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Rachel Abbott
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The Back Road (Tom Douglas Thrillers Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Rachel Abbott (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 out of 5 stars 33,575 ratings

From the author of the bestseller Only the Innocent.

In a quiet country village, secrets abound.

When a young girl, Abbie Campbell, is knocked over and left for dead on the back road of the village of Little Melham, waves of shock ripple through the small community and a chain of events, which threatens to expose long-kept secrets, is triggered.

For Ellie Saunders, the truth about that night puts both her marriage and the safety of her children in jeopardy—she has to protect her family, no matter what the cost. And Ellie isn’t the only one with something to hide. She and her sister Leo believe they have put their troubled childhood behind them, but Leo’s quest for the truth reveals a terrible secret that has lain hidden for years.

Ellie’s neighbour, former detective Tom Douglas, has escaped to Little Melham in search of a quiet life, but finds himself drawn into the web of deceit as his every instinct tells him that what happened to young Abbie was far more than a tragic accident.

In this gripping novel, the peaceful English countryside belies the horrible truths that lurk beneath the trimmed hedgerows, behind the closed doors of smart sitting rooms and within unspoken conversations.

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  1. Book 2 of 12
    Tom Douglas Thrillers
  2. Print length
    479 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Thomas & Mercer
  5. Accessibility
    Learn more
  6. Publication date
    October 8, 2013
  7. File size
    2.4 MB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 12 books in this series.

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  1. How easy it is to blame the present on the past, and allow history to shape the future. How many of us justify our current behaviour by reference to events long gone?
    Highlighted by 355 Kindle readers
  2. For some people, life is like that. They filter out the positive and focus on the negative. They make assumptions about what somebody else is thinking, and believe only in the worst possible outcome.
    Highlighted by 335 Kindle readers
  3. Accept that your history has changed you. Rejoice in your survival. Let the wounds heal to form a stronger, more resilient you, and remember that forgiveness is not something we do for other people — we do it for ourselves. So forgive yourself for being a victim.
    Highlighted by 329 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Half-sisters Ellie and Leo have done a good job hiding the pain they experienced as children in a dysfunctional family, and now that they are grown up, they continue to maintain the façade. Ellie has a picture-perfect life but has recently initiated an affair. Leo is a successful life coach but can’t manage her own happiness. Added to the mix are several coupled-up friends of Ellie’s with plenty of their own dysfunctions. When a teenage girl in their sleepy British village is the victim of a hit-and-run, everyone finds themselves desperate to keep covering up various secrets. Local detective Tom Douglas arrives on the case and quickly realizes there’s more to this than a simple accident. He digs around and realizes the victim, who is in a coma, was actually abducted before she was run over, so there are two criminals he must now track down. Abbott creates a tangled web of deception, secrets, and red herrings that culminates in a shocking and satisfying, if a bit complicated, conclusion. Readers who miss Caroline Graham’s Chief Inspector Barnaby series will likely enjoy this mystery. --Rebecca Vnuk

Review

"Rachel Abbott will keep you guessing long into the night and just as soon as you’ve figured it out...think again! The truth is...you will love this book." —Suspense Magazine

“An absorbing mystery of love, deceit, secrets, and murder…truly a spellbinding novel of suspense.” —Mysterious Reviews

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00BSZVVL8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas & Mercer
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 8, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.4 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 479 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1477857755
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 2 of 12 ‏ : ‎ Tom Douglas Thrillers
  • Best Sellers Rank: #95,907 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 33,575 ratings

About the author

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Rachel Abbott

Rachel Abbott

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Rachel Abbott's debut thriller, Only the Innocent, was an international bestseller, reaching the number one position in the Amazon charts both in the UK and US. This was followed by the number one bestselling novels The Back Road, Sleep Tight, Stranger Child, Nowhere Child (a short novel based on the characters from Stranger Child), Kill Me Again, The Sixth Window, Come a Little Closer, The Shape of Lies, Right Behind You and Close Your Eyes. The new thriller in the Tom Douglas series - No More Lies - was released in February 2023.

In 2018 Rachel released the first book in a new series - And So It Begins. This was followed by The Murder Game in 2020 (The Invitation in the US).

Rachel's novels have now been translated into over 20 languages and have sold over 5 million copies.

In 2015 Amazon celebrated the first five years of the Kindle in the UK, and announced that Rachel was the number one bestselling independent author over the five-year period. She was also placed fourteenth in the chart of all authors. Stranger Child was the most borrowed novel for the Kindle in the first half of 2015.

Rachel now lives in Alderney - a beautiful island off the coast of France - where she devotes her time to her love of writing fiction. For more information, see Rachel's website at www.rachel-abbott.com, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
33,575 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book deeply suspenseful with many twists and turns, keeping them engaged until the end. The writing quality receives positive feedback, with one customer noting how well the author describes everything. Customers disagree on the pacing, with some finding it fast-paced while others say it unfolds too slowly. Character development is mixed, with some loving the characters while others find them confusing, and customers disagree on whether the book is easy to follow or hard to follow along with. The emotional depth receives mixed reactions, with one customer appreciating its psychological study of crime victims.

