Never Tell

Never Tell
Claire Seeber

Your past will always find you…With her three beautiful children, millionaire husband and Cotswolds mansion, former investigative journalist Rose Miller has an enviable life. But behind the domestic bliss lies a secret past…As Oxford students in the early nineties, Rose and James belonged to Society X, an elite clique that knew no boundaries. Led by the enigmatic Dalziel, the group were hell bent on breaking down society's norms - until an unimaginable tragedy occurs.With the subsequent scandal covered up, Rose has settled into family life - but is afraid to admit her feelings of boredom. So when her ex-editor asks Rose to dig the dirt on a wealthy businessman new to the area, adrenaline enlivens her.But as Rose's investigation begins to threaten her family she backs away - and then a tragedy at her home begins to widen the cracks in her domestic façade. As their world crumbles around them, is Rose about to atone for the sins of her past?An utterly gripping novel that will captivate fans of Sophie Hannah and Nicci French.

CLAIRE SEEBER

Never Tell

Copyright (#ulink_0de08671-e8b5-5a52-aedd-1589b970a5ae)

This novel is entirely a work of fiction.

The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are

the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to

actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is

entirely coincidental.

AVON

A division of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/)

Copyright © Claire Seeber 2010

Claire Seeber asserts the moral right to

be identified as the author of this work

Extract from River of Time is reproduced by kind permission of the author. Published by William Heinemann Ltd, 1995

A catalogue record for this book is

available from the British Library

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Source ISBN: 9780007334674

Ebook Edition © 2010 ISBN: 9780007334681

Version: 2018-06-18

For Tiggy & Bethy

As the song says, We are Family …

Last year I read ‘River of Time’ – a family favourite – by renowned journalist Jon Swain who reported so bravely on Vietnam and Cambodia. I’m immensely grateful to Jon for allowing me to use his words in NEVER TELL; they help explain Rose’s addiction to chasing a story.

I also owe barrister Rupert Bowers a great debt of gratitude (or maybe a bottle of wine or two) for all the court-room advice. (‘That would never happen’ – he said a lot: wherever fiction takes over from fact, I’ve chosen to ignore his tutelage). Thanks to Nicola and Matthew Sweet who really did make it to Oxford, and to all my mates who knew about guns and bombs. (Bit scary, really.) Thanks as usual to Flic Everett the 1st for speeding through the first draft and to Beth for taking it to the beach; to the Goldsmiths 4 for listening & commenting so constructively, especially when I was blushing in the more ‘shocking’ scenes! Thanks to Tim for letting me lock myself away.

Huge thanks as ever to all at Avon: especially Keshini Naidoo and Kate Bradley (and bon voyage, Max!). Sincere thanks to everyone who has supported me during the past year, particularly the last six months. You know who you are and I’m very grateful. Last but never least, thanks to my agent Teresa Chris for all the pep talks and the belief.

The desire to cover stories is sometimes irresistibly powerful; this ruthlessness for getting the story over and above all else, including love, has wrecked the personal lives of many colleagues …

There was a restlessness in my spirit, added to which I didn’t know how to say no to a challenge … an irreconcilable conflict of interest in my life.

River of Time, Jon Swain

Contents

Cover (#u1c97da2b-25bd-517a-8f70-e384e77f8122)

Title Page (#ua7cdb1d9-f9d1-5afe-baac-879fa4689cd2)

Prologue

Part One

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen