Repent at Leisure

by Stevie Turner

Paul McAdam wakes up with a strange girl in his bed, with no idea who she is or where she came from.

Cat Taylor worms her way into Paul’s life, eventually moving into his flat. The arrangement suits Paul quite well until he meets Anita Fairfax, the love of his life and the girl he wishes to marry. Cat has to go, but Paul finds that she is not interested in moving out.

When Cat is found dead in Paul’s flat, he's the #1 suspect, even though there's not a shred of evidence. Anita and Paul are happily married, but she soon begins to wonder whether her new husband could have been Cat’s killer all along...

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 2016

About the author

Stevie Turner is a British author of suspense, paranormal, women's fiction family dramas, and darkly humorous novels. She has also branched out into the world of audio books, screenplays, and translations. Her third novel 'A House Without Windows' gained the attention of a New York media production company in December 2017, and her screenplay 'For the Sake of a Child' won Silver in the 2017 Depth of Field International Film Festival.

More recently Stevie's novel 'His Ladyship' made the finals and Longlist of the 2021 Page Turner Award, and her book 'Falling' reached the finals of the 2022 Page Turner Award. Her (as yet unpublished) novella 'Holding Hands' was shortlisted for the 2025 Page Turner Writing Award.

To quote reader Roberta Baden-Powell: 'I'm looking forward to reading your new book and find your books the best so far. The style you write in has given me a new perspective and a renewed inspiration in reading once again.'

Stevie can be contacted at the following email address: info@stevieturner.uk You can also find her website at www.stevieturner.uk and her blog at www.steviet3.wordpress.com

Don't forget to sign up to Stevie's mailing list for new publications, events and giveaways! http://eepurl.com/dvNklL

Reviews

[Julie Gall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book so much so that i read it all in one sitting! Of course it had nothing to do with it being set in my native Scotland lol, I found that the characters were very well written and they developed as the story progressed, they were down to earth and believable while at times they were altogether sinister but you end the tale feeling like the events could have actually happened to someone you know.

This story takes us on a tour of the world beginning in Scotland and visiting spain, england and Australia before returning to Scotland, and i found the author had researched very well all the place which you will visit in this book, as well as great use of slang fitting the place you are in at that particular time in the novel .

Although i would catagorise this story as a tale of love and romance it would also fit into either the crime drama or thriller genre just as well.

I am not going to put any spoilers in this review as i want the reader to exprience it the way i did by turning the pages to find out what happens next in Paul and Anita's lives.

[Arlena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Repent at Leisure
Author: Stevie Turner
Publisher: Creativia
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Repent at Leisure" by Stevie Turner

My Thoughts....

This read I must say left me on the edge of my seat with this psychological thriller read. There were so many of twist and turns the reader simply may not be able figure it out until the very end. I am simply not sure who I felt more sorrier for...Paul or Anita....definitely there was some help needed. What happens as someone comes up dead? What happens after Paul and Anita are married? Will she start regretting rushing into this marriage due to Paul's strange behavior shifts? Will he seek help? What will happen after Paul gets in touch with his brother Terry who lived in Australia? What secrets will come out from that visit to Australia? After they return back home what will happen next between this couple. This is where I will stop and say you will have to pick up "Repent at Leisure" to get all of these questions answered and so much more. I will say I was left shaking my head and saying I didn't see that one coming. However, this author is noted for giving the reader surprises and that was one surprised ending for me.

[Yecheilyah Ysrayl · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

When Paul McAdam awakens to find an unknown woman in his bed, he regrets his previous night out and is disturbed by the stranger’s presence. Paul is agitated and wants nothing but to get Catherine “Cat” Taylor out of his home. Despite Paul’s irritation, he entertains the strangers company and the two begin an odd relationship in which the woman moves into his flat.

Paul regrets going home, staying out late and lying about his whereabouts as he tries to avoid being in the woman’s presence despite she’s living in his house. His demeanor changes however when he meets the love of his life, Anita Fairflax. Despite the short time they’ve known each other, she is his world and the young couple is lovesick. They decide to take their relationship to the next level when Paul brings Anita to his flat.

Hiding evidence of Cat’s existence, Paul can’t let the love of his life know that he is living with another woman. Sure, Cat means nothing to him but that won’t matter if Anita finds out they aren’t alone. Successfully getting through the preliminaries, the two make love and end a perfect night. That is until morning comes and Paul walks into his bedroom to find Cat laid out on the bed. Dead.

What happens next is a series of investigations into the death of Catherine Taylor amid Anita and Paul’s growing relationship. Everything seems normal until Paul’s behavior shifts into one of an angry boy trapped in a man’s body. Will Anita marry a man she knows very little about? Find out in Repent at Leisure.

