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Canary Islands Mysteries #3
A Prison In The Sun
After millennial ghostwriter Trevor Moore rents an old farmhouse in Fuerteventura, he moves in to find his muse.
Instead, he discovers a rucksack filled with cash. Who does it belong to - and should he hand it in... or keep it?
Struggling to make up his mind, Trevor unravels the harrowing true story of a little-known concentration camp that incarcerated gay men in the 1950s and 60s.
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 19, 2019
17 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Isobel Blackthorn
52 books178 followersIsobel Blackthorn is an award-winning author of unique and engaging fiction. She writes across a range of genres, including dark psychological thrillers, gripping mystery novels, captivating travel fiction and hilarious dark satire. Isobel holds a PhD in Western Esotericism for her groundbreaking study of the texts of Theosophist Alice A. Bailey. Isobel carries a lifelong passion for the Canary Islands, Spain, her former home. A Londoner originally, Isobel currently lives in Spain.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 16, 2020
A Prison in the Sun is the third book I've read, also the third book in author Isobel Blackthorn's series, Canary Island Mysteries. One of the aspects I most like about her writing is the way Blackthorn embeds such beautifully descriptive scenery among multiple story-lines, weaving together a tale that can be fully immersive and quite the vivid experience.
In this novel, Trevor, a mid-thirties divorced writer, has taken a trip to the Canary Islands to pen his own book; he's tired of writing for other authors or blogs. It's time he had his own success. His bestie, Angela, helps from afar, and when Trevor discovers a sack of money near the beach, he feels compelled to learn where it came from... except, a body washes up ashore, and it appears a drug deal might've gone poorly. At the same time, he's met a lovely couple who are helping him acclimate to the island. During his explorations, Trevor learns about the building he's staying in, particularly how it once housed gay men in a plot by the government to fix them for their deviant behavior. Alternating between contemporary times and historical events, readers learn just what happened in this awful place, who was murdered, and what Trevor does and doesn't know about it!
If you've never been to these islands (I haven't) and you can't easily get there, just read this series. It'll feel like you are surrounded by everything they have to offer. I still think you should go, but this is what might convince you to make the trip... barring the murders and deaths in the books, as that's just all wonderful story. Blackthorn's writing talents clearly jump off the pages with beautiful narrative, calming or alarming descriptions, and well-drawn characters. Though the plot in this one is rather straightforward and minimalist, it is a good thing... readers navigate her pages while getting sucked into the lovely background and before you know it, the story explodes into something quite clever.
There is a scene with chickens that is quite frightening, and it evokes anger over what some people do to others because of their beliefs. Blackthorn delicately handles the homosexuality theme in many scenes, shares poignant passages between several friends, showcases the growing lust one man begins to feel, and helps create a fine line between reality and imagination. The balance is very strong in terms of delivering a punch and a softness in all the right moments, letting readers feel the pain without being told all the details. I am curious to learn more of Jose and Trevor's stories, as I feel like there's a lot still unsaid. It's great when an author makes you want to read more of her work. Looking forward to a 4th in the series (if there is one) and if not, reading another one of her works.
In this novel, Trevor, a mid-thirties divorced writer, has taken a trip to the Canary Islands to pen his own book; he's tired of writing for other authors or blogs. It's time he had his own success. His bestie, Angela, helps from afar, and when Trevor discovers a sack of money near the beach, he feels compelled to learn where it came from... except, a body washes up ashore, and it appears a drug deal might've gone poorly. At the same time, he's met a lovely couple who are helping him acclimate to the island. During his explorations, Trevor learns about the building he's staying in, particularly how it once housed gay men in a plot by the government to fix them for their deviant behavior. Alternating between contemporary times and historical events, readers learn just what happened in this awful place, who was murdered, and what Trevor does and doesn't know about it!
If you've never been to these islands (I haven't) and you can't easily get there, just read this series. It'll feel like you are surrounded by everything they have to offer. I still think you should go, but this is what might convince you to make the trip... barring the murders and deaths in the books, as that's just all wonderful story. Blackthorn's writing talents clearly jump off the pages with beautiful narrative, calming or alarming descriptions, and well-drawn characters. Though the plot in this one is rather straightforward and minimalist, it is a good thing... readers navigate her pages while getting sucked into the lovely background and before you know it, the story explodes into something quite clever.
There is a scene with chickens that is quite frightening, and it evokes anger over what some people do to others because of their beliefs. Blackthorn delicately handles the homosexuality theme in many scenes, shares poignant passages between several friends, showcases the growing lust one man begins to feel, and helps create a fine line between reality and imagination. The balance is very strong in terms of delivering a punch and a softness in all the right moments, letting readers feel the pain without being told all the details. I am curious to learn more of Jose and Trevor's stories, as I feel like there's a lot still unsaid. It's great when an author makes you want to read more of her work. Looking forward to a 4th in the series (if there is one) and if not, reading another one of her works.
March 17, 2020
This was an amazing story that was part historical fiction, part mystery and suspense, as well as, part literary fiction that was a Smorgasbord full of thrilling surprises. The story began with Trevor, a ghost writer with dreams and hopes of authoring his own book one day, planned to spend the next three months in the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura.
Trevor was a very interesting character that you will get to know well seeing that the story was told in his point of view. While there to write his next best seller, a few strange things happen. First, he found a Franco era imprisonment/concentration camp for gay men from the 50’s, and secondly, he discovered a rucksack in a smuggler’s cave filled with substantial amount of cash and a journal from a prisoner named Jose from the concentration camp.
This was a true atmospheric mystery that will have you rubbing your head on the 'whodunnit' since our protagonist seemed to be getting deeper and deeper into trouble.
Isobel Blackthorn is a brilliant writer that delivered an amazing and complex story line with a twist that had my mind blow to pieces with the masterfully written conclusion. Blackthorn brought me into the story line where I was also beaten down by the heat of the sun and perspiring to know what happens next as I sweat to turn the next pages.
The two distinct story lines with Trevor and Jose had some parallel themes running through that was created so intricately that I enjoyed reading about. This read was absolutely beautiful, compelling and deep.
I highly recommend this amazing thriller and bravo to Blackthorn for a great storytelling! Well done!
