Having read previous novels by Susan Lewis, I knew that I was in for a good read and wasn’t disappointed.
The plot involves DNA evidence being discovered which is connected to a brutal murder committed 20 years ago. The police decide to investigate successful businessman, David Crayce and his family.
David and his wife Annie are a happy charismatic couple with three children, living close to their relatives in a beautiful moorlands setting. The characters involved in the plot are superbly and empathetically described by Susan Lewis you feel you know and like them, though several are more complex. The first chapters are spent introducing the characters before the police visit the family and begin questioning David, his brother and father.
I like the way the detective in charge of the investigation DS Natalie Rundle , has a past, which is hinted at and how her own past bitter experience could influence her intuition. Dialogue is crisp and clear, and the book is well plotted, with twists and turns along the way. Several chapters are told by other characters, which gives a more in-depth rounded picture.
The story evolves at a brisk, steady pace, keeping you interested in the developing plot, with an unexpected ending. Susan Lewis is becoming one of my favourite authors, and can’t wait for her next book.

Having only fairly recently discovered author Susan Lewis I have quickly become a huge fan. Once again this was another brilliant read that had me gripped from start to finish. The reason being that Susan Lewis always seems to tackle some really compelling and thought-provoking moral dilemmas with her plots. In this one familial DNA evidence means that there are only three possible suspects (the father, uncle or grandfather) and so in proving their own innocence each is effectively condemning a loved one instead. This explores the emotional impact on the close-knit family from divided loyalties to doubts, love, anger, guilt, disbelief and more.

I've given this 4 stars (well 4.5 if I could) rather than 5 simply because in an exceptionally demanding way I was expecting more. Right from the start the remote shooting school setting filled me with nervous anticipation and dread - all those guns - but disappointingly that didn't really amount to anything. Mostly though whilst I didn't see the eventual culprit coming - and was in one way pleased with who it was (or wasn't) - they did seem an odd choice and the emotional fallout of it being someone else would have been even more powerful.

I recieved this arc through net galley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Having read quite a few Susan Lewis books before I couldn't wait to see what this one had to offer and I wasn't disappointed.

We catch up with Andee again as a 20 year old unsolved murder is solved with a few twists and turns along the way.

I really enjoyed and would recommend to other Susan Lewis fans.

Another of Susan's books that had me gripped from the start. Life is good for the Crayce family until daughter Sienna is involved in a teenage prank. From there everything unravels until I had no idea how it could all be explained.. This is a great family drama involving police procedures following familial DNA evidence. I didn't want it to end , but it was a good ending.
Well done Susan for another great story. Highly recommended

This is a compelling read. It’s a bit of police procedural and mostly dramas unfolding within the tight family unit.. it has very likeable characters and was very well written so the storyline kept a steady pace to keep the reader engaged. Although I had an idea who the culprit was I wasn’t 100% sure so was intrigued to see if I was right. All in all a great read by this excellent author,

The Crayce family have it all. Their thriving business is set in an idyllic location, they are surrounded by close family and friends but most of all they have each other. But there are dark secrets lurking beneath the surface which threaten to destroy it all. A compelling read.

Wow! What can I say! I was invited to read this book but became hospitalised with covid for 10 days and couldn’t read or concentrate! As soon as I was home I started the lost hours as I’ve always been such a huge fan of Susan’s books and this one surpassed them all! A beautiful moorland setting,an extended generational family living and working in an establishment together that outwardly looks idyllic. Suddenly plunged into the worst nightmare imaginable from an incident that occurred over 20 years ago! Familiar DNA and all the repercussions that are associated with it turned the families lives into an unimaginable nightmare, the police procedures, reopening old cases and being reacquainted with familiar faces such as andee Lawrence makes for a fantastic, enthralling read that will grip you from start to finish! Would highly recommend to all!
Thank you net galley for this early read.

This is a solid read combing family drama with some police procedural thrown in. Mostly told from the perspective of Annie who has a very close family base, works with several of her family and lives near to them. Annie’s life is thrown into chaos when a teenage prank results in her daughter being arrested and in time her dna proves to be a familial match to a cold case murder meaning her husband, brother in law and father-in-law are all prime suspects. The drama is very well considered, the effect both on Annie and the rest of the family, the doubt, the loyalties being questioned and the pressure of just waiting for the damning dna evidence proving which of the males is the likely killer. On the flip side the police case was well handled with an interesting lead detective and her frustration with the handling of the original case. This was a great read, captivating and very easy to sympathise with Annie and the overall storyline proved quite disturbing.

I really enjoyed this! From start to finish, this was excellent. I loved the characters - Annie, David, Natalie, Andee, Julia, the parents, the children, etc. Really well thought-up and written. The pace and plot was excellent too - it never felt tedious or boring or predicable in any way. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone!

This is a really intriguing thriller, showing how the strands of family can be ripped apart when DNA is used to trace a killer from 20 years ago. Suspicion is thrown on the Crayce family after a moments stupidity by a younger member. Annie, wife of David, is convinced that her husband couldn’t possibly be guilty, he’s the father of her children and the love of her life, how could she not know if he’d done something like this. But with his background in the military, she starts to have small niggling doubts, trying to convince herself he’s innocent. It shows that no one can ever fully know what goes on in another’s mind. This is really well written, as you’d expect from Susan Lewis, as well as researched into what is still a relatively new area, DNA. They are all such individual characters, believable and in most cases likeable. The victims family are dealt with nicely, their love for their daughter shining through, despite things that were said about her flirtatious ways. It’s easy for the reader to think they’ve got the murderer sussed, and then you reach the unexpected ending. Definitely recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Another brilliant read from Susan Lewis. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although I did find the beginning with the introduction of so many characters and their convoluted relationships plus some who are probably only mentioned again once or twice, very confusing and somewhat dragged. Many twists and turns with an ending that was totally unexpected. Good characters who were well drawn with several undercurrents and subplots. Despite all the seriousness of the plot there are a few humourous gems hidden amongst the rest. An excellent thriller around a murder to get stuck into.

