Beyond the Past

by Pam Charles

In the height of his playing days, Mark Smith was a talented rugby player and the consummate professional. He was accused of raping a girl in a totally fabricated story that could have ended his career. It did end his marriage. He never found out the whole truth surrounding the allegations. Decades on, Mark is retired and works as a TV pundit. At a charity event, Annie Swift caught his eye. Slender and radiant, she lit up the room. Their relationship begins to blossom but out of the blue, Annie and Mark start to receive malicious texts, notes, and start being followed by a car. When Mark approaches the car, he is knocked off his feet. DCI Fisher, the investigating officer, only realises the gravity of the case when they are run off the road in a horrific motorway accident. He requests assistance from DS Phillipa Davies – someone he had admired from afar after sharing a Christmas party kiss. Together they unravel the case and find they share a love for rough, playful sex. The extent of the twenty-year conspiracy against Mark unfolds with disastrous consequences.

356 pages, Paperback

First published January 23, 2014

About the author

Pam Charles was born in Leeds. She had twenty years in the insurance industry before she had her second child. In 2008 she went back to study at Leeds Metropolitan University and graduated in 2011 with a 1st class honours degree. Shortly after, she started to write again. In 2013 she set up her own company and her book was accepted for publication and released on the 23rd January 2014.

She has two boys; her eldest is in the Sheffield Eagles Rugby League Academy squad. She is a huge Liverpool FC fan (long story), a season ticket holder at Leeds Rhinos and a self-confessed petrol head.

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Beyond the Past" which I won through Goodreads Giveaways is a blend of steamy romance and crime set in the English world of rugby. It opens with a chance encounter at a charity event between Mark Smith, a retired professional rugby player and Annie Swift , a college lecturer that explodes into a torrid love affair. As their romance flowers into love and a committed relationship, Annie begins receiving spiteful texts and notes which the police dismiss at first until they're chased by a black car and end up in near fatal accident on the motorway.

With a long lists of suspects because of painful relationships in their pasts, DCI Harry Fisher, his partner DS Phillipa Davies and their team of detectives investigate a crime that leads to a conspiracy involving a young woman who falsely accused Mark of rape, a duped barmaid and the bitter jealousy of a lifelong friend.

Cleverly the author has created an intoxicating tale where two middle-aged people haunted by the misery and pain of failed relationships find love, only to be pursued by a vindictive, manipulative and bitter stalker who will do anything to destroy their love. The romance is hot and spice but the crime thriller loses its intensity and suspense with the overabundance of graphic sexual encounters. The lovers spend more time in the bathtub than they do trying to piece together clues that could help the detectives uncover the culprit. And once the affair heats up between Harry and Phillipa, their professionalism in solving the case begins to suffer. In a story filled with witty banter, humour and loving family interactions the story-line could have used further development, editing and a larger script.

Characters like Mark Smith seem unrealistic and over-dramatic. Haunted by a broken marriage and the tantrums of a spoiled and manipulative daughter the ruggedly sophisticated former professional rugby player is level-headed, warm, kind and intense, but overly emotional. Annie Smith, the forty-seven year old college lecturer plagued by bad relationships in her past is bubbly and full of life; devoted to her sons who are rising rugby stars. Although highly intelligent, independent and filled with an abundance of inner strength, she never questions the extent of the danger involved in her relationship with Mark. Instead she continues to be swept up in all the sex, and by impulsive and heady feelings of love. DCI Harry Fisher is smitten by his partner DS Phillipa Davies, a woman with young children and a rocky marriage. Both are duty-oriented and clever, although opposite in temperament; one arrogant and chauvinistic, the other intuitive and personable. As they discover clues to the baffling crime their professionalism begins to waver in the face of all their rough and playful sex.

Although I thought "Beyond the Past" was entertaining the theme of the novel could have been better defined. As a steamy romance it has a wealth of sex scenes and an interesting plotline, but as a crime thriller it lacks impetus. I would rate it a 3.5 if the scale allowed.

[David Gilchrist · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book, great characters a good story line and poorly written. The reason for the low score is I felt that there was too much sex in this book, almost every chapter. It was not needed, the author needs to re think this aspect for any future books. If she wishes to be a crime writer take hints from other writers and seee how much sex they include in a story.

[Lisa Wightman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book, really enjoyed it, kept me enthralled throughout and can't wait for the next one.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldnt finish this i felt the writing was amateurish and didnt make a lot of sense and the explicit sex doesnt really add much and isnt written well either