Where the Memories Lie by Sibel Hodge.

 Olivia Tate is a happily married mother living in the pretty Dorset village of Portesham. Problem is that Olivia is very, very nosy and it can get her and her whole family into a lot of trouble.

Where the Memories Lie is a psychological thriller centred around the concept of lies, all lies, from little lies to big lies and whether these lies should be revealed or kept secret.

I liked how Sibel set this novel in the real physical location of Portesham and she even mentions the real Kings’ Arms pub which is welly boot and dog friendly. Included are other wonderful attractions within the county of Dorset. This all gives added value to this British drama.

I also liked how Sibel made focus of Alzheimer’s and how this disease can be extremely confusing for the person affected and a real challenge for visitors to understand. 

I started reading Where the Memories Lie straight after I had finished reading Sibel’s previous book, Look Behind You. Although both novels are psychological thrillers, Where the Memories Lie really lacks the tension that made her earlier book such an outstanding read. The tension within this book was quite low key, like a nagging doubt. Yet again there were many twists and turns which cast doubt on all the characters involved.

I really enjoy first person narratives but I did not like the character of Olivia Tate. She is incredibly nosy and I did not develop an empathy for her as I considered her to be nothing more than an interfering nuisance. I did not feel sorry for Olivia but felt very sorry for her extended family as Olivia poked her nose into everyone’s business. If only Olivia would leave things alone.

I did not enjoy reading Where the Memories Lie as much as I enjoyed reading Look Behind You. However, this was still a lovely British tale that gave the reader plenty to think about, especially the secrets held by people with Alzheimer’s that may be revealed. Makes me wonder what my dad may have done with the Army in Germany before I was born. I found Where the Memories Lie to be an okay read that gets the middle score of 3 stars from me.

Where the Memories Lie was written in 2015 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.