Reflections

by Eleanor Smythe

Sally must deal with the grief of losing her father, a man she knew very little about. After the funeral she takes time out to be alone and reflect on her life.
To find out the truth about him, she first has to make amends with her estranged mother and half sisters, who she hasn’t spoken to for almost twenty years.
In the meantime, Mr Leriche from Interpol opens a fascinating old case file, about a stolen painting potentially worth millions. Before long Sally finds herself in the middle of a criminal investigation. Having discovered she is the sole beneficiary to her father’s estate, she must decide whether to develop the business or walk away.
Reflections is an emotional journey.

251 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 30, 2015

About the author

Eleanor Smythe was born in the east end of London. Raised a family to secondary school level and then went on to obtain a degree in Occupational Therapy. Although she worked in various medical settings her greatest passion in her career was working with clients in the community, where she claims real life takes place.
Recently retired and now living in Portugal Eleanor has more time to pursue her love of writing. She has always been intrigued by the way in which peoples lives have twists and turns and how individuals cope with life's challenges. Her stories attempt to embrace the emotional turmoils of life, bringing her characters to life by showing humour, tragedy, conflict and betrayal; emotions that many of us face daily.
Her debut book, The Other Side of Town is full such characters.

Reviews

[Shell Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Eleanor Smythe after seeing lots of good reviews for this I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

This is a sad and emotional story about Sally who has to deal with the grief and loss of her father having know very little about him. To find out the truth about him, she first has to make amends with her estranged mother and half sisters, who she hasn’t spoken to for almost twenty years. sally finds herself in the middle of a crime investigation after Mr Leriche from Interpol opens up a old case file about a missing painting .Having discovered she is the sole beneficiary to her father’s estate, she must decide whether to develop the business or walk away.

The story itself is unique and I have to say that Eleanor has tackled the emotions of Sally's grief extremely well, I can only imagine how hard this subject must be to write. And with Sally making wrong decisions is this understandable with the pain and hurt she is going through. This is a family saga with the added Crime mystery element. Being a massive crime fan and reading the Blurb I feel like I was expecting more. I also felt that something was missing. Over all it is very well written and I found that I flew through this book has I read it in one sitting. But unfortunately there was no OMG moment for me which I like in a book. I did found it a very emotional Journey, so it just didn't do it for me. So for that reason I am giving it 3.5 stars

Thank you to Brook Cottage Books for a copy in exchange for a honest review

[Joanna Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final sentence of the synopsis above says it all. This story is an emotional roller coaster of a ride. A single death brings about so many changes in a family's life. Sally the central character, raised by her aunt Kitty finds herself facing the fact that her childhood perceptions about what happened to her might not have been correct after all. This book is about family relationships, of trying to make sense of the past in order to move forward into the future. Making peace with her mother and sisters hasn't been easy for Sally but it is pivotal to her finding out more about her father. And in the middle of all this we are caught up in a mystery concerning a stolen painting.

I felt sorry for Sally; a woman who doesn't seem to have had much happiness in her life. Her father's death brings even more trouble for her, opening up old wounds and sending her to places she'd rather not be. In the middle of much soul searching comes the criminal investigation regarding the stolen painting. All in all, Sally seems to have landed in something of a maelstrom but the biggest challenge is yet to come...what to do with the legacy her father has left her. If you enjoy family drama wrapped up with a mystery then this is a book I can recommend.

I would like to thank Brook Cottage Books for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to make of this book. It’s the second by this author and I haven’t read the previous one. I don’t think it made a difference but apparently there are some references to previous characters.

It took me a long time to get into it and I just didn’t seem to gel with the characters. The whole blurb made it sound rather more interesting than I found it personally.

Sally suffers the loss of her father which resurrects issues she has with her mother and step-sisters .. it’s a fairly complex family situation and she certainly goes through a range of emotions. This in itself would make for an interesting journey as she reflects on her feelings for all concerned but then there is a side story revolving around a stolen painting .. does this have anything to do with the will or is it a coincidence .. this is the basis for the story.

We have a combination of a family drama and a mystery .. maybe it would read better if it was one or the other. It has moments that keep you guessing but it took too long to get to those .. nicely written though and ideal for anyone who enjoys a good saga.

Thanks to the author and Brook Cottage Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Suzy Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reflections is the second book by author Eleanor Smythe and one which features the odd character from her first offering, The Other Side of Town. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Reflections as I do enjoy reading about complex characters who are dealing with difficulties in their lives. This book certainly does come up with the goods when it comes to that!
I found myself caring very deeply for the main character, Sally. Even though she'd made some good and bad decisions in her life, ultimately I felt this well-rounded character deserved to have something good happen to her and I was often sitting on the edge of my seat hoping it would end up that way. I won't say whether or not it did because I don't want to give the game away! But all in all, I love the fact that this isn't simply an 'emotional journey' as described by the author - it also has an underlying criminal element (just like in Eleanor's last book) which really does leave you sitting on the edge of your seat. Oh, and I mustn't forget to mention the author's uncanny ability to add some brilliantly placed and hilarious one-liners throughout the book!

[Nikki Bywater · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another great read from author Eleanor Smythe. I really enjoyed the storyline, which is about a stolen painting which had been replaced by a forgery and the main characters Roland and Sally meet and work together to solve the mystery of how and what happened to the original painting. It also touches on family dynamics and relationships.

[J.B (Debbie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

review to follow