Introducing Clare Bentley
Author Website * Books on Amazon * Goodreads
Where did the idea for the story come from?
I wanted to follow up Survive The Night with a second book so people could see how what Poppy went through in the first book affected her afterwards. Though, the original idea I had was going to be a completely different story to the one I ended up telling.
Give a quote from the books, one that says little but speaks volumes.
This was the happiest she’d been in a while. He always made her feel as if she was the only person in the room and that made her the luckiest woman in the world.
Give a short summary of what the book is about.
After the kidnapping in book one, Poppy is still trying to get back to the person she was before it happened. Instead, tragedy strikes and makes her retreat back inside herself. It takes intervention from the two women she’s close with to help her overcome the pain and find her way back to an improved version of who she used to be.
What genre is it?
I always hate trying to narrow my books down to a genre, but I supposed it’s mainly suspense.
How many pages is it?
235, according to my paperback PDF.
Why do you think the readers will want to read it?
They may see themselves reflected in Poppy if they’ve ever lost someone close to them. Grief is different for different people, and maybe reading Poppy’s story will help them deal with theirs.
Where are you located?
I’m from the West Midlands, near Dudley, in the UK
Book Blurb
Two years after her kidnapping, Poppy Blair seems to be getting back on track, rebuilding her life and slowly restoring her confidence.
Then tragedy strikes and her future plans are snatched away.
Her world implodes in an instant, and so does her reason to breathe.
Heartbroken, Poppy takes advice from the people who want the best for her, seeking support from a grief group and self-defence classes.
Frustrated by the lack of progress by police she takes it upon herself to seek justice. What she doesn’t bank on is her inability to claim vengeance.
Will Poppy finally find peace after trauma, or will she be destined to be stuck in the past?
Excerpt
A sudden outburst of laughter between the men surrounding the pool table drew her attention. As one of the men in the group looked her way, Poppy dropped her gaze to her glass. There was a time when she would have maintained a stare, making him break away first, but so much had changed in her life. She wasn’t the kind of woman to confront a glance from a stranger anymore and hated being caught watching.
Poppy swallowed hard to hide her embarrassment. Laughter and loud voices filled the room, and her sensory overload was already almost at maximum capacity. Her discomfort was growing exponentially in her chest.
This wasn’t who she was; it was who Isaac Graves had forced her to become, and fighting it the way she always had wasn’t working.
She put her glass down and closed her eyes to try to centre her emotions. She concentrated on her breathing, in through her nose and out through her mouth. Gradually, her heart rate slowed, and she calmed.
‘Poppy?’ The question was unsure and asked softly.
Poppy’s emerald green eyes shot open in panic, her heart thudding again. The task she’d performed had been in vain.
Clasping her hands together beneath the table, Poppy’s eyes locked on the woman who stood staring at her. She had used her name. Did she know her?
Taking a second to register the face, Poppy thought she looked familiar, though she didn’t know why.
‘You’ve dyed your hair black, but you are Poppy Blair, aren’t you?’ the blonde with a pink bride-to-be sash and a white dress asked.
I read the first book, which you need to read before this, it was so good. You can read my review here.
World of Stories 
1 thought on “About a Book – Pursue the Night (Book 2 of the Payback Duo) By Clare Bentley”