Lilly Valentine
3 total works
'HELP US'
Lilly Valentine tries to help a damaged teenager - but has she been horrifically abused, or is she lying to save her own skin?
Lilly Valentine is not in a happy place. In the midst of her life crashing down around her, Lilly is asked by a child psychologist if she will help one of her patients: a girl currently sectioned having stolen a car while extremely drunk. While Lilly visits her she is introduced to Chloe, another unstable teenager who slips Lilly a note saying: 'Help us'.
And then Lilly's client is killed and Chloe accused of her murder. Her case is not helped by the fact that the words 'Help us' have been carved on the dead girl's stomach...
As the investigation gets underway, more and more accusations come to light. But are they lies to divert attention; delusions of a mentally ill mind, or may there be some truth lurking behind the walls of the Grove?
Praise for Helen Black:
'Gripping and gritty, this book will keep you hooked from the first page to the last.' Roberta Kray
'A dark and gripping read that will have you on the edge of your seat.' Closer magazine
'Frightening, depressing, and knowledgeable.' Country Life.
The UK is gripped by the threat of gang violence - the media is building on that hysteria, convincing us that knife crime is rife and the streets are flooded with guns and drugs. So when a member of a notorious girl gang is charged with a brutal murder, sympathy is in short supply. Enter Lilly Valentine, a tough talking lawyer who is never prepared to take things at face value and is determined to uncover the truth, whatever the cost.
A gripping crime novel that will force every reader to reassess what they think they know about society and gang culture.
Praise for Helen Black:
'A dark and gripping read that will have you on the edge of your seat' Closer magazine
'A fantastic first novel [A Place of Safety].' Jane Elliott
'Terrific! A great read from start to finish.' [Dishonour] Jessie Keane author of Jail Bird.
''Unexpected and moving... A Place of Safety is written with sympathy and humour' EuroCrime
Lilly Valentine, tough talking lawyer and single mother, never makes things easy for herself and her latest case is about to become her biggest challenge yet.
Several years ago, Lilly successfully represented a terrified teenager, Kelsey Brand, accused of the brutal murder of her own mother. Now, ten years later, Kelsey has contacted Lilly again, this time to help her find her missing friend, Gem, last seen working in a strip club in the red light district in Luton.
And when another girl disappears from the same area, the evidence begins to point to a grooming gang targeting young and vulnerable teenage girls. Then Gem's mutilated body is discovered in a desolate country lane and Lilly realises that she must do everything she can to find the still-missing girl before tragedy strikes once more.
But is Lilly a match for the gang of men involved who will do anything, including murder, to get what they want?