The Stepson by Diane Saxon

When your whole life becomes one big lie…

The night my mum disappeared, after a panicked 3am phonecall, I knew something was wrong.
The police tried to reassure me. There had to be a logical explanation they said – perhaps she’s taking a break after the tragic death of my father.
But I know my mum.
Or do I?
She would never leave without telling me.
Or would she?
The harder I look, the more I discover deep, dark family secrets I was not privy to.
Worrying secrets I was never meant to know.
Which means my parents have lied to me my whole life.
But why?
Who can I turn to? Trust?
Were they scared of something in their past?
Or were they trying to protect me?
Has mum gone on her own free will?
Or has someone taken her?

About the author

Diane Saxon previously wrote romantic fiction for the US market but has now turned to writing psychological crime. Find Her Alive was her first novel in this genre and introduced series character DS Jenna Morgan. She is married to a retired policeman and lives in Shropshire.

Review

‘The Stepson’ is a brilliant page-turner of a thriller that is packed full of suspense and kept me up reading to the wee hours! Despite following Diane on social media and seeing her books everywhere this is the first book of hers that I have read and it did not disappoint. I was gripped from the get-go and I certainly will be keeping an eye out to see what she gets up to next.

When you whole life becomes a lie how will you cope?! When Sandra calls her daughter at 3am in a panic Lorraine knows something is really wrong. But she can't leave her children to check up on her mum and when she gets to her house the next morning her mum is nowhere to be seen. The police tell her to give it a few days as she might just be taking a break but Lorraine knows that her Mum wouldn't do that without telling her. Or does she? As Lorraine digs deeper she finds out secrets that mean her whole life has been a lie. Who can she trust now? And who is this brother she never knew about…

I really enjoyed this in-depth look at family life and the divides and secrets that hide within it. I was fascinated by Trevor, the brother Lorraine never knew about. I felt a lot of empathy towards him as you gradually learn about his fractured childhood, life in prison and desperate attempts to be accepted into a family that will love him. But with a thriller you know nothing is as it seems and the reveals with this one are very satisfying! Diane manages to write complex and intriguing characters and that encouraged me to fly through this book. It was a gripping and entertaining read!

Let me know if you pick it up!