Deborah Twelves – Twenty Years A Stranger

‘Twenty Years a Stranger’ by Deborah Twelves is a debut novel that is based on true events. What a cracking debut it is!

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The plot centres on Grace King, married for twenty years to Daniel. She receives an email telling her that Daniel is a highly-skilled conman living multiple lives with at least four different women and even has children. This stuns Grace who has been told by Daniel he doesn’t want any children. That email blows her world apart in the time it takes to read the mail. Everything in her world is based in lies and deceit. Grace decides to find everything out for herself when Daniel begins to start talking about going bankrupt. She plans to try to save herself from financial and emotional ruin if she can. The only problem is will she be able to deal with the results of her own investigation? Sometimes maybe not knowing is an answer.

Before I give you my thoughts, I have to say that I really understood what Grace felt. This is a book that resonated with me so deeply I felt everything that Grace went through. I had a marriage for ten years and discovered after the fact it was all a sham and based in deceit and lies. My truth was and still is hard to face, so I applauded Grace every step of the way in her journey as her world fell at her feet. The question of how much do you really know a person, and how easily you can be fooled is brought in this emotive and powerful story and what you are capable of to break free of the sham you find yourself in.

The plot was so vivid for me I was engulfed in Grace’s world so quickly. Deborah Twelves has created characters that are so fully developed that they almost jump off the page to me. Daniel is the epitome of a cruel and disgusting man. His level of deceit and the web of lies he has carefully created are difficult to untangle and as complicated as his life.

A debut that is a dazzling one written so well with a cleverly crafted plot. I am hoping Deborah Twelves will bring us another book sometime soon as I love the way she brings such an emotive and enthralling read.

Thanks to Damp Pebbles Blog Tours and Deborah Twelves for the copy of the book for my review today.