Portobello Book Blog

I read the first book in the Nighthawk series earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I have to say that I enjoyed this second book even more. Abi and Gideon Nighthawk are now happily married and living with their two children, Natasha and Oliver. Abi is getting used to living life in the spotlight as wife of a top rock star, although they try to keep things as private as they can. Gideon is considering re-forming his band Nighthawk but is determined that Simon, the drummer, will have nothing to do with it. Simon hates Abi feeling that she is responsible for the break-up of Nighthawk and is plotting revenge.

Abi is given diaries belonging to her hated late mother, Joan, and discovers that she had a whole secret life that neither Abi nor her father knew nothing about. It was this part of the story that really engaged me. I thought that the historical part of the story, through the diaries, was really well written. I did not think that I would ever feel sympathy for Joan but as I read her story, I did begin to feel sorry for her and the situation she was in. It goes some way to explaining why she was so awful to Abi and why she did what she did. Can’t say what in case you haven’t read the first book!

I thought that Rachael Richey developed her characters really well in this book and I enjoyed learning more about all of them. The book was well plotted with a balanced mix of poignancy and drama. I am very worried for Abi and Gideon with Simon still on the loose and look forward to seeing how the story develops when the third in the series, Cobwebs in the Dark, is released next year.

My thanks to the author, Rachael Richey for asking me to review her book. Rhythm of Deceit was published on 29th July 2015 and you can order a copy here: Rhythm of Deceit

Book description

Two years after finally being reunited, Abigail Thomson and Gideon Hawk are happily married and living in Cornwall with their children.  While Gideon is busy focusing his energies on his musical career, Abi makes an unexpected discovery of old diaries dating from 1950. As she and her daughter read through them, the reasons behind Abi’s mother’s destructive actions become much clearer, and they discover a shocking sixty-year-old deception. Meanwhile, Simon Dean, the vengeful ex-drummer of Gideon’s band NightHawk, is about to make life very difficult for them all—again—and he is prepared to go to desperate lengths to achieve his goals.