BLOG TOUR: Sun Trap - Rachel Wolf

BE CAREFUL

Ellie has wanted to be an actor since she was a child so, when a role in a blockbuster film presents itself, she grabs it.

WHAT YOU

On the plane to Abu Dhabi to begin filming, Ellie overhears something she shouldn't - two people discussing plans for murder.

WISH FOR

Unsure if it's a misunderstanding, and not wanting to ruin her big break, Ellie remains quiet. Then ten members of the cast become nine...

Ellie needs to be careful - it's more than just her career on the line.

Because she isn't who she says she is.

And liars are always the prime suspect.

 

What did I think?

Sun Trap is a very addictive book set in the stifling desert heat of Abu Dhabi, where a movie is being filmed.  With a group of actors as the main characters, you are never sure who is being sincere and who is hiding something and this book is filled with secrets and lies.

Ellie and Phoebe look so much alike that people mistake them for twins, although they are not actually related.  Is it pure chance that the pair meet at an acting class or is something more sinister going on?  That's the hook that kept me riveted throughout the book as I wanted to know why they looked so similar that one could step into the other one's life.

It's like all of Ellie's dreams have come true when Phoebe is too sick to travel to Abu Dhabi for her debut acting role and Phoebe asks Ellie to take her place.  My spidey sense was tingling at this fortuitous coincidence that Ellie happened to be in the right place at the right time.  Although how right that place might be is thrown into doubt when the bodies start piling up...

The shocks and surprises keep on coming as the pages turn as fast as you can read them.  I was completely hooked and incredibly entertained throughout this wild rollercoaster ride of a book. 

Gripping, addictive and surprising, Sun Trap is a page-turning thriller that is well worth a read.  

I chose to read a digital ARC for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

A global phenomenon, The Alchemist has been read and loved by over 62 million readers, topping bestseller lists in 74 countries worldwide. Now this magical fable is beautifully repackaged in an edition that lovers of Paulo Coelho will want to treasure forever.

Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. This is such a book – a beautiful parable about learning to listen to your heart, read the omens strewn along life’s path and, above all, follow your dreams.

Santiago, a young shepherd living in the hills of Andalucia, feels that there is more to life than his humble home and his flock. One day he finds the courage to follow his dreams into distant lands, each step galvanised by the knowledge that he is following the right path: his own. The people he meets along the way, the things he sees and the wisdom he learns are life-changing.

With Paulo Coelho’s visionary blend of spirituality, magical realism and folklore, The Alchemist is a story with the power to inspire nations and change people’s lives.

What did I think?

I have a love of Egyptian history and anything Egyptian so I'm surprised I hadn't picked up The Alchemist before it was my book club read for December.  Just the pyramids on the cover of some editions should have been enough for it to draw my attention but I'm embarrassed to say that I had never even heard of the book.

The Alchemist is written as if it's a fable with the air of magic surrounding it.  There's nothing more magical than an alchemist: one who can turn ordinary metal into gold but what about the treasure within ourselves?  Treasure is what Santiago aims to find - he sets off from Andalusia en route to Egypt, encountering the usual thieves and rogues along the way, but learning lots of life lessons.  He falls in love but never waivers from his mission, despite a few shaky moments.

I really wanted to love The Alchemist but I didn't have any of those eye-opening moments that I expected.  It's a good story but I felt it wasn't quite sure what it wanted to be: a bedtime story or a piece of adult fiction, perhaps some of that was down to the translation.  It seemed very simple at times, reminding me of a bedtime story then suddenly it would be quite serious and frightening.  

I enjoyed the journey I went on with Santiago and it did remind me to look inside myself for my own treasure, but it wasn't a story I think I will remember for a long time.  I'm glad that I read it and it didn't take much time to do so, but it didn't really live up to my high expectations.  I think it is a timeless novel that many people will enjoy, but unfortunately it didn't set my world on fire.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon