Catholics who want to have a confrontation with each other should be provided a jew who knows how to argue free of charge. They cannot do it on their own.

Even in a world of heroes Los Santos is too corrupt for any true good to prosper. The Supers who come to fight the good fight soon fall, retreating from an unwinnable battle, being brutally murdered and made public warning or, worse, plunging fast and hard into the ever growing ranks of villainy that rule the city. And really, is there anything more dangerous than a villain with a cause? A baddie with all the self-entitled righteousness of a former hero, the taste for glory, for public deference, for power. It’s not like there are rules, no handbook for the Powered to follow, checkboxes for being good vs being evil, no set destiny determining that one must be one or the other but things always seem to play out in the same way. Humans aren't half as complex as they'd like to believe, all follow the same broad paths sooner or later; the ones who hide themselves away, the ones who take what they want, and the ones who think to stand up and protect their idea of justice. When the Powered came into the public eye there was fear, jealously, there were calls to register, to lock up the powerful, demands to go to any extreme to ensure the protection of the Non-powered. Not all Powers are equal, for every terrifyingly notable gift there are dozens of negligible abilities, little more than party tricks or cosmetic changes, but most Non-powered didn’t care to see the difference. The lack of rhyme or reason scared them, the fact that unknown powers may have manifested in anyone from a childhood friend to a nephew, a nun to a super-max criminal, newfound supremacy with no regard for class or wealth. Many of the Powered were talented beyond belief, some stronger than anyone could deem reasonable, but the Non-powered would always have numbers and the ever reliable quality of hating anyone who was different. Overall it was handled poorly, even in areas not screaming for imprisonment or execution, places where Powers were seen as gifts, amazing and awe-inspiring, society simply lacked adequate infrastructure to support so many new abilities. Prison cells were no longer adequately applicable to all people, some were now immune to necessary medicines, the limits of human weight and strength had gone out the window and airspace no longer belonged solely to machines. Worse though was the fact that there was nothing in place to protect the Powered from the hateful masses, nothing to help identify and channel the newly Powered into appropriate support and education programs, nothing to mitigate the growing tensions and unease. And, yes, nothing at all which could combat the inevitable pushback, fight off the onslaught of Powered coming for law-enforcement and society alike, not just actual criminals but also mismanaged children and the inescapable furious retribution from regular Powered when it all goes wrong. It was a dark time, Powered persecuted without cause or mercy and Non-Powered constantly looking over their shoulders lest they be the target of rebel vengeance, a world-wide uproar which eventually gave rise to the Supers. Because there were of course Powered who believed in justice, who wanted to help, who stood up to stand up against their own kind when things got dire and led the charge to bring peace and understanding between Powered and Non. So things eventually settle, an uneasy truce, but there will always be those who use their Powers for their own benefits, society be damned, just as there will always be the do-gooders using their Powers to police how others behave. It of course takes the general public no time at all to start referring to them as Heroes and Villains, the comparison too close to ignore despite the general lack of spandex, but there was never going to be such a clean division. Clearly those who think it’s simply black or white have never had to define the Powered who were scouted for shady corporations or government wet work, never had to draw the line between political or military ‘heroes’ and vigilante ‘villains’. Clearly those people had never been to Los Santos, where the heroes could be just as bad, could be far, far worse, than the villains had any hope of being. It’s all well and good for the villains in Los Santos, at least a while - better to have the heroes get on board than have them chasing you down and ruining your every plan -  but it’s getting a bit crowded to be honest. It's hard to stretch your wings as a bad guy when there's no one left to push back against, when on every job you trip over half a dozen bozos running their own gigs. When the levels of depravity some of these assholes stoop to start giving all the regular villains a bad name. So, something has to be done, and if the good guys can't hack it, the bad guys are going to have to. Or at least that’s how Ramsey sells it when he’s dragging a pack of semi-reluctant crooks together, cherry picking powers and personalities to build what will be an undeniably formidable crew so long as he can get them all onside. Considering Geoff’s gift of telepathy and thought implantation, limited though it may be, getting everyone to sign up and play nice with one another isn’t quite as difficult as one would expect. Some of his choices are crooks he’s already worked with, Powers