To the world she is Vida.

To Isaac Saddler she epitomises only fear, the stuff of his nightmares, willed into existence through art and writing.

Transformed from victim to warrior, she became Vida, Queen of the Vidian Empire. But Vida doesn’t just exist between the pages of a book.

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High on Exmoor archaeologists think they’ve found ancient remains, but the body proves to be evidence of a modern murder. A facial reconstruction publicised by the police quickly goes viral.

Now Isaac must find out why the woman of his nightmares ended up in a bog pool close to his childhood home.

A lifetime of secrets that threaten to undermine his entire existence.

My Review

Isaac Saddler is a young man at university who becomes involved in drugs and dealing until he collapses and goes into a coma. He actually died for seven minutes, and now he has terrifying nightmares and visions. Mostly about a woman he sees being abused but can’t help.

Isaac’s older brother John left their home on Exmoor when his mother couldn’t accept that he was gay. He never went back until her funeral. He is in a relationship with Cally, the owner of a very smart hairdressers and beauty salon in Edinburgh. Isaac has followed John there. They have always been inseparable. Cally has a daughter called Daisy.

In the meantime, a body is discovered in a bog pool on Exmoor, close to the Saddlers’ home. Archaeologists hoped it was ancient remains, but forensics show that it’s been there for around 30 years. And it looks like murder. Clever reconstruction methods produce a face that goes viral on social media. But not because it’s someone real – it looks just like a character called Vida from a book. And the book – Vidian – just happens to have been written and illustrated by Isaac Saddler. Except his identity is a secret. He goes by the pen name ‘Sabine’.

But how can this be? How can the body in the bog pool be a fictional character? It’s certainly a mystery and one that will take a lot of working out. The police however, having given the evidence a cursory glance, have lost interest, apart from 55 year old DI Bryden Bryant, part of the Major Investigations Team based in Taunton. She’s not letting this one go. Partner DS Harmony ‘Dirty Harry’ Callaghan, is ambitious, and is happy to help, but only when it isn’t going to affect her promotion chances.

Bryant and Callaghan are also involved in other cases, which may or may not bear any relevance to the ‘Lady in the Lake’ as the body in the bog is now called. One in particular is the murder of a woman by her estranged, violent, drunken husband. I thought I was pretty tough when it came to grisly murders, but this one killing is on a par with THAT scene in Spooks where main character Helen Flynn is killed by ducking her head into the deep fat fryer. That was over 20 years ago but some things never leave you. Be warned.

It’s an interesting story with an unusual premise that should keep you gripped from start to finish. And then of course, who doesn’t love a book where one of the main characters is a ginger terrier called Jeff? Just saying…

Many thanks to @ZooloosBT for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the Author

B C Harris lives on the west coast of Scotland with her husband and their two dogs. Surrounded by hills, forests and beautiful beaches, she has plenty of space for walking and thinking about characters. Her first book, Conspiracy of Cats, was published in 2021 and received wonderful reader reviews. Making Sacrifices is her second book and she hopes readers will enjoy it every bit as much.

B.C’s Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beverleycharrisauthor/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBCHarris
Twitter : https://twitter.com/BCHarris64
Website : https://www.bcharrisauthor.com/

Book Links
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195442230-making-sacrifices
Buy Links – https://mybook.to/makingsacrifices-zbt