Written by Deirdre Palmer
Sometimes the lie is safer than the truth.
Fran made the biggest mistake of her life when she had an affair with Ben. Both families live in the village of Oakheart; their children are friends. Fran’s guilt shadows her days. But it’s no more than she deserves, or is it? At least she’s managed to protect her husband, Hector, from the harsh truth.
But for how long?
Tessa has left her troubles in the past and now has the perfect life. Ben might have his faults, but his life has not been easy. They need each other, and Tessa will do whatever it takes to eliminate any threats to her marriage.
Threats from women like Fran.
A cliff overlooks a disused chalk-pit. The locals call it High Heaven. It’s a place of secrets. And it’s where Oakheart newcomer Maria died. When Fran discovers a link between Maria and Ben, disturbing questions arise to which she has no way of knowing the answers.
Faced with an ultimatum from Tessa, time is running out for Fran. She’s scared, every minute of every day.
But where does the real danger lie?
Utterly Captivating! 
I have no idea what Deirdre Palmer’s other novels are like but this, her first psychological suspense, is a stunning read!
Fran loves her husband and their three girls; she’s not really sure why she had an affair with Ben, but that short time in her life has come back to haunt her. With no one else in the know except herself and Ben, she has managed to keep it from her husband Hector for which she is so very grateful. Living in the same village, it is a shock when Tessa, Ben’s wife, finds out who her husband had his latest dalliance with .. but Tessa won’t let anyone interfere in her marriage. When Fran discovers that she wasn’t Ben’s first extra-marital liaison, it confirms her suspicions but she is shocked to find out that his previous lover, Maria, is now dead. As Tessa makes it clear that she has her in her sights, Fran begins to fear the future . . .
Wow! This is utterly captivating and not a novel which I will not forget in a hurry. Superbly written, extremely well plotted and carrying a hint of threat throughout, I was in it’s grip all the way through and the surprises don’t stop coming until the very final page. Beautifully structured and attention-grabbing, this should propel the author to a place of note. I loved it and it deserves no less than five shining, glowing stars and Deirdre Palmer is definitely an author on my watch list!
My thanks to publishers Crooked Cat / Darkstroke Books for my copy and to Rachel’s Random Resources for my place in this blog tour. As always, all opinions are both entirely honest and completely my own.
Tags: psychological suspense
- Format: ebook, paperback
- Size: 249 pages
- Publisher: Crooked Cat / Darkstroke Books
- Publication Date: 22 October 2019
- Purchase Links: amazon uk
- amazon us
Author Bio
I live in Brighton with my husband and a tabby cat called Chester. After a career in public sector admin, most recently at the University of Brighton, it was time to stop dreaming about being a writer and actually do something about it! Fast forward to the present, and now I’m both traditionally published and self-published, with five women’s fiction novels under my own name, and five ‘cosy’ reads, writing as Zara Thorne. I’ve also published a book of short stories, most of which were previously published in The People’s Friend magazine. ‘The Wife’s Revenge’ is my first foray into the psychological suspense genre.
Social Media
Website: deirdrepalmer.com
Twitter: @DLPalmer_Writer
Facebook: @deidre.palmer.735
Grace J Reviewerlady 