Review ~ Echoes of Time by Anne Allen

Sarnia Press
2016

A bit of blurb..

1940. Olive marries farmer Bill Falla. The Germans occupy Guernsey. 

All too soon Olive realises she’s made a mistake. 

Her life changes when she meets Wolfgang, a German officer- 

but there’s a price to pay. . . 

2010. Natalie Ogier returns to Guernsey to escape an abusive relationship – only to be plagued by odd happenings in her beautiful cottage on the site of a derelict and secluded farm. Disturbing dreams, disembodied voices and uncanny visions from the past. She becomes increasingly ill at ease as someone else’s past catches up with her own… 

Her only immediate neighbour, Stuart, is the grandson of the original owners, Bill and Olive. 

Thrown together in a bid to find out what really happened to Olive, can they each survive the repercussions of the past and move on? 

My thoughts..

This is now the fifth book in the Guernsey series of novels and even though each novel comfortably sits on its own merits as a stand alone story, there are threads which run through each one, and fans of the series will recognise people and places previously mentioned.

As always the author draws you so completely into the story that the here and now quite simply disappears and you are transported back in time to the Guernsey occupation during the Second World War, a time when fear and suspicion was rife. Olive's sad and sorry tale is told with such sensitivity that there were times when I was moved to shed a few tears.

I loved the modern day element and as always the author intersperses the story with believable characters. I really got to like and admire both Natalie and Stuart and felt an emotional attachment to them from the beginning. I also had real cottage envy and wanted to move into "Beauregard" with Natalie, and sip wine with Stuart whilst looking through the sheer glass window of the Old Barn.   

The time- slip element of the story is done quite seamlessly and the obvious attention to historical detail emphasises just how much research goes into making each of the stories feel truly authentic. There is no doubt that this author has found a real gem of a series in her Guernsey stories. Each one is as precious as the next and I am sure that the story, should the author be willing , can only continue to go from strength to strength.

Best Read With...A glass of home brewed gooseberry wine and a slice of home cured ham..

About the Author

Find the author on her website by clicking here

Follow on Twitter @AnneAllen21

My thanks to the author for sharing her story with me 

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Today my Guest Author...... is Anne Allen

I am delighted to welcome back to the blog

Anne Allen

Anne ~ welcome back to Jaffareadstoo...

Jo has suggested I write about what is so special about Guernsey that I've already written four books based on the island. Here goes…

It's a beautiful island only a few miles from the French coast although it's British. Not very big – seven miles by five – and can be driven around in about an hour and a half, Guernsey has a certain mystique, a feeling of separateness that epitomises islands. Its fascinating history has been traced back to Neolithic times, with old burial mounds and menhirs dotted around the island. As someone who studied history for my degree, it was wonderful to spend time in a place embodying centuries of British history. Initially Guernsey and the other Channel Islands were Norman French, belonging at one time to William the Conqueror; hence the strong French influence found to this day. The islands passed into British hands some few hundred years later but the local dialect, or patois, is Guernsey-French and I never did manage to understand it!

I arrived, with my three children in tow, in 1988, to set up a residential natural health centre, which promptly fell through weeks later. At the time I was a psychotherapist and set up my own practice to keep a roof over our heads. A year earlier I had fallen in love with both the island and the people and was determined to live there, whatever the cost. Guernsey has such beautiful sandy beaches, cliff walks, winding lanes and a pretty 'capital' in St Peter Port that it proved irresistible. The thousands of tourists who visit each year, from all over Europe, are testament to its many attractions.

St Peter Port is a must for visitors, having something for everyone. There are narrow cobbled streets – some a little steep, I admit! – full of great shops, cafés and restaurants, with gorgeous views over the harbour and neighbouring islands of Herm and Sark. I'm sure you've all heard of Les Miserables? Well, Victor Hugo finished the book and wrote others while in exile from France, living in St Peter Port. His house is exactly as it was back in the nineteenth century. All the beaches are lovely but my favourites are Vazon and L'Ancresse. And if you do go over, don't miss Herm☺ It's a tiny island, only one mile by a mile and a half, and takes about 15 minutes by ferry from St Peter Port and has an atmosphere all of its own. Readers of my books may notice how much I love it! There are no cars or bikes and everyone walks around at their own pace. A place to unwind and, for some reason, always seems to enjoy better weather than Guernsey. I was over in June and spent a super day there, even managing to fit in a book-signing as I sat in the sun☺

Although I left Guernsey some years ago, returning reluctantly to England, I go back at least once a year and this last time I found it extra hard to leave. My older son still lives there and I have some lovely friends to catch up with, making my visits fly by. And, of course, I need to fit in research for my novels. In June, when I launched my latest book, The Family Divided, I went around the island to decide where to site the action for my next, Echoes of Time. Not having a car, I hopped on a bus which took me around the complete coast in an hour and a half and it cost me £1! An absolute bargain…

Anne's latest book

The Family Divided is out now 

Amazon UK 
Amazon.com

My review is here

Sarnia Books
 June 2015

Find Anne on her website

On Facebook

On Twitter @AnneAllen21

Huge thanks to Anne for sharing her love of Guernsey and for bringing the place and its people so gloriously alive in The Guernsey Novels.


