The Thief of Joy

Stacey Murray

Publication Date: 19/3/24

Publisher: Hobeck

SYNOPSIS

Single-mum Roz compares herself to everyone else, from her sister to friends to people on social media, and feels she’s missing out. She wants what they’ve got — a husband, a father for her daughter, and respect.

When she meets Daniel, Roz thinks her dreams are possible, until he dies suddenly and tragically. Devastated by grief and loneliness, she rushes headlong into a relationship with Mark, a widower she meets in an online support group.

Yet as Mark’s behaviour becomes more controlling and manipulative, Roz realises he isn’t the man of her dreams. He is hiding a jaw-dropping secret that spells danger for Roz and her daughter…

MY REVIEW

The book has rather a sad beginning. Roz, a young single mum with a 10 year old daughter, is devastated to find her boyfriend of just over 3 months has died suddenly. She falls into a new relationship with Mark, a hospital anaesthetist who has lost his own wife and daughter in tragic circumstances.

I enjoyed getting to know Roz, trying to make the best of her life for herself and her daughter. I was wondering where the story was going to go and then the suspense began to build. I got a bit suspicious of this new almost perfect man. Was I right to be? Or is he really almost perfect? Does she see him as a long term relationship or is she just showing off the fact she has a new boyfriend who is a doctor. She doesn’t have much in her life to show off about. Low self esteem. A boring job. Some pretty shallow and judgemental friends and family. Her daughter also has fairly low self esteem and is starting to worry about being overweight.

I enjoyed the section set in Whitby which is one of my favourite places. I often go into that Co-op!

The author has hit the nail on the head with the characters and their mindset that everyone else is happier / richer etc because of their stories and their glowing Instagram posts. But no one knows what goes on in their actual lives.

A great read full of characters with strong personalities and a believable storyline.

Thanks to Rebecca at Hobeck books for my spot on the blog tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native of Glasgow, Stacey Murray was an international commercial lawyer for many years – in the City of London and in Hong Kong. In 2005, she changed career to become an independent film producer. Her first film, A Boy Called Dad, was acquired by the BBC and nominated for the Michael Powell Award for Best British Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. She lives in hope – literally, in the village of Hope in the Derbyshire Peak District – with her husband and two rescue dogs. Twitter is her social media drug of choice: her handle is @TheStacemeister