Closing In: Sue Fortin
I have been away from my site as I have been in my edits cave working hard on making book 2, Follow Me Follow You, the best it can be, but I’ve stepped blinky-eyed into the daylight.
As a reward for completing round one of my edits, I took a day out to read my friend and fellow Romaniac, Sue Fortin’s latest HarperImpulse book, Closing In.
Blurb:
For fans of Emily Barr & Rosamund Lupton
Helen has had to leave everything she’s ever known behind; her home, her family, even her own name.
Now, returning to the UK as Ellen Newman, she moves to a small coastal village, working as a nanny for Donovan, a criminal psychologist. Attractive, caring and protective, this single father and his sweet daughter are a world away from Ellen’s brutal past. She thinks she’s escaped. She thinks she’s safe.
But Ellen can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong.
Strange incidents begin to plague her new family, and their house of calm is about to become one of suspicion and fear. Who can be trusted? Who is the target? Who is closing in?
Closing In had me from page one. It’s a gripping, fast-paced read, set on the south coast. I’ve seen some of the area about which Sue writes, and her descriptions are spot-on. Her love for West Sussex is apparent, and a delight to read, as are her interactions between a child and an adult.
The mutual warmth and love between Donovan and his eight-year-old daughter, Isobel, leap off the page. Ellen, a nanny, is a natural with children, and it’s obvious how much she cares for Isobel.
I am always moved by the way Sue captures the beautiful intimacy between a parent and child.
The two main characters are perfectly matched. Ellen, determined not to be a victim, has to battle her past with every weapon in her arsenal – strength, reserve and courage. She is not weak, but her vulnerability draws the reader to her.
Donovan is a great hero – he’s strong, caring, confident, and knows what he wants from life. He’s a criminal psychologist, but that brings its own problems, and recriminations. Would I feel safe in his arms? Yes. He’s hot. That’s all I’m saying.
The touches of humour made me laugh out loud, the twists and turns kept me swaying and guessing, and the action left me on the edge on my seat. I had to find my Kindle charger as there was no way I was going to let the battery power run out before I’d read the entire book.
It was a fab way to spend my day. A perfect reward. A brilliant read.
I highly recommend Closing In.
Thank you, Sue, for taking me on a thrilling journey.
Loved it.
