She Chose Me: Intelligent psychological thriller that will keep you guessing...

By Tracey Emerson

Not having a child can change your life as much as having one.

Grace has returned to London after twenty years abroad to manage her dying mother’s affairs. When she receives a blank Mother’s Day card in the post, she is confused and unsettled. Who could have sent it to her and why? She isn’t a mother.

Another Mother’s Day card arrives. Then come the silent phone calls. Haunted by disturbing flashbacks, Grace starts to unravel. Someone is out to get her. Someone who knows what she has done. Someone who will make her face the past she has run from for so long.

Emerson creates an intricate web in this intense psychological thriller whose high energy and fast-pace will have you racing towards the climactic conclusion.

For fans of The Girl Before, Into the Water and The Couple Next Door.

REVIEWS

‘I read this in two days. Fast-paced, dark and unsettling, this is an intelligently written, edge-of-your-seat thriller. A compelling pageturner with a satisfying ending and a late twist that I didn’t see coming’ Susan Elliot Wright, author of The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood

‘She Chose Me is a cleverly constructed, elegant page turner that will hook you from the very first line. An enormously enjoyable read’ Louise Dean, award-winning author of Becoming Strangers

‘If you enjoy tension, suspense and surprise, She Chose Me, Tracey Emerson’s brilliant debut novel is your next favourite read. Emerson ratchets up the suspense from the first page and never lets it go. Dignified by deft and ingenious plotting, forensically insightful characterisation and impeccable prose, this psychological thriller delivers on all levels’ Lesley Glaister, award-winning author of The Squeeze 

‘She Chose Me is an accomplished debut that despite being tightly plotted manages to retain a really refreshing rawness… The fastpaced story kept me guessing until the end and raised many thought provoking questions about family, motherhood, rejection and mental health. I do love a story that intrigues as much as it provokes, and to this end Tracey Emerson has scored on both counts. Very well done’ Cath Weeks, author of Mothers

‘A great read. I loved the two female protagonists, particularly the brilliantly chilling anti-heroine’ Sarah J. Naughton, author of Tattletale

‘Moving, compelling and beautifully written. It deserves to fly off the shelves’ Mel McGrath, author of Give Me the Child

• Language: English
• Publisher: Legend Press
• Release date: Oct 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781787198722

Tracey Emerson

Before writing fiction, Tracey worked in theatre and community arts. As well as acting, she ran drama workshops in hospitals, focusing on adults with mental health issues. She has a PhD in Creative Writing from The University of Edinburgh and works as a literary consultant and writing tutor. She is also the Creative Director of The Bridge Awards, a philanthropic organisation that provides micro-funding for the arts. She Chose Me is Tracey’s first novel.

Reviews for She Chose Me

[nicx27 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

'Not having a child can change your life as much as having one.' I was intrigued straightaway by this tagline, especially when I read further into the blurb and the whole idea of these Mother's Day cards being sent to someone who isn't a mother. What's that all about?Well, Grace is the one receiving those cards. She's just returned to London from teaching English in Singapore. The only reason for her return is her mother, who is suffering from dementia and is now very ill. Other than that, Grace seems like a free spirit, one who has sought out a life away from home, the reasons for which become clear as the story progresses. There's another main character, the person sending the cards, and that person is really very disturbed. I can't say anything about who they are or why they are sending the cards but let's just say it all came together nicely and everything was not what it seemed!I would advise taking note of the chapter headings as the book begins. I didn't, and regretted it as I became a little confused. Both strands of the story are told in the first person without defining who is talking but it becomes quite obvious (especially if you pay more attention than I did!). I do love a book that challenges me in this way and so I really enjoyed the way it unfolded bit by bit and that I had to think about who was telling me which bits of the story.There are some sinister events in this novel, not only the cards but Grace is spied on and monitored. You know when you sometimes get that feeling you are being watched? Grace has quite a bit of that going on. I thought she was a decent person, someone whose past had had an effect on the rest of her life. The other main character is really interesting and completely unstable but they certainly made for fascinating reading.She Chose Me is a fast-paced psychological thriller that drew me in and kept me turning the pages, faster and faster as I raced towards the conclusion. It explores strong themes of loss, of being let down and abandoned, and I thought it was very well-plotted.