The Long Fall By Julia Crouch

[amazon_link id=”1472207203″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]’The Long Fall’ is the latest book by Julia Crouch.

How far would you go to protect your secrets?

Greece, 1980. Emma takes part in a shattering, violent event. An event to which she is anything but an innocent bystander. She is only eighteen, but this marks her fall from innocence. It will haunt her for the rest of her life.

London, now. Kate has the perfect existence: a glossy image, a glamorous home, a perfect family. But there are cracks.All is not what it seems. And now the two worlds are about to collide. Somebody’s out for revenge. Someone who has been waiting thirty years…

‘The Long Fall’ is an intense book that hooks the reader into the dark and hot world from the first page. Written in both the past and present tense, the story reflects on the lives on Emma and Kate.

The past tense of the story is written in 1980, through a series of diary entries as our young heroine, Emma takes herself away to Europe on a travelling adventure before she starts university. Emma is a quiet and studious young girl who is excited about travelling to far off lands, meeting new people and trying new food. But, unfortunately the trip doesn’t go to plan as a young woman travelling alone is vulnerable and with leering men constantly after her, she is victim to a sexual attack turning Emma’s independent holiday into a nightmare. But fortunately, safety and friendship come in the form of two American students Jake and Beattie. Two strangers who have a strange dislike towards each other but their bond for Emma keeps them together. Partying with drinks and drugs, Emma finds falling herself for Jake, a sweet boy with a quick temper who doesn’t seem to enjoy sharing Emma with Beattie. Beattie is an aspiring actress with a gift for accents and a love for danger. Together, the three of them discover a mysterious Greek Island when tragedy strikes one day changing their lives forever.

Fast forward to London, 2013 and Kate is a professional woman, married to Mark, they have one daughter Tilly. Kate is the face of Martha’s Wish, a charity she set up in memory of her dead daughter, Martha. To the outside world, she is calm and sophisticated, but behind closed doors she’s a nervous wreck, battling eating disorders and drink issues. She stresses about everything particularly when Tilly announces that she is going to go travelling, terrified that something will happen to her, she tries to talk her out of it but Tilly is determined and refuses to be swayed. Primarily sad from the loss of her little girl, Kate resides in a house of sadness and a shrine to Martha, her room never touched is a constant reminder of her death. Kate’s battle with her demons also affects her relationship with her husband and through the story, we see bond between the two of them drift further apart.

But when Kate’s past is dragged up and the life that she has so carefully hidden could potentially be exposed. Riddled with guilt over the incident that happened years ago and unable to make amends for that fateful day, she seeks solace in the charity as a form of redemption.

A chilling and dark story, ‘The Long Fall’ is another gripping read from Julia, filled with suspense and twists. This book has a far from unpredictable ending and proves no matter how much you try, your past will aways find you.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”1472207203″ target=”_blank” ]The Long Fall from Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.