📖 Book Review ~ Somewhere Else by Alex J. Milan

 

2022
My thanks to the author for a copy of this book

Haunted by a past tragedy, thirty-one-year-old Isabel leads a nomadic lifestyle, following her two golden rules: never stay anywhere for more than two years and never get too close to anyone. When she meets the charismatic Vanessa, she breaks her second rule, only for their friendship to come to an unexpected and inexplicable end.

Months later, on a stiflingly hot day in the Spanish city of Seville, Isabel receives a message from her former friend, suggesting they reconcile at Vanessa's new home in Lisbon. Keen to escape her problems in Seville and to resolve her differences with Vanessa, Isabel agrees to go.

When she arrives to find that Vanessa has disappeared, it marks the start of a chain of events which will turn Isabel’s life upside down. She finds herself unwittingly drawn into a game of cat and mouse against an adversary who will stop at nothing to drive her to the brink. Meanwhile, she is troubled by her growing attraction to the one man who seems determined to help her and who threatens to overturn her ordered and deliberately isolated life.

Somewhere Else blends mystery and romance in a compelling narrative which moves between Spain and Portugal.

📖 My Review..

Haunted by her past Isabel is living an isolated life in the Spanish city of Seville when she is unexpectedly contacted by Vanessa, a former friend, who seems to want to rekindle their friendship. Willing to give Vanessa a second chase Isabel makes the long journey from Spain to Vanessa's home in Portugal only to discover that this planned reunion is fraught with difficulties and intrigue. What then follows is an emotional cat and mouse drama, with the two women constantly chasing each other and as the tension heightens so Isabel gets drawn deeper, and deeper, into Vanessa's dangerous web of intrigue.

The story has a sense of darkness, as well as a hint unresolved guilt, and from the snippets of information we are given about Isobel's past life we can sense an aching vulnerability in her personality, which the author explores well. The other characters who flit into, and out of, the story are not always very likeable but that's where the strength of the story comes across as although I disliked Vanessa I was fascinated by her ability to always keep ahead of the game. Counteracting the darkness of the story is Nuno, who is truly lovely, he brings so much to the story, and I really hoped that everything would work out well.

Somewhere Else is a well written mystery drama which explores the complex nature of unrelenting loss and grief in a cleverly thought out mystery, which intrigues from start to finish.

About the Author

Alex is the author of four novels. Her most recent book, The House in the Clouds, was released in July 2023. Apart from writing, she is passionate about music and is often to be found continuing her quest to learn to play the guitar.