Buried secrets are dangerous.
Unearthing them might be deadly …
– Behind Her Smile
[ About Behind Her Smile ]
Laurie Dunn has returned to her childhood attic bedroom and her old nightmares have come rushing back. Terrorised by a client-related mugging, her job as a criminal solicitor causes more problems than solutions.
Finn Ballentine yearns for a fresh start, but even the glossy façade of his new law firm can’t protect him from the past he’s running from.
After a disturbing remark by her confused father, Laurie joins forces with Finn to uncover dark truths. But the long-buried secrets they unearth are laced with danger for them both.
[ My Review ]
Behind Her Smile by Caroline England publishes with The Bullington Press November 27th (available now on Kindle) and is described as ‘tense, disturbing and clever‘.
Laurie Dunn had a difficult childhood after losing her mother at a young age. Her father and older sister made sure she was taken care of but Laurie always felt something was missing. She had recurring flashbacks from early childhood with regular unsettling dreams but she could never really pin down the source of these memories. Laurie decided not to follow the family business of dentistry and chose a career in law instead, making a life for herself away from the family home.
Following a breakup, she finds herself back home again, in the approach to Christmas, but the disconcerting feelings return and Laurie feels her mental health slipping a little. She starts to investigate her past but with her Dad’s behaviour somewhat erratic, she is careful of asking too many sensitive questions.
Finn Ballentine, an old college friend of Laurie, starts working in a legal firm near her, having moved over from Northern Ireland on a more permanent basis. All attempts to establish himself in his new role is proving a challenge for Finn as his past keeps dragging him back to a time and place he would rather forget.
Circumstances align for Laurie and Finn when they cross paths again allowing them the opportunity to reignite their friendship but there is danger lurking and both soon find themselves in some very disturbing situations. Laurie starts to mine her memories trying to discover the reasons for these awful nightmares she is having. She respects her father and sisters privacy but something is awry within her family and Laurie is determined to get to the bottom of it. Finn wants to help her but he is keeping his own secrets close.
Alarming and unexpected events force Laurie and Finn to act as they slowly untangle a shocking truth. With some elements that are quite imaginative, and perhaps occasionally stretch credulity, this is quite a layered tale of secrets and lies. Featuring complicated relationships, untruths, past traumas and challenging family dynamics Behind Her Smile is a complex and twisty read.
[Thank you to Caroline England for a copy of Behind Her Smile in exchange for my honest review]
[ Bio ]
Caroline England was born and brought up in Sheffield and studied Law at the University of Manchester. She was a divorce and professional indemnity lawyer before turning her hand to writing.
As well as BEHIND HER SMILE, out 27 November 2025, Caroline is the author of domestic psychological thrillers THE RETURN OF FRANKIE WHITTLE, THE STRANGER BESIDE ME, THE SINNER, TRUTH GAMES, BETRAY HER, the top ten ebook bestseller MY HUSBAND’S LIES, and her debut, BENEATH THE SKIN. She also writes gothic-tinged thrillers under the pen name CE Rose, namely THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN SECRETS, THE HOUSE ON THE WATER’S EDGE, THE SHADOWS OF RUTHERFORD HOUSE and THE ATTIC AT WILTON PLACE.
She lives in Manchester with her family.