Great book that I really enjoyed and devoured in a couple of days. Like the plot and the characters and although I had my suspicions I didn't really work out who did the crime for sure. Would recommend.

. A young teenager found murdered, case unsolved. Two decades later a group of rowdy teenagers stupidly take part in a shoplifting episode resulting in a DNA match linking both incidents. The female officer charged with responsibility for investigating the cold case is new to the team, a stranger to the area and in the embarrassing position of identifying a sloppy investigation from a now retired officer . It is clear who are the family linked to the DNA , proving who carried out the murder is not so easy. Lies and deceptions compounded by the obscurity of memories and recollections going back twenty years require every ounce of skill and ingenuity not withstanding a troubled back story related to the investigating officer which could impact on her impartiality. The premise of this murder investigation linking modern scientific methods with the ease of IT highlighted the difference in policing over twenty years and what information is readily available in the 21 century including the speed news travels using social media. However what hasn’t changed over time is the wealthy family linked to the DNA match. The author has characterised them as rich, attractive, educated, successful with that inbred sense of enlightenment and refusal to believe they are judged by the same standards as other members of the community. Leading to the acknowledgment and common practice of introducing an influential law firm capable of securing an ironclad defence. and not guilty verdict. An enjoyable cleverly crafted and involved murder mystery with a satisfying if slightly far fetched conclusion although as the reader I had decided on the guilty party and possibly sour grapes on my part that I could have been so wrong. Many thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

A warm and loving family, what could possibly go wrong?
Susan Lewis is a master at taking you through a whole range of emotions and twists and turns. Who could of guessed at the ending, I certainly didn’t!
My only constructive criticism is that too many characters were introduced in the beginning, which I found confusing.
I enjoyed reading about this part of the country and catching up with Andee again.
I only live a couple of miles away from the Lady’s Wood Shooting School which was the inspiration for Hanley Combe, it was exciting to read that in the acknowledgments.
All in all, I highly recommend reading this book.

Well she's done it again! Another absolutely fantastic read which has pulled me into the pages and completely consumed me until I had read every last page.

I adore Susan's books, I know they will never disappoint and contain a gritty drama for me to figure out. I have loved this one, it has been unlike anything I've read previously. I thought I had it figured out but have been completely wrong.

Susan has built up each character in this book. They are unique, full of individual personality and relatable. I adore that we get to know them do well in this one.

This is so well written I feel as though I have been watching the events play out in front of me. I have loved everything about this book and cannot say anything negative. This might be my new favourite of Susan's books.

This has been completely different to anything I've read previously and I love how unique this book has been. This is definitely a book that will capture your attention and keep you wanting more.

This is a definite five star read, I have loved absolutely everything about this book. I'm so excited that I only need to wait until Autumn for Susan's next book. This is a must read and I'm sure will be a popular seller.

The latest multi-generational family drama / thriller from Susan Lewis has a twist near the end that the reader might not expect. This time the action is based around a shooting business on Exmoor, but only about 10 miles from Kesterly. It takes a while to work out who is who as there are two brothers, their wives (in one case a second wife), some parents and children who all seem to live in each other's pockets. The tension is well maintained and sympathies switch from one character to another as more about the present day and events 20 years previously are revealed. Atmospheric.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

I am a huge fan of Susan Lewis’ novels as they are extremely well written and intensely gripping, This one was no different. A brilliant story that kept me guessing right to the end!

Another hit for Susan Lewis!
David and Annie Crayce seem to have it all. Three children, a beautiful home, a successful shooting business and an enviable lifestyle. Following a police incident involving daughter Sienna, DNA is taken which links David to the murder of 17 year old Karen Lomax 20 years earlier. As police investigate the cold case Annie doesn’t doubt her husband’s innocence but her belief in him doesn’t stop the occasional fleeting thought of ‘could he have done it’. Familial DNA also means either David, his brother or his father are guilty which inevitably causes tension and friction within the wider family. Annie finds her diary from that year to try to find answers but a few hours are unaccounted for.
After a few chapters I thought I’d figured out ‘whodunnit’. I should have known better with a Susan Lewis read. Many twists and turns meant I was wrong. The mystery isn’t solved till the last chapter meaning I just couldn’t put it down!
Many thanks to Rachel Quin, HarperCollins and netgalley for the opportunity to read this fabulous book. I so enjoyed it

This is a captivating and intriguing read, you won't want to put it down. I love how the story wove itself around each chapter, at the end of the chapter it leaves you hanging, so I felt as though I had to read on. The storyline is a good one where you never really know what is going to happen and is full of mystery. David is suspected as the prime suspect of a murder that happened several years back, DNA evidence shows it, his wife can't believe her husband did it? but is David guilty or is someone else from his family guilty? webs of lies and betrayals surface to make one hell of a ride to find out who the murderer is. Will it be David? I think this is my most favourite of Susan's books yet. Though all of her books are brilliant.

A real mystery, in 1999 a young girl is found dead and the murderer never caught. Fast forward twenty years and a silly prank means that familial DNA links to this unsolved murder. Was it David, a loving husband, father and son who was responsible , it was his DNA. The unravelling of the story through the investigation brings in a character from ‘Forgive Me’. I had worked out the ending, but not until a few pages before the reveal. The author does a great job in writing likeable characters whom you want to be supporting and the emotional investment in the characters makes for a good read. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC, it gave me a very enjoyable weekend.