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Uphill, Downhill, Over, Out
THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES ... YET NOBODY WANTS TO TALK
It's the end of an era. The passing of a patriarch signals changes in the lives of the Dukakis du Cain family members and friends. Time to move on, time to move out, as far as Alectrona's concerned, to leave behind a place that's finished and start over in a more congenial environment—yet there are a few accounts to be settled first.
For Greg too there's a goal achieved and another one to aim for, if only he can find the courage to try for it—because second-best isn't good enough, and failure is not an option.
Meanwhile, back in Broken Britain, Sig Markham faces further challenges within his dysfunctional family, as well as the consequences of a life not well-lived. There's music to be faced, but it's out of tune and the lyrics aren't encouraging.
The final chapter of the 'Criminal Conversation' series sees the characters looking towards a future shaped by the events of the past. How brave will their new world be?
It's the end of an era. The passing of a patriarch signals changes in the lives of the Dukakis du Cain family members and friends. Time to move on, time to move out, as far as Alectrona's concerned, to leave behind a place that's finished and start over in a more congenial environment—yet there are a few accounts to be settled first.
For Greg too there's a goal achieved and another one to aim for, if only he can find the courage to try for it—because second-best isn't good enough, and failure is not an option.
Meanwhile, back in Broken Britain, Sig Markham faces further challenges within his dysfunctional family, as well as the consequences of a life not well-lived. There's music to be faced, but it's out of tune and the lyrics aren't encouraging.
The final chapter of the 'Criminal Conversation' series sees the characters looking towards a future shaped by the events of the past. How brave will their new world be?
279 pages, ebook
Published August 29, 2023
1 person is currently reading
1 person want to read
About the author
Laura Lyndhurst
16 books76 followersI was born and grew up in North London, England, but was unable to attend university when young due to family financial circumstances. Instead, I worked at various occupations, including dental nurse, laboratory assistant and shop assistant.
I married just before I was 20, and travelled to some interesting places around the world, following my husband’s career. I spent much time reading, a passion, but in order to keep further occupied I took office jobs when these were available to me; I hated the work, but the money was useful.
When we were back in the UK I took evening classes at various times and gained ‘A’ levels in Psychology, Sociology and English, eventually settling in Kent with my husband and becoming a mature student and gaining Bachelor's and Master's degrees in English and Literature before training and working as a teacher.
In 2016 we moved to the peace and quiet of rural Lincolnshire, and my sporadic writing activities became more permanent. I self-published Fairytales Don't Come True, my debut novel, in May 2020 and since then have written and published four books of poetry, October Poems, Thanksgiving Poems & Prose Pieces, Poet-Pourri and Social Climbing and Other Poems.
In January 2021 I published a sequel to Fairytales entitled Degenerate, Regenerate, and at the end of March 2021 I published a psychological suspense story, You Know What You Did. A third book was published in June 2021, entitled All That We Are Heir To, to make up the 'Criminal Conversation' trilogy with Fairytales and Degenerate, In November 2022 I published another psychological suspense story, What Else Did You Do?, which is a sequel to You Know What You Did. The work didn't stop, as alongside this sequel I was writing a fourth book to follow the 'Criminal Conversation' trilogy. Entitled 'Innocent, Guilty'. It was published in January 2023, and a fifth book, 'The Future of Our House' came out in June 2023. The sixth and final book is entitled, 'Uphill, Downhill, Over, Out.' A new standalone novel, 'An Honourable Institution' was published in January 2025.
I try to go for a long walk each day (weather permitting; I’m a fair-weather walker) in the beautiful countryside around us, and exercise for a couple of hours each morning, including use of a hula-hoop and stepping machine. I love food and drink and have spent half my life battling a weight problem. I managed to lose 5 stone of unfortunately-gained weight a few years ago and am determined to never regain it, Unfortunately however Covid and lockdown thwarted those plans, but at least I haven't put it all back on. Hopefully in what's left of 2023 I will manage to lose the excess. Life's certainly not fair in that respect, as every other day is a diet day (for hubby too) but the weight still came back. When not being careful--more often than is desirable these days--we enjoy a good meal with wine.
For other leisure activities I have taught myself to play the recorder--badly, but it keeps the brain cells ticking over. I also listen to music of many types; Tracy Chapman is playing while I write this, and will later be replaced by Leonard Cohen or Katie Melua or any one of dozens of other artists, or by some classical music or opera, another passion.
There’s also reading, something which I have loved since I was a child. I became a convert to eBooks and subscribed to the Kindle Unlimited programme, because although I love physical books, my bookcases are groaning under the weight and I don’t have room for any more. I review everything I read, since I became an author myself and realise the value of these in getting our work in front of as many eyes as possible; but it does mean that I have a large virtual To Be Read pile!
In late 2021 I undertook editorial training and freelance work as a sub-editor. I terminated that work in late 2022, but have my hands full writing my own books and reviewing those of others.
