A Scarred Heart

'A Scarred Heart' is a debut novel by R.M.Gray and is the first installment of her upcoming series, 'Shadows of the Dales'.

An ancient Bear Pit sits incongruously at the edge of a well used Park in a part of Yorkshire which is slowly slipping from rural to suburban. The site has no purpose today other than to guild a legend which has been etched into the nightmares of local children and tests the bravery of the local teenagers who dare to hang out near it as they waste away their evenings.

When the lifeless body of a beautiful teenager is found at the bottom of The Pit the whispered stories surrounding the site take on a whole new depth of horror.

Jill Davis, a local teacher, didn't actually know Lucy Pennington (the girl whose fate was sealed in The Pit) and yet she is swiftly trapped in the drama of her death. The only respite in the nightmare which faces Jill is meeting Detective Inspector Michael Chapman who has returned to the North of England following years in self imposed exile. Michael and Jill are inexplicably drawn to each other despite a myriad of differences and complications but will the depth of their connection help or hinder their shared compulsion to unmask whoever, or whatever, killed Lucy?

In a story of legacy, control and influence relationships will be tested to breaking point as Jill discovers the power of hearts which have been scarred.

R. M. Gray has dreamed of seeing her name in print ever since she was a precocious young girl who could often be found practicing her violin, badly, and refusing to remove her treasured Deerstalker hat in the hope that she might one day, somehow, absorb a glimmer of literary genius.

Having worked in a range of Comprehensive Secondary Schools across the North of England for the majority of her career, R.M.Gray firmly believes that education is the backbone of modern society and she continues to advocate for the rights of teachers and raise awareness of the crucial work they do. Although specialising in English Literature and Language, R.M.Gray taught a range of subjects including Drama, Citizenship and Personal, Social and Health Education. She also took on many managerial roles where she focused on the provision of high quality pastoral support for the young people in her care. Having worked in this field for over twenty years, R.M.Gray considers the work she has done with so many students to be one of the greatest honours of her life.

In her personal life R.M.Gray is first and foremost an adoring mother to an adult daughter and teenage son. She counts herself extremely lucky to have a very supportive and patient husband who makes her laugh every day. The other great love of her life, Bob (indisputably the most handsome little dog known to humanity), completes her inner circle although she is also blessed with two wonderful brothers, an incredible extended family and friends who mean the world to her.