Susanna Beard

Please see all of my reviews on my blog at www.robinlovesreading.blogspot.com.

Anna's very successful business brings her to Lithuania. She has traveled all the way from London and is getting anxious to return home. However, there has been a volcanic eruption and all travel has ceased. So she is stuck. She is trying to make the best of it until at least the airlines are running again.

She decides to take a walk, and when she is near the beach she discovers the body of a young girl. Horrified, she contacts the police right away. They make a quick investigation and ask her a few questions. She gets rather annoyed, however, when she notices that the death of the girl is barely mentioned in the media.

While waiting at the hotel, Anna meets a few people, including Gavin, his wife Charlotte, and a travel journalist named Will. He tells her about some of the articles he's worked on, and he mentions sex trafficking. This is an activity that is prevalent in countries like Lithuania. Due to what Anna has learned from Will, among other things, she wonders if that could have played a role in the young girl's death. If so, why aren't the police doing more?

She decides to investigate things herself, despite being warned by Will and others to leave matters alone. Anna and Will draw closer together, but suddenly Will disappears. Anna starts wondering if he could have a role in the nefarious activities that went on while they were in Lithuania.

This story vacillates between the criminal activity of organized crime, drugs, and the aforementioned sex trafficking. The Truth Waits also delves into the pasts that Anna and Will seek to hide, and deep emotions that affect Anna in several ways. It is quite a compelling, if not often tragic, story. Although it was a stressful read at times, I was pleased with the conclusion.

Many thanks to Legend Press and NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for an honest opinion.… (más)

This book was a total journey for the main character. It deftly describes how a person would feel after a traumatic experience and illustrates the steps needed to eventually get on with your life after a trauma. It was a very slow continuous process with one step forward and two steps back for the victim. I probably wouldn't have purchased this book on my own but I enjoyed it. It was a little melancholy but in the end the main character had made great strides in her recovery. Overall it was a story that advocates Restorative Justice. I received an ARC for an honest review.… (más)

DARE TO REMEMBER
Susanna Beard

MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️
Publisher Legend Press
Publish Date February 1, 2017

SUMMARY
Lisa wakes in the hospital with her mom, Chloe by her side holding her hand. She is dazed and drifts in and out of consciousness for hours. She is in pain, there is a dressing on her throat and a tube in her hand. She know there is something important she has to ask, but can't remember. Her mom tells her, Lisa and her best friend and roommate Ali had been attacked. Ali was dead. Lisa's throat has been cut within millimeters of a artery. Ten çentimeters long. Lisa had no memories of what happened that dark night in the flat. What happened to her best friend? Why can't she remember?

REVIEW
Dare to Remember is a unique mystery, told brilliantly. The attack has already happened. The perpetrator has already had his day in court, pleading guilty and is serving time. But neither Lisa nor the attacker say they can recall what happen to Ali. Did she jump, did she fall or was she pushed? Your interest will be captivated right from the beginning.

Dare to Remember, a perfect title, is about Lisa's attempt to recover, and recall what happened when they opened their door to their friend Fergus. The story slowly unfolds as Lisa attempts to restart a new life in a small village outside of London. Her nightmares and flashbacks soon begin to reveal vague memories and we begin to learn more about what happen that night.

The author, Susanna Beard's writing is wonderfully descriptive. I particularly loved her descriptions of the quaint village, and the shabby little cottage Lisa moves to after her ordeal. I also appreciated the way Beard integrated Lisa's new neighbors, John and Jessica into the plot giving the book much more breadth and interest. Even giving us some more surprising twists and turns.

Lisa's character was so real. Her panic attacks and stress are to be expected. You want her to recover, you want her to get better. But sometimes you want to yell at her, and then sometimes you want to give her a hug. Her courage and strength were admirable.

This was a fast-paced page-turner. Halfway through the book I realized I was reading it way to fast. I needed to slow down and enjoy it, because I knew I wasn't going to want it to end.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Legend Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review… (más)