tried and tested, those who Geoff trusts more than anyone else on earth. Most notably of these are his ever faithful right hand, Jack, who manipulates wind and weather, and the ineffable Lindsay with her flaming wings. Then there’s Matt Bragg’s technological genius, Trevor’s ability to defy notice and walk unseen, Steffie’s unearthly level of multi-tasking and information analysis, and the host of loyal Powered friends they bring to the table. Even the ringers who Geoff’s not actually trialled have been vigorously investigated, carefully selected from the hundreds of possible Powered criminals in Los Santos. He’d built up some rapport with the foreigner, Free, who’s been running with two other Powered, a little crew he won’t leave behind, not that Geoff actually wants him to. He was after Gavin’s power, inherent luck and the manipulation of probabilities an indispensable quality in his endeavour, but he’d be a fool not to snatch up Gavin’s friends while he’s at it. Jones with his control of heat, of fire and ice, and Dooley’s ability to change his own density at will makes the pair near indomitable in a fight, an unquestionably powerful duo to have in your corner. And last, but by no means least, was the terrible Vagabond, the corrupted healer who takes people apart from the inside out, a living nightmare even in Los Santos. Ryan was by far the hardest to win over to the cause, but once he’s in Geoff knows they’re golden. It’s quite a line-up but even with that security there is no scattergun approach, Geoff’s done his homework, has villains and ex-heroes categorised by the danger their powers pose and the difficulty in taking them down. The first few jobs are so quick and ruthless the targets have no time to see them coming, to prepare proper defences, no chance to combat the array of abilities they’re faced with. From there word gets out, but while they lose the element of surprise they’re still in the unique position of being united; it’s so rare for those who are Powered to truly combine forces, rarer still in a group of more than two or three, and without any backstabbing or infighting Ramsey’s collection have found themselves to be near unstoppable. Between them they have the best plans, horrifyingly efficient fighters, have infiltration, manipulation and extermination completely covered. Hell they even have a preternaturally skilful wheelman to get them all the hell out of dodge when things take a turn. Perhaps best of all, though, is the fact that to some degree they have the support of the city; law enforcement, struggling Supers and civilians alike, who’ve noticed this new group shaking up the powers that be in the underbelly of the city. Who might not all be actively helping but certainly aren’t hindering, stepping back and giving Geoff and his people free reign to finally fix up the wicked city. So for a moment they are beacons, a spot of light pushing back the darkness in Los Santos, persevering where others have been crushed, relentless in their quest to take out the worst elements of the city. It is, of course, difficult to be swayed from the right path when you were never on it in the first place, can’t fall from grace when you never had any to start with. Ramsey’s gang seem invulnerable to the filth and corruption of Los Santos simply because the darkness was in them all along, their goals have never been anything close to altruistic. Some still believe, see only what they have intentionally been shown, think Ramsey’s crew vigilantes, perhaps too harsh, too violent, but only out of necessity, the strong hand of justice the depraved city of sin has been crying out for. They think the attacks will cease once the city has been cleansed, cheer on their counterfeit champions right up until the moment they finally realise that they’ve been played, that Ramsey and his gang of reprobates will never be the good guys. Because no matter what the idealists would like to believe, no matter what other crooks might sneer and spit, no one who’s paying attention could truly think Ramsey’s crew had gone light side, not by a long shot. They take down other villains, yes, but not in ways the so called good would approve of, not peacefully, not humanely, not even remotely quick, clean or painless. They take down other villains, sure, but for their own benefit, for their own power and greed, their own amusement. They take down other villains but they don’t spare the cops. They take down other villain’s but they aren’t saving civilians, aren’t restoring peace, they don’t return stolen goods or misappropriated funds, don’t seek to inspire children or bring safety back to the streets. When all the Powered formidable enough to have half a chance of beating them have been overthrown, Ramsey and his crew are right there to see their plan through. They’ve not been cleaning up Los Santos so much as they’ve been claiming it, taking full control over the city that has been thought for so long to be utterly untameable, all the while ensuring there will be no one left to challenge them. An empire built on fallen bodies, tacitly approved by the masses, a violent take over sold under the guise of justice. And in that they have found a whole new way to be devious, a fresh take on villainy, giving hope to those who'd thought themselves hopeless only to dash it all away again. Those false heroes, those reprehensible Fakes.

