I love Sibel Hodge's writing style, and I have immense respect for the way she takes on challenging and controversial topics. This story, though, didn't quite work for me.

We have three narrators - Maya, Jamie, and Mitchell - all written in first person. Jamie's parts are written in the form of a journal he left behind, and Mitchell's narrating part doesn't come in until late in the story. All the transitions are clearly marked. The characters all have unique voices, making it easy to distinguish the narrators even without the headings.

The content is powerful. We have the issue of suicide looked at from the survivor's perspective, we have PTSD from military trauma, and we have Jamie's secrets, which are handled with realism and care. Jamie's parts are intense and, at times, difficult to read. That being said, Sibel Hodge handles this well, showing us the necessary details and alluding to others.

While this story has all the components needed to hold me riveted, I found myself drifting. The story tends to drag in the middle, as Maya spends a whole lot of time dwelling on issues and not a lot of time actively doing anything. We wallow in grief along with Maya. Then we have some overly detailed, mostly meaningless activity, before going back to wallow. Once Mitchell comes into the story, the pace picks up. Still, I wanted to delve deeper into the story of Jamie, and spend less time with Maya's sad but repetitious grief.

Given the pace, I wouldn't call this a thriller. It's more slow burning dark suspense. Despite the genre labels and my quibbles, this is a powerful story calling attention to some disturbing but all too common issues. ( )

A special thank you to Wonder Women Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Talented author, Sibel Hodge returns following the suspenseful Where the Memories Lie (2015), with the highly-charged, psychological thriller, UNTOUCHABLE .

A highly emotional book of child abuse, murder, torture, and rape. The hi-profile, officials, influential men- the rich and powerful misuse their authority in unspeakable ways. The sadistic. A child abuse ring.

Well-researched, inspired by true allegations involving deep-rooted historical, institutional, and international child abuse allegations, including murder and pedophiles.

The Big House “There is something so very dreadful, so satanic in tormenting those who have never harmed us, and who cannot defend themselves, who are utterly in our power, who have weapons neither of offense nor defense, that none but very hardened persons can endure the thought of it.”— Cardinal John Henry Newman

Compelling, dark, and chilling.

Maya and boyfriend Jamie are approaching their second anniversary. Jamie does not show. They had been looking forward to a pleasant evening to celebrate. Instead, Maya is greeted by the police, delivering the devastating news. He has hanged himself in the nearby woods near Tyttenhanger.

How? Why? Maya is shocked, full of horror since he is not the type to commit suicide. After all, they had just discussed their evening plans that morning. Surely someone has made a mistake. Did someone steal his wallet?

His parents had died years ago and he had no family. Had she missed the signs? She was looking forward to an anniversary surprise. She knows he loved her. Now he is dead.

The author takes us back to Jamie. The real story. Not the childhood he had made up. The lying. The relationships. His mistrust. Hard to handle emotions. Damaged. He craved love and closeness, but pushed it away, never staying with a woman more than a few months. He was a loner. He did not need anyone. Or so he thought until Maya came into his life.

With her the attraction was instant. She was so full of life. Energetic, bubbly. She brought him back to life again. He fell in love. He wanted to confide in her but he couldn’t handle the thought she would leave him. He had imagined her looking at him with disgust and revulsion and he knew he could never tell her.

He thought he was safe from the past. Safe with his new life with Maya. His job. His home. However, he was invaded and he was no longer safe.

He saw it on the news. The memories had hit like the powerful force. Now a children’s minister, in charge of protecting the vulnerable and innocent, keeping them safe, looking after their welfare. Nothing was more abhorrent or unjust. The evil excuse for a man. He prayed on the weak. A Member of Parliament.

The dark memories of a terrified boy. He could not stay silent any longer. He would record everything to get it straight in his head. He was now a man who had fought to survive. He was going to finally tell his story.

From Maya's investigation into the death of Jamie. To make sense of everything that has happened to the man she loved. Something wasn’t right. Maya was determined to find out what it was that led Jamie to his death.

The life of Jamie is slowly unraveled from six years old, a family gone. A Children’s Home, social workers. Alone and scared, grieving. Neglected, forgotten children. He could not trust anyone. He was trapped, and no one to talk to or nowhere to run.

His life was a prison. The only thing he had done wrong was to be born. Control, evil. No one would stop them. They were untouchable. The degrading acts. The screams unheard. Drugs, rape, abuse. The killing. The parties. Torture. Authorities. No one could be trusted. Political power.

Maya finds a list of names. What did it all mean? He did not love her enough to stay? What was he mixed up in and what secrets had he been hiding?

Her suspicion grows and her personal investigation leads her to a children’s home called “The Big House” where child sex abuse is commonplace. Maya wants to reveal the truth, but the people involved want to keep it a secret. She had recalled this name and his horrible dreams.

Whatever Jamie had been doing before he died had got him killed. Murdered. Why a murder made to look like a suicide? The same kind of person who would make a child disappear. A diary.

Someone had a very important secret to hide. Whatever secret Jamie had been hiding would be buried with him, unless she can figure it out. A letter from Mitchell, a name she had not heard from Jamie. Can she open this can of worms? She could be putting herself in danger.

Who had gone great lengths to kill Jamie and cover up things James could expose. Jamie had lied about his past. He had hidden the truth because he could not bear to speak of it.

She would have loved him anyway, despite it all. She was angry. People had stolen Jamie’s childhood and his life to shut him up. His death could not: "be for nothing". She had to expose them. Justice. Revenge. (Loved her tenacity)!

"My silence is not weakness but the beginning of my revenge." - Author Unknown

From the physical and mental effects on survivors, the quashed investigations, inquiries, cover-ups, and lack of prosecutions, insanely light sentencing, and a low number of convictions for offenders – mind-blowing devastating, and heartbreaking. The truth is revealed. The author exposes all the dirty evil.

I love Whistle-blower stories! Something thrilling about uncovering corruption of any kind.

Hodge raises awareness of child abuse, by putting it out there versus staying silent, “making child abuse taboo takes the power away from survivors and gives it to the perpetrators.” Silence and denial make the vulnerable even more voiceless.

She is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects which need to be addressed and brought front and center. With a blending of fact and fiction, a chilling psychological suspense thriller of secrets and abuse. An amazing storyteller!

Be sure and add Sibel's upcoming book, Duplicity, coming Dec. 27, 2016. Definitely on my list!

JDCMustReadBooks ( )

OMG. I AM BLOWN AWAY by Untouchable by Sibel Hodge. I read a lot of romantic suspense. It is one of my favorite genres, and I just want to say, “Sibel Hodge is a master storyteller that left me screaming for more!”

Untouchable contains some sensitive topics, so I would definitely recommend this to adults only and if you are squeamish, think twice…then read it.

I was crunched forward, my foot tap, tap, tapping, racing through the pages, fighting the pain in my neck, hands, and wrists, from holding, clutching my Kindle…unable to stop. My head aches, my eyes burn and still I can’t stop. I have not read her bestseller, Look Behind You, but after reading Untouchable it is high on my wish list. Sibel Hodge has now become a MUST READ author for me.

Untouchable by Sibel Hodge did not go the way I thought. It seemed predictable, but twisted and turned to the very end. Ooooh, THE ENDING, I never saw it coming and I sat with my mouth hanging open and I had to laugh at my astonishment. AWESOME, Sibel!

To wrap it up, Untouchable by Sibel Hodge is a mind blowing, off the charts, out of the ballpark, hellacious rollercoaster ride that brought all my emotions to the surface, roiling and boiling.

I received a copy of Untouchable from Sibel Hodge in return for an honest review.

To see my full review visit fundinmental ( )