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StorylineReadabilityWriting qualityInterestCharacter developmentPacingDifficulty to followEmotional depth
401 customers mention "Storyline"337 positive64 negative

Customers enjoy the storyline of the book, finding it deeply suspenseful with many twists and turns.

"...Still a good mystery." Read more

"Great story. Lots of characters to keep track of. Lots of twists and turns. Unfortunately some unnecessary foul language. Thus 4 stars instead of 5." Read more

"...this book a rating of 4 because I enjoyed it and believe to be interesting and a fast moving plot keeping my interest as the lives and secrets of..." Read more

"...Definitely not a dull read but a page turner." Read more

342 customers mention "Readability"342 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a wonderful and entertaining read that keeps them engaged until the end.

"...Not the greatest writing style maybe,but a good read" Read more

"...Good read." Read more

"...you change your mind. Great book!" Read more

"Great read, first of all any of the reviews that didn't like all those characters I do not agree. I found Rachel kept us on our toes with this one...." Read more

114 customers mention "Writing quality"86 positive28 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it very good and easy to read, with one customer noting how the author describes everything so well.

"Well written and hard to put down even though it would be enjoyable for a women - Ms Abbott describes the clothes that the women wear and parties etc..." Read more

"...Very well written." Read more

"I found this book very well written. The storyline was excellent with the slow feed of information to keep you wondering what next...." Read more

"Not my cup of tea. Too wordy and too long, with many repeated conversations and observations. Interesting plot, though." Read more

79 customers mention "Interest"60 positive19 negative

Customers find the book enthralling and refreshing, with the story maintaining their interest throughout, keeping them engaged until the last page.

"It has a good plot and keeps your interest. While I've read better books, this is one with practically no icky, vile language...." Read more

"Quite gripping but I really felt I should have written down all the characters as they appeared, who they were married to and who they were having..." Read more

"This book kept me interested and on the edge of my seat. I didn't want to stop reading even when I had go to sleep. Can't wait to read the next book!" Read more

"Boring,.and thats a long time to get to the point" Read more

159 customers mention "Character development"102 positive57 negative

Customers have mixed feelings about the character development in the book, with some loving them while others find them too confusing and difficult to keep track of.

"...I did figure out whodunit but not all that was involved . I love the characters, Tom is in all the other books that you will read.. Rachel Abbott is..." Read more

"...There were too many characters and plots going on at the same time that were not relevant...." Read more

"...I went into THE BACK ROAD without expectation of a good story, good characters, or even good grammar!..." Read more

"Right from the first page this book grabbed my attention. I liked the characters and was kept guessing until the end as to the outcome." Read more

70 customers mention "Pacing"37 positive33 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it fast-paced while others describe it as painfully slow.

"...A fast read but confusing - I did read to the end as I wanted to see how it all worked out." Read more

"This book has allot of twist and turns . At times it was a slow read and did not get moving faster till almost the end." Read more

"...But once it got started, it was fast moving with a keep you on your toes kind of plot...." Read more

"...I DONT LIKE is delving endlessly into the wishy washy, tear stained, weak kneed, wavering psyche of any character, especially a female one...." Read more

36 customers mention "Difficulty to follow"17 positive19 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's readability, with some finding it hard to follow along with and taking time to get into, while others say it's easy to follow and hard to put down.

"...Last half was very difficult to put down. I staid up later than normal several nights. For the mystery bugs—you can’t figure it out until the end v" Read more

"Well written and hard to put down even though it would be enjoyable for a women - Ms Abbott describes the clothes that the women wear and parties etc..." Read more

"...(making it confusing and hard to follow)..." Read more

"Hard to put down. Would stay up to read until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore...." Read more

18 customers mention "Emotional depth"10 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the book's emotional depth, with some appreciating its psychological study of crime victims, while others find it emotionally overwhelming.

"...I appreciate this author's command of language and her deep understanding of people (and their inevitable flaws)...." Read more

"I loved most of the characters but some not so much. So much tragedy, lies, deceit, betrayal and deep dark secrets...." Read more

"...I find her grasp on the ramifications of trauma highly realistic. This makes for an excellent psychological study of victims of crime...." Read more

