Jessie Running (ePub)

"A dark and deadly story, one to keep your attention, page after page."

An opportunist act throws a disturbed teenager into conflict with the police and local drug dealers, and headlong into a covert drugs operation. Something happened to trigger her self-destructive descent, but what? Can DC Redwall discover her secret in time to save her, or is it already too late? Jessie is damaged; a girl who no longer fears death because she knows it's not the worst thing that can happen. And she's learned to protect herself. A gritty, noir novel set in the UK.

"Another spine-tingling, roller-coaster ride. The well-developed characters and tight, fast-paced plotting is typical Lewando; the ending will blow you away."

"I loved it. Chris has a real talent."

"Fast moving, imaginative, fun to read, thought provoking."

"Impossible to put down."

"I opened it and read 28 pages just standing there…"

"Far better than a Superwoman comic book or movie."

"Chris Lewando has a knack of telling a story you can really get into."

"Dark and deadly story, one to keep your attention, page after page."

"This book keeps you on the edge of your seat, with lots of twists and turns."

Annie sat on the side of Lizzie's bed, stroking her sleeping daughter's forehead. At five-years-old Lizzie was precocious, loud, and full of joie de vivre. She just loved life; running, riding, and rescuing small animals, and was forever tumbling into scrapes, tearing her clothes, and seeking plasters for grazes. If she cried, it was from frustration; if she fell from her pony, she'd clamber back up again, wiping tears and snot onto her sleeve. Not understanding that she was more sensitive than her older sister, Edward, said she had a wild streak that needed taming, but what did he know? His own sense of adventure had long ago been curtailed by the unwritten rules that governed the sly world of politics, and he'd done that to himself. Lizzie stirred slightly in sleep, eyelids fluttering, perhaps sensing her mother's presence. Poor Lizzie would be hurt, but Annie would phone, explain why she had gone ahead. She had to first make sure that Georgiou wasn't another mistake, an excuse for rescue, when she was so unhappy. She didn't want to uproot the girls from their stable lives and then let them down. Annie loved both her daughters; how could she not? Her precious girls. But it was Lizzie she'd miss the most. Lizzie with her clenched fists, her fearless sense of adventure, and sudden spurts of laughter. Tears sprang and couldn't be contained. She wanted to tell them why she had to go away, and why she had to do it in secret, but little girls couldn't keep secrets. Catherine would be telling tales to her Papa in an instant, and if Edward knew, he'd somehow stop her from going, of that she was sure. Annie kissed Lizzie softly and, as she left the children's bedroom, with its pretty sky-blue walls, hand-quilted bedspreads and childish clutter, she wiped her face with her sleeve, as she'd seen Lizzie do so often, but the tears wouldn't stop leaking. 'Keep well, my sweets,' she whispered. 'I'm coming back for you, as soon as I can.'