THE BROTHER by K LARSEN

‘It’s thrilling knowing she doesn’t realize we’re spending time together. The anticipation of what it will be like when we finally meet, makes me buzz with energy. I simply watch her. For now.’

Another brilliant winner from K Larsen who just commands every single page with her stellar writing which grabs us by the scruffs of our necks and doesn’t let go till we’ve read the last word. We were quite worried where this story would go as we loved The Tutor where we first met Nora and learned of her horrendous story. However, we were immediately captivated by Liam and his initial obsession with the girl whom his brother held hostage. Now, we won’t go into too much detail so as not to spoil The Tutor which should be read prior to The Brother. As far as duets go this one was perfection. Each held a story that felt original, was all consuming in its darkness yet hopeful in its recovery.

‘I understand the entirety of what I lived through as his captive, but my heart…my heart is a different beast. Mythical and magical and it still yearns for a man I cannot have.’

We find Nora trying to come to terms with what she’s been through as well as her trying to understand and come to terms with her emotional feelings as well as others’ perceptions of her. It’s quite the journey for this confused girl who found a love many cannot understand under horrific circumstances. She is under no illusion that she was wronged in the most brutal way yet she holds an affinity with the hand who hurt her. Therefore, recovery is stunted by the scars she bears both inside as well as on the outside. It seems only one man can penetrate the layers of abuse to her body, heart and mind, yet he holds a secret.

‘Every monster has a voice unique to them. Mine needs to be heard. Dark corners come alive and I’m going to lure her into the dark with me. My cold desire is to hear the thump thump thump of her heart. I crave it. I crave her. My need claws at me from inside, dying to get out.’

Liam is a man obsessed from the day he learns of Nora and the key she holds to a life rediscovered. He studies, stalks and preys upon the woman who has brought his past into his present and he is mesmerized by a life escaped. What started as an obsession became so much more, more than he ever imagined. Liam is as broken as Nora is with a common thread of violent behaviour. It was really quite heart=breaking and whilst Liam possessed somewhat scary and at times eerie qualities we understood the heart of them and rooted for the man to escape his oppressor and heal alongside Nora.

“I was broken from a young age. Music helped me cope. It’s therapy for me. A song can come on and take me right back to a single moment in time. It freezes memories; makes them forever tangible. Don’t you have a song? One that rips open your wounds and drops the entrails at your feet?”

We loved so much about The Brother especially Liam and Nora finding their way in life, healing themselves and seeking comfort and solace whilst accepting that they may not be who they used to be but accepting who they are now and knowing it’s okay.

‘She’s a dark temptation. My temptation.’