You can run, you can hide, but can you disappear for good?
Lauren's daughter Zara witnessed a terrible crime. But speaking up comes with a price, and when Zara's identity is revealed online, it puts a target on her back.
The only choice is to disappear.
To keep Zara safe, Lauren will give up everything and everyone she loves, even her husband.
There will be no goodbyes. Their pasts will be rewritten. New names, new home, new lives.
The rules are strict for a reason. They are being hunted. One mistake - a text, an Instagram like - could bring their old lives crashing into the new.
They can never assume someone isn't watching, waiting.
As Lauren will learn, disappearing is easy. Staying hidden is harder.
As a big fan of Gillian McAllister, I've been looking forward to reading How to Disappear for a while, but with a TBR as tall as me, and NetGalley reviews due, I'd been saving it. When I found out the one and only Nicola Walker was the narrator on the audiobook version, I had to buy that version too! If her voice acting is as good as her screen acting, then I knew I was going to be in for a treat. Spoiler alert: it's amazing.
This gripping psychological-suspense thriller is told from the viewpoints of four characters - Lauren, her daughter Zara, her husband Aiden and her stepdaughter Poppy... a family torn apart by the ripple effect of an awful crime. Each and every character feels as real as you and me, with quirks and flaws that make them leap off the page. In fact, it's one of the best books I've read in terms of character (and if you've read any of my other reviews, you'll know how important characters are to me). These very real characters made this book so emotional because I felt like I really got to know them and genuinely cared what happened to them.
The plot itself is unpredictable, twisting and turning all over the place. I found myself listening at every opportunity... in the bath, in the car, before bed (not recommended if you actually want to sleep!). I was completely and utterly addicted to this. The settings of London, the Lake District and York are so wonderfully brought to life in each scene.
What really brought this book to life was the audiobook narration. I know, I know, I'm biased because I love Nicola Walker so much. But she really did this book justice. I'm quite new to audiobooks, this being the second one I've listened to, and now my expectations for all future audiobooks are sky-high! Nicola is the perfect choice of narrator for this type of book, bringing crystal-clear narration with perfect pacing and effective nuances for each character, so you know who's speaking even without her telling you.
This is not only the best book Gillian has ever written, but it's one of the best psychological thrillers I've ever read. It's tense, chilling and beautifully-written - all the ingredients required for a compelling, keep-you-up-at-night thriller. I already know this will make my top ten books of 2020!
Gillian McAllister is the Sunday Times Top 10 bestselling author of Everything But The Truth, Anything You Do Say, No Further Questions and The Evidence Against You. How To Disappear is her latest release, a witness protection thriller. She is published in ten countries around the world.
Brendan Foley has worked to balance the responsibilities of a demanding job and a troublesome family. He’s managed to keep these two worlds separate, until the discovery of a mass grave sends them into a headlong collision. When one of the dead turns out to be a familiar face, he’s taken off the case.
Iona Madison keeps everything under control. She works hard as a detective sergeant and trains harder as a boxer. But when her superior, DI Foley, is removed from the case, her certainties are tested like never before.
With stories of the Warrington 27 plastered over the news, they set out to solve the crime before anyone else. The local constabulary is small and under-funded – Brendan knows they can’t crack this case alone, and he’s not letting a rival force take over. Not with the secrets he fears are lurking. Their investigations lead them into the murky underworlds of Manchester and Liverpool, where one more murder means little to drug-dealing gangs, desperate to control their power bases.
But as Madison steps into the ring for the fight of her life, the criminals come to them. It’s no coincidence that the corpses have been buried in Foley’s hometown. The question is, why? Foley might not like the answer…
Readers, I'm so, so excited to share this audiobook with you today. This is actually the first audiobook I've ever listened to and now I'm wondering how I ever lived without them. I knew it was a good one when I realised I'd barely listened to music since starting this.
Far From The Tree by Rob Parker is nine hours of pure edge-of-your-seat, keep-you-up-at-night drama. A pacey, twisty police procedural with an immense hook from the very first chapter: 27 bodies discovered in a mass grave.
For me, character is the most important element of a book. Without those complex, leap-off-the-page characters you can really connect with, who really cares what happens to them? But I really cared about Detective Inspector Brendan Foley and Detective Sergeant Iona Madison.
Brendan is the kind of man I'd want on my side. He's brave and determined, and a huge risk-taker who will do anything for those he loves. When the case gets a little to close to home, he throws himself full-pelt at it, doing everything he can to get to the bottom of it at all costs.
Iona on the other hand, is the kind of woman I want to be. She is such a strong character with so much passion and drive. She's bloody fantastic at her job as well as the boxing that she competes in - an element of her story that I adore. In fact, I can't stop thinking about her, and I really hope she features in the rest of the series. Massive applause to Rob for writing such a brilliant female character.
Set in Rob's hometown of Warrington, Lancashire, his superbly vivid prose was brought to life by Warrington-born Warren Brown, who was the perfect choice of narrator. The energy and passion he brought to the performance made it so enjoyable and absorbing, and made it feel terrifyingly real.
Far From The Tree is full of different threads that are woven together with masterful plotting. Prepare to be taken to some very dark places indeed, and brace yourself for shocking reveals you could never imagine. I loved the structure, which swings like a pendulum between a handful of characters, divulging nuggets of information to build the puzzle, layer by layer, from different angles. It worked so well.
I must admit, I was so emotionally invested in the story and characters that I found myself gasping and shouting out loud in the car (you'll know the bit I'm talking about when you get to it) and crying my eyes out when it was over.
Guys, if that's not enough for you, check out the below video for a Q&A with the author himself, where we discuss all sorts including THAT ending, writing awesome female characters, Yorkshire dinosaur hunters and the opinions of mums.
This tense, gritty thriller is out now on Audible, with the paperback release coming July 2021, waiting patiently for your pre-order.
Roxie
@RoxieAdelleKey
About the author
Rob Parker is a married father of three, who lives in Warrington, UK. The author of the Ben Bracken thrillers, Crook’s Hollow and the #1 Audible bestseller Far From The Tree, he enjoys a rural life, writing horrible things between school runs. Rob writes full time, attends various author events across the UK, and boxes regularly for charity. He spends a lot of time in schools across the North, encouraging literacy, story-telling and creative-writing, and somehow squeezes in time to co-host the For Your Reconsideration film podcast, appear regularly on The Blood Brothers crime podcast, and is a member of the Northern Crime Syndicate.
