‘I think we’re here – or as near as I can possibly guess. This is more or less where Robert made me stand and think about what might lie beneath my feet, so knowing his warped mind, we can’t be far away.’
I look at each of them in turn. Sophie gives me a sad smile, and Samir nods his head just once.
I open my bag and pull out a single white rose. I bring it to my lips and give it the briefest kiss before dropping to my knees. I lay the rose gently on the sodden earth, and feel the warmth of Samir’s hand on my shoulder.
‘For you, my darling Dan. For everything you were, everything you meant to me, and for our beautiful daughter. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.’
###
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rachel Abbott was born and raised in Manchester, England, and trained as a systems analyst before launching her own interactive media company in the early 1980s. She sold her company in 2000 and in 2005 moved to the Le Marche region of Italy.
She recently moved to Alderney, one of the Channel Islands, where she now writes full time.
Rachel Abbott’s first book – Only the Innocent – became an international bestseller, reaching the number one position in the Amazon charts (both UK and US).
Her second novel – The Back Road – reached the number 2 position in the UK, and was in the top ten for four weeks.
The next book from Rachel Abbott
If you are wondering about the break-in at Tom’s cottage in Cheshire, all will become clear in Rachel’s next book as Tom uncovers the mystery surrounding the death of his brother, Jack.
To keep up to date with Rachel Abbott’s new releases, please complete a contact form
Read the first page of the Prologue to Only the Innocent on your Kindle now!
Read the first page of the Prologue to The Back Road on your Kindle now!
Connect with Rachel Abbott online:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_RachelAbbott
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RachelAbbott1Writer
Website: http://www.rachel-abbott.com
Blog: http://rachelabbottwriter.wordpress.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Once again I owe a debt of gratitude to many people for their help in writing this book, and I sincerely appreciate the advice so willingly given by so many people.
There are a few people who I must mention specifically, and as always I would like to thank John Wrintmore for his insights into the workings of the police, and for answering every question – no matter how trivial. For this novel, I also had to seek advice from Colin Solway of the Alderney Police, who was immensely helpful and gave his time freely. Any mistakes are entirely mine, and are made in the interests of the story.
For this book, I also needed help with some of the forensic details, and I would like to thank Mike Silverman, whose book Written in Blood is released on 13th February 2014.
There were many people who offered nuggets of information – some of which didn’t quite make it into the book – but to all the people on this surprisingly long list, thanks for taking the time to inform me about everything from swapping IP addresses to forensic archaeology. To name but a few, my thanks go to Kate Britton, Steve Rodgers, Lindsey Thomas, Tim Dickinson, Brenda Duncan, Becky Scrivener, John Raffle, Diego Benito plus the staff at Aurigny, Eyetek, Tor Project and iPrivacy.
My early readers have been fantastic, providing excellent feedback and suggestions, and there is a small group of people that have helped in so many ways over the past year. Thank you Kath, Judith, Charlotte, Ceri, Ann, John, Kathryn, Rick, and Andria. A special thanks the wonderful people of Alderney, who have been so welcoming. I apologise for taking a few liberties with the geography of your beautiful island.
Alan Carpenter, my long-suffering designer, has produced a wonderful cover, yet again, despite my indecisiveness and constant changes of direction.
My particular gratitude, as always, goes to my agent, Lizzy Kremer – the best there is. She has been a wonderful source of support and guidance, as have the rest of the team at David Higham Associates – especially Laura and Harriet. I don’t know how many times Lizzy and Harriet read this manuscript, but their help and direction, together with input from two terrific editors, Clare Bowron and Lizzie Dipple, have made this a far better book than it might otherwise have been. I can’t thank you all enough.
LINKS
The Rachel Abbott website is a source of information about all the books, and if you are particularly interested in any of the recipes mentioned in the books, they can be downloaded and printed from the website.
If you would like to be notified of any new books by Rachel Abbott in the future, please visit http://www.rachel-abbott.com/contact/ and leave your email address.
If you would like to find out more about the wonderful island of Alderney, take a look at the Visit Alderney website.
ONLY THE INNOCENT
DESCRIPTION OF ONLY THE INNOCENT
When Laura Fletcher approaches her home in Oxfordshire to find hordes of photographers crowding the gates, she knows there is something terribly wrong. She is faced with the shocking news that her husband is dead - brutally murdered - and according to Chief Inspector Tom Douglas, there is little doubt that the murderer is a woman.
In a marriage that has taken her from the glamorous five star luxury of London, Venice and Positano to a bleak and draughty manor house in rural Oxfordshire, Laura has learned to guard her secrets well. She is not alone. It would appear that all the women in her husband's life have something to hide.
But there is one secret that she has never shared, and when the investigation reaches its dramatic and horrific climax, she realises that she has no choice. She has to give Tom Douglas the final piece of the puzzle. And this changes everything, leaving Douglas with a terrible dilemma: whether to punish the guilty, or protect the innocent.
ONLY THE INNOCENT is a spellbinding psychological thriller that will leave you breathless!
READ THE FIRST PAGE OF THE PROLOGUE
Bright sunshine flooded through the tall windows, touching each surface with its dazzling light. Every corner of the room was bathed in a soft yellow glow, and its elegant proportions were displayed to their best advantage. It was a disaster. The one thing she hadn’t allowed for was a sunny day.
