The Family I Lost

There are two little girls in the photo. I instantly recognise myself as the small, dark-haired child in the purple dress. But who is the girl with the long blonde hair laughing at the camera? And why is the photograph here, in a stranger’s house?

When I find the tattered picture hidden away at the back of a dusty cupboard in Amy’s house my mouth goes dry with shock. Though I haven’t known Amy for very long, I love looking after her children, in her perfect hilltop house with its sprawling garden. After feeling lost for months, reeling from the accident that tore everything apart, I hoped this was my chance to turn my life around.

But I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve been here before. I know this house somehow, the curve of the staircase and the view from the attic window are so familiar. I can feel it in my bones. What isn’t she telling me?

I can’t help noticing things that don’t add up: Amy’s guarded behaviour when I ask questions about her past, the whispered stories I overhear in the village and the locked room downstairs I’m not allowed to enter.

My mother always told me we didn’t have any family, that it was just the two of us against the world. I’ve always been sure she was hiding something. Finding the photograph, I thought I had it all figured out. But the truth is far worse than I could ever have imagined…

Am I ready to unlock the secrets of my past? Or should I have stayed well away?

A gripping and emotional novel about a dark family secret and the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters. An unputdownable page-turner for fans of Amanda Prowse, Susan Lewis and Kerry Fisher.

Readers are hooked on Ali Mercer’s books:

‘Heartbreaking and heart-warming… A powerful family domestic drama filled with emotion and secrets… A captivating story that kept me hooked until the end.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Gosh, this one pulls at the heartstrings! There were so many things that touched me in this book… My heart broke… had me tearing up at the end… I loved it.’ Suze Reviews

‘Absolutely fantastic… Will make you smile, yell out in frustration and gasp in disbelief… Spectacular… A must-read.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Absolutely gripping and emotional… Had more family drama than a prime-time soap opera!!… So many times in this book my heart went out to so many people for so many reasons… I was yelling at my e-reader… Ali Mercer in my eyes is an incredible storyteller!… This instantly hooks you.’ Heidi Lynn’s Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Just beautiful. A stunning, astounding story that will stay with me. Written with heart. Wow. A book to savour. Just wonderful.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Heart-warming and heartbreaking all in one swoop… Made me cry and made my heart pause in places.’ The Fiction Cafe Book Club