Appearances
can be deceptive…
Arnold
Eastwood is thrilled when social services allocate him a flat all of
his own. Independence hasn’t come easily to a young man with Downs
Syndrome but now he has the chance to live free from his mum’s
nagging, find a girlfriend, watch endless movies and make new
friends.
Meanwhile
a London drug gang is setting up a supply line in Arnold’s town.
They’re looking for someone to deliver drugs for them and somewhere
to set up a base of operations.
Soon
Arnold and his flat are in the drug gang’s sights. Drawn into the
dark underworld of crack cocaine and modern slavery, Arnold soon
discovers that friends can in fact be deadly enemies.
The question is: can he break free?
What did I think?
Who's There? is a book that intrigued me immediately; it's quite a simple idea really, a drug dealer taking advantage of a disabled person, but Kerena Swan has created such multi-dimensional characters who carry the plot along at a rate of knots.
Arnold Eastwood is a brilliant character who I took straight to my heart. Disability aside, I loved how he was addicted to Clint Eastwood films and saw the world as a much kinder place than it actually is. It was lovely to look through his trusting eyes for just a second before reality struck and Arnold got trapped in drug dealer Poker's web. I was so angry at the way Arnold was taken advantage of; I felt like I wanted to reach into the book to rescue Arnold and give Poker a good hiding while I was there (and I'm not a violent person!).
Although it's quite a dark story in relation to drug use and drug gangs, there are a lot of heartwarming and hopeful moments. I can't forget shop owner Madge who took a chance on Arnold and gave him a job or Chip who tried to help Arnold escape Poker's clutches. I also found it quite eye-opening regarding Social Services; Arnold was forgotten about when his case worker went on holiday, but rather than feel angry about this I could see how much strain Social Services are under. It's easy to point the finger in that direction and they often get bad press but Kerena Swan humanises Social Services and reminds us that they're only human after all.
A thought-provoking and highly suspenseful thriller, Who's There? is one of those books that you could easily read in one sitting, if you have the time available. I was completely invested in Arnold's story and couldn't read fast enough to find out how it would all play out. Who's There? is a very scarily realistic thriller with a big heart.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
My rating:
Buy it from Amazon
About the author:
Kerena
Swan trained as a Social Worker and worked for Social Services for
over 25 years. For the past 14 years she has owned and managed an
‘outstanding’ rated agency for children with disabilities.
Following serious illnesses she decided to fulfil her long-held
ambition of writing a book and getting it published. ‘Dying to See
You’, published by Bloodhound Books, was her debut novel.
After
many years of writing professionally in the course of her work,
Kerena has discovered the exhilaration and deep joy of writing
fiction and can be found at all hours in front of her computer. Her
second novel ‘Scared to Breathe’ is now available and her third
book, ‘Who’s There?’ will be released on December 13th 2019.
Kerena
lives with her family in a small village in Bedfordshire, UK and her
books are set in the surrounding areas.
Drawing
on her extensive knowledge and experience of the problematic world of
social work and social studies, Kerena adds a unique angle to the
domestic noir and crime genre.
If
you would like to hear more about new releases, read Kerena’s blogs
and download a free short-story – the prequel to Dying to See You –
then visit www.kerenaswan.co.uk
and join her mailing list.
Facebook
– Facebook.com/kerenaswan
Twitter-
@kerenaswan
Instagram
– kerenaswan
Follow the tour:
Thanks so much for being on the blog tour today Michelle x
ReplyDeleteThank you for your fantastic review. I love the way you discuss each character and how you describe the heart-warming and hopeful moments given that it's a dark subject.
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