Review ~ Chergui's Child by Jane Riddell

2015

Firstly, I have to say that I really like this cover and how it conjures shimmering heat and the promise of a foreign world. The drama explored in the cover is continued in a story which is intriguing and filled with surprises.

Olivia Bowden finds that she has inherited a large sum of money from her aunt Dorothy. This unexpected windfall gives Olivia the opportunity to try to make sense of her life which has been shattered by a traumatic event which happened some five years earlier. Embarking on a journey, Olivia must learn to face the demons of her past before she can hope to get resolution for her future.

In Chergui’s Child, the author has written a commendable family drama which looks at the vagaries of fate and also of the devastating heartache of being involved with the wrong people. Time and place is captured really well and I felt like I journeyed with Olivia as she travels to find what she so desperately craves. The hint of mystery in Olivia's life is nicely explored and I liked the way that the novel hinted at events in Olivia’s past, so that we were given the reasons for her sadness.  To say any more about the plot would spoil the overall effect of the story and I would hate to give anything anyway.

The author has a nice way with words and obviously loves storytelling and this is reflected in the way the story is allowed to evolve gradually.

Best Read with.... A bowl of rich ratatouille and a large glass of Côte du Lubéron



About the Author

Jane writes contemporary fiction and is the author of Daughter's of the Lake and Chergui's Child.

Find Jane on her website

My thanks to the author for sharing her book with me.

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