Trevor was a very interesting character that you will get to know well seeing that the story was told in his point of view. While there to write his next best seller, a few strange things happen. First, he found a Franco era imprisonment/concentration camp for gay men from the 50’s, and secondly, he discovered a rucksack in a smuggler’s cave filled with substantial amount of cash and a journal from a prisoner named Jose from the concentration camp.
This was a true atmospheric mystery that will have you rubbing your head on the 'whodunnit' since our protagonist seemed to be getting deeper and deeper into trouble.
Isobel Blackthorn is a brilliant writer that delivered an amazing and complex story line with a twist that had my mind blow to pieces with the masterfully written conclusion. Blackthorn brought me into the story line where I was also beaten down by the heat of the sun and perspiring to know what happens next as I sweat to turn the next pages.
The two distinct story lines with Trevor and Jose had some parallel themes running through that was created so intricately that I enjoyed reading about. This read was absolutely beautiful, compelling and deep.
I highly recommend this amazing thriller and bravo to Blackthorn for a great storytelling! Well done!
March 18, 2020
This is a skilfully crafted story, weaving historical and contemporary events into a plot filled with angst, turmoil, murder and mystery.
After his marriage broke down, his wife questioned his sexuality, books he'd ghostwritten were up for awards, Trevor Moore has had enough. Determined to write a book using his own name, he rents an isolated farmhouse in Fuerteventura hoping to create his own epic there. He re-evaluates his life, joins a gym and explores the area he's living in. He finds out about a nearby location which was a concentration camp where gay men were imprisioned and that during a military exercise many men died or were seriously injured in a mass parachute drop that went wrong. These historical events intrigue him, especially after he discovers a rucksack with surprising contents.
Told from the point of view of Trevor, this story explores choices, temptations, fears and consequences. It is a story packed with intrigue and surprises. It certainly gives a different look at life on Fuerteventura, aspects not normally discussed or known about by the tourists visiting there. Fact and fiction are carefully blended in a story with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and enthralled.
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.
After his marriage broke down, his wife questioned his sexuality, books he'd ghostwritten were up for awards, Trevor Moore has had enough. Determined to write a book using his own name, he rents an isolated farmhouse in Fuerteventura hoping to create his own epic there. He re-evaluates his life, joins a gym and explores the area he's living in. He finds out about a nearby location which was a concentration camp where gay men were imprisioned and that during a military exercise many men died or were seriously injured in a mass parachute drop that went wrong. These historical events intrigue him, especially after he discovers a rucksack with surprising contents.
Told from the point of view of Trevor, this story explores choices, temptations, fears and consequences. It is a story packed with intrigue and surprises. It certainly gives a different look at life on Fuerteventura, aspects not normally discussed or known about by the tourists visiting there. Fact and fiction are carefully blended in a story with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and enthralled.
I requested and was gifted a copy of this book and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.
November 25, 2019
Ghost writer's blues
Trevor is a ghost writer, up till now content to be in the background while others take the plaudits. That is, until his wife announces she's leaving him, for another woman! Seeking solace, he takes a three month holiday in the Canary Islands. Fuerteventura is a dry, arid island, the closest of the Canaries to Africa. Once there, Trevor's life turns rather topsy-turvy, as he begins to doubt his own sexuality while researching a former prison camp, used during the Franco years of Spain's past for the incarceration of homosexual men. His agent expects a novel about the strange island prison, but things are complicated when Trevor finds a rucksack full of cash. Who did it belong to, was it the proceeds of a crime? Isobel Blackthorn has put together a complex mystery which combines a man's search for his own personal identity, a historical revelation of a concentration camp for homosexual men, and the brutal treatment meted out to them, and a search for the truth behind the cash in the rucksack. Somehow, with great skill and consummate ease, she pulls it all together to produce a real page-turner which entertains to the the very last page.
Trevor is a ghost writer, up till now content to be in the background while others take the plaudits. That is, until his wife announces she's leaving him, for another woman! Seeking solace, he takes a three month holiday in the Canary Islands. Fuerteventura is a dry, arid island, the closest of the Canaries to Africa. Once there, Trevor's life turns rather topsy-turvy, as he begins to doubt his own sexuality while researching a former prison camp, used during the Franco years of Spain's past for the incarceration of homosexual men. His agent expects a novel about the strange island prison, but things are complicated when Trevor finds a rucksack full of cash. Who did it belong to, was it the proceeds of a crime? Isobel Blackthorn has put together a complex mystery which combines a man's search for his own personal identity, a historical revelation of a concentration camp for homosexual men, and the brutal treatment meted out to them, and a search for the truth behind the cash in the rucksack. Somehow, with great skill and consummate ease, she pulls it all together to produce a real page-turner which entertains to the the very last page.
November 19, 2019
Frustrated by his life, Trevor travels to Fuerteventura, intending to write his novel. Recently separated from an ex-wife who’d cast doubts on his sexuality, he needs the escape. His morass is exacerbated by his success as a ghost writing, seeing his clients receive all the credit for his work. Now it should be his time, but he’s in torment thinking what to write about.
Exploring the close proximity of where he’s living, Trevor discovers first the (true) story of a concentration camp used in the 1950’s to imprison gay men and then the tragic circumstances of a disastrous military exercise. Through happenstance he finds a rucksack filled with money and that’s when matters Trevor’s life starts to become complicated.
As I’ve often visited the Canary Islands and I have an interest in learning about historical events, I was drawn to read this book. I wasn’t disappointed. The plot is skilfully told and intricately woven, commanding my attention through the twists and turns until the end
Exploring the close proximity of where he’s living, Trevor discovers first the (true) story of a concentration camp used in the 1950’s to imprison gay men and then the tragic circumstances of a disastrous military exercise. Through happenstance he finds a rucksack filled with money and that’s when matters Trevor’s life starts to become complicated.
As I’ve often visited the Canary Islands and I have an interest in learning about historical events, I was drawn to read this book. I wasn’t disappointed. The plot is skilfully told and intricately woven, commanding my attention through the twists and turns until the end
March 22, 2020
A Prison in the Sun is the most brilliant book I have read in a long time. Getting through it was unbelievable hard, I had no idea where the ending came from, and to put it simply – I was not too fond of the story the whole way through. I felt that perhaps the style of writing was not for me. But, after I finished it and was reflecting, I had an epiphany, and everything about the prose and the story made sense. It was at this point that I realized how brilliant the novel is. So this review will be a bit different. I am going to try and provide the two pieces I feel are necessary to understand and appreciate the story from page 1, and I am going to try and do it without any spoilers because this story is worth it.
Two Important Aspects To Understand
To start with, I would classify A Prison in the Sun as a psychological thriller mystery. I have not seen that label anywhere, but it is an important distinction that sets the way you look at it from the beginning. One of the hardest parts of reading it and understanding the novel is that the story has an unreliable narrator, so, as with any tale that has an unreliable narrator, you need to be looking at character reactions and things that seem coincidental with a stronger microscope.
Next, you need to know something about James Joyce and, particularly, his story entitled Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man. In this work, Joyce uses techniques such as stream of consciousness, interior monologue, and references to a character's psychic reality rather than to his external surroundings. Trevor Moore, the main character, also employs these techniques when narrating his story. He, like Joyce, will take events that the reader does not want to know about, and talk about them often and in great detail. That is the aspect I remember most from Portrait. I wouldn't say I liked it back in college when professors tried to convince me it was brilliant, and I was not too fond of it again in this story. Plus, I find stream of consciousness always hard to read. It can be hard enough for me to be in my head, so to be in someone else's – I find very hard to follow.
More of My Thoughts
The story that Trevor is writing based on notes he found is hard for me to read also but for different reasons. There isn't a happy ending where concentration camps are concerned. It's just immeasurably sad and incomprehensibly horrid. It's a lot for my empathetic soul to take in and process.
I enjoyed the mystery of the bag found in the cave most of all. That plotline kept the pages turning for me even as I struggled with other aspects of the narrative.
To Read or Not to Read
As I said before, this story is brilliant, but you do have to do the work to see the brilliance. If you are willing to do that. – A Prison in the Sun is a perfect read for you!
Two Important Aspects To Understand
To start with, I would classify A Prison in the Sun as a psychological thriller mystery. I have not seen that label anywhere, but it is an important distinction that sets the way you look at it from the beginning. One of the hardest parts of reading it and understanding the novel is that the story has an unreliable narrator, so, as with any tale that has an unreliable narrator, you need to be looking at character reactions and things that seem coincidental with a stronger microscope.
Next, you need to know something about James Joyce and, particularly, his story entitled Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man. In this work, Joyce uses techniques such as stream of consciousness, interior monologue, and references to a character's psychic reality rather than to his external surroundings. Trevor Moore, the main character, also employs these techniques when narrating his story. He, like Joyce, will take events that the reader does not want to know about, and talk about them often and in great detail. That is the aspect I remember most from Portrait. I wouldn't say I liked it back in college when professors tried to convince me it was brilliant, and I was not too fond of it again in this story. Plus, I find stream of consciousness always hard to read. It can be hard enough for me to be in my head, so to be in someone else's – I find very hard to follow.
More of My Thoughts
The story that Trevor is writing based on notes he found is hard for me to read also but for different reasons. There isn't a happy ending where concentration camps are concerned. It's just immeasurably sad and incomprehensibly horrid. It's a lot for my empathetic soul to take in and process.
I enjoyed the mystery of the bag found in the cave most of all. That plotline kept the pages turning for me even as I struggled with other aspects of the narrative.
To Read or Not to Read
As I said before, this story is brilliant, but you do have to do the work to see the brilliance. If you are willing to do that. – A Prison in the Sun is a perfect read for you!
March 19, 2020
This is a fascinating, traumatic novel that makes for a challenging but rewarding read. Based on disturbing fact, the author adds a rich and compelling mystery and some engrossing characters to the mix.
The novel begins at a steady pace as the scene is set, but soon the momentum builds and the complexity swells. The atmosphere is tense with menace and foreboding, but there are lighter moments and there is a thread of hope and new beginnings.
Trevor is an intriguing and empathetic hero. He has emotional baggage, but the horrific things he discovers put his own problems into perspective and help him learn to deal with them. He’s a strong, capable person.
This author is adept at creating an all-encompassing world for the reader. You’re pulled in and can’t leave until the book finishes.
If you enjoy fiction with a historical basis, and want to read a story that will give a lot to think about then this is the perfect book for you by a talented author who never fails to impress.
The novel begins at a steady pace as the scene is set, but soon the momentum builds and the complexity swells. The atmosphere is tense with menace and foreboding, but there are lighter moments and there is a thread of hope and new beginnings.
Trevor is an intriguing and empathetic hero. He has emotional baggage, but the horrific things he discovers put his own problems into perspective and help him learn to deal with them. He’s a strong, capable person.
This author is adept at creating an all-encompassing world for the reader. You’re pulled in and can’t leave until the book finishes.
If you enjoy fiction with a historical basis, and want to read a story that will give a lot to think about then this is the perfect book for you by a talented author who never fails to impress.
March 21, 2020
#3 in the Canary Islands mysteries series, but can also be read as a stand-alone.
This is a slow paced, beautifully written mystery, one to take your time over. It tells of historic and modern day events all cleverly woven together to give a real sense of time and place.
The mystery aspects are well plotted with plenty of twists to keep you guessing.
A tale of a man coming to terms with his sexuality, to find his place in the world while dealing with the horrors of a ‘concentration’ camp for gay men in the past, solving the mystery of a dead body on the beach and a rucksack packed with cash. Storytelling at its best.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
This is a slow paced, beautifully written mystery, one to take your time over. It tells of historic and modern day events all cleverly woven together to give a real sense of time and place.
The mystery aspects are well plotted with plenty of twists to keep you guessing.
A tale of a man coming to terms with his sexuality, to find his place in the world while dealing with the horrors of a ‘concentration’ camp for gay men in the past, solving the mystery of a dead body on the beach and a rucksack packed with cash. Storytelling at its best.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
March 30, 2020
I have read a couple of Isobel Blackthorn books Clarissa’s Warning and A Matter of Latitude both are part of Canary Islands Mystery Series.
This book follows Trevor Moore as he hits a cross roads in his life. He is a successful ghost writer but is growing more and more disillusioned with others getting the rewards for his writing. Personally, his marriage has ended.
To distance himself he rents a house in Fuerteventura, where his aim is to write a book under his own name. Determined to capture the atmosphere of the island he explores and inadvertently finds a bag full of cash. He has no idea who it belongs to or what to do with it.
In addition to the bag of cash he has found he also discovers stories about a concentration camp on the island that was used to imprison homosexual men.
This story is brilliantly told and combines mystery, history and a great sense of place.
This book follows Trevor Moore as he hits a cross roads in his life. He is a successful ghost writer but is growing more and more disillusioned with others getting the rewards for his writing. Personally, his marriage has ended.
To distance himself he rents a house in Fuerteventura, where his aim is to write a book under his own name. Determined to capture the atmosphere of the island he explores and inadvertently finds a bag full of cash. He has no idea who it belongs to or what to do with it.
In addition to the bag of cash he has found he also discovers stories about a concentration camp on the island that was used to imprison homosexual men.
This story is brilliantly told and combines mystery, history and a great sense of place.
November 19, 2019
Trevor travels to Fuerventura to try to settle his life. He chooses to exercise inbetween his writing.
He’s not had the best time when he comes across a backpack.
Then things begin to change.
This story is really good, I found it easy and quick to read, Isobel Blackthorn writes with a flow that makes her books very readable & enjoyable.
He’s not had the best time when he comes across a backpack.
Then things begin to change.
This story is really good, I found it easy and quick to read, Isobel Blackthorn writes with a flow that makes her books very readable & enjoyable.
December 15, 2019
Spoilers: It's always interesting when mysteries are set during the protagonist's vacation especially at a beautiful island resort. It's as though things would normally be peaceful and sleepy in this island. By contrast, a violent murder or robbery is conveniently waiting for the amateur detective du jour to show up on the scene to solve it.
In reality, the odds of such a thing happening are slim but make for exciting reading especially when the vacation spot shares a dark history that is waiting to be explored and shared by our vacationing hero. If the protagonist learns something about themselves, as well as the location's past and solving the mystery, then it's so much the better.
In Isobel Blackthorn's latest mystery, A Prison in the Sun, we get two such interesting stories in the beautiful setting of the Canary Islands. The first story is about Trevor Moore, a ghostwriter who is incredibly miserable. His marriage ended when his wife left him for another woman. He is estranged from his children. He is also in a rut in his career. He is tired of writing blog entries, reviews, and books and getting no credit for them especially when one of his clients is nominated for a literary award for a book that he wrote. His best friend/colleague basically strong arms him to travel to Tefla, Fuerteventura, and write an original work.
Trevor hopes that he can get away from his problems and achieve literary success on his own right. What he gets instead are a few mysteries and a chance to dissect his own love life and sexual identity.
Trevor goes exploring through his new locale and sees an abandoned windmill and a hostel. “The village has a terrible history,” says Luis, a local physical trainer. But he won't elaborate.
Doing some online and in-person research Trevor learns that the hostel was used as a prison/labor camp for gay men during Franco’s presidency.
The history of the hostel is horrible, yet interesting but Trevor is not convinced that he is the writer for it. Shouldn't such a dark local history be told by a local author or at least one who has a passing acquaintance with the Spanish language, Trevor asks. Not to mention an author that's gay? Which Trevor insists that he is not even though he lusts after Luis’s toned handsome body and remembers experimenting with a male classmate in school.
While he suffers from writer's block and tries to ignore his confused sexuality, Trevor goes for a long walk on the beach and finds a backpack filled with several items including fifty thousand euros in rolled up bills and more importantly for Trevor, a manuscript. Not only that, but news reports state that a body washed up onshore. No points in guessing whether the body and rucksack are related.
Besides Trevor's story, we receive another interesting story, the one in the manuscript. That of José Ramos. José is a man living in Franco's Spain who tells of his estrangement from his family because of his sexuality and imprisonment for staring too long at another man. José is arrested, found guilty, disgraced, and sent to Tefla's labor camp.
At Tefla, José is forced to do hard manual labor with several other prisoners. He writes about them, particularly Manuel, a former prostitute turned lover to José.
As with many books which involve a historical and modern story, José and Trevor's stories converge commenting on one another as the modern Trevor learns from the historical José.
The mystery is mostly slight as Trevor continuously makes several errors such as trusting the wrong people and blurting out the wrong things at the most inopportune time. He is constantly on the run from drug dealers and gangsters that he envisions want the money in the rucksack. He also isn't particularly honest himself. He considers keeping the money even after he encounters the dead man's next of kin.
However, where the mystery is not as compelling, it's the change in Trevor's character that is the strongest aspect to this book.
Trevor starts out as a sad sack of a man given to cynical barbs out of his life, work, and current situation. When one of his clients wants him to write a tone-deaf and racially insensitive book about an indigenous Australian man, he sighs with relief that no matter how bad the book is, at least his name won't appear on the title page. “Being a ghost has some advantages,” Trevor says.
Trevor is the archetypal middle-aged man going through a mid-life crisis. He spends most of the book bemoaning his failed marriage, flaccid appearance, and dead-end job. It takes this trip to make him look at his life differently and seek to improve it. He signs up for a gym membership and works to develop his body. While he debates whether or not he is gay, he opens his mind up to the possibility accepting his erotic fantasies and romantic thoughts towards men, particularly Luis and his former schoolmate.
When he peers at José's story, Trevor shows real creative talent by translating and editing the manuscript. When he reads the opening of José telling his story to a bird, Trevor reinserts the bird in a few key moments understanding José's need to tell his story to someone, anyone, and uses the bird as a metaphor for José's wanting to fly free from a bigoted world.
Most importantly, Trevor learns to accept himself. When he reads about José and the other men, he learns about the consequences that they had to suffer for their sexuality. They faced imprisonment and torture. After their release, they were unemployed, isolated, and fell into alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution, and depression. They were declared pariahs in Franco's Spain which held rigid beliefs about what men should be and they did not include sleeping with other men. However, José did not deny who he was considering his love for other men to be as natural as any other love.
Trevor learns how to live with himself and his own desires. If José and the others can be honest with themselves while surrounded by imprisonment, ostracism, and possible death then so can he.
While Trevor continues making plenty of mistakes concerning the rucksack, he considers working on José's story to be his own atonement and legacy.
Ironically, reading and working on about José's life and imprisonment, gives Trevor the chance to free himself from his emotional prison.
In reality, the odds of such a thing happening are slim but make for exciting reading especially when the vacation spot shares a dark history that is waiting to be explored and shared by our vacationing hero. If the protagonist learns something about themselves, as well as the location's past and solving the mystery, then it's so much the better.
In Isobel Blackthorn's latest mystery, A Prison in the Sun, we get two such interesting stories in the beautiful setting of the Canary Islands. The first story is about Trevor Moore, a ghostwriter who is incredibly miserable. His marriage ended when his wife left him for another woman. He is estranged from his children. He is also in a rut in his career. He is tired of writing blog entries, reviews, and books and getting no credit for them especially when one of his clients is nominated for a literary award for a book that he wrote. His best friend/colleague basically strong arms him to travel to Tefla, Fuerteventura, and write an original work.
Trevor hopes that he can get away from his problems and achieve literary success on his own right. What he gets instead are a few mysteries and a chance to dissect his own love life and sexual identity.
Trevor goes exploring through his new locale and sees an abandoned windmill and a hostel. “The village has a terrible history,” says Luis, a local physical trainer. But he won't elaborate.
Doing some online and in-person research Trevor learns that the hostel was used as a prison/labor camp for gay men during Franco’s presidency.
The history of the hostel is horrible, yet interesting but Trevor is not convinced that he is the writer for it. Shouldn't such a dark local history be told by a local author or at least one who has a passing acquaintance with the Spanish language, Trevor asks. Not to mention an author that's gay? Which Trevor insists that he is not even though he lusts after Luis’s toned handsome body and remembers experimenting with a male classmate in school.
While he suffers from writer's block and tries to ignore his confused sexuality, Trevor goes for a long walk on the beach and finds a backpack filled with several items including fifty thousand euros in rolled up bills and more importantly for Trevor, a manuscript. Not only that, but news reports state that a body washed up onshore. No points in guessing whether the body and rucksack are related.
Besides Trevor's story, we receive another interesting story, the one in the manuscript. That of José Ramos. José is a man living in Franco's Spain who tells of his estrangement from his family because of his sexuality and imprisonment for staring too long at another man. José is arrested, found guilty, disgraced, and sent to Tefla's labor camp.
At Tefla, José is forced to do hard manual labor with several other prisoners. He writes about them, particularly Manuel, a former prostitute turned lover to José.
As with many books which involve a historical and modern story, José and Trevor's stories converge commenting on one another as the modern Trevor learns from the historical José.
The mystery is mostly slight as Trevor continuously makes several errors such as trusting the wrong people and blurting out the wrong things at the most inopportune time. He is constantly on the run from drug dealers and gangsters that he envisions want the money in the rucksack. He also isn't particularly honest himself. He considers keeping the money even after he encounters the dead man's next of kin.
However, where the mystery is not as compelling, it's the change in Trevor's character that is the strongest aspect to this book.
Trevor starts out as a sad sack of a man given to cynical barbs out of his life, work, and current situation. When one of his clients wants him to write a tone-deaf and racially insensitive book about an indigenous Australian man, he sighs with relief that no matter how bad the book is, at least his name won't appear on the title page. “Being a ghost has some advantages,” Trevor says.
Trevor is the archetypal middle-aged man going through a mid-life crisis. He spends most of the book bemoaning his failed marriage, flaccid appearance, and dead-end job. It takes this trip to make him look at his life differently and seek to improve it. He signs up for a gym membership and works to develop his body. While he debates whether or not he is gay, he opens his mind up to the possibility accepting his erotic fantasies and romantic thoughts towards men, particularly Luis and his former schoolmate.
When he peers at José's story, Trevor shows real creative talent by translating and editing the manuscript. When he reads the opening of José telling his story to a bird, Trevor reinserts the bird in a few key moments understanding José's need to tell his story to someone, anyone, and uses the bird as a metaphor for José's wanting to fly free from a bigoted world.
Most importantly, Trevor learns to accept himself. When he reads about José and the other men, he learns about the consequences that they had to suffer for their sexuality. They faced imprisonment and torture. After their release, they were unemployed, isolated, and fell into alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution, and depression. They were declared pariahs in Franco's Spain which held rigid beliefs about what men should be and they did not include sleeping with other men. However, José did not deny who he was considering his love for other men to be as natural as any other love.
Trevor learns how to live with himself and his own desires. If José and the others can be honest with themselves while surrounded by imprisonment, ostracism, and possible death then so can he.
While Trevor continues making plenty of mistakes concerning the rucksack, he considers working on José's story to be his own atonement and legacy.
Ironically, reading and working on about José's life and imprisonment, gives Trevor the chance to free himself from his emotional prison.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2020
Isobel Blackthorn‘s novels are always intriguing to me because they are never just one genre. This is a literary novel with two mystery subplots. This kept me hooked from beginning to end.
I really enjoyed the complexities of Trevor and his questioning his sexuality. That made this book current and relatable for many. I think Isobel Blackthorn‘s writing is beautiful and unique and that is what captivated me through this novel. This is not a typical, fast-paced novel. It is more something to savor and think about as you make your way through.
I’ve read a few novels by this author and she never disappoints me. I’m really happy to have read this one. Powerful, engaging and emotional – well worth a read!
*I received a free copy of this book from Rachel’s Random Resources in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
I really enjoyed the complexities of Trevor and his questioning his sexuality. That made this book current and relatable for many. I think Isobel Blackthorn‘s writing is beautiful and unique and that is what captivated me through this novel. This is not a typical, fast-paced novel. It is more something to savor and think about as you make your way through.
I’ve read a few novels by this author and she never disappoints me. I’m really happy to have read this one. Powerful, engaging and emotional – well worth a read!
*I received a free copy of this book from Rachel’s Random Resources in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
March 16, 2020
If there's one thing that I like doing, it's discovering new authors. Isobel Blackthorn is certainly a new author for me, but after enjoying 'A Prison In The Sun' as much as I did, I can guarantee that I will be reading more of her work in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'A Prison In The Sun' but more about that in a bit.
I was drawn to this story by the fact that part of the story is based on real life- the imprisonment of gay men in a concentration camp in the 1950s and 1960s. Now I haven't heard or read anything about such a camp existing in Fuerteventura, but I did learn about such camps that existed in Germany and I knew that at times the details would make for difficult reading but a necessary part of history. So from that point of view, I felt as though I learnt something whilst reading this book.
I was drawn into this story from the beginning. As soon as I started to read, I knew that I would find it increasingly difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I liked the fact that the story was set somewhere that isn't often written about. The pages turned increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out how the story concluded grew and grew. Unfortunately I wasn't able to read the book over the course of a day (boo) because real life got in the way, but I did manage to finish the book over the course of a few days. I seemed to gallop through the latter half of the book as I raced to the end.
