Wednesday 8 January 2020

I Could Be You - Sheila Bugler


New book by Sheila Bugler, released by Canelo Press


Established author Sheila Bugler is back with a novel featuring the tenacious journalist, Dee Doran. Dee is a rebel at heart, nursing her wounds following a shaky divorce from her now ex-husband, she lives on the south coast not far from Eastbourne.

A few cottages down is her tenant, Katie, who lives with her young son Jake. They have a nice relationship, calling in on each other and while Katie is very young, Dee offers maternal support to both the mother and young boy - until Katie is killed in a hit and run accident and Jake disappears also.

As Dee helps police with their enquiries, her investigative juices start flowing again and she starts delving more into the back story of Katie and the deeper she goes into the back story the more secrets are revealed.

Bugler utilises a dual narrative scheme, with the story of both Dee's investigation going hand in hand with Katie's story from years before which takes place in South East London. Katie was brought up in a pub with her Dad, when she started to take a shine to a certain boy the story starts to unravel for her.

As a reader of Fiona Barton's The Child, this is similar territory with a combative female protagonist who gives as good as she gets and has her own demons to combat in terms of alcohol dependency. Bugler does really well to create these two different environments that the action takes place and in two different time periods - you can feel the wind buffeting off the south coast to her beach house and the grim of the London pub scene.

A book that takes a while to get started but once you dip your toe in the benefits pay off come the conclusion which is both satisfying and pleasing.

I Could Be You is out on 23rd January from Canelo and available on Kindle.

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