The Light Between Trees

by Anona Rooke

‘A truly accomplished debut that kept me guessing at the outcome down to the final few pages – the moorland setting palpable throughout.' - Mark Stratton, journalist & BBC radio broadcaster

'Darkly brooding, involving and impressive.'  Anna South, editorial consultant

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CINNAMON PRESS FIRST NOVEL AWARD (under a working title)

LONGLISTED FOR THE BATH NOVEL AWARD (under a working title)

A woman’s disappearance from an isolated moorland community with a neighbour’s young son stirs up painful memories, suspicion and guilt.  Besieged by journalists, two of her estranged children, return to their rural roots to face the truth about themselves and the people they once knew.  However, the veneer of good manners is as thin as the upland soil and as tensions mount their lives begin to unravel in unforeseen and devastating ways.

325 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2019

About the author

Anona Rooke is an author of contemporary rural suspense fiction. Her writing blends her love of the outdoors with her fascination for the ways in which ordinary people can become caught up in extraordinary events and the impact this has on their lives.

Anona is drawn to remote parts of the British Isles and Europe where the landscape and weather still shape the lives of the communities that live there. She is also particularly drawn to fiction that gives the reader a deep sense of these places.

Anona's freelance journalism (under a pen name) has appeared in magazines around the world.

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it very quickly and it held my interest throughout. I loved the moorland setting and the characterisation and the story twisted and turned throughout.

[Kath Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte returns to her childhood home after reports that her mother and a neighbour’s young son have gone missing – and some of the boy’s blood is found at the scene. Charlotte herself has a three month-old baby so is somewhat limited in her desire to help with the search. Then characters from her past emerge. The story is engaging and quite powerful. It certainly made me turn the pages. One problem for me was Charlotte’s tendency, as narrator, to intersperse the narrative with “God!” at frequent intervals. It became so prevalent that I found myself looking out for the next one which was a huge distraction from the story. Altogether a recommended read.