Archives

The Widow Of Pale Harbour by Hester Fox

Oct17

Passion And Power

The Widow Of Pale Harbour by Hester Fox is a gripping historical murder suspense that had me glued and guessing from the start. I congratulated myself on working out who the guilty party was far too soon – I got it wrong again!

The novel is about love and jealousy, the passion and power to manipulate and control. A warped sense of entitlement provokes a horrific course of action.

In contrast there is a love that protects, a love that goes the extra mile and is prepared to sacrifice.

Fear and guilt imprison characters. We need to deal with our fear and guilt or we will imprison ourselves. The walls we build around us to keep us safe need demolishing before we become our own prison guard.

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The Christmas Eve Daughter by Elyse Douglas

Oct16

In A One Horse Open Sleigh

The Christmas Eve Daughter by Elyse Douglas is the most delightful timeslip novel and the second book in A Time Travel Novel series. I would recommend reading The Christmas Eve Letter, book one first as you will receive the back story.

Once more the reader follows Patrick and Eve as they undertake a search and rescue mission. The pair are transported from present day to 1914. The reader becomes totally immersed in a bygone age – an age where horse-drawn carriages are more popular than horse power vehicles.

With a December setting the snow adds to the atmosphere, giving a nostalgic and romantic feel to the novel. In reality New York City was a precarious place to be in 1914. There is huge poverty and a wide gap between rich and poor. People are vulnerable as thugs traverse the city.

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Unspoken Words by Shari J Ryan

Oct16

Es wird am Ende in Ordnung sein (It will be alright in the end)

Unspoken Words by Shari J Ryan is a contemporary and historical novel about a love that spans seventy four years. It is the other half of the story begun in Last Words. This is Charlie’s story. It is a story that will swell your heart as the love reaches beyond the pages of the book. It is a beautiful tale.

The action is in present day America and alternates backwards to 1935 Germany before moving forwards in time. This is a forbidden love. This is a love that defies the odds.

Germans were taught to hate but not all Germans could do so. “I was not meant to be a killer. I refused to hate, no matter what I was supposed to believe.” The outward uniform was in conflict with the inner nature. Shari J Ryan has managed to convey the struggle to remain true, to see people as people and not to hate.

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Last Request by Liz Mistry

Oct13

Gripping

Last Request by Liz Mistry is a gripping contemporary murder suspense that I just could not put down. I read with heart racing as I sped towards the conclusion.

A serial killer is on the loose in Bradford. The reader ‘hears’ the killer’s voice from the murky depths. I was clueless to guess who it was.

The literary device of pathetic fallacy is employed as the weather becomes as murky as the action.

Cold case files mingle with present day crimes as the police battle to solve them and the clock ticks down.

The lines between the criminals and the cops blur as characters put themselves on line for their families.

As the criminals wander the streets of Bradford, the reader is surprised by the depths to which some will stoop.

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