#Review: The Fake Date by L.H. Stacey @LyndaStacey @BoldwoodBooks #publicationday #BoldwoodBloggers #psychthriller #TheFakeDate

I’m sure there will be many readers who only discovered L.H. Stacey’s gripping psychological thrillers when she joined Boldwood Books – but I’ve been following her writing career for considerably longer than that, ever since we found ourselves sitting next to each other at a Milly Johnson launch party way back in 2015. When we met at the RNA’s York Tea recently, I was so delighted when she told me that Boldwood were re-issuing some of her earlier books for a whole new set of readers to enjoy – and I’m more than happy to re-share my earlier reviews on their publication days. Today (18th October) sees the re-issue of The Fake Date, now available as an e-book, in paperback and audiobook, with a really striking new cover.

Let’s take a closer look…

Nine hours and eleven minutes…

 

That’s how long it’s been since Ella Hope was left for dead. She lies, unable to move and praying for somebody to find her, as she counts down the minutes and wonders who could have hated her so much to have hurt her so badly.

 

Was it the man she went on a date with the previous evening, the man linked to the deaths of two other women? Or somebody else, somebody who wants her out of the picture so much they’re willing to kill?

 

Whoever it is, they will pay.

 

All Ella has to do first is survive …

 

Perfect for fans of Teresa Driscoll, Sue Watson, Jackie Kabler and Kendra Elliot.

I must admit that this book was always rather my personal favourite – in fact, it was a real pleasure to include it in my 2018 Books of the Year list. Here’s my original review, unchanged but just lightly edited – and the new strap line is “a completely gripping, page-turning psychological thriller”, which I most certainly wouldn’t disagree with!

I never usually pay that much attention to strap lines – those “jaw-dropping twists” all too frequently disappoint. But when the publishers called this one “a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat”, they got it absolutely right. The opening of this book is stunning, as Ella clings on to life, running through her memories, lying in the undergrowth after a horrific attack, her watch counting down the minutes and seconds. It’s also extremely clever, setting the scene for what follows, following her thoughts, introducing all the main characters – I’ve enjoyed the author’s writing before, but thought this took her into a quite different league.

 

Ella returns to her home after a long recovery, and understandably trusts no-one. Her friend Sarah – a wonderfully drawn character, that I really liked – has the unfortunate habit of bursting in through the door unannounced, there’s a rather creepy farmer who gets a little too close, and the man she believes destroyed her life is still very much out there. And then there’s new neighbour Will. Watching her through the fence then leaping over it might not be the best introduction, but it becomes a convincing developing relationship, shrouded quite perfectly in its own secrets. The pacing of this book is perfect, and very different – the suspense, the edginess are always present, but there’s also a lightness about the story as Ella tries to restart her life, with plenty of moments of humour and a rather lovely warmth to its relationships, seen from the perspectives of both main characters.

 

But there’s also that unidentified voice – sinister and threatening – that punctuates the story, and you continue to read through the lightness with dread and fear that the threat to Ella is still very much present. There are multiple twists and turns, many totally unexpected – and I really liked the way the author takes the reader inside Ella’s thoughts, slowly and inexorably cranking up the tension. The characters are excellent – I particularly liked the way Will’s back story was slowly revealed, the past that had left him damaged. And the denouement of the story, when it comes, is so very well done, explosive and shocking – I’ll admit I was a few steps ahead of Ella, but that did nothing to spoil the story.

 

I’ve read and enjoyed all the books the author has written, but this really is the one I’ve been waiting for – the one I always believed she could write, and that will make her many fans very happy indeed. I really loved it. (And did I mention how much I loved the dog too?)

And there are more re-issues to follow, every one of them a stunning read. The next one will be The House Guest (previously released as The House of Secrets) on 13th November, available for pre-order – and yes, I have a review of that one to share too!

About the author

L. H. Stacey is the bestselling psychological suspense author of over seven novels. Alongside her writing she is a full-time sales director for an office furniture company and has been a nurse, an emergency first response instructor and a PADI Staff Instructor. She lives near Doncaster with her husband.

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