More Life as a Dog by L.A Davenport

House Of Straw- Marc Scott-Psychological Thriller

Bree has just lost her twin brotherJamie whom she was close to  in a tragic accident

that she was part of herself. She keeps seeing a small girl dressed in a sowester as if

she is staring at her.  Poppy has a violent boyfriend and has had a troubled past. She

now works in a restaurant which she both enjoys and does well at. Cameron, her

boyfriend has other ideas and takes all her money to fulfill his habit. Poppy does her

best to sort out the bills and is at danger of eviction as the rent is way overdue,

Cameron being selfish doesn't contribute at all from his “pay”- he is a dole scrounger.

  We go back in time to when Poppy was in care and to before she was born. There

are several brutal scenes in this from the accident to Poppy being abused as a child.

This is quite a “wordy” read if you get my meaning- there are excellent, although at

times disturbing, graphic descriptions of abuse, sex and violence. For me, some of

the characters being rough around the edges for want of a better term and the others

perfectly normal with regard to speech, the language didn’t really fit. Everything was

put in full rather than the abridged which I believe they would have used. for

example “ I am now going” rather than “I’m going”.  This (to me) would have given

it a better flow and more raw characters and real life persona. It was as if English

was not their first language. That said its a clever complex read and a hard hitting one.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog

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Book Description:

‘Beautifully brutal, dark and twisted’  

Traumatised by the tragic death of her twin brother, Brianna falls into a state of deep depression, isolating herself from the world and all those that care about her. When a twist of fate reveals that she has a half-sister she finds a new purpose in her life and sets out to find her sibling, desperately hoping she can fill the void left in her world.

Poppy has not enjoyed the same privileged lifestyle as her sister while growing up. Abandoned into the care system at the age of eight, she has encountered both physical and sexual abuse for most of her life. Passing through the hands of more care homes and foster families than she can remember, the damaged product of a broken upbringing, Poppy has never found a place to feel truly safe. Kicking back at society, she turns to drug abuse and acts of extreme violence to escape from reality.

When the two siblings are finally united, they discover that they have much more in common than their DNA. Their paths are shrouded with sinister secrets of betrayal and regret and both girls share a deep-rooted hatred for one of their parents. As the dark truths of their lives are unveiled they realise that nothing can ever be the same again...  

Author Bio:

Marc Scott was born and bred in the heart of East London. His dark and gritty writing style has earned him much praise with readers. 

He worked in the film and video industry for more than twenty years, the highlight of which was spending twelve months based in Hollywood, organising marketing campaigns for a UK film distributor. 

More recently he spent several years working with young offenders as part of his role associated with the court service. It was during this time he became deeply moved by the tragic story of one young girl who was struggling to come to terms with the neglect and abuse she had suffered throughout her life. Her tragic case inspired him to write his first novel HOUSE OF STRAW. 

The book has already received excellent reviews from bloggers and buyers and his second book is planned for release at the end of 2020. 

His favourite book is Birdy by William Wharton, which he confesses to have read at least half a dozen times. He also enjoys the works of Kazuo Ishiguro. ‘I love authors that can find something that is extraordinary in ordinary people’ he says. ‘A reader wants to feel like a bystander all through the journey and that only happens if they can feel an emotional attachment to the main characters’. 

Marc lives in Buckinghamshire and has three grown-up children George, Marissa and Amie. He says his daughters have been the main motivation behind his love of writing. ‘I always run everything past them. Their honest appraisals definitely keep me on the right track’ he says. 

He is a keen sports fan and has an undying passion for Leyton Orient Football Club. 

Twitter: @MARCO1918253109