The Dare by Lesley Kara Blog Tour

 One of my favourite genres to read are thrillers.

The twists, the turns, the tantalising intensity that authors can build within theses stories is utterly compelling. 

One author that manages to hold me in suspense is Lesley Kara, no wonder she's already had a best-seller with her novel the rumour and now she's back to captivate us again with her new book the dare.

I was gifted a copy of this latest story so that I could join the blog tour....

When teenage friends Lizzie and Alice decide to head off for a walk in the countryside, they are blissfully unaware that this will be their final day together – and that only Lizzie will come back alive.

Lizzie has no memory of what happened in the moments before Alice died, she only knows that it must have been a tragic accident. But as she tries to cope with her grief, she is shocked to find herself alienated from Alice’s friends and relatives. They are convinced she somehow had a part to play in her friend’s death.

Twelve years later, unpacking boxes in the new home she shares with her fiancé, Lizzie is horrified to find traumatic memories and paranoia suddenly surfacing. Is the trauma of the accident finally catching up with her, or could someone be trying to threaten her new-found happiness?

This is a story about friendship, love and jealousy.

Lizzie and Alice have been friends for a long time. Alice, who is the typical popular girl and Lizzie, who suffers from epilepsy. An unlikely duo but that if anything makes their friendship stronger.

Now at thirteen years old, the girls have from the outside what looks like a special bond, always looking out for one another. Yes they argue but they always make up in the end. But one day an argument ends in tragedy when Lizzie wakes up next to train tracks after an epileptic fit, only to find Alice dead.

With no recollection of what's happened, Lizzie is blamed by many for Alice's death. And although in her heart she knows she didn't do it, she can't help but carry around a huge amount of guilt for the loss of her friend.

As a child, it was just a game. As an adult, it was a living nightmare.

Twelve years later and the past seems to be haunting Lizzie. Now free from seizures (for over two years), pregnant and living with her fiance Ross, old memories are beginning to surface. Why now? What good can come of thinking about things now?

Past and present collide when Alice's sister Catherine comes back into her life. She's the new practice nurse at Ross's GP surgery. Coincidence? Maybe. But as the reader I definitely suspected there was something more sinister behind her reappearance.

Twelve years is a long time to wait, when you’re planning the perfect revenge . . .

Told from dual points of view and broken down into three parts, each one giving us glimpses into the past and present, this is a story that will make your head spin.

I read the dare in under three hours. The need to know just how it would end was strong. And with all the twists and turns, I could have never of guessed those last few words. In my head I screamed nnnnoooooo. Well played Lesley, well played.

The character that had me on the edge of my seat was Ross. Complicated was how I'd describe him. With each part of the book, my mind changed and my feelings towards him differed. Clever writing as I think it took my focus away from guessing just where the plot was leading.

THE TWISTY NEW THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE RUMOUR

Mystery and manipulation make this book what it is.

My only complaint is that  the last part of the book seemed to rush by. I wanted a bit more from the confrontation at the end, a bigger explosion as the answers to my questions became clear.

Over all the dare is a insanely, intriguing. Brilliant character development and great use of varying timelines all move towards a satisfying conclusion. Lesley is an author that knows how to draw in her audience.

For more reviews and thoughts on the dare make sure to follow the rest of the blog tour: