In a mixture of genetic experiments, passion and the loss of youthful dreams, comes this new book written by a promising author, Ruth Skrine. Parallel Journeys is the title, a tale of a married couple whose individual visions slowly fade, together with their passion, as daily life with its lies and delusions takes over.

After a long marriage to Paul Ashby, Fran must come to terms with his death, but more disturbing, she is to deal with some "secrets" about him, hidden from her during their life together. Paul’s behaviour around the time of his death was erratic and Fran fights against her suspicions that he was working on something dangerous or possibly illegal. The drug firm where Paul was employed is the setting of the suspected "dishonourable" conduct. Science put to the extreme, in the attempt of realising the boundaries of what’s "acceptable" and what’s not. Fundamentalist ideologies and hunger for success are at the core of the story; Fran does not know where to look for the truth. Her new acquaintance, Jez, sparks feelings that were buried within her, but learning to trust again might be too much to ask.

A twist of characters and events creates an enticing plot and one of those books you wish to read all at once to know what is going to happen next. In this, her first published novel, the author has created suspense and captured the constantly changing feelings of her characters in a well-balanced narrative that provides a compelling story.

Ruth Skrine’s search for introspection into the emotional turmoil of relationships comes from her medical experience of working in psychosexual medicine i.e. with the mind and body together. That is probably the reason why her insights into the personalities in this book are so involving and captivating.