I was given a free e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book was a rollercoaster of emotion. This definitely isn't a book you pick up for merely a few minutes of reading, it's the kind you dedicate an entire afternoon to.

The story is told from the perspective Nick and for a few times Kate and Ina. The writing is nothing short of beautiful and descriptive. It's detailed but still to the point, the flow emulates the emotion perfectly in the story.

The author draws you into a story riddled with hard family choices, where no answer is correct. She makes you agonize with Nick, does he tell his daughter? Or not? I definitely teared up in more than one places...definitely not full on crying...

The only thing I could have wanted more, than the next book of course, is more background details on Nick and Kathleen .

If you want something emotional engaging and morally intriguing, you should definitely read this book!

My Rating :
4.5/5

I was not sure what to expect from this tale, having never read Brown before. What I discovered was a story full of family drama, mystery and suspicion.

Hinterland takes you on a quiet journey of omissions and guilt. I found myself being drawn deeper into each chapter, wanting to discover the silences that have kept this family apart.

If you enjoy a bit of mystery and drama then I see no reason why you would not find this an enticing and quality read. Give Brown a chance as I did, and you will not be disappointed.

Hinterland is a beautifully written book about a father’s love for his daughter and the sometimes questionable decisions he makes, in an effort to protect her, as she grows up. The the interwoven relationships between all of the richly drawn characters are believable and fascinating. The story drew me in and held on long after the novel had ended. Highly recommended. Many thanks to L.M. Brown and BookSirens for the advance review copy, which I received for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Hinterland is an emotional story of a father and a daughter and the decision they take in their lives to protect our loved ones.

It’s a fascinating story built in layers. As the reader progresses through the chapters, they peel each layer to reach the essence of the book. One rides through various emotions from shock to feeling insecure to understanding the depth of the plot. The story takes up the shape of mystery, and the reader navigates through these mysteries to understand the characters. The focal points of the book are its characters and their portrayal of emotions.

The central theme of the book is the relationship between father and daughter. But, also emphasises the mental health issues.

The three character’s (Nicolas, Ina and Kate) lives are intertwined in unimaginable ways. Kate, as she grows up, has questions about her mother, which Nicolas never answers. Ina raises Kate as her own, that fills the void that’s left with the inability to have a child.

Brown uses subtexts and subtle effects to implant a small yet significant concept that people change with time. Their emotions and events mould them and change them in incredible ways.

Hinterland is one of those books that will leave you in its glory. You will stay mesmerised long after it’s finished.

My rating for the book is 4 stars.

Thank you, L M Brown, for the copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Magnificent read, indeed!

Brown pens a powerful and dramatic story in Hinterland. I am already a big fan of Brown's work, and this story is just a wonderfully, dramatic page-turner. The characters, such as little Kate, and Nicholas meld perfectly in this story. It's full of drama, and both heartfulling and heart breaking intensity. This book deserves a second read! (and maybe more). A very well-written story, and I enjoyed it. It is always a joy to read this author's stories. I've read Brown's work, as I am a fan, but I believe (at least right now) this is by far my favorite. The characters are on their own life's journey, surrounded by unanswered questions. Magnificent story, kept this reader turning the pages. A definite attention grabber. The thrills and intrigue is written clearly and the characterizations are engrossing. "There were moments throughout the day when she would feel her mother’s presence like a ghost. Afternoons, when Nicholas rose and reluctantly walked out of her room, she’d watch her father’s back and imagine her mother in the room, her bright eyes lingering, not on the departing figure, but on Kate and she’d feel a weight of sadness too big for a little girl." It's a intriguing story to follow and try to figure out what will happen next. I look forward to reading many more stories by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.


Note: From Amy's Bookshelf Reviews, this is a pre-release review.

Set in present-day Massachusetts, Hinterland is stark and poetic, with far more beneath the surface than the words indicate. It is the third book I’ve read by L.M. Brown, and as in her others, melancholy runs like a ribbon through the pages as does (it seems strange to say this of a book filled with words) silence. The characters populating the story are blunt and taciturn to a fault, even with loved ones—so silent that what dialogue there is resonates. There’s a paucity of visible emotion, but underlying loneliness, rage, love, grief, depression. The desire to escape conflicts with the desire to remain. These are small folks, with small, ordinary lives, befuddled by life’s circumstances. Hinterland is a slow-burn novel, replete with atmosphere.

Nicholas spent years in jail for beating up a fellow student and leaving him with brain damage—a violence Nicholas learned from his father. When Nicholas is released from prison, he gets a woman (Kathleen) pregnant and, while he doesn’t marry her, refuses to abandon his child. The mother’s schizophrenia slowly reveals itself as she hallucinates, gets mood swings, and loses contact with reality. When her daughter is five years old, Kathleen does an unthinkable, evil act. After that, she disappears, and Nicholas is left to raise his daughter alone—with the help of his next-door neighbor, Ina. The daughter, Kate, is shattered when her mother vanishes, and her personality changes from being a shy but likable youngster to being a wayward young woman.

The book does a great job showing the difficulties of living with a schizophrenic and the constant need to anticipate the schizophrenic’s mood. is filled with ambiguity and mystery, of a type that will weigh on your heart rather than slap you in the face. The plot twists are interesting, with the major one happening in the second half of the book. The characters ring true to life, if ambiguous, and the prose, as in all of Brown’s works, delightful.