The Queen of grip-lit is back...
When a burned body is found in a disused signal box, suspicion falls on lonely teenager Gabriel Webb. There's no doubt he was at the scene of the crime, but does he really deserve what awaits him in prison?
DS Imogen Grey is certain there's more to the case than meets the eye. But while she struggles to convince those around her of the truth, her partner DS Adrian Miles is distracted by his own demons.
When a brutal double murder is reported, their investigation is stopped in its tracks. Is the body in the box even who they thought it was? The duo realise Gabriel might have been locked up for a crime he didn't commit. But with enemies watching Gabriel's every move, they may be too late.
Miles and Grey are back in the thrilling new novel from bestselling author Katerina Diamond, perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter and M.J. Arlidge.
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780008209131
ISBN: 9780008209131
Katerina has shared with me a great guest post, with a hard hitting subject matter, entitled 'Why no one should just accept casual sexual assault' ......
Today I want to talk about something a
bit more serious. Casual sexual assault. The one we all accept and just ignore
as ‘part of life’. The recent case involving Taylor Swift is a perfect example
of casual sexual assault. So, she is posing n a photo with a man and he takes
it upon himself to put his hand up her skirt and touch her backside. He lost
his job and there has been some suing and counter suing. Taylor Swift won in
the end though and was awarded a dollar, which was all she asked for. I’ve
heard people saying that she is making a big deal out of nothing, and he
shouldn’t have lost his job over it. I tell you what he shouldn’t have done, he
shouldn’t have put his hands up her skirt without her permission. Maybe going
to court over it is a big deal, but isn’t sexual assault a big deal? I expect
every woman I know has a story similar to this one, I have a few of my own.
I asked my friends on Facebook, the
response I got was overwhelming, including people asking to email me about
their experiences and people inboxing me with stories. None of them were
particularly harrowing, although quite surprising in their volume. I did have
one female friend who was maced after refusing a man’s advances! I’m not for a
moment trying to imply this kind of thing doesn’t happen to men. It may happen
to some men, but for women it is just a part of life. Most of my male friends
were completely shocked by the sheer volume of response that I got, they had
not realised that it was so endemic. They hadn’t realised of course because it’s
not something they would ever do, because it’s not something a decent person
does. However, it was suggested by one of my (male) acquaintances that this new
ruling makes life harder for young men trying to woo a lady. Well I’ve got news
for you buddy, you’re doing it wrong.
As I get older it becomes less of a
problem but it still happens. I remember going to a concert in Exeter when I
was in my twenties and a man behind me took it upon himself to put his hands up
my shirt, I was wearing a bra but he just kept his hands on my breasts for the
entirety of a song and I did nothing about it because I didn’t want to cause a
scene. When I first started dating my husband we were in a pub and a man was
sat on a stool behind me, he slid his hand in between the top of my thighs,
grabbing me momentarily. I had trousers on and it was over very quickly but it
was upsetting and quite a shock at the time. I mean, what on earth would possess
a person to do something like that? Is that kind of behaviour ever greeted with
anything other than anger or fear? What exactly was the end game? I genuinely can’t even remember all of the little incidents
like this that have happened in my life, but there are many many more.
Instead of just brushing these things
off as something that happens, we need to make sure everyone knows that it’s
not OK. How many young women will put up with that kind of behaviour in the
future? Either because they don’t want to make a fuss or because they genuinely
don’t want a confrontation. One of the reasons sexual assaults often feature in
my books is because of how rife it is. I have friends from all walks of life
who have experienced anything from a jokey grope in the street to violent sexual
assault and its about time we let people know that neither of these things are
acceptable.
I really enjoyed The Angel and although the story line is hard hitting and at times uncomfortable, it is a fantastic read and one which is going to start conversations on a topic which can, in everyday life, be easily swept under the carpet.
Thank you to Avon and Katerina for inviting me to take part in this blog tour.
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