The Stories She Tells by LK Chapman

Hello lovelies

So sorry it's been a while. I was on holiday, and then unwell for a wee while. But I'm back now, and have a busy time coming up with blog tours and all manner of booky things.

But first, here's another short review of another book I read way back in the days before I started my wee blog.

The Blurb:

A psychological page-turner with a shocking and heartbreaking family secret

When Michael decides to track down ex-girlfriend Rae who disappeared ten years ago while pregnant with his baby, he knows it could change his life forever. His search for her takes unexpected turns as he unearths multiple changes of identity and a childhood she tried to pretend never happened, but nothing could prepare him for what awaits when he finally finds her.

Appearing to be happily married with a brand new baby daughter, Rae is cagey about what happened to Michael's child and starts to say alarming things- that her husband is trying to force her to give up her new baby for adoption, that he's attempting to undermine the bond between her and her child, and deliberately making her doubt her own sanity.

As Michael is drawn in deeper to her disturbing claims he begins to doubt the truth of what she is saying. But is she really making it all up, or is there a shocking and heartbreaking secret at the root of the stories she tells?

My Review:

I didn't know what to expect from this book but I very much  enjoyed it. It really pulls some emotional punches - parts of it are difficult to read. But well worth it. Michael discovers his ex girlfriend Rae might have been pregnant when they split up, ten years previously, and sets out to find her. When he eventually finds her she appears to have a perfect life, but all is not what it initially seems. I found Rae fascinating and confusing - every time I thought I had a handle on what was going on, it would take me somewhere else. The ending, and what leads to it, was a shock. I was still thinking about Michael and Rae long after I'd finished reading. I will certainly look out for other work by this author.

You can buy The Stories She Tells on Amazon UK and US.

The Author:

Louise Katherine Chapman was born in Somerset, UK, in 1986. She studied psychology at the University of Southampton and has worked as a psychologist creating personality questionnaires for a consultancy company. She has also spent some time volunteering for mental health charity Mind. 

She loves to write because she loves learning about people and she loves stories. A major turning point in her life was the day she realised that no matter how strange, cruel or unfathomable the actions of other people can sometimes be, there is always a reason for it, some sequence of events to be unravelled. Since then she is always asking “why” and “what if” and she is fascinated by real life stories capturing the strength, peculiarities or extremes of human nature. 

LK Chapman’s first novel, Networked, was a sci-fi thriller but now she’s turned her attention to writing psychological suspense. Her first psychological thriller, Anything for Him, was published in 2016, and her novel The Stories She Tells was released in October 2017.

Chapman lives in Hampshire with her husband and young family. She enjoys walks in the woods, video games, and spending time with family and friends.

You can find out more on her website.