Laura Elliot
Previous Books
The Thorn Girl
2019
On a cool April evening, fifteen-year-old Marianne lays out a rug on the stone floor of an abandoned cottage and waits for her boyfriend Shane. Her mother does not know she is missing.
Shane will never arrive, and by the end of the night, Marianne’s life will be shattered into a million pieces.
Years later, in a dimly lit attic, Adele stumbles across the secret diary of the mother she has never met, and a shocking account of a crime committed twenty-five years ago.
Returning to the last place her mother was seen alive, Adele’s arrival and the diary spread like wildfire amongst the small close-knit community. Old memories are stirring up fresh wounds.
No-one wants the truth of what happened that cool Spring evening ever to be told.
And the deeper Adele digs, the more lies she uncovers.
Adele knows Shane is innocent. The question is, can she find those responsible before they silence her?
A heart-stopping, intense and emotionally engrossing read that will keep you compulsively turning the pages late into the night. If you read one book this year, make it The Thorn Girl.
This book was previously published as In My Mother’s Name.
Guilty is one gripping psychological thriller with a well-constructed plot and realistic and believable characters…Incredibly thought-provoking, it'll make you question everything - Novel Deelights
To read a sample chapter click 'Look Inside' on either Amazon link below.
THE SILENT HOUSE
2021
In the small hours of a cold winter morning, charcoal grey clouds gather in the sky over Hyland Hall where a young teenage girl is about to make an emergency call to say her life is in danger …
With her marriage in pieces and desperate to find work and a new home for her and her daughters, Isobel and Julie, Sophy accepts a job as a live-in nurse for Jack Hyland.
Once a magnificent house, Hyland Hall has fallen into disrepair and its owner, Jack, disfigured in a terrible fire that broke out on the property years ago, is now a recluse.
As Sophy’s daughters struggle to adjust to their new surroundings, exploring every forbidden corner of the house, Sophy does her best to care for Jack and her broken family.
But Jack has secrets of his own and Sophy’s arrival is about to set in motion a chain of events that will uncover the devastating truth of Hyland Hall’s past. A truth that will put her daughters in harm’s way.
An intense and emotionally engrossing read that will keep you compulsively turning the pages late into the night. If you read one book this year, make it The Silent House.
‘…Captivating and all-consuming...reminiscent of V.C. Andrews with all the twisted creepiness of a Ruth Ware thriller, I was reminded of both as I devoured this atmospheric tale. A page-turning atmospheric thriller with twists and reveals…An addictive read that will appeal to both fans of spooky reads and psychological thrillers.’ Confessions of a Bookaholic
To read a sample chapter click 'Look Inside' on either Amazon link below.
THE PRODIGAL SISTER
(also published as THE LOST SISTER)
2009
When 15-year-old Cathy Lambert runs away from home, she is scared and pregnant. Settled in New Zealand with her son Conor she believes the secret she carries will never be revealed… Rebecca Lambert was eighteen when her parents died and she took responsibility for her younger sisters. Years later, she is haunted by fears she hoped she’d conquered. Freed from family duties, mother of three Julie Chambers is determined to recapture the dreams of her youth. Married to a possessive older man, Lauren Moran embarks on a frantic love affair that threatens to destabilise her fragile world. Anxious to make peace with her three sisters, Cathy invites them to her wedding. As the women journey towards their reunion, they are forced to confront the past as the secret shared histories of the Lambert sisters are revealed. Accompany the Lambert sisters on their unforgettable journey through the magnificent South Island of New Zealand.
The wonderful New Zealand settings and characters make for a good holiday read - The Western Mail
To read a sample chapter click 'Look Inside' on either Amazon link below.
STOLEN CHILD
2010
Two families torn apart by an act that will shape their futures forever… When Carla Kelly and Robert Gardner marry, they seem destined for happiness. But tragedy strikes when their four-day-old baby, Isobel is stolen. Distraught, they must cope with the media frenzy that follows at the same time as searching for their precious child. As the years pass, hope dwindles – but for the stolen child, secrets long hidden will be uncovered and brought into the light.
A bittersweet tale of love and heartache - Evening Echo
To read a sample chapter click 'Look Inside' on either Amazon link below.
FRAGILE LIES
2015 (ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AS DECEPTIONS)
His name is Michael Carmody. He is a writer and a father. His son is lying in a coma, fighting for his life. Her name is Lorraine Cheevers. She is an artist and mother. An illicit affair has destroyed her marriage. Michael is desperate to find the couple who left his son for dead, a victim of a hit and run. Lorraine is desperate to start a new life for her and her daughter. Michael and Lorraine are about to cross paths – damaged souls, drawn to one another. They don’t know that their lives are already connected. They don’t know the web of lies surrounding them. They are each searching for the truth. But when they find it, it could destroy them both.
A gripping tale of adultery and illusion - Evening Herald
To read a sample chapter click 'Look Inside' on either Amazon link below.
THE BETRAYAL
2015
To read a sample chapter click 'Look Inside' on either Amazon link below.
A perfect divorce. A new flame. And a deadly obsession. Nadine and Jake Saunders were married in their teens. Tied to one another by a night of passion that resulted in a pregnancy neither could turn away from. Now, years later, their children have all flown the nest and the pact they made as teenagers - to give one another the freedom to pursue their own dreams - has resurfaced. But freedom comes at a price ... While Nadine and Jake begin to untangle their lives from one another, Jake embarks on a passionate affair with a beautiful woman, Karin Moyes. What he doesn't know is the dark history Karin shares with Nadine. As lust spirals into dangerous obsession, Jake must break free from Karin. But he must also ask himself how well he ever really knew Nadine. What secret is she hiding? The truth, when it is revealed, could destroy them all.
If you devoured Girl on the Train, The Husband's Secret and Gone Girl then make sure THIS is the book you pick up next.
'A gripping tale of adultery and illusion.' Evening Herald
'My emotions were in overdrive...absolutely gripping - one of my best reads of the year so far.' Literary Lightbox
'The storyline had me hooked from the start... breathtaking. My emotions were all over the place and even now writing this my heart is beating ten to the dozen. An absolute must read and I will certainly be reading more by this author.' By the Letter Book Reviews
'Entertaining and highly thought-provoking.' Closer Magazine
'A psychological thriller that will draw you in and won't let you go until the end.' A Novel Mama
'Dealing with passion, adultery, deception and tragedy, and how the past has a way of creeping up on you...a really intriguing page-turner with a surprising twist.' Evening Echo
SLEEP SISTER
2016 (ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AS WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS)
Two childhoods destroyed. One story they will never tell. Until now. Beth ran away from her family when she was a teenager. She left behind a terrible evil that took her innocence. She also left behind her sister, Sara. When Beth returns home, she is shocked to discover her terrible secret is not just hers alone...she shares it with Sara. Under the shadow of a remote headland, the sisters make an oath they promise never to break. Eva's birth is a mystery that remains unsolved. Years later with her marriage in ruins, and her future uncertain, she realizes that to move forward with her life, she must first understand her past. But while Eva is drawing closer to the truth about her roots, Beth and Sara's lives are falling apart, crushed under the weight of the secret they carry. They must confront the past and face the darkness once more. But this time, their story will be heard.
From the bestselling author of The Betrayal, Stolen Child and Fragile Lies, comes a breathtakingly tense and emotional story of the fierce bond between sisters, and a family destroyed by a disturbing secret.
'My emotions were in overdrive...absolutely gripping - one of my best reads of the year so far.' Literary Lightbox
'Entertaining and highly thought-provoking.' Closer Magazine
To read a sample chapter click 'Look Inside' on either Amazon link below.
THE WIFE BEFORE ME
2018
One evening as the sun is setting, Amelia Madison’s car slides into the sea off Mason’s Pier. Her body is never found.
Two years later, Elena Langdon meets Nicholas Madison. She is grieving the loss of her mother, he is grieving for his wife. Together they can help each other.
Now Elena is living with Nicholas. But Elena doesn’t really know him. She doesn’t know what he is capable of.
And she doesn’t know what really happened to Amelia.
Until the day she discovers the torn page of a letter and the words she reads chill her to the bone.
Elena must find the person who wrote these letters if she is to save herself.
A totally breathtaking page-turner about the darker side of love and what really goes on behind closed doors. This book will have you gripped from the very first page until the dramatic final twist
Wow! What a novel! If you read only one suspense book this year, make sure it’s The Wife Before Me. Electrifying, tautly written, and heart-stopping… It was so real, so powerful, I had to put it down a few times and walk away to let my emotions settle - NetGalley
To read a sample chapter click 'Look Inside' on either Amazon link below.
GUILTY
2017
It begins with a phone call. It ends with a missing child.
On a warm summer’s morning, thirteen-year-old school girl Constance Lawson is reported missing.
A few days later, Constance’s uncle, Karl Lawson, suddenly finds himself swept up in a media frenzy created by journalist Amanda Bowe implying that he is the prime suspect.
Six years later …
Karl’s life is in ruins. His marriage is over, his family destroyed. But the woman who took everything away from him is thriving. With a successful career, husband and a gorgeous baby boy, Amanda’s world is complete. Until the day she receives a phone call and in a heartbeat, she is plunged into every mother’s worst nightmare.
An utterly compelling psychological thriller that will keep you guessing to the very last page. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and Sarah A. Denzil’s Silent Child
Guilty is one gripping psychological thriller with a well-constructed plot and realistic and believable characters…Incredibly thought-provoking, it'll make you question everything - Novel Deelights
To read a sample chapter click 'Look Inside' on either Amazon link below.