Sara Foster (1) (1976–)
Author of Beneath the Shadows
About the Author
Sara Foster is the owner of the Foster's Markets in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Works by Sara Foster
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1976
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- UK
- Places of residence
- Australia
- Short biography
- Sara Foster is the bestselling author of six psychological suspense novels: YOU DON'T KNOW ME, THE HIDDEN HOURS, ALL THAT IS LOST BETWEEN US, SHALLOW BREATH, BENEATH THE SHADOWS, and COME BACK TO ME.
Born and raised in the UK, Sara worked for a time in the HarperCollins fiction department in London, before turning her hand to freelance editing, and writing in her spare time.
It wasn't until 2007 that Sara decided to pursue her dream of getting published, and she took time out from editing to finish her first book. COME BACK TO ME was published in Australia in 2010 and reached the Sydney Morning Herald top ten Australian bestsellers list. Her second book, BENEATH THE SHADOWS, reached No. 4 on the Australian Sunday Telegraph bestsellers list, and was published in the USA and Germany. Her fifth novel, THE HIDDEN HOURS, was shortlisted for the 2013 Davitt Award, and has been optioned by TV production company CJZ.
Sara is very proud to have been one of the original editors of the bestselling Kids' Night In series, which has been raising money for the charity War Child since 2003. In 2004 she moved to Western Australia, where she lives with her husband and young daughters.
Members
Reviews
Eleanor has travelled to London from Australia to stay with an aunt and uncle. Whilst out for a Christmas party a colleague Arabella is found dead in the Thames. Eleanor may have been one of the last to see Arabella alive but cannot remember about the events leading up to her death.
This is the first time reading a book by this author. I found the book to be an easy read. Overall for me it was an OK read.
The storyline about memory loss has been done many times and for me nothing new. Also a family with secrets, again nothing new here. Although I did enjoy the book there was nothing to wow me and some of the plot was predictable. The story also goes back to Eleanor's childhood and what happened in Australia. This I found interesting but felt it padded the story out.
I enjoyed the book for what it was, and think any longer in length would have been too much. I probably would read more by this author in the future.… (more)
This is the first time reading a book by this author. I found the book to be an easy read. Overall for me it was an OK read.
The storyline about memory loss has been done many times and for me nothing new. Also a family with secrets, again nothing new here. Although I did enjoy the book there was nothing to wow me and some of the plot was predictable. The story also goes back to Eleanor's childhood and what happened in Australia. This I found interesting but felt it padded the story out.
I enjoyed the book for what it was, and think any longer in length would have been too much. I probably would read more by this author in the future.… (more)
A chilling thriller of memory loss and secret lies by best-selling author Sara Foster who, with five novels under her belt, is proving to be a modern-day master of psychological suspense. Shrouded in the moody, drippy weather of London in winter, this gripper sucks you into the story faster than green grass through a goose!
*Firstly, though, let’s pause for a big thank you to Sara Foster, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for providing a free Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.* Now, back to our main event…
Young, 21-year-old Eleanor is looking for a fresh start. She packs up her belongings, scantly more than a suitcase a few articles of clothing, and heads off to London for a new life. She’ll be living with her mother’s only sibling – an uncle Eleanor barely knows – in Uncle Ian’s tony home on Notting Hill, along with his wife and two young daughters. What’s more, Aunt Susan’s publishing firm has an opening for an admin assistant that should be perfect for Eleanor.
But things start to go terribly wrong on a rainy evening at the company Christmas party. Eleanor has only been in the UK and at the firm a few weeks and so hasn’t yet made any friends. Determined to be merry and hopefully find some companionable souls, Eleanor is flattered when the beautiful, social butterfly Arabella, the belle of the publishing house, singles Arabella out for drinks and conversation. But then the next day, Arabella is dead. And Eleanor has no recollection of what happened after the party or even how she got home that night.
Frightened of The Hidden Hours in her consciousness, and how she may have been involved in Arabella’s death, Eleanor frantically attempts to recreate the tragic events of that night and salvage her future… while simultaneously outrunning the past that lives inside her mind as it were only yesterday.
Not to be out done by the main murder-mystery plot is the fable-like, cautionary tale embedded in the immensely layered and deftly woven flashbacks to Eleanor’s childhood in Australia. These are all the more powerful, as well, due to the contrast between the hot, dry landscape of the southern continent and the damp and dark bustle of the U.K. metroplis.
Originally released in paperback and for Kindle in 2017, in an unusual move, this is the debut release of the hardcover edition for 2020. If you’re a fan of chills and thrills, and things that go bump in the night, then you won’t be able to put this one down! This reader really enjoyed the read and gives it a praise-worthy, four stars.
Support your indie books stores and pick up your copy of The Hidden Hours, releasing Nov 3rd, at www.bookshop.org – the online bookstore that gives away 75% of its profit to support local indie bookstores. (Note: Desiree does receive a small commission should you purchase through this link, however, she shares this out of love and care for her local, corner bookstores everywhere.)