My latest news is that I finally got around to building m
I married just before I was 20, and travelled to some interesting places around the world, following my husband’s career. I spent much time reading, a passion, but in order to keep further occupied I took office jobs when these were available to me; I hated the work, but the money was useful.
When we were back in the UK I took evening classes at various times and gained ‘A’ levels in Psychology, Sociology and English, eventually settling in Kent with my husband and becoming a mature student and gaining Bachelor's and Master's degrees in English and Literature before training and working as a teacher.
In 2016 we moved to the peace and quiet of rural Lincolnshire, and my sporadic writing activities became more permanent. I self-published Fairytales Don't Come True, my debut novel, in May 2020 and since then have written and published four books of poetry, October Poems, Thanksgiving Poems & Prose Pieces, Poet-Pourri and Social Climbing and Other Poems.
In January 2021 I published a sequel to Fairytales entitled Degenerate, Regenerate, and at the end of March 2021 I published a psychological suspense story, You Know What You Did. A third book was published in June 2021, entitled All That We Are Heir To, to make up the 'Criminal Conversation' trilogy with Fairytales and Degenerate, In November 2022 I published another psychological suspense story, What Else Did You Do?, which is a sequel to You Know What You Did. The work didn't stop, as alongside this sequel I was writing a fourth book to follow the 'Criminal Conversation' trilogy. Entitled 'Innocent, Guilty'. It was published in January 2023, and a fifth book, 'The Future of Our House' came out in June 2023. The sixth and final book is entitled, 'Uphill, Downhill, Over, Out.' A new standalone novel, 'An Honourable Institution' was published in January 2025.
I try to go for a long walk each day (weather permitting; I’m a fair-weather walker) in the beautiful countryside around us, and exercise for a couple of hours each morning, including use of a hula-hoop and stepping machine. I love food and drink and have spent half my life battling a weight problem. I managed to lose 5 stone of unfortunately-gained weight a few years ago and am determined to never regain it, Unfortunately however Covid and lockdown thwarted those plans, but at least I haven't put it all back on. Hopefully in what's left of 2023 I will manage to lose the excess. Life's certainly not fair in that respect, as every other day is a diet day (for hubby too) but the weight still came back. When not being careful--more often than is desirable these days--we enjoy a good meal with wine.
For other leisure activities I have taught myself to play the recorder--badly, but it keeps the brain cells ticking over. I also listen to music of many types; Tracy Chapman is playing while I write this, and will later be replaced by Leonard Cohen or Katie Melua or any one of dozens of other artists, or by some classical music or opera, another passion.
There’s also reading, something which I have loved since I was a child. I became a convert to eBooks and subscribed to the Kindle Unlimited programme, because although I love physical books, my bookcases are groaning under the weight and I don’t have room for any more. I review everything I read, since I became an author myself and realise the value of these in getting our work in front of as many eyes as possible; but it does mean that I have a large virtual To Be Read pile!
In late 2021 I undertook editorial training and freelance work as a sub-editor. I terminated that work in late 2022, but have my hands full writing my own books and reviewing those of others.
My latest news is that I finally got around to building m
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 7, 2023
Laura Lyndhurst’s Criminal Conversation series, of which ‘Uphill, Downhill, Over, Out.’ is the sixth book in the series, can best be described as the story of a modern-day empire, as worthy of any found in ancient Rome, that is drenched in the tears of a Greek tragedy.
The empire inadvertently created by Mags and Teddy so long ago remains intact thanks to the machinations of Alec - daughter of Miles and Katie, and twin sister of F1 star, Greg. Both are its heirs, but it is Alec who wields the power - with an iron fist that is never quite encased in a velvet glove.
Are her actions justified? Or are they the actions of an insane woman? I don’t think the latter is the case, but it can never be completely ruled out.
This book—the cover is to die for, and I love the title—is the story of a new generation. It’s that of Caroline (Caro), Edward (Cain) and Marc. Youngsters in their mid to late teens, coming of age, and discovering who and what they are, and dealing with all that this throws at them.
As the quote tells us – “Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.” Maybe, just maybe, history will repeat itself in these young people because they will never know the full story.
This is storytelling at its best. The author has chosen not to go with the modern trend of writing styles with all the ‘rules’ that come and go, depending on what is in fashion, and change almost as often as the seasons. Rather, she has taken us back to the kind storytelling of old when we would listen to a tale being told and use our minds to set the scene and the action, and her books are a great nod to this. It’s verbal storytelling that caused our imaginations to soar and became the basis for all the literature we know today.
Right now, reading the last page and closing the book, I wish I could wipe my memory of it so I can begin reading book 1, and get caught up in the lives of these people - this family - all over again.
The empire inadvertently created by Mags and Teddy so long ago remains intact thanks to the machinations of Alec - daughter of Miles and Katie, and twin sister of F1 star, Greg. Both are its heirs, but it is Alec who wields the power - with an iron fist that is never quite encased in a velvet glove.
