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Henriette Gyland
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Up Close Paperback – February 1, 2012

by Henriette Gyland (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars 186 ratings
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When Dr. Lia Thompson’s grandmother dies unexpectedly, Lia is horrified to have to leave her life in America and return to a cold and creaky house in Norfolk. But as events unfold, she can’t help feeling that there is more to her grandmother’s death than meets the eye. Too close for comfort... Aidan Morrell is surprised to see Lia, his teenage crush, back in town. But Aidan’s accident when serving in the navy has scarred him in more ways than one, and he has other secrets which must stay hidden at all costs, even from Lia. As Lia comes closer to uncovering the truth, she is forced to question everything she thought she knew. In a world of increasing danger, is Aidan someone she can trust?
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  1. Print length
    369 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Choc Lit
  4. Publication date
    February 1, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 1.25 x 7.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    190693178X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1906931780
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Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"After reading Up Close, I’m definitely looking forward to the author’s next book. If like me, you love curling up with a good book on a cold winter’s day, I say this one is a must read for you." (Long and Short Reviews)

"Absolutely amazing book. 5 stars easily! Beautifully written and had me sitting on the edge of my seat throughout. The mystery and romance was written perfectly. A fantastic read and I definitely recommend to all." (Sorcha O'Dowd Old Victorian Quill)

About the Author

HENRIETTE GYLANDgrew up in Northern Denmark but moved to England after she graduated from the University of Copenhagen. She wrote her first book when she was ten, a tale of two orphan sisters running away to Egypt fortunately to be adopted by a perfect family they meet on the Orient Express. Between that first literary exploit and now, she has worked in the Danish civil service, for a travel agent, a consultancy company, in banking, hospital administration, and for a county court before setting herself up as a freelance translator and linguist. Expecting her first child and feeling bored, she picked up the pen again, and when a writer friend encouraged her to join the UK's Romantic Novelists' Association, she began to pursue her writing in earnest. She loves writing about complex characters who carry the burden of dark secrets and giving them the happy ending which is often denied troubled individuals in real life. Henriette is married to the grandson of the illustrator Edward Ardizzone, and lives with her family in London.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Choc Lit
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 1, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 369 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 190693178X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1906931780
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.25 x 7.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 out of 5 stars 186 ratings

About the author

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Henriette Gyland

Henriette Gyland

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Originally from Denmark, Henriette Gyland (who also writes as Ella Gyland) has lived in London for many years, surrounded by her family, cats, books and the Scandinavian hygge she tries to create everywhere she goes. As a linguist she loves playing with words and language, and she's addicted to story-telling. She also believes strongly in social responsibility and sustainable living.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
186 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's suspenseful elements, describing it as a thriller mystery with romance. The book receives positive feedback for its readability, with one customer noting its decent pacing.

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12 customers mention "Suspense"9 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful elements of the book, describing it as a thriller mystery with romance.

"...that made me second guess my thoughts and there was a nice element of suspense that kept me reading to find out how the murderer would be..." Read more

"Great story of love lost, love found!..." Read more

"...I disliked the gruesome beginning and it didn't pique my interest to read any further...." Read more

"...has gone back home after a long absence, this novel will hit you in unexpected places. The conflict between Aidan and Lia feels genuine...." Read more

9 customers mention "Readability"7 positive2 negative

Customers find the book readable and well-written, with one customer noting it has a decent pace.

"...Up Close is an enthralling novel that reaches into the past and compels one to face the ghosts that reside there...." Read more

"...Good read." Read more

"...It is still a decently paced read, and nothing feels too glossed over or dumbed down...." Read more

"...This is a truly enjoyable book." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • KDGC
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Good, Well Written Book
    Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This was a mystery/suspense book with an element of romance. It was well written and I was able to soak in the realistic atmosphere created by the author. I felt early on that I knew who committed the murder, but there were several revelations that made me second guess my thoughts and there was a nice element of suspense that kept me reading to find out how the murderer would be caught.