'A Prison In The Sun' is well written. The author draws you into the story from the start and through her realistic and vivid descriptions, I actually felt as though I was part of the story myself. In fact had I closed my eyes, I could easily imagine that I was in Fuerteventura with the sun beating down on my face with all the relevant sounds and smells going on around me. The author has written about a difficult subject with great compassion and sensitivity. I even found that I was beginning to interact with the book as if the different characters could hear me. Yes I know this is fiction but I find that if I enjoyed a story to the extent that I enjoyed this one then I tend to 'live' the story as if it were real. I was gripped by this book and on the edge of my seat almost throughout the story.
'A Prison In The Sun' is the third in the Fuerteventura mysteries series and it is the first one I have read. It works perfectly well as a standalone but because I am a bit OCD and I like reading a series in order, I would say that it would be preferable to read the series in order and from the beginning.
'In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'A Prison In The Sun' and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will be reading more of Isobel's work in the future. In fact as soon as I finish typing this review I will be hot footing it to Amazon to buy the first couple of books in the series. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I was drawn to this story by the fact that part of the story is based on real life- the imprisonment of gay men in a concentration camp in the 1950s and 1960s. Now I haven't heard or read anything about such a camp existing in Fuerteventura, but I did learn about such camps that existed in Germany and I knew that at times the details would make for difficult reading but a necessary part of history. So from that point of view, I felt as though I learnt something whilst reading this book.
I was drawn into this story from the beginning. As soon as I started to read, I knew that I would find it increasingly difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I liked the fact that the story was set somewhere that isn't often written about. The pages turned increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out how the story concluded grew and grew. Unfortunately I wasn't able to read the book over the course of a day (boo) because real life got in the way, but I did manage to finish the book over the course of a few days. I seemed to gallop through the latter half of the book as I raced to the end.
'A Prison In The Sun' is well written. The author draws you into the story from the start and through her realistic and vivid descriptions, I actually felt as though I was part of the story myself. In fact had I closed my eyes, I could easily imagine that I was in Fuerteventura with the sun beating down on my face with all the relevant sounds and smells going on around me. The author has written about a difficult subject with great compassion and sensitivity. I even found that I was beginning to interact with the book as if the different characters could hear me. Yes I know this is fiction but I find that if I enjoyed a story to the extent that I enjoyed this one then I tend to 'live' the story as if it were real. I was gripped by this book and on the edge of my seat almost throughout the story.
'A Prison In The Sun' is the third in the Fuerteventura mysteries series and it is the first one I have read. It works perfectly well as a standalone but because I am a bit OCD and I like reading a series in order, I would say that it would be preferable to read the series in order and from the beginning.
'In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'A Prison In The Sun' and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will be reading more of Isobel's work in the future. In fact as soon as I finish typing this review I will be hot footing it to Amazon to buy the first couple of books in the series. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
March 15, 2020
*4.5/5 stars
This is the second book I've read in the Canary Islands series, and I was absolutely bewitched by the whole tale. Trevor is in a rut from ghost- and copy-writing. He wants to write a novel under his own name - a desire made even greater when a client for whom he rewrote a novel is in line for a major literary award. He books a three-month break in Fuerteventura, determined to find his muse and write the next best-seller. But Tefia, while definitely perfect for isolationism, has a grim history.
Trevor finds the "camp" one day when he's exploring the area. Tefia is way off the tourist path, and the brisk breeze and hardy terrain suits his mood, until the sun beats down on him and leaves him burnt, exhausted and curious.
His lack of fitness spurs him on to join a gym where he learns about the history of the camp as well as about other sights to explore. In search of his muse he chooses to visit the smugglers' caves, but doesn't account for the return of the tide nor the abandonment of a rucksack. Concerned someone may be missing their belongings, he carries the rucksack back to shore, no mean feat as he battles rising water levels. When no-one claims the rucksack, he takes it home. Inside he finds a large amount of cash, a fact he shares with a couple he'd met earlier that day ... a couple who he starts to see a lot of, a couple who he starts to suspect, especially when a body is found and the body turns out to be related to the couple. Also in the bag are notes - in Spanish - written by a young man, Jose, who was held at that camp. His crime: being gay in the Franco era.
For Trevor, already struggling with his own sexuality after his wife leaves him for a woman, and he can't stop thinking of how much he enjoyed a boyhood friendship, his paranoia is firmly out of control. He tries to focus on his novel. Despite earlier misgivings, he decides to use the story of the camp as his premise; the notes seems to compel him to tell Jose's story.
However, it's not as straightforward as it may seem - since people know he has the rucksack and the cash. Scared for his safety, Trevor decides to return to the UK ...which is also not as easy as it seems, or indeed should be.
The author has created an intricate story here, combining two men - Trevor & Jose - from different times, but struggling with similar issues, though with very different options. Jose's story at the concentration camp for homosexuals, where the daily regime is harsh, the treatment by guards is brutal, yet through it all Jose finds love. For Trevor, the future, while nowhere near as dangerous, is still uncertain and he is floundering in that uncertainty.
This is a mystery with a strong literary vibe. It's compelling, fascinating, and intriguing. Though I have to say the ending left me ....ARGHHH!
This is the second book I've read in the Canary Islands series, and I was absolutely bewitched by the whole tale. Trevor is in a rut from ghost- and copy-writing. He wants to write a novel under his own name - a desire made even greater when a client for whom he rewrote a novel is in line for a major literary award. He books a three-month break in Fuerteventura, determined to find his muse and write the next best-seller. But Tefia, while definitely perfect for isolationism, has a grim history.
Trevor finds the "camp" one day when he's exploring the area. Tefia is way off the tourist path, and the brisk breeze and hardy terrain suits his mood, until the sun beats down on him and leaves him burnt, exhausted and curious.
His lack of fitness spurs him on to join a gym where he learns about the history of the camp as well as about other sights to explore. In search of his muse he chooses to visit the smugglers' caves, but doesn't account for the return of the tide nor the abandonment of a rucksack. Concerned someone may be missing their belongings, he carries the rucksack back to shore, no mean feat as he battles rising water levels. When no-one claims the rucksack, he takes it home. Inside he finds a large amount of cash, a fact he shares with a couple he'd met earlier that day ... a couple who he starts to see a lot of, a couple who he starts to suspect, especially when a body is found and the body turns out to be related to the couple. Also in the bag are notes - in Spanish - written by a young man, Jose, who was held at that camp. His crime: being gay in the Franco era.
