The Lost Brother by Susanna Beard -psychological thriller-

Leonora and Richard live with their parents in a small town in the south

of England. Their mother is a rather shy timid woman who is fearful of her

dictatorial bully of a husband who treats both her and the children as

inconveniences only there for his beckoning. Ricky learns that as the

boy he is to be sent to his fathers old school “ to make him a man”. His

fathers school is in South Africa. Leo is very close to her brother and is

fraught at the separation. She cleverly realises that education is her

best way of escape. According to her father she is a “ good for nothing

female who will never amount to anything” so has been sent to the

local rundown school. However she has been blessed with brains and

this is her plan of attack against him. Her mother is then hospitalised

due to being savagely hit by her father. Not long afterwards, he goes

to South Africa to bring Ricky home, only there is an accident and

their father is killed. Ricky is now missing. How on earth is Leo going

to find him when she is thousands of miles away? A book not easy

to read in parts for some (childhood abuse- more verbalisation but

suggestions of more) but one to make us realise that not every home

is a loving one. Of hope and tenacity, of steely determination and

ultimately love that conquers even the most seemingly impossible

situations. Brilliant.

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BLURB: The Lost Brother A brother sent away A sister in a loveless home A father ruthlessly murdered Ricky and Leonora Bates are brother and sister, best friends, allies in a loveless family. They are a constant disappointment to their domineering father. He views Ricky’s quiet bookishness as weakness and Leonora’s feisty intelligence as unbecoming. Then Ricky is sent away to a boarding school in South Africa to “toughen him up”. And Leonora is stuck dealing with her dysfunctional parents on her own. The unthinkable happens. Five years later, Leonora’s father flies down to South Africa to bring Ricky home. Something terrible happens. Her dad’s body is found with a fatal gunshot wound. And her brother is nowhere to be found. Now Leonora must find out the truth. Utterly absorbing and beautifully written, this taut psychological thriller will keep you guessing until its chilling conclusion.

SUSANNA BEARD Despite enjoying the writer’s life, Susanna has an adventurous streak – she has swum with whale sharks in Australia, trekked in the mountains of Nepal and fallen down a crevasse in the French Alps. Her favourite quote is from Winnie-the-Pooh: “Stories make your heart grow.” Apart from books, her passions include wildlife, dogs and tennis. She aims to keep writing, and never to get old. BOOKS BY SUSANNA BEARD COMING SOON! FOLLOW SUSANNA ON AUTHOR WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER GOODREADS