📖 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.

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Shell House Detectives by Emylia Hall

Delighted to open the blog tour today

Thomas and Mercer
1 July 2023

Shell House Detectives #1

My thanks to the publishers, author and FMcM Associates for my copy of the book
and the invitation to take part in the blog tour

Welcome to the coastal paradise of Porthpella, where murder lurks among the dunes…

Late one night, a distraught young man knocks on the door of Ally Bright’s remote home on the Cornish coast. But before she can make sense of his confused words, he’s gone—not to be seen again until he’s found the next morning at the foot of the nearby cliffs.

In an instant, the peace of Ally’s beachcombing life is shattered. Feeling responsible for the young man’s fate, she wants to help find answers¬—as does ex-cop Jayden Weston, whom Ally meets at the scene. He shares her certainty that there’s more to the story than attempted suicide. When it emerges that the man is newly released ex-convict Lewis Pascoe, and that Helena, the wealthy new owner of his grandmother’s home, has subsequently disappeared, the tight-knit community of Porthpella is thrown into turmoil.

Driven by their need to know more, the duo decide to investigate the mystery together. Is there a connection between the Pascoe family’s tragic history and Helena’s disappearance? And if there is a killer stalking Porthpella, do Ally and Jayden have what it takes to catch them?

 📖 My Review..

The Shell House Detectives is this author's first foray into the world of cosy crime and I have rather enjoyed getting to know the quirky characters who call this imaginary corner of Cornwall home. 

Ally Bright lives a solitary life in her coastal cottage, aptly named The Shell House. She enjoys her time beach-combing and creating pieces of artwork but since her husband's untimely death Ally's life has lacked purpose. Late one night her peace is shattered by the arrival of an agitated young man asking to see her husband however, wary of strangers, Ally sends him on his way only to discover that, the following morning, the young man has been found at the foot of the nearby cliffs. Drawn into the mystery surrounding this young man, Ally and ex-police officer Jayden Weston start to try to put together several layers of an intricate puzzle which opens up the pretty Cornish town of Porthpella to intense scrutiny.

As with any new series there is a certain amount of scene setting and certainly Porthpella and its inhabitants come to life quite beautifully, so that it quickly becomes a real pleasure to get to know just what makes them call this picturesque place home. The mystery at the heart of the story is cleverly controlled and there were lots of red herrings, and interesting twists and turns, which kept me guessing. The series has the potential to run and run as the partnership between Ally Bright and Jayden Weston has only just begun but I can already imagine them becoming embroiled in further cosy mysteries as the series progresses.

Not only is The Shell House Detectives a cleverly controlled mystery drama, it is also a really lovely depiction of Cornwall and everything that makes this stunning area such a magnet for tourists, artists, and writers. The slightly slow pace of Cornish life is beautifully detailed and both Ally and Jayden fit so seamlessly into the story it feels as though I had been reading of their investigations forever.  I look forward to reading more from this talented author as The Shell House Detectives series continues.

About the Author

Twitter @emyliahall #TheShellHouseDetectives

@AmazonPub

@FMcMAssociates