The Girl from the Sea: A gripping psychological thriller with a heart-pounding twist
Page 21
‘No,’ Jack repeats, more quietly this time. ‘Don’t go. Not yet.’
I sit back down, perched on the edge of the chair. My hands clasped together.
‘How can you live with yourself?’ he hisses, his face flushing. ‘Just tell them the truth, Mia.’
I shake my head. At this moment, he doesn’t even look like the same person, his face is so twisted with rage.
‘I’m sorry,’ I say, standing up once more. This time I’m determined to leave.
Jack lurches to his feet, scraping his chair back. ‘Tell the fucking truth!’ he yells. He strides around the table towards me, his hands outstretched. The prison officers are on him in seconds, before his fingers can connect with my neck.
‘Tell the truth!’ he shouts as he’s dragged away. ‘You bitch! You lying, fucking bitch!’
Everyone is staring from him to me. Some people are laughing. My face is burning, my hands shaking, my knees like jelly. He’s bundled out of the hall, through a door in the back. I lower my eyes and turn to leave.
He’s still so angry. I suppose that’s to be expected. But I know he’ll come around, in time. He’ll come back to me. And I’ll be waiting for him. Because I remember everything now – my old memories and my newer amnesia memories have merged. That new Mia… she should never have existed. She was a poor imitation. A weak copy. I’m phasing her out. Overlaying her with the real me. Because after everything that’s happened, I’m finally back to being myself. I finally know who I am.
* * *
If The Girl from the Sea had you completely gripped, you won’t be able to put down The Perfect Family by Shalini Boland. When Gemma's beautiful little girl goes missing, it’s only the beginning of the nightmare, as her perfect family starts to fall apart… get it here!
The Perfect Family
‘Mummy, she’s gone…’
Gemma Ballantine is getting ready for work one morning when her eldest child comes running down the stairs, saying the words every mother dreads.
The front door is open. And her six-year-old daughter has disappeared. Frantic with fear, Gemma starts a nail-biting search for her little girl.
After what feels like forever, her mother-in-law Diane finds Katie wandering lost a few streets away. Relieved to have her youngest child back in her arms, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, Gemma thinks the nightmare is over.
But then her perfect family starts to fall apart.
And she realises it’s only just beginning…
From the top ten bestselling author of The Secret Mother and The Child Next Door, this completely addictive psychological thriller of secrets, lies and betrayal will make you gasp out loud at the heart-stopping final twist. If you loved Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Sister this book is for you.
Get it here.
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Books by Shalini Boland
The Secret Mother
The Child Next Door
The Silent Sister
The Millionaire’s Wife
The Perfect Family
The Best Friend
The Girl from the Sea
A Letter from Shalini
Thank you for reading my very first thriller. I do hope you enjoyed it. My son, Dan Boland, started rowing five years ago, in the beautiful town of Christchurch, and he’s absolutely hooked on it. So, I thought it would be interesting to write a story set around a fictional rowing club. Thanks, Dan, for inspiring The Girl from the Sea.
If you would like to keep up-to-date with my latest releases, just sign up here and I’ll let you know when my next novel comes out.
I’m always thrilled to get feedback about my books, so if you enjoyed it, I’d love it if you could post a short review online or tell your friends about it. Your opinion makes a huge difference helping people to discover my books for the first time.
I also love chatting to readers, so please feel free to get in touch via my Facebook page, through Twitter, Goodreads or my website.
Thanks so much!
Shalini x
www.goodreads.com/ShaliniBoland
www.shaliniboland.co.uk
The Secret Mother
‘Absolutely addictive and brilliant with an end I didn't see coming. This is one book you have to read and it gets 5 huge stars from me!!!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
'Are you my mummy?’
Tessa Markham returns home to find a child in her kitchen. He thinks she’s his mother. But Tessa doesn’t have any children.
Not anymore.
She doesn’t know who the little boy is or how he got there.
After contacting the police, Tessa is suspected of taking the mystery child. Her whole life is turned upside down. And then her husband reveals a secret of his own…
Tessa isn’t sure what to believe or who to trust. Because someone is lying. To find out who, she must confront her painful past. But is the truth more dangerous than Tessa realises?
An absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller with a twist that will make you wonder if you can ever trust anyone again. If you loved Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Sister this book will have you hooked.
Get it here!
The Child Next Door
‘Don’t take my baby.’
Kirstie Rawlings is jolted awake by a child crying. Racing upstairs to check on her new-born, she is plunged into every parents’ worst nightmare. She hears an unknown voice in the baby monitor, saying: ‘Let’s take the child – and go.’
Is someone trying to steal her little girl?
In the bedroom, her daughter is safe asleep in her cot. Is the voice coming from a nearby house? But there aren’t any other children living on her quiet country road…
The police don't believe her. And neither does her husband.
Kirstie knows something isn’t right. She thought she could trust her neighbours, now she isn’t sure.As she unravels the secrets of the people living on her street, Kirstie’s perfect life begins to fall apart.
Because someone is hiding a terrible lie. And they will do anything to stop Kirstie uncovering the truth. But is the danger closer to home than she thinks?
From the top ten bestselling author of The Secret Mother, this completely gripping psychological thriller will make you wonder what really goes on behind closed doors. And will keep you guessing from the first page until the final shocking twist.
Get it here!
The Best Friend
‘I can tell we’re going to be the best of friends…’
When Louisa Sullivan takes her little boy to his first playdate at a new friend’s house she doesn’t realise life is about to change for her family. Because she’s about to meet Darcy Lane.
Darcy is a woman who has everything – a dream house, a powerful husband and enviable wealth.
She’s the perfect wife.
The perfect friend.
The perfect liar.
From the top ten bestselling author of The Secret Mother and The Child Next Door, this utterly gripping psychological thriller will have you up all night reading. If you loved Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Wife Between Us this book is for you.
Get it here!
The Millionaire’s Wife
‘I am completely and utterly speechless… Oh wow, absolutely triple wow… literally had me on tenterhooks… I thought I was going to fall off my chair.’ Mixing Reality with Fiction
Everyone has their secrets. But this one could destroy your marriage.
When Anna Blackwell opens an email from an unknown sender, the shocking image attached shatters her perfect world. A woman has been killed. And Anna knows who did it. The past is catching up with her.
Is it her turn next?
To protect herself and her husband
Will, she must tell him the terrible truth about her first love. But as the secrets of her life unravel, Anna begins to realise that she is not the only one who has been living a lie.
Anna doesn’t know who to turn to: her best friend, her parents, her husband. But she knows that her ex-lover is dangerous and she must stop him, before it’s too late…
From the bestselling author of The Secret Mother and The Child Next Door, this utterly unputdownable psychological thriller will have you gasping at every twist. If you loved Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Sister this book is for you.
Get it here!
The Silent Sister
She used to be your best friend. Now she’s your worst enemy.
When Lizzy Beresford discovers a threatening letter addressed to her, the words on the old, tattered paper chill her to the bone. But who sent it? Living in pretty cottage in a quiet country village, Lizzy’s never made any enemies in her life…
Except her sister.
Lizzy hasn’t spoken to Emma in years. Not since the argument which tore their relationship apart. Would her sister really want to cause her harm after all this time?
As Lizzy receives more disturbing messages, she begins to doubt those closest to her – her boyfriend, her best friend, her neighbours. Because the mystery sender seems to know everything about her. And after a series of malicious incidents, it’s clear they won’t stop until they’ve destroyed her life.
Lizzy knows she must confront her sister. But can she trust her? And will she realise the shocking truth, before it’s too late?
From the bestselling author of The Secret Mother and The Child Next Door, this utterly addictive psychological thriller will have you gasping at every twist and will make you question everyone you know. If you loved Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Sister this book is for you.
Get it here!
Acknowledgements
I want to say a massive thank you to my husband, Pete Boland, for reading my first draft and giving me his encouragement and honest feedback. I’m lucky he’s so supportive of my writing. He also forces me to take regular breaks, for which my mushy brain thanks him.
Thank you to my wonderful publisher Bookouture for taking on this book and breathing new life into it. And to my incredible editor Natasha Harding for her insightful comments and light touch. You are truly gifted!!
Thanks also to my original editor, Jessica Dall. Her notes were spot on. I took all her advice on board and I can’t recommend her highly enough. I’d also like to thank Alexandra Holmes and Tom Feltham for their editing and proofreading skills. For catching those little things that managed to slip past everyone else’s eyes.
I was lucky enough to be able to quiz two amazing police officers. I’m very grateful to Hannah Riches, an ex-detective with the Metropolitan Police. And also to Samantha Smith, an officer with the Thames Valley Police. You both rock. Any errors or embellishments in police procedure are purely my own.
I’m totally in love with my book cover and have to thank Simon Tucker from Covered Book Designs for creating the image that was in my head. You’re a star. Thanks also to Bookouture for updating the image and bringing it in line with my other covers. It looks amazing!
I’m forever grateful to my beta readers Julie Carey and Amara Gillo who gave a clear readers’ perspective. Thanks also to my fab Street Team – your support is wonderful. And to all my readers and reviewers, thank you, always.
Published by Bookouture in 2019
An imprint of StoryFire Ltd.
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ
www.bookouture.com
Copyright © Shalini Boland, 2019
Shalini Boland has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.
eBook ISBN: 978-1-78681-931-4
Cover image: ID 50045571 © Lasse Behnke | Dreamstime.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.