Maximum impact—that’s what she was striving for. The clothes, the hair, the jewellery; her attention to detail had been impeccable, and any false note would influence his perception of her credibility. But instead of completing the illusion by creating subtle lighting and atmospheric shadows, the room was more akin to a floodlit stage. It was the end of October in London. It was supposed to be raining.
She didn’t know what to do. Should she close the curtains? No. That would never work. Too obvious by far, and he wouldn’t like it. But time was running out, and she had to think fast. She adjusted everything quickly until she was sure it was as perfect as it could be, angling a wingback leather armchair so that it almost faced the door, sufficient that she could see his face without turning her head. But not straight on. That would give her nowhere to hide. And the light from the window had to be behind her, of course, throwing her face into enough shadow to disguise anything that her eyes might inadvertently reveal.
Her preparations were complete. All she could do now was wait and think of the inevitability of what was about to happen. Every muscle in her body was taut, and her shoulders were rigid. She forced herself to relax. She heard the sound of a taxi drawing to a halt and a car door slamming. She quickly glanced in the mirror to check that everything was perfect, and was alarmed to see the inner turmoil betrayed in her eyes. She breathed deeply, suppressing the thoughts and images that were crowding her mind, fighting to compose herself.
She heard nothing more for several minutes, but she knew he was in the house. There were no footsteps; the deep pile carpet in the hall and up the staircase to the third floor smothered any sound. But he was moving straight towards the bedroom. Every nerve ending in her body
told her so.
***
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PRAISE FOR ONLY THE INNOCENT
“Rachel Abbott’s Only the Innocent is not your average whodunit murder mystery. The question that drives this thriller is not who did it, but why. Abbott carefully constructed a world of mystery, depravity, sex, violence, manipulation and intrigue on so many different levels that I can honestly say you truly have to read until the last page to understand and appreciate the complexity of the story.”
“It’s a long time since I read a book that occupies my mind constantly and is all consuming. When I was reading this one, or when I was not, I could think of little else.”
“I could not put this book down – it was a completely addictive page-turner – so much so that I read until 3 am finishing it.”
Download a sample of Only the Innocent from Amazon
THE BACK ROAD
DESCRIPTION OF THE BACK ROAD
A girl lies close to death in a dark, deserted lane.
A driver drags her body to the side of the road.
A shadowy figure hides in the trees, watching and waiting.
The small community of Little Melham is in shock.
For Ellie Saunders, last night’s hit and run on the back road could destroy everything she has. She was out that night, but if she reveals where she was and why, her family will be torn apart. She is living on a knife-edge, knowing that her every move is being observed.
Ellie’s new neighbour, former Detective Chief Inspector Tom Douglas has moved to the village for some well-deserved peace and quiet, but as he is drawn into the web of deceit his every instinct tells him that what happened that night was more than a tragic accident.
As past and present collide, best-kept secrets are revealed and lives are devastated. Only one person knows the whole story. And that person will protect the truth no matter what the cost.
The Back Road is an electrifying thriller that will keep you guessing to the very end.
READ THE FIRST PAGE OF THE PROLOGUE
From the moment the cupboard door was slammed shut, trapping them both inside, she knew something was different. It should have seemed just like every other day, but somehow it didn’t. She felt the familiar pain and discomfort—the same as always. So what was it?
The girl soundlessly inched her feet across the confined space, searching for her sister’s toes with her own, both to seek and to give comfort. She had to try to make her sister feel safe. It would soon be over. But the fingers of an undefined dread were crawling up her spine.
Then her sister made a strange gurgling sound. She’d never made that sound before. It was as if something was stuck deep in her throat and she was trying to force it out. The girl silently willed her sister to stop.
Shh. Be still. Be quiet.
She rested her chin on her bony raised knees and repeated the words over and over in her head, praying that her little sister would hear her thoughts and understand. If either of them made a noise, The Mother would be angry, and it would all be so much worse. Worse than suffering in silence.
She had tried to say that they would be good. They didn’t need to be put in here. But The Mother always said the same thing.
‘I am The Mother. You are The Daughter. You do what I say. Don’t argue. I’ve told you what happens to bad children. The Bogeyman gets them, and eats them for his dinner.’ And then she laughed. The girl was scared of The Bogeyman. Perhaps he would be even worse than The Mother.
She lifted her head slightly. A narrow crack in the wooden door let in a dusty sliver of light, illuminating a slender fragment of her sister’s face. It was white and shiny—a bit like a boiled egg when the shell was peeled away. She had never seen a face look like that before. Her sister lurched forward and bent over. Her hair was sticking to her forehead in damp curls, and she was making a noise in her throat. An awful noise. And there was a horrid smell too.
***
To carry on reading, go to Amazon where a longer sample is available.
PRAISE FOR THE BACK ROAD
“It is one of those books that holds you hostage and is hard to put down until the end” Confessions of a Reader
“An absorbing mystery of love, deceit, secrets, and murder…truly a spellbinding novel of suspense.” Mysterious Reviews
“One of Best Mystery Suspense Novels Read This Year!” Amazon Vine Voice
“Pure Genius: A Masterclass in the Perfect Thriller!!” Love Books
“A clever psychological crime and mystery novel.” Little Reader Library
“There are red herrings galore in this well scripted plot and even when you think you have the story sussed, Abbott throws a spanner into the works.” Crime Fiction Lover blog
Download a sample of The Back Road from Amazon
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