    I wasn't sure about the authenticity of the military being able to have roadblocks on public roads in the vicinity of a village, even as an exercise, or being able to execute a search warrant on private property but I accepted that may be the case in Britain. I did wonder at how police sometimes were able to deduce some events correctly without seeming to have any basis for their line of questioning, but overall it didn't detract from the story.

    For people who are really adamant about not reading anything with sex or profanity, you might want to know that this does occasionally have rather coarse expletives and although the H and h do make love, the scenes are not explicit.

    If allowed, I would give this book 4 1/2 stars and I rounded my rating up instead of down because this is a book that I will vividly remember for a very long time.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • lunchbreak
    4.0 out of 5 stars a thrilling mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Thank you Choc Lit for another wonderful read!

    Up Close is an enthralling novel that reaches into the past and compels one to face the ghosts that reside there.

    Lia returns back home to England after her grandmothers death. Engaging with old friends, old feelings, and an empty old house begin to bring memories to the surface. Many unanswered questions and half truths get Lia to dig deeper into what is real. The fact that Aiden is always there to help her is quite pleasing, she senses he is hiding something as well. I absolutely loved this novel!
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  • YZPat
    3.0 out of 5 stars Love lost! Love Found!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Great story of love lost, love found! One of the fascinating parts of this book is the fact that the primary female character is a physician with a great job in the Emergency Room in Philadelphia. Ironically, she left her homeland on the North Sea for life in America where she has found success and love. Engaged to a wealthy young man, her life is under control until her grandmother dies. Forced to return to the cold land of her birth to settle the estate, the plot unfolds in a steady and sure way to reveal to the reader life in this small hamlet along with the way that relationships develop. Amazing to the contemporary American reader, the relationships, once formed, last forever. As our heroine renews old friendships her life in America begins to contrast dramatically with the life in Norfolk. As she views the life of her high school friend, she finds all of the things she has "missed" in her own life, and the comparison is revealing. Her fiance' visits from America for Christmas and she is able to put things into perspeciive and therein lies the story. Good read.
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  • Dianna Rostad
    5.0 out of 5 stars Put on your diving mask for this watery, romantic mystery!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Up Close deftly probes the places we hide from ourselves and our past. Only the death of her grandmother brings Lia back home. Her seaside hometown of Norfolk is inhabited with friends she has grown out of and family she never understood. Combing the beach, Lia meets a guy she knew in college who is an expert diver. Lia is bothered by a recurring nightmare in which she drowns. Aidan offers to teach her to dive, and Lia accepts to conquer her phobia of being underwater.

    They dance the line between friends and lovers as she begins to settle into her grandmother's house and the unhurried pace of Norfolk. In the dark confines of the attic, vivid memories from Lia's childhood begin to surface until she remembers how her younger brother actually drowned. Unwilling to expose someone she loves, Lia keeps silent. But questions surrounding the strange death of Lia's grandmother arise, and Aidan and Lia's families are both implicated. Suspicion and circumstance pull the two apart.

    For anyone who has gone back home after a long absence, this novel will hit you in unexpected places. The conflict between Aidan and Lia feels genuine. Aidan is sexy, complicated with all the ruminations you expect from a modern guy. Throughout the story, Gyland steers you into bodies of water, plunging you under to play upon your deepest primal fears. Put on your diving mask for this watery, romantic mystery!
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Andrea B.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Quick and interesting read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    There is a lot that goes on in this book: childhood trauma, murder mystery, family relationships, lost love, veterans' issues. It is still a decently paced read, and nothing feels too glossed over or dumbed down. The characters were intriguing, and the plot--while slightly predictable based on the genre--still held my interest the whole way through.
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  • Geraldine
    2.0 out of 5 stars Not What I Expected
    Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I gave up on this book shortly after starting to read it.

    I disliked the gruesome beginning and it didn't pique my interest to read any further.

