When Glasgow journalist Shona McGilvery moves with her partner Mikey and their baby to an idyllic cottage in rural Scotland, they believe that all that lies ahead of them is happiness.
But with Mikey working offshore, the frightening isolation of the Aberdeenshire countryside begins to drive her insane…
That is, until she is rescued by a new friendship with the enchanting Valentina.
She has the perfect home, the perfect man, and a charismatic new best friend – or does she?
As her fairytale life begins to unravel, the deep dark wood becomes the least of her fears…
A hauntingly intelligent, addictive psychological thriller from debut author S. E. Lynes.
My Review: This book has been on my kindle for several months and despite it being highly recommended on my book club I kept avoiding it and left it at the bottom of my ever growing TBR pile. Silly me!
I am taking part in a 20 book reading challenge for 2017 and this book falls under the category of a book with a girls name in the title so I selected Valentina. Clever me!
Firstly I can’t believe that this a debut novel. Full of tension and that awful feeling of dread and paranoia from page 1. With highly believable characters and a gripping storyline together with the atmospheric setting Valentina is a real sphincter clencher which kept me turning the pages in a state of eager anticipation and unease. I would recommend this book with a bottle of Gaviscon close by.
About The Author: After graduating from Leeds University, S E Lynes lived in London before moving to Aberdeen. In Aberdeen, she worked as a reporter, researcher and finally a producer at the BBC before moving with her husband, Paul, and two young children to Rome.
In Rome, she began to write while her children attended nursery. After the birth of her third child and upon her return to the UK, she gained an MA in Creative Writing from Kingston University.
She now combines writing with lecturing at Richmond Adult Community College and bringing up her three children. She lives in Teddington.
Her debut novel, VALENTINA, was published by Blackbird July 1st 2016. VALENTINA is a psychological thriller set in Aberdeenshire.