Main Crew Powers | Support Crew Powers

The best and worst films of 2018

If after watching 112 films teaches you anything, it's that Hollywood will continue to pump out the franchise blockbusters - and audiences will still hand over their cash to see them, no matter how below average or unoriginal they may be.

Cinematically, 2018 was a year that marked the final screen appearances for both Robert Redford (’The Old Man and the Gun’) and Daniel Day-Lewis (’Phantom Thread’), heralded Bradley Cooper’s impressive directorial debut (’A Star Is Born), served up an innovative high-tech thriller (’Searching’) and bestowed the most gob-smacking showdown involving MCU’s greatest heroes and villains (’Avengers: Infinity War’).

It was also a very good year for Netflix loyalists who saw the company release a succession of well received films including ’Annihilation,’ ‘Roma,’ and ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.’

Despite Dirty Harry’s memorable comment that “opinions are like assholes, everybody’s got one,” the films that have made this year’s ‘best list’ have been selected on the basis of the lasting impression they have left on this viewer after the lights have come up and the curtain’s been drawn.

So, what succeeded and what failed?

Ladies and gentlemen, may we please offer for your consideration…

50. THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN

49. INCREDIBLES 2

48. FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL

47. THE POST

46. CHAPPAQUIDDICK

45. RED SPARROW

44. GAME NIGHT

43. DEADPOOL 2

42. BOY ERASED

41. WIDOWS

40. STRONGER     

39. MOLLY’S GAME

38. FAHRENHEIT 11/9  

37. THE DARKEST HOUR

36. FIRST REFORMED

35. A STAR IS BORN

34. ISLE OF DOGS

33. BREATH

32. THE WIFE

31. READY PLAYER ONE

30. BLACK PANTHER

29. WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOUR

28. BRIGSBY BEAR

27. LADY BIRD

26. SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO

25. BEAUTIFUL BOY

24. PHANTOM THREAD

23. GHOST STORIES

22. FIRST MAN

21. TULLY

20. I, TONYA

19. SUSPIRIA

18. RBG 

17. THE FAVOURITE

16. BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY 

15. MANDY

14. BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 

13. SEARCHING 

12. A QUIET PLACE

11. BLACKKKLANSMAN

10. SWEET COUNTRY

The Australian ‘western’ is a genre all its own, and ‘Sweet Country’ was the finest example of its type. Both Warwick Thornton's direction and Dylan Rivers’ cinematography was outstanding, as were all of the lead acting performances. Shot in both Central and South Australia, ‘Sweet Country’ transcended the genre’s tropes to tell us a quintessentially Australian story, albeit a bloody, brutal and tragic one. 

9. VICE

As with his previous film ‘The Big Short,’ writer/director Adam McKay set aside the clean, colourful look of his comedies (’Anchorman,’ ‘Step Brothers’) in favour of a washed-out, edgy look, with the frequent use of hand-held cameras. The entire ensemble - including Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell and Amy Adams - were all impressive but it was Christian Bale’s skilful and highly effective portrayal of former VP Dick Cheney that deservedly received the kudos from critics everywhere. 

8. THE ENDLESS

Indie filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, wrote, directed and starred in this terrific slow burner about two brothers who decide to revisit their childhood UFO death cult for some closure. Initially, the film’s daunting atmosphere gave the impression that this horror/sci-fi would follow the usual story ‘beats’ that accompany the genre. But after some mind-bending twists, ‘The Endless’ soon switched from being about a crazed cult into something else!

7. SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

It’s no secret that Sony’s last few attempts with the character of Spider-Man have been underwhelming to say the least. However, this rousingly entertaining superhero adventure was easily 2018′s most unexpected surprise. The film’s impressive animation was beautiful, fluid and unique, whilst the storyline was both compelling and genuinely funny. What can we say - we finally got the ‘Spider-Man’ movie everybody wanted. It’s OK Sony, we now forgive you for ‘The Emoji Movie.’

6. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

Sadly robbed of the Best Picture gong at last year’s Academy Awards, this third movie from award-winning playwright Martin McDonagh (‘In Bruges,’ ‘Seven Psychopaths’) was a dramedy that started with cleverness and wit before opening up into something truthfully human. McDonagh’s screenplay was so good that every single cast member, no matter how little their screen time, gave a great performance.

5. AMERICAN ANIMALS

In this true-crime movie, four bright and well-off college students in Kentucky plot to steal some rare books from their university's Special Collections Library in a misguided quest for personal glory. Written and directed by Bart Layton, ‘American Animals’ cleverly woven script was narrated by the heist's actual participants, bringing a fascinating layer to the proceedings as well as a connection between the characters and audience.

4. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

It may have been the most intense, complex and stirring MCU film yet, but it was as lean as epics get, with none of its nearly two-and-a-half-hour running time feeling wasted. While the many characters and intersecting plots may have confused casual viewers (it’s assumed audiences are now familiar with all that's come before), for fans, it was one mind-blowing moment after another.

3. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT

Who would have thought that a 20+ year franchise would have been able to deliver one of the most exciting and visceral action films in recent memory? ‘Fallout’ saw the stepping up of both the action and the stakes, with the personal screws tightened on Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the horrible consequences for failure. Love him or hate him, Cruise's performance was lean and focused, whilst Christopher MacQuarrie’s direction was effective and thrilling, always hitting every action beat - dead centre.

2. YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE

Director Lynne Ramsay’s bleak yet effective thriller about a broken and tormented ex-military vigilante (Joaquin Phoenix), who makes a living rescuing kidnapped girls and making the perpetrators violently pay with a hammer, was a dark and twisting journey into one man’s soul. Ramsay's filmmaking powers and script, combined with Phoenix's committed, unadorned performance and Johnny Greenwood's absolutely superb soundtrack, easily delivered one of this year’s most standout movies.

1. HEREDITARY

Although it polarised audiences everywhere, ‘Hereditary’ was a refreshing example of a studio (A24) subverting expectations and the perfect showcase of what horror is capable of when taken seriously.

Even as the film ventured into territory familiar to its genre, writer/director Ari Aster skillfully orchestrated the tension into something that felt like a nightmare straight from hell. What begins as a drama about a family tearing apart with grief, slowly descends into madness and the supernatural. 

Rather than rely on a ‘conveyor belt’ of jump scares strung together with a derivative story which exists purely as a vehicle to deliver those jump scares, ‘Hereditary’ put family drama at the forefront and milked every ounce of dread from the hideous realities of familial cohabitation for what they’re worth. 

Whilst the film’s cinematography, production design and score were all some of the best the horror genre has seen, it was the performances that finally sold ‘Hereditary,’ notably Toni Collette’s tormented turn as a manic mother who is mourning the loss of a parent. 

‘Hereditary’ didn’t just redefine horror - it successfully put its own wicked stamp on the tropes of the genre, and provided audiences everywhere with a truly unsettling experience.

Hail Paimon!

…AND NOW, THE WORST!