    The "choc lit" reference seemed to convey something different in regards to what to expect, at least it did for me, I didn't expect this kind of story. A very depressing start.
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  • vsk
    5.0 out of 5 stars Finding Lia
    Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I really liked this one! The development of the main character was more important to me than the actual murder. Lia has everything she thinks she wants in America. But when she returns to the UK to take care of some things after her grandmother's unexpected death, she slowly begins to wonder if her life in the US is really what she wants. The little dog, Jack, is a very important part of this story because it is he who helps her find her true destiny. I am not sure why she wants to remain friends with Susannah, who I thought was a totally disagreeable person. This is a truly enjoyable book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Peach
    3.0 out of 5 stars Lot of Secrets
    Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This book leaned more heavily towards mystery/suspense and less in terms of romance. It also dealt with the heroine, Lia, coming to terms with herself, her hometown and tragic childhood memories. Lia returned to her hometown when her grandmother passed away. The cause of death initially was linked to heart failure but later was confirmed that she was poisoned. Every character had their own secrets and it was quite interesting to peel back and uncover them gradually.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Cristina
    2.0 out of 5 stars Irritante
    Reviewed in Spain on January 10, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    "Irritante" llamaría yo a toooodo el contenido del libro, personajes, historia, todo. Es una novela que pretende ser de suspense con un ligero toque romántico, pero termina con personajes clichés y una trama de misterios que el lector es capaz de desentrañar desde las primeras páginas. Así que no hay misterio en realidad y lo peor de todo es el aura triste, cruel y miserable de todos sus personajes. Personajes que no me gustaron para nada y a los cuales detesté en todo momento. No recomiendo este libro.
    Si os gustan libros de este género en concreto, os recomiendo a Sandra Brown y Laura Griffin.
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  • Robyn K
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Taut thriller
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Up close starts out with a murder, observed by the killer- stalking its prey. From the prologue I was hooked. It is a taut suspense story that unfurled itself as you get deeper into all the secrets of the past. It isn’t just Lia’s past that is haunted, it is Aidan’s too.

    Aidan and Lia rekindle their romance but Lia is unsure. As she digs deeper into the mystery she begins to doubt everyone. There is a feeling of tension as the book goes on, leading you up to the reveal. That is why I found it very hard to put down.

    Norfolk itself is like a character; adding its own gothic bleakness. At times it almost feels haunted with its foggy marshes and empty winter scenes.

    Aidan is lovely character: fiercely loyal, broken but a hero at heart. He is full of mystery and surprise, and not who he first appears to be. I could see why Lia was drawn to him, now and all those years ago. Lia is nobody’s fool and unravels the mystery on a slow boil; always revving the suspense up.

    I would consider Up Close as a crime mystery with a romantic element. I loved the dark atmospheric feel to the book, It reminded me of those gothic Mary Stewart novels. I really enjoyed this book from cover to cover- and I would recommend to anyone who likes stories with great dramatic twists at the end.

    Up Close is such a unique book that it will stay with me for a long time .
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  • dianne andrews
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on August 4, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    A bit predictable, but very readable
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  • Sorcha O'Dowd
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing...5 stars!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    When Sarah Broadhurst from The Bookseller compared Henriette Gyland's `Up Close' to `Nora Robert's territory', I knew instantly that this was going to be a `must-read', and when it was released on Kindle I spent a week umming and ahhing over whether I should download it or wait to buy the paperback. My self-restraint broke, and `Up Close' was downloaded and devoured in the space of 24 hours. That is how fantastic this book is.

    The book gets off to a thrilling start as the prologue see's the gruesome and bone-chilling death of an old lady through the eyes of her killer.

    "Die, thought the watcher. Why don't you just die?"

    Cue chills running up your spine.

    This is clearly a very interesting and tormented character. Immediately questions spring to mind; who is this person? Why do they feel such strong hate for this, seemingly innocent, old woman? What has the woman done to deserve such a painful death? Henriette Gyland's description of the killer as `The watcher' brought yet another fundamental question. Is the watcher a man or a woman? Again, this title brings a shiver across my spine. The killer clearly likes to watch his victim in pain, so immediately you are on alert to any character you have yet to meet. Is the killer going to be watching them too when they are alone?

    A brilliant start to this thrilling tale. I was drawn in immediately which is a sign of a great suspense novel.

    "The watcher's glee, so long in coming, was tinged with regret."

    Another dimension is given to our killer, and questions immediately ran around in my mind. There was no way I was putting this book down until I had the answers I needed.