Visit Guernsey



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Review ~ The Family Divided by Anne Allen

Sarnia Books
June 2015

Charlotte Townsend returns to the peace and tranquility of the health clinic at La Folie, on the beautiful island of Guernsey.  She feels that a few days of total rest and recuperation will be just the tonic she needs to recharge her batteries in the wake of her father's death and worry over her mother's ongoing illness. She hopes that it will also give her the time and space she needs to overcome severe writers block. Whilst at La Folie, Charlotte meets up with her friends Louisa and Paul, both health therapists at the clinic, who introduce her to Andy Batiste, whose ongoing family feud over a WW2 inheritance threatens to destroy his family. When Charlotte volunteers to help in researching Andy’s family history, she little realises how much this will impact on her own life.

This is the fourth book in the excellent Guernsey series of novels which Anne Allen writes with such fine attention to detail. The island really comes to life and she paints such a vivid picture of both the place and its people that the more you read about them, the more you want to discover. A Family Divided takes some of the characters we have met before in previous books, and weaves them skilfully into the narrative, so that it really is like meeting up with old friends. We first met Charlotte Townsend in the third novel in the series, Guernsey Retreat, so it was nice to have a whole story dedicated to her. The ongoing mystery of the effect that WW2 had on the island adds a nice historical touch and helps to maintain continuity. The mystery at the heart of the novel is well explained, although perhaps better appreciated if you have read the series sequentially as some of the jigsaw pieces of the story will fit better if you have some prior knowledge of what has gone before.

Anne Allen has really made this a compelling series of stories. The light and easy style of writing and the way in which the characters come alive in your imagination make this a series I want to see endure for a long time. I am delighted that the ending of The Family Divided lends itself  really nicely into a continuation of the story and I really can’t wait to see what happens next.

About the Author

Find Anne on her website

Find her on Facebook

Follow her on Twitter @AnneAllen21

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

My thanks to the author for sharing this lovely book with me.

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Review ~ Guernsey Retreat by Anne Allen

Sarnia Press
2014

Two violent deaths. Separated by time, but with a final connection...

Hotelier, Malcolm has returned to Guernsey to open a health centre in the beautiful sanctuary of La Folie, plagued by the secrets of his past, he hopes to uncover the truth about what really happened to his father at the start of WW2. Louisa, suffering from the trauma of devastating loss, is determined to track down the father she never knew. In the peace and tranquillity of La Folie, Malcolm’s and Louisa’s story start to intertwine and a story of long buried family secrets starts to be uncovered.

The story is strong, slightly darker in places than previous stories but no less absorbing and from the very start of the book I was taken into a very believable world. The characters completely enchant me, so much so, they soon become as familiar as friends and I really start to care about what happens to them. I loved the burgeoning relationship between Malcolm and Louisa and their tentative steps to finding out more about their past gives the book its heart and soul. The author writes with a lovely light touch, really emphasising the bond between friends, and the hesitant, yet beguiling nature of new relationships, is explored with complete understanding and sensitivity.

There is no doubt that in this series of novels the author has captured the essence of Guernsey to perfection. The glory of the island, its places and its people really comes alive and as beauty of Guernsey starts to beguile the reader, there is a real sense of belonging, not just in the glorious descriptions of island life but in the way the minutiae of relationships is examined and controlled.

I really can’t wait to read more Guernsey novels from this talented writer.

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

Come back tomorrow to read an interview with Anne Allen and a chance to win a copy of Guernsey Retreat.

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In the spotlight is author ~ Anne Allen ~ Giveaway

I am delighted to welcome 

Anne Allen

Author of

dangerous waters

Anne ~ welcome to Jaffareadstoo and thank you for answering our questions about your book.

How would you describe dangerous waters?

Dangerous Waters is a romantic mystery set on the lovely island of Guernsey. The story follows a young woman, Jeanne Le Page, who had fled the island 15 years previously after a family tragedy. She now has to return after the death of her grandmother, who has left her a cottage.

Jeanne doesn’t plan to stay longer than it takes to sell her inheritance but things don’t go according to plan and she ends up staying. She discovers that the cottage holds a secret going back to the German Occupation in WWII, and is drawn into finding out more. The tragic accident had never been explained and again, Jeanne wants answers. As she gets drawn into new friendships, she has to question her heart about what – and who – she really wants. And as she slowly uncovers the truth about the accident her life is endangered.