Are her actions justified? Or are they the actions of an insane woman? I don’t think the latter is the case, but it can never be completely ruled out.
This book—the cover is to die for, and I love the title—is the story of a new generation. It’s that of Caroline (Caro), Edward (Cain) and Marc. Youngsters in their mid to late teens, coming of age, and discovering who and what they are, and dealing with all that this throws at them.
As the quote tells us – “Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.” Maybe, just maybe, history will repeat itself in these young people because they will never know the full story.
This is storytelling at its best. The author has chosen not to go with the modern trend of writing styles with all the ‘rules’ that come and go, depending on what is in fashion, and change almost as often as the seasons. Rather, she has taken us back to the kind storytelling of old when we would listen to a tale being told and use our minds to set the scene and the action, and her books are a great nod to this. It’s verbal storytelling that caused our imaginations to soar and became the basis for all the literature we know today.
Right now, reading the last page and closing the book, I wish I could wipe my memory of it so I can begin reading book 1, and get caught up in the lives of these people - this family - all over again.
September 5, 2023
Set 20 years after the previous book, Alec now has a son but the father is a mystery, Greg is still on friendly terms with Tracey and her son Marcus after the tragic death of Josh years before. Siegfried has settled down with wife Camilla and daughter Caro. But all this could drastically change as more secrets are unearthed and we go on a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns that involve manipulation, murder and mayhem. By the end not all the characters survive and even though this is a satisfying conclusion to a great series the story has come full circle and I can see fireworks are in store for the characters futures.
September 10, 2023
This book is very well written, as are all in the series. We get to know the characters, and we feel for even the lowest of them. We follow some very different kinds of people, and they all are inter-related. I love this author's style because it is as if you are talking about a family you know well over a kitchen table. This family lives in both England and a remote Greek island, but you've come to know the characters (reading the other books in the series is great too) - as if they are your own family.
September 8, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Uphill, Downhill, Over, Out, which is the sixth and final book in the Criminal Conversation Series. The story is set some twenty years after the conclusion of the previous book, and the first few chapters bring the reader up to date on all that has happened in the family over the intervening years. London is no longer a desirable place to live, having become lawless and dangerous, and Alectrona decides to relocate to her Greek island, knowing she can just as easily maintain her iron grip on the Dukakis du Cain fortunes from there. Her brother, Greg, is still friendly with Tracey, his late colleague, Josh’s wife, and he would like the relationship to develop further – but will he find the courage to take the next step? Sig Markham is facing difficult challenges with his finances and his relationship with his wife, Camilla. However, this latest book focuses mainly on the next generation: Alectrona’s son, Edward (Cain), Sig’s daughter, Caro, and Tracey’s son, Marcus. Throughout this series, there have been unusual relationships, and this final book is no exception. A great ending to a fantastic series.
September 2, 2025
"Uphill, Downhill, Over, Out" feels like the curtain dropping on a storm-swept stage. The death of the patriarch brings the family saga full circle, steeped in grief yet pressed toward change. Built on wealth, secrets, and survival, the story moves between ambition’s risks and the heavy pull of past mistakes.
What struck me most, as a woman reader, was the clarity of the voices: resilient, guarded, unwilling to be undone. The grief is raw, the choices edged with steel. At times it reads like a lament for a fractured country; at others, like a gothic chronicle of memory and regret.
It does not end with resolution, but with thresholds, characters bruised, uncertain, yet unbowed.
The saga lingers long after the last page, leaving characters and readers bruised, wary, but defiantly unbowed. Highly recommended.
What struck me most, as a woman reader, was the clarity of the voices: resilient, guarded, unwilling to be undone. The grief is raw, the choices edged with steel. At times it reads like a lament for a fractured country; at others, like a gothic chronicle of memory and regret.
It does not end with resolution, but with thresholds, characters bruised, uncertain, yet unbowed.
The saga lingers long after the last page, leaving characters and readers bruised, wary, but defiantly unbowed. Highly recommended.
September 7, 2023
An absolutely riveting read. Uphill, Downhill, Over, Out by Laura Lyndhurst is the sixth, and apparently last of this series.
London becomes evermore dangerous and lawless as it hangs on as the capital of the Ununited Kingdom of, well, just England. The smart money moves into the slightly safer countryside and beyond.
Uphill, Downhill, Over, Out sees families and individuals come together and clash in a tough world. As before, I just love Laura’s narrative style. And I must visit the Sheridan racing circuit, next time I’m in Ireland.
London becomes evermore dangerous and lawless as it hangs on as the capital of the Ununited Kingdom of, well, just England. The smart money moves into the slightly safer countryside and beyond.
Uphill, Downhill, Over, Out sees families and individuals come together and clash in a tough world. As before, I just love Laura’s narrative style. And I must visit the Sheridan racing circuit, next time I’m in Ireland.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews