Sunset

by Brayfield

A pleasure island, a place of escape. Los Alcazares is a holiday paradise in the Canary islands, but before the luxury villas were built it was a place fantastic dreams and incredible secrets, an island in the ocean where ley lines cross and tectonic crash, a geological hot spot where you can’t trust anything – not even the earth itself. Kim escaped to her island paradise with Matthew, her lover, a man she wants to trust. Living there is Stella, her old friend, a woman never doubts herself and, it seems, gets everything she wants. But now a man has been killed on Los Alcazares and both Stella and Matthew were there when he died. That’s what they’re saying anyway; but the island is full of talk. At the beach bar where there is no beach, Kim waits for Matthew to find out, finally, who to trust and what to believe. This richly textured novel contrasts the drama of a volcanic eruption two hundred years ago with the lives of the lotus-eaters who have made a playground of the black beaches and the lava fields, but whose certainties are no more stable than the treacherous earth itself. “Told with great skill and masterful timing,” Good Housekeeping. “A complex and cleverly written book,” Image

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75*
I quite enjoyed this one. I did see the reviews, which were a little off putting,but I thought it was a decent read. The characters I enjoyed and their individual part in the story.
The story itself goes to a couple of timelines and it kept me engaged in the events unfolding.
I loved the information about issues regarding climate change and volcanic eruptions. Was like a little science lesson.
The crime elements were done well and I only knew half of what might happen at the end. It wasn't what I had originally thought it would be.
Island life style, death, family feuds, love, tragedy and more.. it covers quite a few elements. Done well. Enjoyed 👍

[J.H. Moncrieff]

DNF.

[Sian Darnell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring. Too much detail and talk about volcanoes and geographical terms and not much of an actual storyline. The ending is disappointing and bland to be honest.

[Zoe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately I had to abandon this early. Although the premise was interesting, the geographic descriptiveness of the early chapters felt excessive and left me confused.

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but a bit convoluted with the swapping backwards and forwards of time frames which is frustrating when one is tired.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a strange book. The story was nice enough – woman sets forth to leave her turbulent history behind her – but the structure was a bit odd – memories within memories. Also, the main character seemed to flounder through most of the book. She lost confidence in all her relationships. She didn't seem very good at her job – as a means of defining terms for the reader, the questions kept coming from the main character, which created a sense that this woman had no idea what she was doing.

The main character's initial history – which I assume she is trying to step away from – stemmed from her being bullied into an awful, though bizarre, situation. Yet the character doesn't change. She is always the centre of sympathy, of loss and pain. She is bullied by her own insecurities.

There really isn't a resolution to this book. It's merely a story. This happened, and that happened. As stories go, it's alright. But the time spent reading this book would be better spent going for a walk.