The Life I Left Behind

The Life I Left Behind by Colette McBeth

Publisher: Minotaur Books

February 2015

ISBN: 9781250041227

Pages: 304

Contemporary, Mystery, Romantic Elements

England

Melody Pieterson was attacked and left for dead six years ago.  A dog walker is the only reason she is still alive.  David Alden was Melody’s friend and neighbor.  He was also the one convicted of her attack and imprisoned.  With David’s betrayal of their friendship Melody found it hard to trust her own judgment.  Melody became a different person. She also no longer trusted her friends to the point she no longer really has any friends.  She has cloistered herself away behind walls, gates and security codes. This is now her life.

Soon after David is released from prison another woman, Eve Elliot, is attacked almost exactly as Melody was but this time Eve is murdered.  Now Melody’s neat ordered secluded life is turned upside down.  She is now forced back into the messy world with the new police investigation.  The more Melody learns about Eve’s death the more she wonders if David was ever guilty of her attack.  Perhaps David never did betray her after all.  Perhaps it was someone else entirely. Someone that has been out there all along and just might be prepared to strike again.

This is a mystery that is told well with a great deal of suspense threaded throughout the book.  It is narrated alternately by Melody and Eve’s ghost.  With each clue that is revealed it will have readers guessing just who is doing what.  Also as readers think they have the answer another clue is revealed that will have readers wondering if they know the truth or not.  This makes for a book that proves hard to put down as readers will want to know the answers. Nothing is as it seems with this one. For readers that love mysteries this is definitely one to put on the must read list.

Received a review copy

I give this one 4-1/2 red roses

LRH