    As chapter one starts we are introduced to ER Doctor Lia Thompson, who from her opening dream, clearly has demons of her own. Back in Norfolk following the death of her Grandmother, she wishes she was back in Philadelphia, USA.

    "She fumbled for her travel alarm clock with its luminous dials and knocked a bottle of pills down from the bedside cabinet."

    It's funny when you think about the first thing that makes you connect with a character. This sentence did it for me. The number of times I've woken at two in the morning and knocked my sleeping tablets on the floor and ended up scrambling around in the dark for them. Lia suddenly becomes very real to me, and very human.

    Lia's first clue that perhaps not everything was as innocent as it seemed with the death of her Grandmother came in the form of `Jack' the Jack Russell, a dog that I love from the instant he arrives at Lia's front door, with nosy neighbour Mrs. Larwood, even though Lia is far from keen.

    "And what am I doing, talking to a dog? I don't even like them."

    No one can resist them. They worm their way into your heart, and I immediately knew that Jack would soften Lia's. She comes across as harsh and troubled, and as an animal lover myself, I almost sobbed as Lia thought through what she could do with him.

    "That left a rescue centre or, failing that, an injection."

    Within a few pages I had hope though, and smiled soppily at her interaction with her pet pooch.

    "...Jack put his head on her leg with a sigh and sent her a look of adoration. Something fell into place inside Lia. Whatever it was that felt so wrong, this, at least, was one thing she could make right."

    However, Jack couldn't remain my favourite man for long...not with Aidan Morrell around. *swoon*.

    "His thick, curly brown hair, still wet, stood out in all directions instead of clinging unattractively to his skull and made him look like an animal shedding its winter coat. His arms and chest, with the remnants of a summer tan, were muscular, his hips slim, legs long, and he had a six-pack to die for. One word repeated itself over and over in Lia's mind as she tried to keep her cool.

    "Wow."

    Yes `wow' is the word to describe Aidan Morrell. With his own tortured soul, he is deeply troubled by his past and holds a dark secret. Having been injured when in the Navy, and having lost his brother, through Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after his time in the army, he has both emotional and physical scars. Aidan is mysterious and quite frankly yummy.

    Despite Lia not remembering at first, her and Aidan attended sixth-form college together, and after a stuttering start, they begin a tentative friendship.

    As we learn more about Aidan and Lia, and the acquaintences they share in their small coastal village, Gyland is fantastic at both giving us more and more clues towards solving the puzzle of Lia's Grandmothers mysterious death, but still having you grasping at threads as your emotions and feelings for the characters desperately have you thinking "they wouldn't do that." despite all the evidence pointing to it. It was so brilliantly written that I couldn't put it down until I knew who was the guilty party. Not only has Lia's Grandmother died in mysterious circumstances but bomb scares near the nearby military base have started.

    Lia tries to reconnect with her school friend Suzanne, who became pregnant when they were at sixth-form and who still feels harshly towards Lia for leaving school and Norfolk, when she felt she needed her most.

    The relationship between Suzanne and Lia is so interesting. They've both grown up and are now in their thirties. So how after all these years can Suzanne still hold this anger towards Lia when they've clearly grown up since their school years? Surely she should have come to understand that not everything is as it seems? Is there more at play here? Suzanne's connection with Aidan also complicates matters, as Suzanne warns Lia off of Aidan fearing he would be hurt.

    And then there's the matter of Aidan and Suzanne's secret meetings.

    "Wordlessly she slid her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss, then drew away again."

    There was a lot I realised about myself as a person, and the expectations I have of life and love whilst reading this book. I felt heart ache reading a cleverly written scene between Suzanne and Aidan where they discuss Suzanne's daughter Zoe. Could Aidan be Zoe's father? And were they having an affair behind Suzanne's husband's back? Maybe not, after all the kiss wasn't described as that of a lover, maybe they were just friends? Reading this scene made me think hard about life and love.

