Where the Story Starts is on page one. With the body of a woman being found washed up on the beach at Whitley Bay. Who was this dead woman? And what connects her to the other characters met later in the book?

Next, stressed single mum Leah answers her doorbell to a mysterious woman, sure she had stayed in Leah’s cottage years before when it was a holiday let. But what are her true intentions and why is she there?

I wouldn’t want to spoil the intricate plot by revealing too much of the story but suffice to say Imogen Clark is a technically very skilled novelist, deftly creating tensions between Leah, told in the first person, and Clio, the stranger, told in the third, a technique that I thought I wouldn’t like, but in fact works very well.

I am not the target reader, but I enjoyed this story greatly. And whether she is handling the characters or the setting, her prose is always colourful and easy to read. Fans of Postcards from a Stranger will not be disappointed.

I received this novel pre-publication from Net Galley, with the hope that I would write a review. No one, including the author, has had any input into my review nor the rating that I have given.

I have just started reading the first book of this trilogy so will post a proper review when I have read them all

5 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow! I just didn’t want to put this down and I kept holding my breath waiting for it to all unravel! Lies, lies and more lies!! This is suspenseful and I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Great writing! I wonder if they’ll do a movie about this one?

I don’t want to give anything away but, what a tangled web we weave! Things got really crazy in this one and I couldn’t wait to find out how it all went down. Lies, mystery and friendship all tied up together! What’s not to love about that? I loved it and will definitely read another by this author.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the way the characters developed over the pages. Although it was a storyline that I predicted there were still a few surprises long the way and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

In a rush to leave the house with her two children, Leah is surprised when a strange woman is standing on her doorstep. Clio remembers the house from a family holiday and following the death of her father she has decided to visit for old times sake. But the house has never been used as a holiday home so is Clio mistaken or is there more to the story ?

Despite their differences the two strangers hit it off straight away and gradually become the best of friends. But will the truth drive them apart ?

This is a lovely book with some fantastic characters that keep you engaged throughout. The story is told from the present and also the past so we get to find out the truth gradually overtime, as well as finding out more about the individuals involved.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

Shades of Liane Moriarty. Told primarily through four female narrators, there is a secret or two here, but this story isn't about the reader uncovering them (the first is understood fairly early on); rather, it chronicles the journey the characters take as secrets are revealed and the compromises and fallout that result. It was that journey that hooked me. At first, I was a little disappointed that there was nothing for me to figure out, but as I got to know and care for the characters, I raced to see how they would cope with their new knowledge and what they would do with it.

Imogen Clark is a wonderful writer each book is special.I was drawn right into Where The Story starts.The characters the emotions past and present the strength of a mothers love.a beautiful read.#netgalley #lakeunionpublishing.

Well written story. Great character development. This is a lovely story about the love of family. Keeps you in suspense until the end. I really enjoyed this novel!!

Leah and Clio meet outside Leah's front door. And they are so far apart in society but end up becoming the best of friends, bringing out the best in each other and supporting the weak parts in each other.
I clicked the story-line quite fast, although I had a few doubts every now and then.
The author has taken a rather predictable story-line, added twists and turns and colourful characters that make it a most enjoyable read.
No matter how deep you try to bury a secret it has a way of coming out when least expected and hurting the innocent.
A tender, goose bump-inducing read that really made a predictable story totally unpredictable.

thank you for allowing me to read this book. it was very easy to read. i enjoyed the story line and the characters. look forward to reading more from this author.

Frankly speaking, I should not have liked the book as much as I did. I understood the storyline from the beginning, knew the events before they happened and generally not a fan of the topic being handled. Despite all of the above conditions, I liked the book, enough to give it four stars!

I do not know what to credit for this strange occurrence, but it might have been the four women of the tale. There are more strong women, but four of them are our main focus. Two women in the past and two in the present cross paths with intent on one side and no ulterior motives on the other. There are men in the story as well, but only a handful are worth talking about in terms of inherent goodness or even the proper behaviour, the others are what form the bones of the story. I do not want to say anything further regarding them, but if you are even remotely like me you will know what you are heading into few chapters in. The author has written well and drawn vivid enough characters to make that possibility very strong. I was not fond of the main 'villain(s)' of the piece, but I do not think we are meant to. 

I recommend this to those people looking for a well-written piece of family drama, spanning multiple decades and two families.

From the beginning of the book, I thought I knew the story and the likely outcome but far from it. The book is well written with unexpected twists and turns that capture your heart. The book reflects a mother’s unconditional love for her children in an intriguing and thought provoking manner.
Difficult to put this book down!

A wealthy woman shows up on Leah's doorstop and ends up becoming her friend. She is wonderful to Leah's two children. But Leah can't figure out why she'd pick her to be friends with. When she first showed up she said she remembered something about her house, thought she'd been there before. Leah and Clio become very close. Clio isn't telling Leah everything however. Such as, who she really is. Great suspenseful book!

Where The Story Starts is a fantastic storyline with great characters. Imogen Clark is a wonderful author who gets better with each book.

I’ve given a review on Goodreads (which I thought I could copy here but can’t!) so please have a look at that too.

I really enjoyed this book, with its strong characters and engaging storyline. A tale of 4 women and the man who links them all, Where the story starts is the story of Leah and her unexpected friendship with Clio. The reader knows far more about Leah’s story than anyone else and what really stood out for me was that where Imogen gives you that clue to a twist, I didn’t find myself trying too hard to second guess what would come next. I was so interested in letting the story play out that I found myself just enjoying the story - it’s not often I find that.

Every bit as good as Postcards (and I enjoyed it much more than The Thing about Claire), this story of love, friendship and loss is a joy to read.

This is the third novel I have read by this author. Having loved her first, “Postcards from a stranger”, but not been won over by the second, I’m delighted to say that this new novel won me over from the first chapter.

A mystery surrounds a chance arrival of a stranger on the doorstep of a family house, and a new friendship unexpectedly ensues. The book flicks back and forwards in time to the previous generation of these two characters, and the family that surround them, and the tension builds and mystery deepens as many new questions are woven into the plot.

This book is responsible for my missing the first day of my recent holiday as I just could not put it down! The mystery held true till late in the book, and all the ideas and events were well planned and thought out, with convincing settings and characters. It is written in a lighter style, easy to read for instant diversion, however with some nice literary motives and metaphors.

I hope this author continues to produce enjoyable work – I look forward to reading her next one.

Yet another great novel from Imogen Clark. From start to finish, I was hooked. The characters are very well drawn and I could see them as I followed their stories, jumping from the past to the present. Told in the first person by each character, it brought me ever closer to them all.
The book covers a topic that very few of us have experienced, but Clark has made it all too clear what the consequences could be.
Already looking forward to the next one.

Wow! I really enjoyed this book. The secrets hidden in these two families were easy to work out but the book is actually about the characters and how they handle themselves and the situations they find themselves in. Very well written, the characters have great depth and really came to life for me, as did the descriptions of Whitley Bay and Hartsford. I read most of this book on a lazy Sunday afternoon and it became a bit un-put-downable which is always an indication of a great read!