Book Description
How well do you know your neighbours?
Odeta’s life has shrunk to a daily round of drudgery, running her father’s grocery store in a remote Albanian village. One day, an enigmatic stranger from Tirana turns up, promising her an exciting career in London. Odeta’s life is about to change, but not in the way she expected.
Kate, a journalist, lives on a quiet London street, but her seemingly perfect life is filled with anxiety for her son, Ben. The boy is obsessed with online gaming but struggles to make friends. Kate sets out to create a simpler life for her family, disconnects them from the internet, and tries to build a community on her street.
On a visit to her home village in Wales, Kate is forced to confront a secret from her past. But even greater danger lies where she lives. Perhaps her neighbours are not the friendly community they seem at first glance…
We are delighted to publish Girl Out of Sight. This is a second edition of prize-winning suspense thriller, After Leaving the Village, which was endorsed by anti-slavery charity, Unseen UK, and won first prize in the opening pages of a novel category at Winchester Writers’ Festival. It was first published in 2017 by another press.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Girl Out Of Sight' by Helen Matthews.
Read and reviewed for ZooLoos Book Tours, Darkstroke and Helen Matthews.
Publication date 4th October 2022.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its absolutely fantastic, eye-catching and unique cover and its intriguing synopsis. I was also intrigued by it mentioning Wales as I live there I am always interested in books set or partly set in Wales as I am looking forward to seeing if I recognise places mentioned. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Darkstroke. I have yet to read a book published by Darkstroke that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 47 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Albania 🇦🇱, London, England 🏴 and Wales 🏴. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. This book is partly set in Wales so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing if I recognise and have visited places mentioned.
This book was originally published in 2017 under the title 'After Leaving The Village'.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonist being Odeta . The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
'Girl Out Of Sight' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Helen discusses human trafficking.
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really set the scene and kept me on the edge of my seat. The cover and synopsis suited the storyline perfectly.
This book is a harrowing and disturbing fictional novel but it is based on crime that does still go on all around us. It is a slow paced read filled with horror and turmoil that surrounds human trafficking. It was quite hard to read at times and was heartbreaking. The fact that Helen has done her research absolutely shines through so a huge WELL done Helen. It is also fantastic that she donates alot of her money made through royalties and book signing to the charity Unseen, which works towards a world without slavery. Helen is also an Ambassador for the charity so would have had experience of what goes on. It is sadly extremely realistic and just sickening that in this day and age this still goes on. Helen has done a fantastic job of creating a page turning thriller while weaving the topic of human trafficking throughout and creating awareness of human trafficking. It is an extremely thought provoking book and leavers readers thinking about it long after closing the final page. Helen captivates her readers and I was completely absorbed in the storyline. The characters are all well developed and realistic. I was on the edge of my seat at times and praying for Odeta throughout. She is a very strong and courageous young woman who I was rooting for throughout. An absolutely riveting and gripping thriller that will have you holding your breathe and sitting on the edge of your seat.
Overall a heartbreaking, powerful and gripping fictional account of a courageous survivor of human trafficking.
Genres covered in this book include Suspense Thriller, Psychological Fiction,Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Mystery and Crime. Fiction amongst others.
311 pages
This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle and free on kindle unlimited via Amazon at time of review which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Author Bio
I write page-turning psychological suspense and suspense thrillers and I'm fascinated by the darker side of human nature and how a life can change in an instant. Look out for my novel 'Girl Out of Sight' coming soon from Darkstroke Books. It's a second edition of my prize-winning title from 2017 After Leaving the Village. I'm excited it has another chance to reach readers who might have missed it first time around. Preorders are available now.
My psychological suspense mystery The Girl in the Van' was published earlier this year by Darkstroke Books and I'm thrilled to learn it has been listed as a Finalist in the prestigious 2022 Pageturner Book Awards. It's a chilling page-turner that touches on serious and complex themes including individual grief and vulnerability, as well as societal responsibilities towards the disadvantaged and dispossessed. According to an advance reader "It manages to be both thought-provoking and thrilling - no mean feat."
My previous novel 'Facade' was published by Darkstroke and is twisty noir about tragedy, guilt and revenge in a family where 'silence echoes louder than truth'.
Why not try 'Lies Behind the Ruin' published in April 2019 by Hashtag Press? It's domestic noir and contemporary suspense about a family whose problems at home in the UK threaten to overwhelm them so they try to outrun them by moving to a 'ruin' in France. But secrets and lies from the past pursue them because, after all, how can you build a new life on toxic foundations?
My debut novel 'After Leaving the Village' was originally published in October 2017. It won first prize in the opening pages category at Winchester Writers' Festival. It's a gritty contemporary suspense thriller so won't suit all tastes but it's been hailed by reviewers as 'very much a novel of our times' and 'powerful'...one of the reasons 'why it has been endorsed by anti-slavery charity, Unseen.'
I'm now an ambassador for the charity and available to give talks at festivals, author events and to local groups about the themes in my novel.
I'd love to know what you think, so please leave a review.
My short story and travel writing collection Brief Encounters is available as an eBook and includes many prize winning and short-listed stories. Take a look at my website over on www.helenmatthewswriter.com where you'll also find my contact details and can tell me what you loved - or hated - about my novel.
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