On a moonlight drive I lost my dream. Jill was that dream. Why did I drive the car so fast? I knew the road was wet. Why did there have to be that big old tree waiting for us on the corner? And why did I live while she died?

Each fine moment keeps coming back to me. Her face, that smile, her skin so soft and eyes so wild. I wake up to her husband at my bedside, holding my hand and crying. He knows nothing of our love. I will survive, he assures me.

I can go home to my wife and children. See my parents again. Go back to my old job. Run and play sport again. I want none of this. Only Jill. I need to be with her. I need our love. I must escape this pain. I need another moonlight drive.

Moonlight Drive is the story of Rob. Rob is married to Kate, and father of their two beautiful daughters. He has a good job, nice parents and a best friend he can always rely on. Unfortunately, he is also having an affair with his best friend’s wife Jill. To top it all off, whilst the two lovers are together they have an accident, one where Rob is heavily injured, and Jill died.

After the accident Rob finds himself in a world where he feels that he doesn’t belong anymore. The guilt he feels over Jill’s death is nearly destroying him, and his family and friends too. Rob is trying to fight his demons, and searching for the person he really is.

His journey see him facing sadness, guilt, disappointment, but also new friends and hope. This takes the reader onto a trip similar to riding a roller-coaster.

The plot is so different to what I’ve have read in the past. It felt so fluid, not tangible – in a good way. I never knew what Rob was up to, or what he was really like. Rob himself doesn’t even know who he is anymore, so why should the reader? I felt a deep sympathy for him, and nearly as torn as he did. I literally let myself fall into the story as if I was actively watching it, rather than merely reading.

Yes, I was hooked. Although, it isn’t a crime novel, nor a thriller. It simply is a story about a man who is torn between his feelings, and responsibilities. It is Rob’s story of a man soul-searching and finding his approach to life again.

The story is sad, yes, but it is also about hope and aiming for a new beginning. I can wholeheartedly recommend it to everybody. A great read that I am happy to give four brightly shining stars.

Chris Cloake began telling stories a couple of years later. He grew up in Kent, England. He is motivated to write by a deep interest in life, particularly the cruel, deeply flawed nature of people contrasted with their incredible creativity and inspiration.

The power of the natural world is a common theme in his work as a writer and professional photographer. He lives happily with his wife, two children and a large collection of music.

@ChrisCloake
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