For Trevor, already struggling with his own sexuality after his wife leaves him for a woman, and he can't stop thinking of how much he enjoyed a boyhood friendship, his paranoia is firmly out of control. He tries to focus on his novel. Despite earlier misgivings, he decides to use the story of the camp as his premise; the notes seems to compel him to tell Jose's story.
However, it's not as straightforward as it may seem - since people know he has the rucksack and the cash. Scared for his safety, Trevor decides to return to the UK ...which is also not as easy as it seems, or indeed should be.
The author has created an intricate story here, combining two men - Trevor & Jose - from different times, but struggling with similar issues, though with very different options. Jose's story at the concentration camp for homosexuals, where the daily regime is harsh, the treatment by guards is brutal, yet through it all Jose finds love. For Trevor, the future, while nowhere near as dangerous, is still uncertain and he is floundering in that uncertainty.
This is a mystery with a strong literary vibe. It's compelling, fascinating, and intriguing. Though I have to say the ending left me ....ARGHHH!
April 19, 2020
Ghostwriter Trevor Moore decides to getaway to a private retreat to write his first book. He rents an old farmhouse in Tefia in Fuerteventura for three months and hopes to find his muse. One day on the beach, he finds a rucksack with 50,000 Euros in cash. Hidden with the cash is a story of José, imprisoned near where Trevor is staying. Translating the story, Trevor is transported to a concentration camp that incarcerated gay men in the 1950s and 60s.
There is a lot to unpick in this book! A Prison in the Sun is part mystery, part historical fiction and part personal awakening.
My favourite parts of the novel were the historical fiction sections. The story Trevor finds is told in a first-person perspective of José, a prisoner at the concentration camp. Through the story, Trevor learns more about this awful and little known part of history under General Franco. This part was absolutely heartbreaking, but beautifully and sensitively written.
Trevor has recently been through a divorce, after his wife fell in love with a woman. He is currently between homes, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to leave the country for three months to write. This makes for an interesting backdrop to José's story, as he learns more about himself and struggles with the possibility that he might be bisexual. At one point he reflects that he is very lucky to be able to consider his sexuality, when just 40 years previously, this would have been illegal.
The final part to A Prison in the Sun is the mystery. Who owned the rucksack and where did the money come from? This difficulty is compounded as a dead body washes up on the beach. Most of the mystery is in Trevor's own thoughts. He makes wild and mostly unfounded assumptions about people he meets. His last call with Angela, his friend and a literary agent, confused me — the news she gives him seems significant but it's not explained. This lack of conclusion or explanation was a little frustrating. I also disagreed with a lot of Trevor's decisions and I felt that they were out of character for someone so anxious.
Overall, this is a very interesting book. I was glad to learn about a piece of history that was totally unknown to me. It made me very grateful that we are now able to be true to ourselves without risk of arrest (though of course that's not the case everywhere in the world — but I hope it will be soon). This is the first of Isobel's books that I have read, and it has made me want to read her other two Canary Islands mysteries: A Master of Latitude and Clarissa's Warning.
There is a lot to unpick in this book! A Prison in the Sun is part mystery, part historical fiction and part personal awakening.
My favourite parts of the novel were the historical fiction sections. The story Trevor finds is told in a first-person perspective of José, a prisoner at the concentration camp. Through the story, Trevor learns more about this awful and little known part of history under General Franco. This part was absolutely heartbreaking, but beautifully and sensitively written.
Trevor has recently been through a divorce, after his wife fell in love with a woman. He is currently between homes, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to leave the country for three months to write. This makes for an interesting backdrop to José's story, as he learns more about himself and struggles with the possibility that he might be bisexual. At one point he reflects that he is very lucky to be able to consider his sexuality, when just 40 years previously, this would have been illegal.
The final part to A Prison in the Sun is the mystery. Who owned the rucksack and where did the money come from? This difficulty is compounded as a dead body washes up on the beach. Most of the mystery is in Trevor's own thoughts. He makes wild and mostly unfounded assumptions about people he meets. His last call with Angela, his friend and a literary agent, confused me — the news she gives him seems significant but it's not explained. This lack of conclusion or explanation was a little frustrating. I also disagreed with a lot of Trevor's decisions and I felt that they were out of character for someone so anxious.
Overall, this is a very interesting book. I was glad to learn about a piece of history that was totally unknown to me. It made me very grateful that we are now able to be true to ourselves without risk of arrest (though of course that's not the case everywhere in the world — but I hope it will be soon). This is the first of Isobel's books that I have read, and it has made me want to read her other two Canary Islands mysteries: A Master of Latitude and Clarissa's Warning.
June 3, 2020
The book for review is “A Prison In The Sun: A Fuerteventura Mystery(Canary Islands Mysteries Book 3)" by Isobel Blackthorn.
Meet our main character,Trevor, who has taken some time off from life. His work sucks. His marriage fails. He is at a low point in his life.
He has rented a place in Fuerteventura. His job is to write content for magazines, other authors and companies. His friend convinces him that it is finally the time to write a book of his own. For once he can earn the credit for his writing instead of someone else.
While exploring the area of the farmhouse he discovers an abandoned windmill and learns about a hostel that was used as a prison that was cruel and dehumanizing.
Life seems slow which is fine for him until he finds a sack filled with cash. He has no clue who it belongs to. Should he go to the police? Should he keep it? But there’s more. Inside this sack is a story written by Jose Ramos who was sent to Telfa’s labor camp during the reign of Franco. His crime? He was a homosexual. While there he writes about his experiences.
If this wasn’t bad enough a body washes up on shore in the area where he found the money, he also gets hooked on steroids from a local gym he has temporarily join and more.
How does this all tie in together?
My thoughts:
I enjoyed this book. I liked learning about the region and its history. The pace worked for me. I was curious about the manuscript that our main character found. This author wrote it in such a way I kept turning the pages wanting to find out more. A delightful book considering I came in on volume three I had no problem understanding what was going on.
Meet our main character,Trevor, who has taken some time off from life. His work sucks. His marriage fails. He is at a low point in his life.
