Eyes Like Mine: 'Utterly compelling . . . Will stay with you for a long, long time' Jeffery Deaver

Description

It's late. The phone rings. The man on the other end says his daughter is missing. Your daughter. The baby you gave away over fifteen years ago. What do you do? Nora Watts isn't sure that she wants to get involved. Troubled, messed up, and with more than enough problems of her own, Nora doesn't want to revisit the past. But then she sees the photograph. A girl, a teenager, with her eyes. How can she turn her back on her? But going in search of her daughter brings Nora into contact with a past that she would rather forget, a past that she has worked hard to put behind her, but which is always there, waiting for her... In Eyes Like Mine, Sheena Kamal has created a kick-ass protagonist who will give Lisbeth Salander a run for her money. Intuitive, not always likeable, and deeply flawed, Nora Watts is a new heroine for our time.

Sheena Kamal holds an HBA in Political Science from the University of Toronto, which she attended on Canada's most prestigious scholarship, received for community leadership and activism around the issue of homelessness in Toronto. She went on to work in the film and TV industry, most recently as a researcher for a crime drama series being developed for television. Her research into crime and investigative journalism inspired Eyes Like Mine.

Utterly compelling, rich with voice and psychological insight, populated with heartbreakingly real characters, Eyes Like Mine will stay with you for a long, long time. Perhaps forever. * Jeffrey Deaver * A brave, unflinching heroine and brave, unflinching writing add up to an extraordinary debut - highly recommended. * Lee Child * Sheena Kamal has created a fresh and original character who grips the reader with her grit and courage. We're rooting for Nora Watts from the outset and I can't wait to read more of her story -- Sarah Ward, Crimepieces It's a taut book, very bleak writing . . . I really enjoyed it. It made for a different pace and style to some of the books I have read recently. This is the author's debut novel and I'm looking forward to what she can do in the future. * For the love of Books * I loved Eyes Like Mine - I'm not sure whether it was Nora who was spot on brilliant as an engaging and divisive main protagonist, or the themes within (as an adopted child myself I related on many levels here) or the really quite brilliant storytelling but overall this one was a huge hit with me . . . utterly riveting and totally addictive . . . excellent atmospheric writing vibe that both descriptively and decisively puts you right on the spot . . . Intelligent, thought provoking and beautifully written, Eyes Like Mine comes highly recommended from me. * Liz Loves Books * 'Kamal has come up with an unusual and engaging character that is uniquely her own. Nora carries a plot which could veer into unbelievably with panache and there's a page-turning thrilling element to the narrative. This could be my book of the year and it's only January.' -- Sarah Ward * Crime Pieces * 'Eyes Like Mine is an excellent psychological suspense novel. I loved it. The plot is intricate, complicated and fast moving, highlighting various issues such as mixed race inheritance and differences in treatment based on skin colour, homelessness, and environmental issues. These never overpower the story, but form part of the book as a whole.I was almost breathless as I read Eyes Like Mine. * Books Please * 'It's an immersive read that will reach out and grab you from the very first sentence with startling vigour. Sheena Kamal's writing is just brilliant. Her beautiful descriptions drag us into the environment of Vancouver and deposit us firmly beside Nora.' * Ronnie Turner Ad Astra * 'This is a dark read full of intrigue and mystery. Set in Canada you can almost feel the cold weather as the writing is extremely descriptive and sets the atmosphere. Fast paced and full of grit this will have the reader hooked straight away.' * Supermum * 'This one actually lingered with me..probably due to its interesting extra dimensions of race, mixed-race heritage, adoption, homelessness, and the lush Canadian setting' 4 stars **** * Much Ado About Books * 'Move over Lisbeth Salander! Wow! Where to start? One of the best books I have read in a long time, 'Eyes Like Mine' will have you reading through the night...the plot is cleverly-woven and charges along.' * Breakaway Reviewers * '..actually left me feeling rather uplifted and full of hope for the future. As in real life, sometimes not all ends can be tied. A stunning debut!' * My Chestnut Reading Tree * 'Eyes Like Mine is such a gripping read, it is difficult to believe that this is a debut, but it really does have the wow factor. Pick this book up and you will never want to put it down, you will be left breathless, you will fall in love with the characters, even though you shouldn't. One hell of a brilliant psychological thriller that will keep you in suspense throughout.' * Atticus Finch * 'engaging..you get pulled into the story and it doesn't let you go.' * A Bookaholic Swede * 'A complex, unusual and gripping theatre'. -- Myles McWeeney * Irish Independent, review by * 'Kamal's debut novel is a spare and effective thriller that seeks to expose the myths underpinning Canada's self-image... The writing is spare but effective...Kamal is compelling enough not to require embellishment.' -- James Kidd * South China Post * 'Punchy debut about a missing child...we are immediately dropped into a thrilling quest in which twists and turns abound.' * RTE Guide * 'She (Nora) is as different as possible from the current crop of fashionable weepies, who wallow in their victimhood and long for someone else to save or justify them, and her search shines light into some very dark places and forgotten lives. This is a most impressive - and moving - novel.' -- Natasha Cooper * Book Oxygen * 'As this is a debut novel Sheena Kamal did a good job and I think this is just the beginning of what she can give the world.' * Loves Book Groups * 'Eyes like Mine proved to be more action packed, gritty and perhaps political, then what I'd usually choose. I'm not usually drawn to books about corruption, however having read this, I'm glad I did. I raced through it in a couple of sittings and was gripped throughout.' * Cosy Books * 'The characters were well written and likeable but I'm not going to talk about them because Nora deserves all the spotlight!' * Silvxr * 'The background is well done. This being British Columbia and the protagonist of mixed race, exploitation of native people is a feature, with an appropriate climax on Vancouver Island where land and timber and wildlife have been enriching freebooters for centuries. So fitting and somewhat apt to end with a Wagnerian riot of song and guns, moonlight and water and even a humpback whale.' * SHOTS magazine * 'the novel does take some rapid twists and turns and really lays on the noirish atmosphere in spades. Kamal knows the rules of her genre very well, and the storyline hits all the beats.' -- Ian White * Starburst magazine * 'a strong plot, and fascinating personalities, this dark novel is a thrilling page turner... a character who stands strong and distinctive in her own right.' * Boozy Bookworm * I recommend this if you like gritty stories with hard-nosed female characters who won't give up at any cost. * The Secret Library * Actually very funny and entertaining, in the same way Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone books are (although a lot bleaker)...This is a very accomplished and confident debut. * Clothes In Books * A thoroughly original thriller with a fascinating premise...I rooted desperately for Nora - her story is furiously compelling, not just in the breathlessly pacy plot, which encompasses medical fraud, and the environmental horrors of mining, but from her voice, which is wryly witty, cynical, and yet vulnerable. It's a terrific debut, from an exciting new author, and I can't wait to see what Nora does next. * Back To The Books * Eyes Like Mine is a book filled with restrained writing, even as Sheena Kamal takes readers through the life of someone who should be raging at the world. You'll be raging at the world for her. * Editing Everything * 'Suspenseful, atmospheric and often deeply moving . . . one of the most complicated and fascinating protagonists I've come across in a long time. I'd follow Nora Watts (and her dog) anywhere.' * Alison Gaylin *