By the way, Dangerous Waters was awarded Silver from the Wishing Shelf Awards 2012, voted on by members of readers groups.

Do you write stories for yourself or other people?

Both. Like all writers I’m an avid reader and used to think, ‘I could have a go at writing a book’, shouldn’t be too difficult. Ha! Dangerous Waters started out as a bit of fun, to see if I could write a book. I got so carried away, I wrote about 110000 words! I eventually edited it down to about 93000 but enjoyed the process so much that I started writing my next novel. I like the idea of making up stories and characters and love being able to control what happens next. It’s quite empowering! Until my editor puts her red lines through it L. Naturally, I do want people to enjoy my books too or there would be no point publishing. But it’s a scary thing, putting your ‘baby’ out into the world and waiting to see what reaction it inspires.

How did you research your novel, and what are your favourite methods of research?

I had spent many happy years in Guernsey, only returning reluctantly to England, the opposite of my character Jeanne! This meant that I knew the island and its history well, so that I didn’t need to do a great deal of research. I did talk to people who had been on the island during the Occupation and also read several books about it, so that I was fairly confident in my portrayal of what it was like then. Another aspect that I needed to research was local and French cuisine, which forms a substantial part of the story. I’ve even included recipes at the back of the book! I’m not an avid cook myself but I do like food J

I think my favourite methods of research are using the internet and talking directly to people. I admire pre-internet authors who had to spend hours in libraries, pouring through dusty tomes. Now, we just click on a website –brilliant!

Are you inspired by any particular era, author or book?

Mm, not sure. I really love historical fiction but couldn’t see myself writing something set, say, in the seventeenth century. But my books (I’ve written two and there’s a third being plotted as we speak) are all set in Guernsey and have links to the Occupation. I prefer to write contemporary fiction because I can relate to it. I know the language and behaviour of modern society. As for an inspiring author, there’s several. I loved Joanna Trollope’s ‘Aga Sagas’, Maeve Binchy’s wonderful gentle stories and Katie Fforde’s romances. Plus grittier tales from Robert Goddard, Stieg Larrson and Mary Higgins Clark.

Can you tell us about what you are writing next?

I’ve nearly completed the edits for Finding Mother, which I hope to have published in October. A romantic family drama, it follows a young woman, Nicole, who after her marriage crumbles, sets out to find her natural mother. Nicole always knew she was adopted by her Jersey parents and had often thought about tracing her real mother, but did nothing about it. She’s now living in England with her husband, but after problems emerge, she decides now’s the time to trace her mother and learn more about herself in the process. Her search takes her to Spain, Jersey and finally Guernsey. Her discovered family have secrets that are forced into the open on Nicole’s arrival, making for some tense situations. And Nicole, like Jeanne in Dangerous Waters, has to find out what and who she wants in her life. Oh, and there’s a secret going back to WWII! Can’t resist those old secrets

Anne is very kindly offering a paperback copy of Dangerous Waters to one lucky UK winner 

of this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



My review

Jeanne le Page has returned to the island of Guernsey to manage her inheritance, which is a cottage left to her by her grandmother, and which evokes memories of Jeanne’s childhood, and the time before she lost her parents in a tragic accident at sea. Jeanne’s life is in transition, with a disastrous personal relationship behind her, she realises that she has some important life decisions to make, and Guernsey seems like the ideal place for her to take stock of her life. During an examination of her grandmother’s personal effects, Jeanne comes across a series of letters, which plunges the story into the heart of the German occupation of the island during the Second World War. The evidence suggests that the cottage and its previous inhabitants have been harbouring long buried secrets.
What then follows is a cleverly constructed mystery which intertwines both past and present, and as Jeanne uncovers the truth about the past, she also realises that exposing this mystery will also place her in extreme danger. Jeanne is a likeable and strong-minded heroine, and yet she has hidden vulnerabilities which are conveyed in a realistic way. It is obvious from the beautiful descriptions of Guernsey that the author knows and loves the island; the imagery evoked is really quite stunning, and with the glorious descriptions, Guernsey really springs into life.
Overall, this is a good read; the mystery draws you in from the beginning and the intertwining of the past and present is nicely done. There is some poignancy to the story which is sensitively explored, and the addition of a lovely romance adds a good contrast. I enjoyed it, and will certainly look out for more books by this talented author.

This book was recently a Silver Medalist in The Wishing Shelf Awards

My thanks to Anne for giving so generously of her time and to Carol at Dizzy C's Little Book Blog for introducing me to this lovely author.