George Veck grips us with a tense and emotionally difficult domestic abuse thriller with Belabour! When Detective Paxton takes in Amelia and her younger brother, he sees an opportunity to take control of their lives. Using drugs and emotional (and physical) abuse to control them, there doesn’t seem to be any hope, but Amelia learns to be patient as she searches for a way out. Veck crafts powerful descriptions that instantly pulled me in and hit home the realism of Amelia’s hopeless situation. This is a hard look at domestic abuse and is honestly emotionally difficult to get through at times. But Amelia’s situation isn’t completely without hope as the novel does push towards a better ending. If you’re looking for an emotional thriller that hits you right in the heart, definitely come hold Amelia’s hand with Belabour!
