The Image of Her: The perfect bookclub read to get you all talking

Description

Stella and Connie have never met and never will. So why is Stella stalking Connie's every move on social media? Stella lives with her mother, a smothering narcissist. Her world has shrunk since the terrible accident that left her a shut-in. Her days are broken up by deliveries from a courier that she always returns and by the irresistible urge to watch the life of a stranger - beautiful Connie - unfold on social media. But why is she so drawn to a woman she has never met? And what caused the accident she doesn't want to speak about? Connie is an expat living in Dubai with her partner, Mark, and their two children. On the face of it she wants for nothing and yet she fears that her husband is turning into a stranger. When she finds herself drawn into the lives of the local domestic helpers, she discovers that there are dark secrets in this glittering city. Two women with nothing in common except a twist of fate. What happens when their lives collide?

Sonia Velton grew up between the Bahamas and the UK. After graduating from university with a first class law degree, she qualified as a solicitor at an international law firm, later going on to specialise in discrimination law. Sonia relocated to the Middle East in 2006. Eight years and three children later she returned to the UK and now lives in Kent. Blackberry & Wild Rose, inspired by real characters and historical events, was Sonia's first novel. The Image of Her is her second. Sonia lives near Tunbridge Wells with her three children.

I loved everything about this novel - its wisdom, its beautiful prose, the taut plot, and that last scene which turned me into an emotional wreck... A triumph -- Fiona Mitchell, author of THE MAID'S ROOM I loved it! Beautifully written and a totally original concept, two women who never meet whose lives intertwine... with a very clever mystery at its heart -- Elly Griffiths, author of THE DR RUTH GALLOWAY MYSTERIES A fascinating, gripping book about a subject that was unfamiliar to me. Sonia has such a light touch in weaving so many themes together and a deep understanding of the human psyche -- Sophie van Llewyn, author of BOTTLED GOODS A brilliant book, bringing a deft touch to more than one difficult modern issue while digging deep into questions of identity as old as time -- Fiona Erskine, author of THE CHEMICAL DETECTIVE A thoroughly original idea, beautifully written with compelling characters and a plot that just won't let you stop reading. I loved it -- Frances Quinn, author of THE SMALLEST MAN Brims with love and compassion... A compulsive page-turner that kept me hooked well into the early hours. Emotional and thought provoking ... a testament to an author at the height of her powers -- Awais Khan, author of IN THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS Both main characters ... are equally great and you will be easily consumed by them as you read. Brilliant ... highly recommended. Sonia is a brilliant writer -- Fiona Sharp, Waterstones, Durham The urgency to decipher the link that binds Stella and Connie is what makes The Image of Her such an exceptional page-turner * The National, Dubai *