20. VENOM

19. THE MEG

18. MILE 22

17. WINCHESTER

16. LIFE OF THE PARTY

15. BLOCKERS

14. SKYSCRAPER

13. THE WEDDING GUEST

12. DEATH WISH

11. BOAR

10. THE NUN

Sadly, this fifth chapter in the ‘Conjuring’ universe was nowhere near as scary, inspired or coherent as its predecessors. The quick onslaught of jump scares, punctuated by sudden noises on the soundtrack, quickly dashed the hopes of viewers who saw the entire exercise as a colossal waste of time (not to mention that the titular character was almost ‘missing’ in her own movie). 

9. THE PREDATOR

This was a prime example as to how you kill a franchise. ‘The Predator’ was so bad, it made both ‘AVP’ movies look like modern day masterpieces. Whilst the acting and storyline were awful, the film suffered from plot holes, the lack of any kind of script, the constant desperate dramatic music featured relentlessly throughout and the forced jokes. Why director Shane Black thought injecting a comedy script into this franchise was a good idea is anyone's guess. 

8. THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS

Brian Henson, son of the legendary Jim Henson and the director of ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ and ‘Muppet Treasure Island,’ somehow thought this juvenile attempt at humour was a good idea. Instead, it did the most offensive thing that a comedy could ever do - it failed to make you laugh. 

7. THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME

This forgettable and redundant comedy, from its tired title to its forced acting and humour, tried desperately to be everything at once and ended up being nothing at all. Given the talent involved, one would have expected some semblance of subtly and finesse to let these strong performers elevate the material as they've been known to in the past. However, when the material was as blunt as a sledgehammer, there wasn’t much anyone could have done. 

6. GRINGO

Despite its polished production values and stellar cast, ‘Gringo’ amounted to an absolute bust. Director Nash Egerton’s unsavoury and amoral comedy of errors qualified as something contrived, convoluted and ultimately incoherent. Crammed with a myriad of ‘madcap’ situations that weren’t even remotely funny or original, this crappy caper failed to keep up with its talented cast who struggled in their portrayal of such unpleasant stereotypes.

5. PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING

CGI vomit. 

4. THE 15:17 TO PARIS

Anybody desperately wanting to watch this train wreck should fast forward the first hour and six minutes. Clint Eastwood’s effort to pay tribute to the three brave men who foiled the 2015 Thalys train attack was a cinematic misfire of epic proportions. The bold step of having the real-life heroes play themselves was a bad call (awkward delivery, mumbled lines), whilst the film also had an underlying Christian/pro-gun/pro-military vibe about it.  

3. ROBIN HOOD

From the over-the-top bow and arrow fights to the bizarre mix of costumes, ‘Robin Hood’ was comparable to Guy Ritchie’s disastrous reimagining of ‘King Arthur,’ only worse. Far worse. This umpteenth version of the legendary heroic outlaw was severely lacking in the entertainment and thrills department, and continued the Hollywood tradition of blockbuster remakes absolutely falling on their arses.

2. ACTION POINT

The ‘Jackass’ films were great, but this dismal wannabe ‘Caddyshack’ or ‘Porky’s’ left audiences longing for the relative artistry and sophistication of the crazy lads’ glory days. ‘Action Point’ was a predictable, exceptionally cheap and humourless affair, a watershed moment in terms of anyone ever bank rolling a feature film for these guys again. RIP gentlemen, it was a fun ride.

1. HOLMES AND WATSON

It’s all elementary as to which film was by far the very worst of 2018.

Everything about ‘Holmes and Watson’ was lazy, incompetent and decidedly unfunny. This shockingly misguided assault of repetitive bad slapstick and terrible writing squandered the remarkable talents of John C. Reilly, Rebecca Hall, Steve Coogan, Kelly Macdonald, Ralph Fiennes and Hugh Lawrie, and saw Will Ferrell give what was easily the worst performance of his entire career.

This was no ‘Step Brothers’ - this was pure, unadulterated garbage. 

Hello Lovelies, Thank you for stopping by, today I have my stop on the blog tour for Give Me the Child which was published on the 27, July 2017 by HQ Stories. On my stop, I have sneak peek for you. I do hope you enjoy. Kelly xoxo

Book Jacket

An unexpected visitor.

