INSTAGRAM TOUR: The Amalfi Curse - Sarah Penner

 

Powerful witchcraft. A hunt for sunken treasure. Forbidden love on the high seas. Beware the Amalfi Curse...

Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, has come to the sun-soaked village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. But Haven is hoping to find more than old artefacts beneath the azure waters; she is secretly on a quest to locate a trove of priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive. Upon Haven’s arrival, strange maelstroms and misfortunes start plaguing the town. Is it nature or something more sinister at work?

As Haven searches for her father’s sunken treasure, she begins to unearth a centuries-old tale of ancient sorcery and one woman’s quest to save her lover and her village by using the legendary art of stregheria, a magical ability to harness the ocean. Could this magic be behind Positano’s latest calamities? Haven must unravel the Amalfi Curse before the region is destroyed forever...

Against the dazzling backdrop of the Amalfi Coast, this bewitching novel shimmers with mystery, romance and the untamed magic of the sea.

What did I think?

I adored Sarah Penner's debut novel, The Lost Apothecary, so I was very excited to read another of her books and I was not disappointed.  The Amalfi Curse is her third novel, and the first to be set outside of London, that takes the reader to the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

This is a story about sea witches and there is a register of incantations on an illustration of a scroll in the front of the book.  I loved this touch and it really made me excited to read the story that follows.

With a dual timeline we meet sea witch Mari in 1821 and nautical archaeologist Haven in the present day.  The way their stories intertwine is breathtaking as they are linked by a sailor from a sunken ship called Holmes.  Holmes was in love with Mari, even though she was promised to another man, and I absolutely devoured their story.  Haven's father discovered the sunken ship on a dive but he passed away before he could investigate further so Haven has returned to finish where he left off.

This is such an intriguing story with an ancient curse and the promise of treasure beneath the waves.  I was completely riveted by Haven's research and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page when she visited the archives to assist in her research.

Incredibly atmospheric and completely captivating, The Amalfi Curse is a poignant and haunting novel that is filled with mystery, magic and romance.  I loved it and highly recommend it.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Insta Book Tours Instagram Tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: Mystery Island - Jim Ody

The Island of dark secrets lies close to Maui. Few have ventured there, fewer have returned.

With a map in hand, extreme-sports enthusiasts, Kyle and Donna, descend to the depths of the Pacific Ocean in search of treasure. Will they find it? And will they survive?

Peering eyes are everywhere, lurking and in wait, ready to take back what's theirs.

Some things are better left buried.  

What did I think?

I'll say one thing about Jim Ody's Mystery Island: I definitely didn't see THAT coming!  I think Jim Ody has included just about everything except the kitchen sink in his hugely entertaining and completely surprising new novel, Mystery Island; it's action packed, funny, scary, exciting and absolutely riveting.

It starts with a bang and, if by some miracle the reader isn't immediately hooked, it's closely followed by the existence of a treasure map.  X marks the spot in the sea surrounding the Hawaiian island of Maui and experienced divers, Kyle and Donna, can't wait to get out there to begin their treasure hunt.  With Kyle's friend Jez and his wife Cass tagging along uninvited, let the adventure begin!

The sunken treasure is a local legend so the islanders are used to treasure hunters descending on their own little part of paradise and it's clearly not something that they're happy about.  There's an air of menace behind the smiles of the islanders but Kyle and Donna are determined to dive for treasure, whatever the risk.  They may be grateful that Jez and Cass tagged along after all, although I'm not sure that Jez and Cass would agree...but I'm not saying what the twisted mind of Jim Ody has in store for them!

This is my first Jim Ody book and most certainly won't be my last.  I loved his vivid style of writing and the unexpected twists and turns that the story took.  It seems that there is no limit to Jim Ody's imagination and I love such unpredictability that constantly keeps the reader on their toes whilst enjoying a massively entertaining story.

Surprising, entertaining, compelling and completely twisted, Mystery Island is an action packed mystery thriller.  I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another Jim Ody book after reading this one and I can't wait to see where his extremely imaginative mind will take him next.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

Jim writes dark psychological/thrillers that have endings you won’t see coming, and favours stories packed with wit. He has written ten novels and well over a dozen short-stories spanning many genres.

Jim has a very strange sense of humour and is often considered a little odd.  When not writing he will be found playing the drums, watching football and eating chocolate. He lives with his long-suffering wife, three beautiful children and two indignant cats in Swindon, Wiltshire UK.