"...It’s always so hard to stare pain in the face." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Patricia Wallace
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome read!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Great characters! I can’t wait to get to know Tom better! I have read many of her books and they are true mysteries - thankfully not easy to solve!
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  • Ailsa S
    4.0 out of 5 stars Third in the DCI Tom Douglas series - well worth a read
    Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is the third in this mystery/suspense series by Rachel Abbot and is definitely worth reading. It was engrossing from start to finish and entertaining. Abbot writes as well and often better than many well-known bestselling suspense writers. DCT Tom Douglass, on vacation in the village, becomes interested in and investigates the case of a missing girl who disappeared one night from a car after an accident on a dark road on the way home. The only criticism I offer is that the characters could be fleshed out a bit more. The story itself was good.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • DDixon
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Compelling Book!!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I loved most of the characters but some not so much. So much tragedy, lies, deceit, betrayal and deep dark secrets. A lot of lives destroyed by deceit and dark secrets brought to life. It had so many twists and turns that it will keep you guessing until the end. The ending was explosive and shocking and I never had a clue until everything came together. I’m a new fan of Rachel Abbott and she doesn’t disappoint book after book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Patrick McGuire
    3.0 out of 5 stars Back Road
    Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    It was an enjoyable read. The book takes place in a small English town where all the people seem to be healthy. A young girl is hit by a car and the pursuit of the car and driver begins with the town gossiping. Rachel keeps the reader in suspense as the storyline revolves around two half sisters and one of them is in the vicinity of the accident but does not quite recall the details even though she is the lead nurse of the injured girls. With all the friends of the two half sisters one is manipulated by the author to get what is really going on. What I found fascinating is the party conversation all these friends have as if Rachel has been to many of these get togethers. There are many twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and guessing. The ending is quite melodramatic and I was surprised who the culprit was.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • leah musser
    4.0 out of 5 stars The biggest mystery is why these books are so good.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I don't know how she does it but Rachel Abbott reminds me of Daphne du Maurier. Millions of copies of Rebecca have been sold and movies made, and tv spin-offs generated. Why? The characters are so annoying you want to yell at them. The writer gets right to the edge of revealing something and then doesn't. The mystery is false-- if these people would just talk to each other there wouldn't be a mystery. And yet I enjoyed this book and both of Abbott's other books (and all of du Maurier's too) and if she writes any more I will buy them. Beats me why these are so enjoyable and I dont know how Abbott manages to practically clone du Maurier without stealing a thing from her books except style.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amanda Pelesky
    5.0 out of 5 stars Twisty like a back road
    Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This was a well laid out story with quite a few interesting twists that keep you guessing. All the plots are wrapped up with no loose ends.
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  • joanna elm
    4.0 out of 5 stars "Reading" It As An AudioBook Was Great
    Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This book was my introduction to the #1 self-published author of psychological thrillers in the U.K. I "read" most of it as an audiobook and the British accent of the narrator added greatly to the experience. I am a Brit by birth so it was also a nostalgic experience for me.
    Sections which may have dragged, and which I may have skipped over as a reader took on special meaning in the audio version. For example, a dinner party seemed to stretch over many, many chapters, and could have slowed down the action greatly in a "read-through" but in narration the characters attending the party became quite distinct, and in parts their dinner party chatter advanced the plot as well as giving a delightful insight into the lives of what I would describe as the slightly upper middle class in the U.K. So, it was easy to just keep listening.
    If the book suffered at all, it was from the rather long cast of characters. Had I been reading instead of listening, I think I may well have lost the thread, but I was curious enough about this author's other novels to order up her very first Only The Innocent.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Satisfied customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Back Road was so exciting
    Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this book of course because of Tom Douglas. It is good to read some background of his life with his ex-wife and daughter Lucy. All kind of twists and turns. The ending comes with complete clarity. I recommend this book for people who likes a lot of mystery and completely keeping you enthralled . I had a hard time putting this book down.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Totally Awesome Read
    Reviewed in Canada on January 11, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This book by Rachel Abbott was really exiting. I hatedto put it down. So ma y character
    S and sub p,ots...yet, beautifully connected. Can't wait for the next one to read. Totally awesome! Congrats Rachel Abbott.
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  • Mme Hustwayte
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another great read
    Reviewed in France on March 27, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This is the second Rachel Abbot I have read and it certainly didn't disappoint. Many twists and turns to keep you guessing. Another great read.
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  • Kadysoso
    4.0 out of 5 stars 4 stars
    Reviewed in Australia on June 24, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I have read all of Rachel Abbott's work and what really works for her is her consistency in delivering a well-structured, well delivered narrative with interesting characters with mysterious backstories being continually propelled along the narrative arc at just the right pace. I have never completely figured out the ending of her stories beforehand. She is masterful at suspense writing. I imagine I will continue reading her work for so long as she continues to write. Her storytelling skill combined with consistently delivering an original and unpredictable story makes her work a staple in the thriller/suspense genre. The only reason I give her work 4 stars is because I personally enjoy a touch more focus on complex and creative language and imagery throughout the story rather than so much attention paid to the propulsion of the narrative. But nonetheless, a very solid novel, like all of her novels have been. 4 stars.
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  • tracey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2025
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    Brilliant read and gripping from start to finish enjoyed so much now I'm going to start reading book 3 .
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  • Jean Williams
    5.0 out of 5 stars THE BACK ROAD
    Reviewed in Spain on May 28, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Rachel Abbott writes with such style. Such a clever plot it is nigh on impossible to guess who are the guilty and who are innocent. A seemingly quiet part of the village, the back road becomes the scene of a crime. Various characters in this clever book have a reason to hide the fact they were on the back road the night a young girl is left for dead. A book to keep you reading well into the night. Excellent.
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