The Guilty Mother. Diane Jeffrey
WOULD YOU BELIEVE HER?
2013
Melissa Slade had it all: beauty, money, a successful husband and beautiful twin babies. But, in the blink of an eye, her perfect life became a nightmare – when she found herself on trial for the murder of her little girls.
PRESENT DAY
Jonathan Hunt covered the original Slade Babies case for the local newspaper. Now that new evidence has come to light, Jon’s boss wants him back on the story to uncover the truth.
With Melissa’s appeal date looming, time is running out. And, as Jon gets drawn deeper into a case he’d wanted to forget, he starts to question Melissa’s guilt.
Is Melissa manipulating Jon or telling him the truth? Is she a murderer, or the victim of a miscarriage of justice?
And if Melissa Slade is innocent, what really happened to Ellie and Amber Slade?
DIANE JEFFREY grew up in North Devon, in the United Kingdom. She now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband and their three children, Labrador and cat.
Diane’s debut psychological thriller, Those Who Lie, was a Kindle bestseller in the USA, Canada and Australia and spent several weeks in the top 100 Kindle books in the UK.
He Will Find You, set in the Lake District and Somerset and published in August 2018, is her second novel. The Guilty Mother is Diane’s third book.
Diane is an English teacher. When she’s not working or writing, she likes swimming, running and reading. She loves chocolate, beer and holidays. Above all, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Readers can follow Diane on Twitter @dianefjeffrey or on Facebook.com/dianejeffreyauthor
‘Tense and compelling, a genuinely thrilling read’
Elizabeth Haynes
‘Brimming with tension, riddled with doubt and suspicion, insidious and compelling with a terrifying ending that had me catching my breath’
Sue Fortin
‘A tense, gripping domestic noir that shows just how fast the dream of a new life can turn into your worst nightmare’
T.M. Logan
‘A scorchingly good thriller’
Lisa Hall
‘This is a must read for anyone who lives to delve into psychological thrillers!’
Linda Strong
‘With brilliant main characters and a wonderful plot, this book is a real page-turner. I would highly recommend this book.’
Stephanie Collins
‘I absolutely adored this book.’
Lu Dex
‘Great book … keeps you guessing!! If you love twists and turns then this book is for you!’
Diane Merrit
‘With twists and turns that will wrong-foot you all the way, a dash of dark humour and a strong emotional punch, this is an excellent debut that more than earns its place within the genre.’
S.J.I. Holliday
Those Who Lie
He Will Find You
The Guilty Mother
DIANE JEFFREY
HQ
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2019
Copyright © Diane Jeffrey 2019
Diane Jeffrey asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
E-book Edition © August 2019 ISBN: 9780008297619
Version: 2019-07-05
Table of Contents
About the Author
Praise for Diane Jeffrey
Also by Diane Jeffrey
Prologue: Melissa
Part One