Close Your Eyes

Product Information

Close Your Eyes is far more than only a police procedural novel. Whilst the intricacies of the investigation are very well portrayed and the reader learns a lot about the team work involved, it is the sub-plot concerning Martha that really drives the story. Martha is a complicated character. The telling of her story unfolds throughout the book, little by little. Quite the enigma, Tom Douglas seems not to know what to make of her.

Right Behind You is the 9th book in the DCI Tom Douglas series and Rachel Abbott is amongst a small handful of authors that I would read without even glancing at the blurb! Abbott isn't afraid to write about controversial topics - a previous book referenced a pedophile ring; this particular book explores the effects and consequences of cults and it is a hugely intriguing and engaging topic that is sensitively and realistically handled. P. S. Aš vis dar nesuprantu, kaip kiti žmonės, taip lengvai pasiduoda ir greit įsitraukia į sektas? Na, paaiškinkit jūs man, kaip??? Nobody can understand why Genevieve Strachan would leave her home, late at night, wearing high heels, and end up battered and stabbed. Murdered just minutes away from her own front door, with no clue as to why.

Summary

This was such a pacy and an addictive read. As soon as Martha flees the premises, I wanted to know what prompted her to do so. What was it that she didn’t want the police to know? I absolutely loved this premise, and it kept me asking what was really going on here. Jo was a brilliant character who I took to immediately. Her increasing panic as she realised things weren’t quite as she had thought was perfectly delivered by the slow unraveling of the secrets that undermine her relationship with Ash and her confusion about why her best friend was so obviously lying to her. Jo felt realistic and her actions matched the personality that was portrayed throughout the narrative, even if I wanted to scream and shout at her not to do half the things she went ahead with! But a mothers determination can’t be shelved when her child is in danger and I knew she would do everything in her power to keep her child safe.

There are the author's trademark twists and turns which make for a highly entertaining read. The characters are very authentic, I really liked Martha and thoroughly disliked a number of the others. It is testament to Rachel's writing that I felt so strongly about the individuals. There is a very important Author's Note at the end. I found the information extremely accurate and it shows Rachel Abbott did her due diligence properly researching the topic. In Close Your Eyes, the body of the wife of an up and coming businessman is found not far from their home. Her husband has set up a company that is currently developing an app that can accurately predict what will happen in your day. But what is really going on here? When Tom Douglas and his team arrive at the offices, a young woman, Martha Porter, flees, hoping to avoid speaking to the police. But why does she run? Has she got something to do with the murder? And what is the connection between what is happening now and a cult formed twenty-odd years earlier? All of these books work exceptionally well as standalones and if you haven’t read any yet, you really should – I always start a series at the beginning and thoroughly recommend all 9 books.

Customer reviews

It’s always a highlight of my year when a new book by Rachel Abbott is published but even more of a thrill when it’s a new Tom Douglas book! This is the 8th books in the DCI Tom Douglas series and it’s just as brilliant as ever! I am probably a little bit in love with the Manchester detective but that doesn’t distract me from the twisty cases he has to solve, especially when they hit a little bit too close to home for Tom. This is the ninth in the Tom Douglas series but it can be easily read as a standalone. I really recommend it.