Dare To Remember by Susanna Beard #BlogTour @SusannaBeard25 @Legend_Press

Reeling from a brutal attack that leaves her best friend dead and her badly injured, Lisa Fulbrook flees to the countryside to recuperate. With only vague memories of the event, she isolates herself from her friends and family, content to spend her days wandering the hills with her dog, Riley.

However, Lisa is soon plagued, not only by vivid flashbacks, but questions, too: how did their assailant know them? Why were they attacked? And what really happened that night?

As she desperately tries to piece together the memories, Lisa realises that there's another truth still hidden to her, a truth she can't escape from. A truth that may have been right in front of her all along.

Dare To Remember by Susanna Beard was published on 1 February 2017 by Legend Press and is the author's debut novel.

I'm delighted to be hosting the Blog Tour for Dare To Remember here on Random Things today. Legend Press is a small independent publisher that continue to discover excellent new authors and Susanna Beard is a welcome addition to their list.

Billed as a page-turning thriller, Dare To Remember is one of those books that keep you reading until late into the night. For me, it is more of a suspense drama than a thriller, but it certainly is full of twists and turns, with a story line that is incredibly well paced.

Lead character Lisa is living a solitary life in a remote cottage in the country. She's suffered trauma and tragedy over the past months and hiding herself away is her only way of coping. However, she's not really coping very well. Her memory of the night when her best friend was murdered in front of her, and she herself was left badly injured is patchy, but there are flashes here and there. Memories make their way back to her, but she can't quite hold on to them. It's as though they are dangled in front of her, only to be snatched away just as she reaches for them.

Despite her determination to hide away, Lisa's good heart means that she soon becomes involved with her elderly neighbour and his dog Riley. In fact, Riley becomes her loyal and ever present companion as she walks for miles, contemplating her future, and her past. She also befriends a woman in the village who has her own demons to contend with.

Susanna Beard writes with confidence and grace. Her characters are vibrant and incredibly realistic. Lisa's sessions with her psychotherapist create another layer to this clever and very compassionate story.

At times unsettling, but utterly compelling. Dare To Remember is an intriguing and imaginative novel. Recommended by me.

My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.

Susanna Beard was part of the 2015 Faber Academy Anthology.
She studied Linguistics before embarking on a career in PR and marketing. She has helped a multitude of clients promote everything from tourist destinations to Californian wine to cuddly toys.
This is her first novel.

Find out more at www.susannabeard.com 
Find her Author page on Facebook
Follow her on Twitter @SusannaBeard25 

Follow