By: Sibel Hodge ASIN: B01GHALZ8M Publisher: Wonder Woman Publication Date: 7/18/2016 Format: e-book My Rating: 5 Stars A Conspiracy. A cover-up. And a whistle-blower who knows too much. You think you know who to trust? You're wrong. And the truth may kill you…
Untouchable is a chillingly dark psychological thriller from the No 1 Bestselling Author of Look Behind You.
~~ Inspired by real UK police investigations, this book contains scenes which some readers may find disturbing ~~
It's Maya and Jamie's anniversary, and she waits with excitement for him to return home for a celebratory dinner. There's a knock at the door. It's the police. Jamie has been found hanging in a local wood. His death is ruled a suicide, but Maya doesn't believe Jamie would take his own life. Something isn't right. Someone has broken into her house. Someone is watching her. And someone has gone to great lengths to cover up what Jamie was doing before he died. Maya's grief turns to suspicion, and as she begins to investigate the weeks leading up to Jamie's death, her trail leads her to a place known as "The Big House" and the horrific secrets within. Secrets people will stop at nothing to keep hidden. People linked to the heart of the Establishment who think they're untouchable. Now Maya has a dangerous decision to make. How far is she prepared to go to reveal the truth?
My Review
A special thank you to Wonder Women Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Talented author, Sibel Hodge returns following the suspenseful Where the Memories Lie (2015), with the highly-charged, psychological thriller, UNTOUCHABLE .
A highly emotional book of child abuse, murder, torture, and rape. The hi-profile, officials, influential men- the rich and powerful misuse their authority in unspeakable ways. The sadistic. A child abuse ring.
Well-researched, inspired by true allegations involving deep-rooted historical, institutional, and international child abuse allegations, including murder and pedophiles.
The Big House “There is something so very dreadful, so satanic in tormenting those who have never harmed us, and who cannot defend themselves, who are utterly in our power, who have weapons neither of offense nor defense, that none but very hardened persons can endure the thought of it.”— Cardinal John Henry Newman
Compelling, dark, and chilling.
Maya and boyfriend Jamie are approaching their second anniversary. Jamie does not show. They had been looking forward to a pleasant evening to celebrate. Instead, Maya is greeted by the police, delivering the devastating news. He has hanged himself in the nearby woods near Tyttenhanger.
How? Why? Maya is shocked, full of horror since he is not the type to commit suicide. After all, they had just discussed their evening plans that morning. Surely someone has made a mistake. Did someone steal his wallet?
His parents had died years ago and he had no family. Had she missed the signs? She was looking forward to an anniversary surprise. She knows he loved her. Now he is dead.
The author takes us back to Jamie. The real story. Not the childhood he had made up. The lying. The relationships. His mistrust. Hard to handle emotions. Damaged. He craved love and closeness, but pushed it away, never staying with a woman more than a few months. He was a loner. He did not need anyone. Or so he thought until Maya came into his life.
With her, the attraction was instant. She was so full of life. Energetic, bubbly. She brought him back to life again. He fell in love. He wanted to confide in her but he couldn’t handle the thought she would leave him. He had imagined her looking at him with disgust and revulsion and he knew he could never tell her.
He thought he was safe from the past. Safe with his new life with Maya. His job. His home. However, he was invaded and he was no longer safe.
He saw it on the news. The memories had hit like the powerful force. Now a children’s minister, in charge of protecting the vulnerable and innocent, keeping them safe, looking after their welfare. Nothing was more abhorrent or unjust. The evil excuse for a man. He prayed on the weak. A Member of Parliament.
The dark memories of a terrified boy. He could not stay silent any longer. He would record everything to get it straight in his head. He was now a man who had fought to survive. He was going to finally tell his story.
From Maya's investigation into the death of Jamie. To make sense of everything that has happened to the man she loved. Something wasn’t right. Maya was determined to find out what it was that led Jamie to his death.
The life of Jamie is slowly unraveled from six years old, a family gone. A Children’s Home, social workers. Alone and scared, grieving. Neglected, forgotten children. He could not trust anyone. He was trapped, and no one to talk to or nowhere to run.
His life was a prison. The only thing he had done wrong was to be born. Control, evil. No one would stop them. They were untouchable. The degrading acts. The screams unheard. Drugs, rape, abuse. The killing. The parties. Torture. Authorities. No one could be trusted. Political power.
Maya finds a list of names. What did it all mean? He did not love her enough to stay? What was he mixed up in and what secrets had he been hiding?
Her suspicion grows and her personal investigation leads her to a children’s home called “The Big House” where child sex abuse is commonplace. Maya wants to reveal the truth, but the people involved want to keep it a secret. She recalled the horrible dreams.
Whatever Jamie had been doing before he died had got him killed. Murdered. Why a murder made to look like a suicide? The same kind of person who would make a child disappear. A diary.
Someone had a very important secret to hide. Whatever secret Jamie had been hiding would be buried with him, unless she can figure it out. A letter from Mitchell, a name she had not heard from Jamie. Can she open this can of worms? She could be putting herself in danger.
Who had gone great lengths to kill Jamie and cover up things James could expose. Jamie had lied about his past. He had hidden the truth because he could not bear to speak of it.
She would have loved him anyway, despite it all. She was angry. People had stolen Jamie’s childhood and his life to shut him up. His death could not: "be for nothing". She had to expose them. Justice. Revenge. (Loved her tenacity)!
"My silence is not weakness but the beginning of my revenge." - Author Unknown
From the physical and mental effects on survivors, the quashed investigations, inquiries, cover-ups, and lack of prosecutions, insanely light sentencing, and a low number of convictions for offenders – mind-blowing devastating, and heartbreaking. The truth is revealed. The author exposes all the dirty evil.
I love Whistle-blower stories! Something thrilling about uncovering corruption of any kind.
Hodge raises awareness of child abuse, by putting it out there versus staying silent, “making child abuse taboo takes the power away from survivors and gives it to the perpetrators.” Silence and denial make the vulnerable even more voiceless.
She is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects which need to be addressed and brought front and center. With a blending of fact and fiction, a chilling psychological suspense thriller of secrets and abuse. An amazing storyteller!
Be sure and add Sibel's upcoming book, Duplicity, coming Dec. 27, 2016. Definitely on my list!
Review Links:
Coming Dec 27, 2016
About the Author
Sibel Hodge’s No. 1 Bestseller Look Behind You has now sold over ¼ million copies. Her books are International Bestsellers in UK, USA, Australia, France, and Germany. She writes an eclectic mix of genres, and she's a passionate human and animal rights advocate.
Her work has been nominated and shortlisted for numerous prizes, including the Harry Bowling Prize, the Yeovil Literary Prize, the Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition, The Romance Reviews’ prize for Best Novel with Romantic Elements, and Indie Book Bargains’ Best Indie Books of 2012. She was the Winner of Best Children’s Book by eFestival of Words 2013, Nominated for the 2015 BigAl's Books and Pals Young Adult Readers' Choice Award, Winner of Crime, Thrillers & Mystery | Book from a
Series in the SpaSpa Book Awards 2013, Readers' Favourite Young Adult - Coming of Age Honourable Award Winner 2015, and New Adult Finalist in the Oklahoma Romance Writers of America's International Digital Awards 2015. Her novella Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave has been listed as one of the top 40 books about human rights by Accredited Online Colleges.
For Sibel’s latest book releases, giveaways and gossip, sign up to her newsletter at: www.sibelhodge.com
