Tag: Foreign Setting

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One Fatal Night-Blog Tour (Review)-Psych Thriller-Available Now

I have mixed feelings about this book. The premise was good, but it lacked clarity in execution.

I liked the set up – heroine (Astrid) out to avenge her mother’s death gets close to the person she suspects of killing her mother. I mean, who can’t go for a good revenge story? Unfortunately for Astrid, her plan is not as simple as she hopes it to be. The deeper she goes, the more she realizes that what she thinks she knows may not be accurate.

I thought the characters were interesting. None of them exactly fit the stereotype (vengeful woman, suave billionaire, henchman) they represented; each of them had a few different traits that kept them from being caricatures.

The plot was decent. It was fairly tight. While I wouldn’t exactly call it a page-turner, it did keep moving along. There was a definite noir feel to it that I enjoyed.

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2F4wV4Y 
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2GEkAVN 
NOOK: https://bit.ly/2ZdQajz 
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2F9kNzR

Where I thought it faltered, however, was in the actual telling of the story itself. I got the distinct feeling that the author’s native language was not English (or this was a translation) because a lot of the dialogue seemed very stilted. This resulted in sometimes awkward exchanges between characters. At times, this was distracting.

It was also very short; took me just over an hour to read it. On the one hand that’s a good thing because it really did speed along and came to a rapid conclusion. On the other hand, it felt like there could have been more meat on the bones of the story, more details to flesh it out.

If you’re looking for a quick read with an interesting plot in a foreign setting, this one is definitely for you.

Twitter: @helenefermont 
Facebook: helenefermontauthor/ 
Instagram: helenefermont/ 

About Hélene Fermont:

Hélene is an Anglo-Swedish fiction author currently residing in her home town of Malmo, Sweden, after relocating back from London after 20 years.

Her thrilling character-driven psychological fiction novels are known for their explosive, pacy narrative and storylines.

Hélene is the proud author of four novels – One Fatal Night, Because of You, We Never Said Goodbye and His Guilty Secret.

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Books On Tour (Review): The Sister-In-Law by Sue Watson

I must be lucky because this is the second book I have read in less than a week set in a villa on the Amalfi Coast. Picture it, a beautiful villa with a pool and terrace, overlooking the ocean, with a little town nearby to shop and eat delicious food. It’s the perfect vacation getaway.

Until it isn’t.

Amazon: https://bit.ly/2S282dq
Apple Books: https://apple.co/354bWrv
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2KwUAKw
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2xJYVaF

Clare hopes that this family vacation will help put her family back on track, but the arrival of her brother-in-law with his new wife puts a screeching halt to that. The whole family has secrets and someone is bent on exposing them, with Clare as a particular target.

The author did a great job of wratcheting the tension, and I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the beautiful, serene setting and the family’s infighting. There were a lot of foreboding moments, and hints of darkness to come, as the story is told as a memory. So, there were more than a few “had I known” statements, but they were dropped casually and were never jarring.

I also thought that the characters were an interesting mix of personalities. Each of them was realistic. They also each had a few moments where their actions surprised the other characters, proving that even family members are not always who one thinks they are. I thought that Clare was the most interesting. Because of her own family history, she is insecure and longs for the stability of a family. This makes her an easy target (and boy, did she pick the wrong family).

Once the battle lines were established, it seemed as if the story dragged a bit (through the middle). However, I think that was due more to my impatience that I had established theories and I wanted to get to the good stuff to see if I was right. I understand that the author needed to make character motivations crystal clear. It was deliciously unnerving to read a few such moments, only because the character was so disturbing. I could feel the viciousness and knew there was a lot going on.

I hope that all makes sense.

I liked this book so much that I read it pretty much in one sitting while I was supposed to be doing other things. I don’t feel guilty about that at all.

Author Bio

Sue Watson was a TV Producer at the BBC until she wrote her first book and was hooked.Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue has written fifteen novels – many involving cake – which have been translated into several languages and involved tough ‘cake research.’ Sue is now exploring the darker side of life with her thrillers OUR LITTLE LIES, THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR, THE EMPTY NEST and THE SISTER-IN-LAW. Writing in this new genre doesn’t involve the deep research of baked goods and Sue’s hoping the change in direction will be reflected on the weighing scales.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire where much of her day is spent writing – okay, procrastinating, eating and watching ‘My 600lb Life,’ on the sofa.

Website; http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/
FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/suewatsonbooks
Twitter @suewatsonwriter
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Blog Tour (Review): The Summer Villa by Melissa Hill

After a few good psych thrillers, I was ready for something lighter, and I certainly got it with this book.

BUY LINKS:
Harlequin  Indiebound Amazon Barnes & Noble 
Target Walmart Google Kobo

Right off, the setting drew me in. I would welcome the opportunity to “visit” the Amalfi Coast any day, but it was especially attractive given the current worldwide social/travel situation. The descriptions did not disappoint. I could picture, and almost feel, the atmosphere every time a scene took place at the villa. In fact, those were some of my favorite moments.

I also liked that the three main characters were so different from each other. Kim (American), Colette (English), and Annie (Irish), all meet at the villa in their 20s, each having their reasons (and methods) of being there. I liked Annie the best, as I found her to be the most interesting character. Unfortunately, it felt like there were times that she got shorted more details that she deserved.

Kim was the center of the story, as she is the one who brings them back together six years after they initially met. She describes herself as being like Paris Hilton, and that seems apt. She was less likable, mainly because it seemed like she didn’t do a whole lot of growing up, despite having more responsibilities. It was pretty apparent that she couldn’t get a grasp on motherhood due to her own mother’s attitude as Kim was growing up.

Colette was somewhere in the middle of the two. I liked her, but just as her character always put herself aside for others or tried especially hard to please people, she sometimes faded into the background and lost her self. She was the hardest for me to get a clear picture of…but maybe that was intentional.

I thought that the author did a good job exploring relationships between female friends. I also could totally relate to a place having special memories and wanting to recapture what made it so special in the first place. That’s not always possible, as it turns out. I will admit, I also saw the twist coming, but that is probably just because I read A LOT.

I did find it a little difficult to care about any of the characters, but I enjoyed just letting the story carry me along, and I already mentioned how much I loved the setting. Not everything has to be deep; sometimes, just a little vacation is enough. This one fit that bill for me.

AUTHOR BIO

MELISSA HILL lives in south Dublin with her husband and daughter. A USA TODAY and international #1 bestseller, she is the author of 13 novels, including The Gift of a Charm and A Gift From Tiffany’s. The Gift of a Charm was a USA TODAY bestseller. Hailed “the queen of the big plot twist,” she combines all the warmth and humor of contemporary women’s fiction with plots that keep readers guessing from page to page. Melissa also cowrites forensic thrillers with her husband, Kevin, under the pseudonym Casey Hill, featuring crime scene investigator Reilly Steel. For more information, visit www.caseyhillbooks.com.

This is the last book of the Harlequin Trade Publishing 2020 Spring Reads Blog Tour, and I am grateful to have been able to read each of these amazing books. Keep an eye out for the Summer Tour, coming soon!!!

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