#TheHiddenHours
#SaraFoster
#Blackstone Publishing
#NetGalley
#MysteryAndThrillers
#PsychologicalSuspense… (more)
*Firstly, though, let’s pause for a big thank you to Sara Foster, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for providing a free Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.* Now, back to our main event…
Young, 21-year-old Eleanor is looking for a fresh start. She packs up her belongings, scantly more than a suitcase a few articles of clothing, and heads off to London for a new life. She’ll be living with her mother’s only sibling – an uncle Eleanor barely knows – in Uncle Ian’s tony home on Notting Hill, along with his wife and two young daughters. What’s more, Aunt Susan’s publishing firm has an opening for an admin assistant that should be perfect for Eleanor.
But things start to go terribly wrong on a rainy evening at the company Christmas party. Eleanor has only been in the UK and at the firm a few weeks and so hasn’t yet made any friends. Determined to be merry and hopefully find some companionable souls, Eleanor is flattered when the beautiful, social butterfly Arabella, the belle of the publishing house, singles Arabella out for drinks and conversation. But then the next day, Arabella is dead. And Eleanor has no recollection of what happened after the party or even how she got home that night.
Frightened of The Hidden Hours in her consciousness, and how she may have been involved in Arabella’s death, Eleanor frantically attempts to recreate the tragic events of that night and salvage her future… while simultaneously outrunning the past that lives inside her mind as it were only yesterday.
Not to be out done by the main murder-mystery plot is the fable-like, cautionary tale embedded in the immensely layered and deftly woven flashbacks to Eleanor’s childhood in Australia. These are all the more powerful, as well, due to the contrast between the hot, dry landscape of the southern continent and the damp and dark bustle of the U.K. metroplis.
Originally released in paperback and for Kindle in 2017, in an unusual move, this is the debut release of the hardcover edition for 2020. If you’re a fan of chills and thrills, and things that go bump in the night, then you won’t be able to put this one down! This reader really enjoyed the read and gives it a praise-worthy, four stars.
Support your indie books stores and pick up your copy of The Hidden Hours, releasing Nov 3rd, at www.bookshop.org – the online bookstore that gives away 75% of its profit to support local indie bookstores. (Note: Desiree does receive a small commission should you purchase through this link, however, she shares this out of love and care for her local, corner bookstores everywhere.)
#TheHiddenHours
#SaraFoster
#Blackstone Publishing
#NetGalley
#MysteryAndThrillers
#PsychologicalSuspense… (more)
You Don't Know Me by Sara Foster is a great Australian mystery thriller. Alice and Noah each have a troubled past but when they meet in Thailand, they seem to have an instant connection and a whirlwind romance ensues. Alice is escaping her dark past back home in Australia by teaching English in Bangkok. Noah is on a short holiday enjoying a brief respite from the family restaurant and the upcoming inquest into the disappearance of his older brother's girlfriend Lizzie years earlier.
With two mysteries to be solved, I was keen to learn Noah's and Alice's backstories in equal measure. Thankfully only a little time is spent on the budding romance between the two characters before events in their lives drag them back to the harsh reality and the pressures they've been avoiding.
As the inquest begins, the reader is left to speculate on what happened to Lizzie. Long held secrets are slowly revealed by all characters and the tension steadily builds towards a dramatic ending with an unexpected conclusion.
I enjoyed the dual settings in Thailand and the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney in addition to the relatability of the characters. Lizzie's fate came as a complete surprise and I certainly didn't see it coming. Highly recommended.
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *… (more)
With two mysteries to be solved, I was keen to learn Noah's and Alice's backstories in equal measure. Thankfully only a little time is spent on the budding romance between the two characters before events in their lives drag them back to the harsh reality and the pressures they've been avoiding.
As the inquest begins, the reader is left to speculate on what happened to Lizzie. Long held secrets are slowly revealed by all characters and the tension steadily builds towards a dramatic ending with an unexpected conclusion.
I enjoyed the dual settings in Thailand and the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney in addition to the relatability of the characters. Lizzie's fate came as a complete surprise and I certainly didn't see it coming. Highly recommended.
* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *… (more)
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 6
- Members
- 458
- Popularity
- #53,635
- Rating
- 3.4
- Reviews
- 43
- ISBNs
- 125
- Languages
- 2
This book is a modern Gothic mystery and so there was a dark atmosphere, a hint of the paranormal, and a dash of romantic suspense with an intense and brooding leading man. The main character, Grace, has come back to North Yorkshire a year after her husband went for a walk one day and never returned. Grace is ready to sell the cottage and needs to clear it out. The police and Grace’s family believe that Adam ran off, but Grace believes he came to grief here as she believes in the love he had for her and their baby daughter. It soon becomes obvious that someone or something wants Grace gone and she becomes unnerved enough to plan to leave. A snowstorm delays her escape and her research starts to fall into place – but is it too late?
There were a few things that I found quite irritating about this story. There was a lot of harping on Grace to get on with her life and the general feeling that Adam ran away instead of running into trouble seemed forced and false. Also there was a lot of unexplained actions that made no sense except to increase the suspicion and distrust. The writing seemed a little chunky and heavy-handed and I think I might have abandoned it if I had been reading instead of listening. My final thoughts are that this was a flawed read and I should have simply skipped on to something else.… (more)