Author Links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JimOdyAuthor

Jim Ody’s Spooky Circus Street Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1372500609494122/

Amazon Author Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jim-Ody/e/B019A6AMSY/

Email: jim.ody@hotmail.co.uk

Twitter: @Jim_Ody_Author

Instagram: @jimodyauthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jimodyauthor/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jim-ody




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My Sister's Secret - Tracy Buchanan

Everything you've built your life on is a lie

Willow’s memories of her parents are sun-drenched and full of smiles, love and laughter. But a mysterious invitation to a photographic exhibition exposes a secret that’s been buried since a tragic accident years ago.

Willow is forced to question everything she knew about Charity, her late mother, and Hope, the aunt she’s lived with since she was a child.

How was the enigmatic photographer connected to Willow’s parents? Why will Hope not break her silence?

Willow cannot move forward in her life without answers. But who can she really trust? Because no one has been telling the truth for a very long time.

What did I think?

This is the story of three sisters: Faith, Hope and Charity.  They have a very close relationship and spend their days on the beach, dreaming about finding hidden submerged forests.  It's also the story of Charity's daughter, Willow, who has inherited her mother's compulsion to dive and as a memorial to her parents sets out to visit the submerged forests on a map she finds in her Mum's belongings.  The mysterious photographer, Niall Lane, seems to be visiting the same forests whilst exhibiting his Charity collection and it's only a matter of time before Willow bumps into him and uncovers some family secrets. 

I loved the gradual unfurling of the family secrets as Willow peels back layer after layer and uncovers secrets even her Aunt Hope knew nothing about.  It's quite a sad story of childhood sweethearts who were really meant to be together but for unfortunate circumstances and underhand manipulation.  

It's definitely a mark of a good book when it has me tapping into google at the end of it.  There are some really stunning images of submerged forests, something that I never even knew existed until reading this book.  Tracy Buchanan describes them so wonderfully that I couldn't wait to find out more. 

This really is a brilliant story with lots of twists and turns that had me hooked right from the start.  I will most definitely be adding Tracy's earlier novel, The Atlas of Us, to my must read pile.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Avon, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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Pirate Hunters - Robert Kurson

Synopsis:

The gripping true story of bitter rivalries on the high seas, a brilliant 17th-Century pirate captain, and the two adventurous men determined to find his treasure.

Captained by English nobleman-turned-pirate Joseph Bannister, the Golden Fleece was a pirate ship sunk by the Royal Navy in 1686 taking with it many fortunes’ worth of gold. When present-day adventurers John Chatterton and John Mattera hear of it, they know they have to risk everything to get their hands on it.

Bestselling author Robert Kurson not only recreates the break-neck excitement of their search for the lost ship, but also vividly re-imagines life on the high seas in the Golden Age of piracy in this thrilling true-life adventure.

What did I think?

This was brilliant.  I often like to read a true story and what a true story this is!  It's not only the story of Joseph Bannister, but the story of the men who were looking for his ship, The Golden Fleece - John Chatterton and John Mattera.  Giving such an insight into the background of the two Johns meant that I could empathise with them and understand their frustrations at times.  In fact the early years of John Mattera was almost like reading about an episode of the Sopranos!  John Chatterton on the other hand flirted with danger and showed no fear diving to places where others would not contemplate on going.  I'm not sure what is more scary - the threat of the mob or the danger of the bends.

I was really interested in the process of hunting for a wreck - I had no idea that you had to have a lease to search the waters.  In this case, the lease belonged to the renowned treasure hunter, Tracy Bowden, who gave the Johns instructions on where to look for the Golden Fleece.  The story gets really interesting when the Johns become frustrated with their futile search in one area and try to persuade Tracy to search elsewhere.  I thought it was going to come to blows on more than one occasion!

Mattera's interest in history meant that he cleverly used historical records to try to get into the mind of Joseph Bannister that ultimately led to the discovery of the Golden Fleece.  This is where the events of 1686 and the 17th Century are described in such vivid details for us.  Why men, and sometimes women, became pirates and what the could expect of life on the high seas.  There was a heart stopping moment beforehand when somebody claims to have found the Golden Fleece and I let out an audible "Oh No!!" - this isn't a spoiler, history tells us that Chatterton and Mattera found the Golden Fleece but I was so engrossed in the story that I felt their disappointment and incredulity with them!

The book touches on the German U-boat that John Chatterton discovered off the coast of New Jersey and I'll certainly be adding Robert Kurson's Shadow Divers to my reading list.

This is a must read book for anybody wanting to learn more about the real Pirates of the Caribbean.  It really does read like a fast paced thriller and I sometimes forgot I was reading a true story.  A real swashbuckler of a read that has piqued my interest in underwater salvage. 

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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