When the author gave me the description of what this book was about, I could not wait to dig in. The story-line was interesting and I wondered about the meaning behind the title. The book takes off slowly though things pick up a bit when Paul starts to act weird. I love the overall message and the repentance aspect at the end. I won’t say anymore as I am not sure I won’t spoil it!

While I enjoyed the story, it was predictable for me personally and the pacing like I said was a little slow, however I did enjoy the story. I wonder if there will be another part as I’d be interested to see where Paul and Anita’s relationship goes. I will also say that this book presents an important message for today’s youth in regard to rushing into relationships and I’d recommend it for any young person looking to settle down. Take your time young people!

As a general rule of thumb, it takes a couple years for most people to drop their masks. Relationships is mostly built on getting to know each other and that takes time.

Ratings:
Plot Movement / Strength: 3/5
Entertainment Factor: 3/5
Characterization: 4/5
Authenticity / Believable: 4/5
Thought Provoking: 4/5
Overall Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

[Colin Guest · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping story that shows how a good woman can sometimes make a huge difference to a man. Paul, the main character sounds just as I would imagine him to be. Born on the wrong side of the tracks with a drunken and brutal father. As a result, he is rough, tough and always ready for action. After a wild night out, Cat, who he met during the evening moves in with him.They enjoy great sex, but Cat is not the kind of woman he wants. His life is then completely changed when he meets Anita. She is young, pretty, well-bred and far above the class of woman Paul usually meets. When Cat is found dead, although Paul is the main suspect, he has an alibi. In the meantime, Paul and Anita had started a romantic affair. However, due to Paul's rough behaviour their relationship is put to the test on several occasions. Despite this, they decide to get married., which causes even more problems. While later in Australia on holiday, Ann learns some shocking news. It raises all kinds of doubt about Paul. However, the story ends well, with Paul and Ann enjoying a happy life together.

[Robert Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Repent at Leisure because the work sounded interesting to me. I had no idea what I was in store for, and in no way regret this purchase. The novel begins immediately, and continues at a very good pace throughout. I do not believe in spoilers, and so will not reveal the whole plot to you. I found the work very interesting from the beginning, as the story is told from the first person, through the mind of its lead character, Paul. What is interesting is that the book is actually told through two perspectives, changing between Paul and Anita. It is brilliantly handled and added such depth to the story. The sections are clearly marked, so there is no confusion. The two characters are so authentic, from the hot tempered Paul to the innocent and trusting Anita. They are masterfully written, so that what begins as a murder mystery moves into a psychological drama. The plot was astounding in its simplicity and realism. I moved through many emotions with both characters, ready to commit to one idea before being presented with another view point to combat it. I have sympathy for Anita until I hear Paul speak again, then my heart yearns for his own happiness. Both main leads have such depth to them, especially Paul, and through their lives you travel on an emotional rollercoaster that had me turning the pages rapidly to see how the work would conclude. There is such stark realism presented in the 'no fluff and flutter' display of harsh reality, that I felt my nerves reacting on occasion.
Stevie Turner is a masterful writer who draws the reader into her work and forces them to march along the path of dereliction. I was amazed by this work, certainly glad I read it, and will most certainly read this author again.

[Suzi Albracht · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the Scottish Flavor
I have to say that I am torn as I write this review. There were good things, and some not so good things with this book. First, it is written in first person present tense. I am not a fan of present tense in novels. So I had a struggle to get past the tense used. However, once I did get beyond it, I began to enjoy the author’s word usage. For instance, I am American so when someone uses the word ‘pissed’, I know it means to be angry or something to do with urination. In Scotland, where the book takes place, it means to be drunk. There were many such differences throughout the book and I savored each one. Those differences fascinated me so much that the story whizzed by. I also enjoyed going to places in England and Scotland via the novel’s story line. All that was good but if I am being honest, I am confused and a bit angry at the ending. To me, it did not make sense. That may be because of the differences between the U.S. and Scotland, or not. As I said, I am torn. For the ending and the tense used, I would have given this book a 3 but because of all the delightfulness in between, a 4 seems more fitting.

[Bandit · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s no better way to recover at home from a broken leg and make the time pass quicker than to read one of Stevie Turner’s paperbacks. Repent at Leisure is put together in quite a clever way, and the story flits between Paul’s point of view and then changes to Anita’s. I sympathised with Paul trying to deal with ghosts from the past, but then found I was rooting for poor gullible Anita as well and shouting out to her not to get married because her fiancée was a mess.
Recommended for fans of contemporary fiction and drama. I think this one is the best yet. I also like the cover and the layout, and look forward to reading more of this author’s work.

[poppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just love this book i couldnt put it down and read it in one night.This is the first book ive read by this author but wont be the last loved it