Another book set in a village (we all know how much I love those)! This time, the village of St. Agnes in Cornwall and there’s a 200-year-old feud thrown into the mix, together with the expected undercurrent of menace and unease.
I loved that gothic touch that was added in here, and I absolutely adored the names: Morvoren Penhallow, who considers herself a ‘matriarch’, and her granddaughter Lavender Nancarrow, who is expected to be the next ‘protector of her haven’ (well, by her grandmother at least). It’s all a bit Game of Thrones! A dragon wouldn’t have gone amiss! Instead, Morvoren is a very strategic and rather cruel and brutal planner when it comes to driving out the object of her wrath (even I’m at it now) … Matt Trevelyar.
Matt considers St Agnes to be where his roots are. It’s where his grandparents and their parents came from and he’s come here to make a fresh start after losing his young wife. He’s unaware of the long-standing feud between his family and the Penhallows but he very quickly realises that whoever wants him to leave the village is very serious and will stop at nothing to get him out!
The reader feels the very strong sense of where loyalties lie, and where they’re expected to be aligned. James has created characters with a truly warped sense of loyalty though, who feel absolutely no qualms about twisting and stretching the truth until it’s unrecognisable, in order to convince whoever necessary to remain loyal to them. It’s manipulation at its evil, manic best and the author very cleverly strings everyone along so that they’re dancing to her beat, like merry little puppets!
The sense of foreboding builds. The pace is good, the plot thickens and the crazy get crazier. This is a great 4-star read, which will work very well if the weather’s dark and stormy outside. It will definitely lend itself to the atmosphere!
Author Bio:
Amanda has written since she was a child, but never imagined that her words would be published, given that she left school with no real qualifications of note apart from an A* in how to be a nuisance in class. Nevertheless, she returned to education when her daughter was five and eventually became a history teacher. Then in 2010, after many twists and turns, the dream of becoming a writer came true when her first short story was published. Amanda has written many short stories and has six novels currently published.
Amanda grew up in Sheffield but now has realised her lifelong dream of living in Cornwall and her writing is inspired every day by the dramatic coastline near her home. She has sketched out many stories in her head while walking the cliff paths. Three of her mystery/suspense novels are set there, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, Summer in Tintagel and the Behind the Lie. Rip Current is also set in Cornwall and was published by Bloodhound Books in 2018.
Amanda, known to many as Mandy, spends far more time than is good for her on social media and has turned procrastination to a fine art. She can also usually be found playing on the beach with her family, or walking the cliff paths planning her next book.
Amanda’s blog – http://mandykjameswrites.blogspot.com/
Twitter – @akjames61
Facebook – mandy.james.33
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