Not only does domestic and physical abuse recur heavily, there are also graphic descriptions of peodophelia/grooming and suicide. International bestselling author Lesley Pearse has lived a life as rich with incidents, setbacks and joys as any found in her novels.

I have read all of her books and I have always loved the way she portrays strong women within her books. Granted it was only a two-up two-down in a scruffy road in Lewisham, and in bad repair, but Eve felt she could make it lovely.It was definitely fast paced and written really well; the characters felt really familiar after the first 100 pages.

Before I jump into this review, I must stress that Ms Pearse doesn't shy away from the distressing themes in Betrayal. Consequently, I was delighted when Courtney Jefferies at ed Public Relations invited me to review for the blog tour for Lesley’s latest book Betrayal. Indeed, there’s a sense of threat that permeates the whole story so that the book has an edginess to it that I really enjoyed. By the mid sixties she was living in London, sharing flats, partying hard and married to a trumpet player in a jazz-rock band.Eve is married to Don and they have two children however not everything is as it seems and after she divorced him Eve hopes she and her children can get their life back however things don’t exactly work out and Eve could be in serious trouble . This book had me hooked from start to finish following Eve’s desperate journey through life and her longing to get away from Don her dreadful husband.

The story then follows Eve and her children over the years after breaking free but it looks as if the past is always lurking around the corner waiting for the truth to come out and justice to be done. Eve Hathaway has no option but to leave her violent husband but as with all bullies Don Hathaway refuses to admit that he has a problem and can't let Eve and his children have the peaceful life they crave. He caught hold of her shoulders, head-butted her, punched her in the stomach so she fell to the floor and then kicked her again and again. Just be warned though — it deals with domestic abuse and grooming which may be triggering for some readers.A good yarn which gets you involved in the story, and you can’t put it down until you’ve finished it. I thought the violence of Don and George’s loathsome behaviour was perfectly balanced by Olly’s sensitivity and Tom’s down-to-Earth nature. This is not a light hearted read it is a storyline that tackles a number of disturbing situations, one in particular made for difficult reading but each situation was weaved into the storyline perfectly creating more depth and drama to the storyline.

With Lesley Pearse's reputation for grippy, gritting stories that never shy away from the seamier side of life, I was expecting distressing themes from Betrayal. It's been a long while since I've read a book by this author, despite reading so many of her early books and loving them. After one particularly bad beating, and knowing that he is starting to do the same to her son, Olly, Eve plucks up the courage to leave, taking Olly and his sister, Tabby, with her. A true storyteller and a master of gripping storylines, there is no set formula for a Lesley Pearse novel although strong heroines and difficult circumstances are pervasive.Finding a sanctuary to stay with her children in Sidmouth, Eve discovers her past catching up with her. Story line was sound and I enjoyed watching Eve and her children develop once they were safe again and had control of their lives. Biography: International bestselling author Lesley Pearse has lived a life as rich with incidents, setbacks and joys as any found in her novels.