    As a hopeless romantic, I still have the fantasy that I'll meet my Prince Charming and we'll live happily ever after. The thought of a young Aidan getting Suzanne pregnant and not taking any responsibility made me feel desperately sad. But then I still loved Aidan as a character, and began to ask myself whether it really mattered what he'd done earlier in his life, as long as now he was a caring and loving individual. After all, don't we all have things from our past that we regret?

    I stormed my way through the rest of the book, loving the story of Lia's brother that comes to light, who drowned in the bath as a baby. Lia blames herself as she remembers being told not to leave him alone. The characters are given more dimensions and you start to realise that perhaps Lia's Grandmother wasn't as innocent an old lady as you might expect. Did her killer know this? Is this why he had such a strong surge of anger towards her as he watched her last moments?

    But not all is doom, gloom and tension. The thrilling suspense of the mystery is contrasted wonderfully with the fun, burgeoning love story between Aidan and Lia.

    "As if suddenly self-conscious, she drew the dressing gown tight and covered herself up. Aidan looked away. The spell was broken.

    `You have nice legs,' he said..."

    Oh how wonderfully adorable and hopeless this man can be sometimes!

    "The opportunity had been there to kiss her, so why hadn't he?

    Am I that repulsive? She thought.

    Then her cheeks flamed as she realised why, and she glanced down at her engagement ring..."

    Yes, another obstacle in the road to happiness for my two favourite characters, but that doesn't stop them from doing a little night time diving lessons *wink wink nudge nudge*

    No seriously, I meant night time diving lessons...get your mind out of the gutter!

    Aidan makes it his personal project to teach Lia, who is afraid of swimming and water after her brother's death, to scuba dive. It's brilliant to see Lia, who is normally so self-assured and confident in herself become completely vulnerable and have to give her trust completely to Aidan. It's a wonderful story to read, and it's a brilliant way to see the trust build between them before their relationship becomes romantic.

    "Lia nodded again, a determined look in her eyes, but she couldn't disguise a slight trembling of her lips."

    However, nothing can come of Lia and Aidan until she breaks up with her fiancé. I wouldn't have respected her as much if she hadn't waited, and I loved the simple way that Lia and her fiancé Brett end their relationship. There always seems to be so much drama in books when a break-up happens; the man immediately demands to know if there's someone else, says that he'll never let her go, and follows her around for an age making the girl out to be the one in the wrong. This break-up however, was beautifully simplistic. The parting between two people who realised that they weren't right for each other.

    "Later, at Heathrow, she hugged him tight. When she pulled away, she read the puzzled sadness in his eyes, as if he knew they'd come as far as they could and was unable to explain why."

    I would be lying if I didn't grin and think "Goodbye Brett, Hello Aidan."

    And hello Aidan indeed.

    Despite some problems with misunderstandings after their first night together, they soon come together again and all seems to be rosey. Or it would be if we didn't have the nagging feeling that Aidan wasn't being completely truthful about everything.

    And then another mysterious death hits the seaside village.

    It was exciting to read the penultimate chapters of the book, where doubts hit you left, right and centre as more and more evidence piles up against Aidan, despite your heart longing for there to be some mistake.

    When we finally find out what Aidan has been hiding, my heart broke for him. To have such a secret would have been so painful, as he tried to do the right thing by everyone, trying to keep everyone he loved safe. I also loved how the closure of Aidan and Lia's problems both happened by water. There is something very poignant about confronting their fears and having the painful chapter of their lives close in the setting of the water, just as it had started.

    Without giving away the ending, all I will say is that the closing chapters were spectacular. All questions I had throughout the book were answered; Who killed Lia's Grandmother? Why did she buy a guard dog? Who is Zoe's father? Who was the mysterious man who Lia saw on the road? Who broke into Lia's house? Who was it that was planting the bombs?

    Absolutely amazing book. 5 stars easily! Beautifully written and had me sitting on the edge of my seat throughout. The mystery and romance was written perfectly. A fantastic read and I definitely recommend to all.
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  • Sussex suburbian
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good story, but flawed
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 25, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed the book. I wanted to find out what happened, but there were two problems. I guessed the ending quite early on, and there were a lot of typos that were distracting. But, that aside, I did enjoy it. I finished it, and I don't always!
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