And So It Begins: A brilliant psychological thriller that twists and turns (Stephanie King Book 1)

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Mark is a photographer and Evie commissions him to take pictures of her. They become close, fall in love and when Evie becomes pregnant she finally moves in with him. His stunning house was from his previous marriage and his former wife was found tragically dead at the bottom of the stairs leading down to the gym area. Cleo, Mark’s sister, disapproves of the relationship from the beginning.

Mark, Evie, and Cleo… Mark is a reclusive photographer whose first wife died suddenly. He is coaxed out by Evie who wants a series of photographs taken. Cleo is Mark’s sister and is very protective of him and doesn’t appreciate Evie spending time in Mark’s life… Evie stands trial as this dark and twisted thriller unravels their stories. Later on in the 2010s, image macros, reaction GIFs and even videos began surfacing online, depicting King Théoden standing in the rain, murmuring “So It Begins.”As the stories of each of the three main characters start to open up I was given the chance to see their roots as it were, a chance to get a glimpse into their childhoods and their upbringings. A chance to get into their thoughts and how they worked, but nothing quite prepared me for what was to come. It's a fabulous read and one which intrigues from start to finish. It's a masterclass in revenge and we never know who to trust, who is telling the truth and who is lying. An edge of your seat, unputdownable tale with well-developed characters and a clever plot which was highly enjoyable to read.

Fantastic. I genuinely couldn't tell who was telling the truth, to us or to themself, and who was lying. The twists and turns continue right to the very end, and are rarely predictable. The characters are well drawn and believable. Finally Stephanie the police detective discovers two blood covered figures entwined on the bed in Mark’s house. Someone has been murdered but who is it?It is impossible to work out what is going on as Rachel Abbott is very careful not to reveal too much and this certainly keeps the reader on their toes. Mark North’s sister Cleo has looked after him since they were young, now he has a partner and baby. Tragedy atrikea fairly early on and Mark is killed, his partner Evie says it was her, but he’d been abusing her.

I loved all Rachel Abbott’s Tom Douglas books, so was intrigued by this new book, with a new location (Cornwall), and a new detective (Stephanie King) Miss Abbott is becoming one of my new favourite authors. This is the second book I have been asked to review and they have both been exceptional. Her stories are original which, when you read as much as I do, is always a good thing. Her writing is professional and well researched, the books are easy to read and fast paced.I loved how Evie was made out to be and then how her character morphed into a completely new person; a terrifyingly chilling one. She was so believable and likeable and the ending was so chilling that it gave me goosebumps. This book is bloody brilliant! I have read and enjoyed all of this author's books so was delighted to have an opportunity to read this as an arc. Rachel Abbott is definitely the queen of domestic noir!