A tough ask

 



It's always tricky when you put your book in front of reviewers who know far more than you do about a key component of your work. But it has to be done, as a kind of test. So I couldn't be happier that the verdict from the Algarve Blog is a resounding thumbs up for the setting and story of 300 Days of Sun.

 

"She has a brilliant way of describing minute details which bring a place to life, and makes you feel as if you are really sat in a local Portuguese café drinking a rich bica coffee and conversing with the locals."

 

You can read more on the Algarve Blog, and be charmed by the southern Portuguese backdrop in Alyson and David Sheldrake's fabulous photography and atmospheric posts. The following three photos are (c) Algarve Blog, reproduced here with permission.

 

 

 

 

300 Days of Sun: UK ebook news

 

Good news for UK readers: you can now download the ebook of 300 Days of Sun for only £2.99 from Amazon's Kindle store. If you don't have a Kindle device, there is a free download app that works for an iPad, as in the photo.

 

I'm trying a different publishing model over here this time. The HarperCollins luxury paperback from the US is available here, and I'm putting out the ebook independently. We'll see how it goes, but I'm quite excited. What else can you buy for £2.99? A very small glass of wine? Some good chocolate? Go on, treat yourself to a read!

 

Journalist Joanna Millard has traveled to the Portuguese town of Faro to escape an unhappy love affair and a stalled career. While attending language school, she meets Nathan Emberlin, a charming young man with a mysterious past. The two embark on an odyssey that will take them deep into Portuguese history, particularly the dark years during WWII. A deeply satisfying novel, a rich story with a strong feeling for time and place and the expert pacing of the best thrillers. Readers will appreciate Lawrenson’s ability to combine stunning atmosphere with a fascinating historical backstory.

— Starred Booklist review, USA

 

As in The Lantern and The Sea Garden, Lawrenson merges past and present, doubling identities and events to dazzling (and sometimes dizzying) effect. Set against the lush but corrupt coastal resorts of southern Portugal, the novel’s shadowy deeds seem only more dangerous in this sunny clime. While not as intense as Robert Wilson’s Portuguese thrillers, this novel is sure to please those who relish the untangling of crimes in exotic locales.

— Library Journal, USA