The Fear by C L Taylor

The Blurb

‘Claustrophobic and compelling’ KARIN SLAUGHTER ‘A rollercoaster with multiple twists’ DAILY MAIL ’A million dollar new story from a million selling author' SARAH PINBOROUGH

Sometimes your first love won’t let you go…

When Lou Wandsworth ran away to France with her teacher Mike Hughes, she thought he was the love of her life. But Mike wasn’t what he seemed and he left her life in pieces.

Now 32, Lou discovers that he is involved with teenager Chloe Meadows. Determined to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself, she returns home to confront him for the damage he’s caused.

But Mike is a predator of the worst kind, and as Lou tries to bring him to justice, it’s clear that she could once again become his prey…

The million copy Sunday Times bestseller returns with a gripping psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Praise for The Fear:

‘A skewering portrait of obsessive love and psychological manipulation, this book gets under the skin from the outset and won’t let you go until you’ve gasped at THAT ending. This is Taylor’s best book yet.’ CJ Cooke (author of I Know My Name)

‘Wow! Such a fast-paced, gripping, tense thriller. My heart was in my mouth at the end. Her best yet!’ Claire Douglas (author of Local Girl Missing)

About C L Taylor

C.L. Taylor lives in Bristol with her partner and young son. She is a three times Sunday Times bestseller and her books have hit the number one spots on Amazon, Kobo, iBooks and Google Play. Cally has a degree in Psychology, with particular interest in abnormal and criminal Psychology. She also loves knitting, Dr Who, Sherlock, Great British Bake Off and Margaret Atwood and blames Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected for her love of a dark tale. Her dark psychological thriller THE ACCIDENT was published in the UK by Avon HarperCollins in April 2014 and as BEFORE I WAKE in the US in June 2014 by Sourcebooks. Her second psychological thriller THE LIE was published in the UK in April 2015. It became a Sunday Times bestseller and hit the #1 slots on Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, Google Play and Sainsbury ebooks. THE LIE was published in the U.S. by Sourcebooks. CL's third psychological thriller THE MISSING was published in April 2016 and was another Sunday Times and ebook bestseller. THE MISSING was published in the U.S. by William Morrow in 2017. THE ESCAPE, her fourth psychological thriller, went to number 2 in the Sunday Times paperback chart in 2017 and won the Dead Good Books Most Unreliable Narrator award. Her fifth psychological thriller THE FEAR will be published on 22nd March 2018. THE TREATMENT, her Young Adult thriller, was the fastest selling UK YA debut of 2017. Her international bestselling romantic comedies (written as Cally Taylor), HEAVEN CAN WAIT and HOME FOR CHRISTMAS were both published by Orion in the UK. They have been translated into 14 different languages, and her debut was voted ‘Debut Novel of the Year’ by chicklitreviews.com and chicklitclub.com. In 2014 HOME FOR CHRISTMAS was made into a feature film by JumpStart Productions. For more information visit www.homeforchristmasfilm.com www.twitter.com/callytaylor www.instagram.com/CLTaylorAuthor www.facebook.com/CallyTaylorAuthor

My Review

I have read all of Callie Taylor's books to date and she just gets better and better. 'The Fear' is a story of a predatory man who preys on vulnerable young teenagers gaining their trust through his subtle grooming, having them believe he is the only person in their lives who treat them with respect... until it's too late. One such victim was Lou Wandsworth, who survived this experience at fourteen years old, and now eighteen years later, returns to Worcestershire to find that her nemesis Mike has not given up his old habits, despite a five year prison sentence, and has thirteen year old Chloe within his clutches. Add to the mix Wendy, the 'psychopathic' ex-wife of Mike who finds out about Lou's return to Worcestershire and maintains the belief that Lou had egged Mike on and subsequently ruined her life. The chapters alternately represent the POV of Lou, Wendy and Chloe, and it was a a strong powerful read that kept me gripped from beginning to end.