I am completely over the moon to have Heleen on my blog today! After I saw some fab reviews of book In Servitude a few months back, I was over the moon when she contacted me asking me if I would like to read her book. Would I heck?! Now I have not read it yet mainly due to the overload of blog tours I have done, but in the new year it is the year for me to get my requests read. But in the meantime I had an invite to do the book blitz for Heleen, well I was not going to say no! And this time, I get to share with you an excerpt from her book too, just to whet our appetite even more!
So what is the book about I hear you shout!!
In Servitude by Heleen KistPublished by Pollok Glen Publishing on August 23, 2018
Genres: Psychological, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
Pages: 337
Amazon UK
Goodreads
Also by this author: Stay Mad, Sweetheart
Grace thought her sister led a perfect life. She was wrong. Now she has to pay the price.
When Grace’s beloved sister Glory dies in a car crash, her carefully considered life spirals out of control. She discovers Glory was laundering money through her café for a local crime lord. What's worse, Grace finds herself an unwitting accomplice, now forced to take over her sister's shady dealings.
Determined to protect herself and those Glory left behind, Grace plots to turn the tables on Glasgow’s criminal underworld. But her plans unravel when more family secrets emerge and she starts to question Glory’s past intentions.
Grace grows convinced her sister was murdered. Seeking justice, she finds betrayal…
Wow! I am hooked and with a rating of 4.20 on
Bytheletterreviews says
In Servitude is a dark and suspenseful read that draws you in and keeps you there. I was very much invested in what was going on in Grace’s life and the twists and turns as they happened. Hard to believe it’s the authors debut. Very excited to see what she brings us next.
Swift Coffee says
I enjoyed this book very much. I don’t like the cliché wording ‘a
page turner ’, but it is what it was. It was very easy to read, pages were just flying by. It kept my attention, yet it wasn’t so simple that makes the style annoyingly dumb. The story was very interesting, believable, it was complicated enough to be sucked in and not be able to figure out everything before the reader is supposed to, but the author has the gift of such natural and clear composition that it was very easy to follow what was happening.
Jessica Rachow says
This book. I mean, the cover is gorgeous, and the synopsis drew me in, but I wasn’t expecting this book to be as incredible as it was. In Servitude has made it to my favorite books read this year.
If you’re after a gripping
page turner then I would highly recommend In Servitude! With its intricately plotted storyline and contemporary writing style, it’s hard to believe that it’s a debut novel! I love the promise of things to come from Heleen Kist and awaited her next novel with anticipation!
Well those reviews have got me excited for the book, not sure about you! So let me take a look at the excerpt I am getting to share with you!
A tailor’s dummy stood beside me, draped with colourful scarves that reflected the sunset in shimmering patterns, as if calling for my attention. I ran both hands through the soft fibres, creating dancing shadows on the wall and releasing a smell that punched me in the lungs, calling up a memory so vivid that I became light-headed.
Glory’s young voice.
‘Look at me! I’m Scheherazade!’
Loose strands of long red hair enveloped her face as she twirled around, her hands waving multi-coloured strips of fabric in fluid, hypnotising motions along her eleven-year-old body. She bounced towards me, covering her nose and mouth, batting her eyelashes in cartoon-style seduction. ‘Oh Aladdin, my hero! Shall I dance the dance of the seven veils for you?’
‘Stop it, Glory.’ I grabbed the so-called veils she’d been dangling in front of my face, too close. ‘Plus, that wasn’t Scheherazade. I’m fairly sure the dance of the seven veils was Salome.’
Glory shrugged and kept the choreography going. ‘I don’t care. It’s exotic! And foreign! And marvellous!’ Each phrase was punctuated by a defiant jiggle of the hips.
‘And a little blasphemous,’ I said, failing to suppress a large grin.
‘Okay, miss party-pooper. Your turn to do something with this.’
She heaped the mix of polyester, silk and cotton we’d rescued from our parents’ store onto my head and sat on the ground. Bright blues beaming in anticipation.
‘Fine, Salome. You think you’re so sexy. Well, you’ve got another think coming.’ I wrapped layer upon layer over my shoulders and across my waist, waiting for the inspiration that came so easily to her.
Once I could move no more for the bulk, I plonked my elbows on my side and stood legs apart like a superhero, bellowing, ‘For I am…Heidi!’ My heart leapt as her unrestrained laughter filled the room. ‘And I am on my way to meet my own man…’ I paused, basking in my sister’s approval, while I searched for that goatherd boy’s name—or any goatherd name. She roared as I broke into song instead. ‘High on the hill lived a lonely goatherd, yodelay-hee yodelay-hee yodelay-hee hoo!’
‘Oh Grace, you’re so funny,’ she said, then launched into yodels that merged into mine. And I wished it would last forever.
Well I think I need to stop living under a rock and get my skates on reading this!!
Until next time xx
Heleen Kist says
Thanks for participating! Glad it piqued your interest. X Heleen
Zoe says
I’m looking forward to reading it! X