I was beginning to believe that there was some truth in that headline! show less

The Beauty of the End by Debbie Howells is a 2016 Kensington publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story is simply spellbinding, mesmerizing, and had me hooked right from the start.

When Noah Calaway gets a phone call from an old ‘friend’, letting him know his long lost love has been accused of murder and is in the hospital after a suicide attempt, Noah, a former attorney turned author, is conflicted in show more regards to taking on April’s criminal case, should she ever make it to trial.

But, with his feelings, which bordered on unhealthy obsession, for April going all the way back to his childhood, it’s a pull he simply can’t resist. This decision will dislodge so many poignant memories and pull the wool from Noah’s eyes about who April really is, and has been all along. But, is she really guilty of murder?

Before becoming a freelance reviewer, I was pretty easy to please, and could relate to the sleep deprived, so riveted by a book they couldn’t bear to put it down, and I completely understood when someone said they never wanted a book to end. Now, I’m a lot more jaded and usually have no problem switching off the lamp in the middle of a good book, and it’s become extremely rare for me to run across a book I wish were longer. But, for reasons I can’t exactly explain, this book so captured by attention I found myself wanting to slow down in order to make it last, but was unable to stop myself from reading as fast as I could.

I have to say I am thrilled to see the psychological thriller sub-genre becoming so popular again. (Although, I do wish publishers would back off of describing every one of them as the next "Gone Girl")

I’ve always loved this type of mystery because it rarely relies upon car chases or explosions, but instead pulls the reader into a web of suspense with intelligence and cleverness, that holds me stock still, from beginning to end. I love a good mind game and this book certainly gave my brain and emotions a nice workout.

The old saying about love being blind is a theme I kept coming back to while reading this book, because poor Noah was so instantly smitten with April, he couldn’t see her as anything but his goddess. But, April wasn’t the only thing Noah has turned a blind eye to over the years, as he is about to learn the hard way.

Noah tells the story from his first person perspective, giving us a little insight into his own personal demons, his slow realizations that his mind has blocked out or simply rewritten events, that are now revealing themselves to be much different than he remembers them. As Noah begins to delve into April’s life leading up to the murder she’s accused of, his long buried memories float to the surface and he begins to connect the dots he never did before.

I loved the pacing of this story, which is fast, but even, and fleshed out. The atmosphere is edgy and thick with foreboding, and suspense, filling me with dread, as Noah begins to unearth one diabolical manipulation after another, and dark, gut wrenching revelations that leave him feeling sick, repulsed, shocked, and sad, but also determined to clear April’s name and see justice done.

I don’t know if I could say I liked the characters, even Noah. But, I did feel empathy for him at times, while at other times, I marveled at his gullibility and his ability to so completely deceive himself, as well as his blind trust in April, Will and their extended group of friends. All the characters here, are flawed, some more than others, and I’m not sure how I felt about the extreme measures taken to expose some heinous crimes, which left me feeling angry, sad, a little confused by the actions,or in some cases, lack of response, from some people. The villain here is one of the most sinister I’ve encountered in a long while, which left me wondering if whatever judgment is passed, would ever be enough.

Still, at the end of the day, I was left with a sense of peace knowing that an ugly truth was exposed, and those whose lives were affected most, are now free from the damaged and dangerous atmosphere that has haunted them for far too long. show less

4.5 stars.

The Bones of You by Debbie Howells is an utterly heart wrenching mystery. Although not a typical police procedural, this suspenseful psychological thriller is an enthralling story about the murder of eighteen year old Rosie Anderson. Told from dual points of view, the Anderson family's secrets, lies and betrayals are revealed and the truth about this perfect family is as shocking as it is heartbreaking.

From the second she learns her friend Joanna's daughter is missing, Kate McKay show more is obsessed with learning the truth about Rosie's disappearance. Although they are not particularly close, Rosie is the same age as Kate's daughter, Grace and Kate immediately reaches out to Jo. Rosie and Grace were complete opposites with a different circle of friends, but Rosie spent time on the family farm helping Kate care for their horses. When Rosie's body is discovered a few weeks after she vanished, Kate is compelled to continue supporting her grieving friend while at the same time searching for answers about Rosie's murder.

Rumor and speculation about Rosie run rampant for several weeks, then life returns to normal for most residents of the small town. The same is true for Kate but she continues to check in on Jo and she grows increasingly alarmed at Jo's deteriorating condition. Although understandable given her horrific loss, Kate is nonetheless shocked when her behavior becomes even more erratic. Once Jo confides the truth about her marriage, Kate does not know what to believe since Neal is a charismatic journalist who also volunteers at an orphanage in war torn Afghanistan. Even after Jo presents irrefutable proof that Neal is not the man everyone believes him to be, Kate still has doubts that he is capable of killing his daughter especially since the police cannot completely rule out Rosie's secret boyfriend as a suspect.

While Kate remains unconvinced about Jo's claims, readers are presented with an up close look into the Anderson family through Rosie's eyes. Rosie's spirit lingers after her death and she relives her life right up until the moment of her horrific murder. She sees her life as a movie and the truth about her short life is unbearably sad and unreservedly tragic. Rosie's chapters are incredibly poignant and rather chilling but they provide valuable insight about her family and ultimately, her murder.

The Bones of You by Debbie Howells is a clever yet haunting novel. This shrewdly written mystery has plenty of unexpected twists and turns that cast reasonable doubt on the killer's identity until the story's stunning conclusion. An incredibly riveting psychological thriller that I highly recommend to fans of the genre. show less