Where Loyalties Lie by Val Collins
Published: March 1, 2022
VCB Publishing
Pages: 243
Genre: Domestic Thriller
KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Val Collins is a native of Ireland; Val began reading at the age of three and still devours books at the rate of one per week. Her favourite authors range from Philippa Gregory and Sophie Kinsella to Lee Child and Linwood Barclay.
The police accept the account of Oran’s friends, but the witness will not be silenced.
Why is a stranger accusing Ben Weston of murder when his friends are convinced they witnessed an accident? Why would Ben kill his childhood friend? Plagued by sensationalist tabloid stories, Ben’s wealthy family need to clear his name.
Part time freelance reporter, Aoife Walsh, is coping with a dead-end office job and a lecherous boss when the Weston family hires her to help prove their son’s innocence. As someone who’s had a relative accused of murder, Aoife can empathise with the Westons’ situation.
Aoife’s investigation sees ex-lovers and innocents, busybodies and frenemies crawl out of the woodwork. It’s no surprise that their stories aren’t lining up perfectly. But who is lying?
Aoife’s relentless pursuit of answers will put her in jeopardy— leaving her life, and the truth, hanging in the balance.
“Listen and learn.”
Aoife agrees to favor her friend, not thinking it would consume her. But the deeper she gets in this sordid tale, the closer she comes to the edge.
This was a journey. What starts as an innocent enough favor quickly becomes so much more. I loved the dual storylines in this book and that we got to know Aoife so much more.
I love how determined and stubborn Aoife can be. She refuses to be taken for a fool, and her gut is usually right. As a freelance journalist, I love that she cannot ask truly hard-hitting questions. The way her mind works, she sees things from multiple perspectives, and she observes the littlest details.
The plot moved very quickly, and the twists and turns continued until the end. Just when I thought I had a handle on where the story was going, another puzzle piece was revealed. It was all tied together so well by the end, all of the seemingly random or unimportant details suddenly came back with a spotlight.
The characters in this novel were so well done, and I fell a little more in love with both Aoife and Conor. Their relationship is so well balanced, and the love and respect are so obvious. I enjoyed Orla throughout this book, and I appreciate her friendship with Aoife.
The aspect of being ultra-wealthy and getting away with anything was well played in this novel. Val represented that imbalance of justice so perfectly. The concept that because one is rich, they can do whatever and get away with it was done in a seamless portrayal with the Weston family.
I devoured this book in a single sitting, unable to put it down. Once the ball started rolling, due to the momentum, there was absolutely no stopping. Every chapter plunges you further into the story until you’re free-falling into the chaos.
I enjoy this series so much more with the release of each new book, and I look forward to the next installation.