Lesley Pearse was told as a child that she had too much imagination for her own good. When she grew up she worked her way through a number of jobs, including nanny, bunny girl, dressmaker and full-time mother before, at the age of forty-nine, settling upon a career that would allow her gifts to blossom: she became a published writer. Lesley now lives just outside Bristol. She has three daughters and two grandchildren.

Just read the three Belle books. Is there a follow up hope so. Love to know if she moved to France Reply

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Deception is Lesley Pearse's 30th book. What an achievement! She's been a favourite of mine since the beginning and I think that Deception is the best of her most recent books. It has what I love about Pearse's books: the tough upbringing, the family dramas, and a thumping good storyline.

A true highlight for me was Sally, a very intriguing character, leading a very colourful life, I could have easily read a whole book on just her and what happened. Raunchier than I’m used to from Lesley Pearse, Deception conveys the eras, particularly of Fleur’s experience, to perfection. Touches of realism such as the musical Hair add a sense of authenticity and the sexist, male dominated world feels so convincing. This is a dual-timeline story which opens with Alice on her way to her mother's funeral. When a man approaches her and says he's her real father, Alice is horrified but as she starts to uncover Sally's secrets she realises that there was so much that she didn't know. Interspersed with Alice's story in 2015 is that of her mother from childhood onwards. Both threads are absolutely engrossing. I particularly enjoyed how Alice discovered details from her mother's life that she would never have known had she not met that stranger at the funeral. Pearse weaves the two stories together seamlessly and to brilliant effect. Does Belle have the courage within herself to try and escape? Will she have any allies out there in her quest for freedom? Read this exciting book from wonderful author Lesley Pearse to find out! She is married now to her sweet husband. His name is Jimmy and he supports her as she supports them both on the hat shop she finally opened– her dream for so long, ever since she was young. But they can’t see what’s coming as the first world war gathers on the horizon and it is certain that a storm is coming. Belle’s life is so crazy but it’s about to change more than she ever knew possible– is she ready for it?Personally, I found "Deception" to be thoroughly enjoyable. Lesley Pearse’s work is a definite recommendation if you have an affinity for crime and mystery genres.

She had accepted Sally's many faults, and her reluctance to never speak of the past. But faced with this staggering deception, Alice knows she must uncover the whole truth about her mother. Her first novel was published in 1993 and is called Georgia. It was followed by the novels Tara, Charity, Ellie, and several more. She has also been published in the Great Escapes Collection. She had accepted Sally's many faults, and her reluctance to ever speak of the past. But faced with this staggering deception, Alice knows she must uncover the whole truth about her mother.The book maintains a very good balance, offering just the right amount of intensity without overwhelming the reader. As the story reaches its conclusion, it does so in a satisfying yet somewhat anticipated manner. Nonetheless, the journey to that point is fulfilling and rich in emotional resonance. This story is cleverly written from Alice’s perspective and as Alice is on her journey of discovery, it switches to that of her mum. There are no massive twists, just a really well thought out plot which is both interesting and compelling. The majority of Sally’s, whose real name was Janet, decisions can be justified due to the events that we learn occurred in her childhood which in turn subsequently moulded how she was an adult but still Janet was a character who I never really liked and she wasn’t one bit endearing. She sets about changing her life but to be honest as I couldn’t warm to her at all I didn’t feel overwhelming hope for her that she would do well in life. I didn’t find myself overly rooting for a positive outcome for her because to be honest she just came across as someone mostly out for herself. She was deceitful, conniving, a schemer, treacherous and nasty and despite her childhood I questioned was there really any necessary reason for her to turn out in such a manner? Janet goes through an awful lot but I think thanks to her upbringing she knew no different in how to act and she should have known better. Janet is driven by a demon and manipulation, always wanting to be the top dog and used both men and women to get money and power. But will the road she trod upon turn out to have what she feels be a happy ending? Will Alice too be able to find some understanding from what she uncovers?

Pearse’s Belle Series debuted in 2011 with the publication of Belle. It was followed by The Promise, where main character Belle is desperate to do anything to make her life better. The third book in the series came out in 2014 and is titled Survivor. Once again, Lesley Pearse delivers a captivating blend of personal drama and mystery in "Deception." Her writing style is a breath of fresh air, effortlessly guiding readers through a story that is both engaging and easily digestible. I really liked Alice, mostly due to her ability to be rational and level headed. No matter what she found out, she always seemed to be able to keep calm and understand things from her mother’s perspective. Not only that but she carried the burden of this on behalf of her younger sister and her dad to protect them. It was interesting to read about Alice realising that some of her own character traits were inherited from her mother. I personally love a dual timeline but so did not find that this flowed too week, it was quite disjointed. Belle is a simple courtesan, but she knows that the assets she has now will not last. She is going to have to find a way out of this world, whether finding something else to do or escaping completely. Belle has to get out and get away from the men who want her attention and this world entirely. But the road ahead will be full of dangers, even for someone as resourceful as she is.

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What I liked most about this authors writing was her ability to create characters that were complicated and messy but very relatable and likeable. It wasn’t the kind of story where I was wish wishing for a happy ending for everyone, I felt like I was wishing for contentment and closure. Which I suppose is arguably a happy ending. After the funeral of her mother, Sally, Alice is approached by a man call Angus Tweedy. He claims to be her father and tells her that he served time in prison for marrying Sally bigamously. What does he expect to get from telling her this now, thirty years on? How can her adored dad Ralph not be her true father? And why did her mother betray her so badly? The Promise is set in 1914 in London and reunites the reader with Belle Reilly in this sequel to Belle. Belle has finally found happiness and a life she has always wanted thanks to her husband Jimmy. Now she has achieved another dream that she has always wanted to follow; owning and running a hat shop. But when the first world war starts to slowly arrive like a ship on the horizon, Belle’s crazy life is about to change in ways that she never even saw coming. I have read all of Lesley Pearse’s books over the years and as a rule thoroughly enjoy them. However this is not one of my favourites.