Dr Cat Lupo aches for another child, despite the psychosis which marked her first pregnancy. So when Ruby Winter, a small girl in need of help, arrives in the middle of the night, it seems like fate.

A devastating secret.

But as the events behind Ruby’s arrival emerge – her mother’s death, her connection to Cat – Cat questions whether her decision to help Ruby has put her own daughter at risk.

Do we get the children we deserve?

Cat’s research tells her there’s no such thing as evil. Her history tells her she’s paranoid. But her instincts tell her different. And as the police fight to control a sudden spate of riots raging across the capital, Cat faces a race against time of her own…

Compulsive, dark and devastating, Give Me the Child is a uniquely skilful thriller with an unforgettable twist.

Sneak Peek

CHAPTER ONE

My first thought when the doorbell woke me was that someone had died. Most likely Michael Walsh. I turned onto my side, pulled at the outer corners of my eyes to rid them of the residue of sleep and blinked myself awake. It was impossible to tell if it was late or early, though the bedroom was as hot and muggy as it had been when Tom and I had gone to bed. Tom was no longer beside me. Now I was alone. We’d started drinking not long after Freya had gone upstairs. The remains of a bottle of Pinot Grigio for me, a glass or two of red for Tom. (He always said white wine was for women.) Just before nine I called The Mandarin Hut. When the crispy duck arrived I laid out two trays in the living room, opened another bottle and called Tom in from the study. I hadn’t pulled the curtains and through the pink light of the London night sky a cat’s claw of moon appeared. The two of us ate, mostly in silence, in front of the TV. A ballroom dance show came on. Maybe it was just the booze but something about the tight-muscled men and the frou-frou’d women made me feel a little sad. The cosmic dance. The grand romantic gesture. At some point even the tight-muscled men and the frou-frou’d women would find themselves slumped together on a sofa with the remains of a takeaway and wine enough to sink their sorrows, wondering how they’d got there, wouldn’t they?

Not that Tom and I really had anything to complain about except, maybe, a little malaise, a kind of falling away. After all, weren’t we still able to laugh about stuff most of the time or, if we couldn’t laugh, at least have sex and change the mood?

‘Let’s go upstairs and I’ll show you my cha-cha,’ I said, rising and holding out a hand.

Tom chuckled and pretended I was joking, then, wiping his

palms along his thighs as if he were ridding them of something unpleasant, he said, ‘It’s just if I don’t crack this bloody coding thing…’

I looked out at the moon for a moment. OK, so I knew how much making a success of Labyrinth meant to Tom, and I’d got used to him shutting himself away in the two or three hours either side of midnight. But this one time, with the men and women still twirling in our minds? Just this one time?

Stupidly, I said, ‘Won’t it wait till tomorrow?’ and in an instant

I saw Tom stiffen. He paused for a beat and, slapping his hands on his thighs in a gesture of busyness, he slugged down the last of his wine, rose from the sofa and went to the door. And so we left it there with the question still hanging.

I spent the rest of the evening flipping through the case notes of patients I was due to see that week. When I turned in for the night, the light was still burning in Tom’s study. I murmured ‘goodnight’ and went upstairs to check on Freya. Our daughter was suspended somewhere between dreaming and deep sleep. All children look miraculous when they’re asleep, even the frighten- ing, otherworldly ones I encounter every day. Their bodies soften, their small fists unfurl and dreams play behind their eyelids. But Freya looked miraculous all the time to me. Because she was. A miracle made at the boundary where human desire meets science. I stood and watched her for a while, then, retrieving her beloved

Pippi Longstocking book from the floor and straightening her duvet, I crept from the room and went to bed.

Sometime later I felt Tom’s chest pressing against me and his breath on the nape of my neck. He was already aroused and for a minute I wondered what else he’d been doing on screen besides coding, then shrugged off the thought. A drowsy, half-hearted bout of lovemaking followed before we drifted into our respective oblivions. Next thing I knew the doorbell was ringing and I was alone.

Under the bathroom door a beam of light blazed. I threw off the sheet and swung from the bed.

‘Tom?’

No response. My mind was scrambled with sleep and an anxious pulse was rising to the surface. I called out again.

There was a crumpling sound followed by some noisy vomiting but it was identifiably my husband. The knot in my throat loosened. I went over to the bathroom door, knocked and let myself in. Tom was hunched over the toilet and there was a violent smell in the room.

‘Someone’s at the door.’ Tom’s head swung round.

I said, ‘You think it might be about Michael?’

Tom’s father, Michael Walsh, was a coronary waiting to happen, a lifelong bon vivant in the post-sixty-five-year-old death zone, who’d taken the recent demise of his appalling wife pretty badly.

Tom stood up, wiped his hand across his mouth and moved over to the sink. ‘Nah, probably just some pisshead.’ He turned on the tap and sucked at the water in his hand and, in an oddly casual tone, he added, ‘Ignore it.’

As I retreated into the bedroom, the bell rang again. Whoever it was, they weren’t about to go away. I went over to the window and eased open the curtain. The street was still and empty of people, and the first blank glimmer was in the sky. Directly below the house a patrol car was double parked, hazard lights still on but otherwise dark. For a second my mind filled with the terrible possibility that something had happened to Sally. Then I checked myself. More likely someone had reported a burglary or a prowler in the neighbourhood. Worst case it was Michael.

‘It’s the police,’ I said.

Tom appeared and, lifting the sash, craned out of the window. ‘I’ll go, you stay here.’

I watched him throw on his robe over his boxers and noticed his hands were trembling. Was that from having been sick or was he, too, thinking about Michael now? I listened to his footsteps disappearing down the stairs and took my summer cover-up from its hook. A moment later, the front door swung open and there came the low murmur of three voices, Tom’s and those of two women. I froze on the threshold of the landing and held my breath, waiting for Tom to call me down, and when, after a few minutes, he still hadn’t, I felt myself relax a little. My parents were dead. If this was about Sally, Tom would have fetched me by now. It was bound to be Michael. Poor Michael.

I went out onto the landing and tiptoed over to Freya’s room. Tom often said I was overprotective, and maybe I was, but I’d seen enough mayhem and weirdness at work to give me pause. I pushed open the door and peered in. A breeze stirred from the open window. The hamster Freya had brought back from school for the holidays was making the rounds on his wheel but in the aura cast by the Frozen-themed nightlight I could see my tender little girl’s face closed in sleep. Freya had been too young to remember my parents and Michael had always been sweet to her in a way that his wife, who called her ‘my little brown granddaughter’, never was, but it was better this happened now, in the summer holidays, so she’d have time to recover before the pressures of school started up again. We’d tell her in the morning once we’d had time to formulate the right words.

At the top of the landing I paused, leaning over the bannister. A woman in police uniform stood in the glare of the security light. Thirties, with fierce glasses and a military bearing. Beside her was another woman in jeans and a shapeless sweater, her features hidden from me. The policewoman’s face was brisk but unsmiling; the other woman was dishevelled, as though she had been called from her bed. Between them I glimpsed the auburn top of what I presumed was a child’s head – a girl, judging from the amount of hair. I held back, unsure what to do, hoping they’d realise they were at the wrong door and go away. I could see the police officer’s mouth moving without being able to hear what was being said. The conversation went on and after a few moments Tom stood to one side and the two women and the child stepped out of the shadows of the porch and into the light of the hallway.

To order your copy here is a wee link ~

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/cka/Give-Me-Child-Mel-McGrath/0008215596/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501765895&sr=8-1&keywords=Give+Me+The+Child

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  Give Me The Child @mcgrathmj @HQstories #Excerpt Hello Lovelies, Thank you for stopping by, today I have my stop on the blog tour for Give Me the Child which was published on the 27, July 2017 by HQ Stories.