A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke
Blurb
When Eva’s
husband Jackson tragically drowns, she longs to meet his estranged family. The
journey takes her to Jackson’s brother’s doorstep on a remote Tasmanian island.
As strange details about her husband’s past begin to emerge, memories of the
man she married start slipping through her fingers like sand, as everything she
ever knew and loved about him is thrown into question. Now she’s no longer sure
whether it was Jackson she fell in love with - or someone else entirely … The
truth is, it was all a lie …
My Review
I was intrigued
by this story which drew me into the mystery right from the beginning and kept
me wondering to the final conclusion, which is shocking at yet totally
believable. The novel is a great reflection on
what happens when a person begins to tell lies, how the first leads on to more
and more until life is a tangled mess - in this case one there is no escape from. The challenge in regard to truth
telling, it’s costs and the devastation which follows when the truth is skirted
around or avoided, is prominent throughout the story, as its complexity grows.
The main
characters, Eva, and her brother-in-law, Saul, are well rounded and likeable. It
was easy to get deeply involved emotionally with this story because the points
of view of both these characters are handled very well. The romantic aspects of the relationships are tender and sensitive. The story will definitely appeal both to those who love romance and to those who like mystery. The pace of the story
is good. I didn’t feel there were any parts which dragged and side stories
about Jackson’s father, Dirk, and Eva’s best friend, Callie, only add to the intensity of the main story. To say
anything about other characters would give too much away in regard to the plot,
which I thought was incredibly well developed.
Most of the
story unfolds on a small island off Tasmania and Lucy Clarke describes the
environment beautifully and brings it alive to the reader. It’s clear she
researches her setting well and also has a good understanding of the diving
which Eva and Saul do off the island beach. The ocean, its moods, beauty and
terror are woven into the story in graphic and tantalising images. Readers
should be warned there is a small amount of bad language in the dialogue, but I
was able to accept this as realistically evoked, given the dramatic nature of
what was being dealt with by characters.
Lucy Clarke lives in the south of England and travels widely to research for her writing. This is the first of her novels that I have read, but I have already downloaded her other novel, The Sea Sisters. Both are available through Amazon.
Carol writes historical novels based on her family ancestry
in Australia from the First Fleet. They include the Turning the Tide series;
Mary’s Guardian, Charlotte’s Angel, Tangled Secrets and Truly Free. Her earlier
novels Suzannah’s Gold and Rebecca’s Dream have been re-released by EBP. Her
new novel, Next of Kin, is soon to be released by Rhiza Press. You can see more
about Carol and her novels on her website 
Sounds interesting. Thanks for the review Carol. Will keep an eye out for this book.
ReplyDeleteOoooh I like the sound of this one! Amazon here I come. Thanks Carol :)
ReplyDeleteAs an English girl, Tasmania must seem like the end of the world! Kudos for her good research. It sounds like a fascinating read, Carol.
ReplyDeleteHad to smile at this, Rita! Wondering if our friends in England think we really live at the end of the world.
DeleteCertainly one for this new Tasmanian to read, Carol. I do know another writer called Lucy Clark who is a Christian, and to start with I wondered if she was changing from writing medical romances. Glad you told us she lives in England as my Lucy is in Adelaide. :)
ReplyDeleteMary, that was my initial thought as well :)
DeleteI hope you enjoy this Mary. It's always interesting to read a story set in a place you are familiar with. I hope it rings true.
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