CHASING THE TRAVELLER #BlogTour #Review @nholten40 @AlexKaneWriter

Eeeeeeek! I am SUPER excited to be kicking off Alex Kane’s debut psychological / domestic noir thriller: Chasing the Traveller! I had the HUGE honour of beta reading this bad-boy last year, so really feel proud and super excited for Alex today! My thanks to the author for an ARC.

Right, let’s get down to business and find out more about the author and this book!

About the Author

Alex Kane is from Glasgow and writes psychological thrillers. Her newest novel, set to be released late 2017 is set in several towns and villages in and around Glasgow, most of which she is familiar with. She loves to read whenever she can and her favourite genre is psychological thriller and crime. She loves something that will get under her skin and make her think about the story long after she has finished it. Inspirations are BA Paris, Lisa Hall and Paula Hawkins. Alex is currently working on her new novel.

About the Book

‘I’ve fled from my husband and the only life I’ve ever known. I’m terrified that if he finds me, I’ll never find myself.’

Kat is trapped in a world she has never felt like she belonged. As a traveller, she has always felt lost, especially since the death of her parents in a fire when she was fourteen years old. The Denton family take Kat on as their own and she falls in love with teenage tearaway, Jimmy Denton. His charm soon wears off and Kat finds herself married to a controlling and violent thug.

Sixteen years later, Kat decides enough is enough and finds herself plotting her escape from a lifetime of abuse.

Stripped of her personality, Kat has no idea how to start again. An unlikely source otherwise known as Ellie Denton, shows Kat that she is not alone in her fears and plots to escape with her, where they will face new challenges together.

Kat and Ellie Denton begin their venture into the world of normality, where they will meet new people and build new lives. But Kat still feels like she has a lot of digging to do about her parents past and when she seeks the location of an address on the back of a family photograph, Kat will begin to discover her family’s past and a revelation that will lead Kat back to the traveller site she had been so desperate to escape from.

Will she find the answers she is looking for, or will she fall prey to the violent Jimmy Denton once more?

My Rating: 5/5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Review:

The story begins on a traveller’s site in Scotland and jumps between this and Glasgow/ surrounding areas throughout. The reader is faced with some hard-hitting and emotional themes such as betrayal; loss; survival; protecting those you love; hope; discovery; trust; donestic abuse; relationships; recovery; power & control; manipulation and new beginnings.

Wow! Talk about grabbing your reader by the throat with a prologue that has you holding your breath whilst fighting back the anger and tears! The writing is edgy, focussed and full of suspense as the build up is gradually placed before us and we are invited to join Kat on her journey of discovery and survival. Told in the third person POV you get a rounded look at all the action and various perspectives of the characters as well as insight into the travelling community. I also loved the letters we come across throughout that deliver pieces of Kat’s past until all is revealed!

This story is littered with some interesting characters, but I will only touch upon a few so as not to spoil anything for other readers. The main character, Kat has suffered years of horrendous domestic abuse on all levels imaginable. Something finally snaps (no spoilers) and she realises she cannot stay in her marriage any longer. She is vulnerable, constantly looking over her shoulder but has a fiesty and fierce determination to survive.

Jimmy Denton – Kat’s husband …what an arsehole! There is absolutely nothing likeable about this guy! He is the epitome of a domestic abuser: full of charm initially, a master manipulator but evil to the core underneath it all. He objectifies Kat, believing he owns her and puts her through physical, emotional and every other level of abuse imaginable. Would I like to have seen him get his comeuppance? Absofrigginlutely! Would I like to have delivered a few blows myself? Damn right, I would! Does this happen? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

Ellie was another interesting character. Kat finds an ally in Ellie but I initially was wary of her. What we learn is that despite her mean, hard exterior, Ellie is also a vulnerable and misread/misunderstood young lady full of her own demons and fears. I loved everything about her, once the layers were peeled back and we saw her for who she really was!

Seb was another character I enjoyed. A counsellor who helps Kat piece her past together and draw strength from within. He allows Kat to do all the work as he understands and empathises with her.

There are so many more characters I could go on about, but you really do need to discover them for yourself as each delivers a different feel to the story as it unfolds.

Would I recommend this book? OMFG! Absolutely I would! There are twists, suspense and a very emotive but riveting storyline to keep you hooked and turning the pages! Once you start your journey with Kat, you will not want to stop! A massive *well done* Alex Kane – I am certainly keeping my eye out for what you have in store for us readers next!