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| Silverwood Books 2014 |
Secrets from a tainted past....
Esme Quentin’s arrival on the
North Devon coast is spoiled by the ghastly discovery of a fatally injured
woman lying on the beach near Warren Cliff. What should be a pleasant interlude
for Esme, helping out an old friend, soon becomes a convoluted and complex
quest to find out more about the identity of the ill-fated woman. Even though
the local police dismiss the woman’s death as an unfortunate accident, Esme is
convinced that there is more to this mysterious accident and her intuitive form
of investigation soon uncovers a tangled web of secrets and lies spanning multi
generations.
This well written murder mystery,
not only concentrates on the here and now, but also takes the reader on a
journey of discovery into the tainted past of Britain’s brutal transportation
system, when people were transported to the penal colony of Australia for little
more than stealing a loaf of bread. The mystery at the heart of the novel takes
some uncovering, but Esme does so with her usual confidence and tenacity. As always
the fine writing of the author and the attention she pays to the smallest of details
really helps to bring the story alive in the imagination. I was totally involved
in Esme’s quest to uncover the truth and the many twists and turns in the plot really
focus the novel so that it becomes an investigative challenge to piece together
all the strands of the mystery.
Having been introduced to Esme Quentin
for the first time in Blood Tied, it was a real pleasure to meet up with her
again in another well written murder/mystery story. It’s rather like meeting up
with an old friend whose life is rather more exciting than your own and in
whose company you can sit back, relax, grab a cup of your favourite tea and just
let the mystery unfold.
I can’t wait to see what Esme
will do next.
Twitter @Wendy_Percival
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Thanks for your enthusiastic review, Jo. I'm so glad you enjoy Esme's company. :-)
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