He has rented a place in Fuerteventura. His job is to write content for magazines, other authors and companies. His friend convinces him that it is finally the time to write a book of his own. For once he can earn the credit for his writing instead of someone else.
While exploring the area of the farmhouse he discovers an abandoned windmill and learns about a hostel that was used as a prison that was cruel and dehumanizing.
Life seems slow which is fine for him until he finds a sack filled with cash. He has no clue who it belongs to. Should he go to the police? Should he keep it? But there’s more. Inside this sack is a story written by Jose Ramos who was sent to Telfa’s labor camp during the reign of Franco. His crime? He was a homosexual. While there he writes about his experiences.
If this wasn’t bad enough a body washes up on shore in the area where he found the money, he also gets hooked on steroids from a local gym he has temporarily join and more.
How does this all tie in together?
My thoughts:
I enjoyed this book. I liked learning about the region and its history. The pace worked for me. I was curious about the manuscript that our main character found. This author wrote it in such a way I kept turning the pages wanting to find out more. A delightful book considering I came in on volume three I had no problem understanding what was going on.
February 25, 2020
This melange of history, modern day, horror, tragedy and mystery, works so wonderfully well…
This was an extraordinary book. It was a mix of raw history; a Gay Men’s prison in Spain’s Franco era, set in Fuerteventura, the Canary Islands. Poetic, lyrical, reminiscences; notes from one prisoner. A mysterious drowning and, our central protagonist discovers a concealed ruck sack in a sea cave. It contains a substantial sum of money and a Bible. What is that about? Who does it belong to? Nobody seems to want to claim it? Does he keep it?
Trevor Moore is an English ghost writer whose contributions have made other writers successful. Recovering from a divorce and looking for his muse in order to write his own novel, he takes a three month break. He rents a remote farmhouse on the island of Fuerteventura and it is as if the allure and proximity of the tragic historical concentration camp and his own inner anxieties, combine to create a germ of an idea that he feels compelled to research.
I read the first Fuerteventura Mystery, Clarissa’s Warning, and enjoyed the storyline and excellent writing. However, I was not prepared for this. A Prison in the Sun is not a comfortable read but, it is captivating in so many ways. The book melds what appears at first to be a complex narrative, but the brilliant part is that it is actually, sublimely simple, but you don’t know this until the ending, which I did not see coming.
Consummate writing from Blackthorn makes this melange of history, modern day, horror, tragedy and mystery work so wonderfully well. This is not just a beautifully descriptive read and an unsolved mystery; I felt challenged by this book. I felt compelled to sense and feel how repressed gay men might have felt in a fascist State where even family turned on their ‘odd’ sons.
This is a book that will stay with me. My fear is that it has a resonance of what might be happening again in this world, and that still prays on my mind. So, yes, I recommend this book as a gut wrenching emotional ride, but one not to miss – 5 stars.
This was an extraordinary book. It was a mix of raw history; a Gay Men’s prison in Spain’s Franco era, set in Fuerteventura, the Canary Islands. Poetic, lyrical, reminiscences; notes from one prisoner. A mysterious drowning and, our central protagonist discovers a concealed ruck sack in a sea cave. It contains a substantial sum of money and a Bible. What is that about? Who does it belong to? Nobody seems to want to claim it? Does he keep it?
Trevor Moore is an English ghost writer whose contributions have made other writers successful. Recovering from a divorce and looking for his muse in order to write his own novel, he takes a three month break. He rents a remote farmhouse on the island of Fuerteventura and it is as if the allure and proximity of the tragic historical concentration camp and his own inner anxieties, combine to create a germ of an idea that he feels compelled to research.
I read the first Fuerteventura Mystery, Clarissa’s Warning, and enjoyed the storyline and excellent writing. However, I was not prepared for this. A Prison in the Sun is not a comfortable read but, it is captivating in so many ways. The book melds what appears at first to be a complex narrative, but the brilliant part is that it is actually, sublimely simple, but you don’t know this until the ending, which I did not see coming.
Consummate writing from Blackthorn makes this melange of history, modern day, horror, tragedy and mystery work so wonderfully well. This is not just a beautifully descriptive read and an unsolved mystery; I felt challenged by this book. I felt compelled to sense and feel how repressed gay men might have felt in a fascist State where even family turned on their ‘odd’ sons.
This is a book that will stay with me. My fear is that it has a resonance of what might be happening again in this world, and that still prays on my mind. So, yes, I recommend this book as a gut wrenching emotional ride, but one not to miss – 5 stars.
March 30, 2020
A novel with a message which the world should know
Ghost writer Trevor escapes to Fuerteventura to lick his wounds after the breakdown of his marriage, to re-evaluate his life and to seek inspiration for writing a novel. Immediately his senses are alert to a desolate, almost haunted atmosphere surrounding the farmhouse which he is renting. The more he delves into the area's past his horror increases as he discovers that back as late as the 1970's there was a prison almost exclusively for gay men nearby. The treatment of the inmates was closer to a concentration camp than to a modern day prison.
This was not a pleasant story and yet it was compelling ~ an unknown history ~ so many atrocities carried out in recent times on an island which has now become a popular holiday destination. It was a well written, clever plot, where Trevor digs himself into the edge of serious trouble, his instinct leading him even deeper still.
This was a book which has a message which the world should know. Personally I found the masculinity of the characterisation difficult to read at times, but then I'm a bit old fashioned and have never been one to enjoy reading either graphic sex scenes or overt morbid violence, but nevertheless the storyline kept me interested ~ gripped in the hope that Trevor would finally do the right thing.
The overriding theme though is tolerance, an abhorrence of discrimination of any sort and for us all to learn from the mistakes of history. I'm a supported of all these values and so very glad I've read this book.
Ghost writer Trevor escapes to Fuerteventura to lick his wounds after the breakdown of his marriage, to re-evaluate his life and to seek inspiration for writing a novel. Immediately his senses are alert to a desolate, almost haunted atmosphere surrounding the farmhouse which he is renting. The more he delves into the area's past his horror increases as he discovers that back as late as the 1970's there was a prison almost exclusively for gay men nearby. The treatment of the inmates was closer to a concentration camp than to a modern day prison.
This was not a pleasant story and yet it was compelling ~ an unknown history ~ so many atrocities carried out in recent times on an island which has now become a popular holiday destination. It was a well written, clever plot, where Trevor digs himself into the edge of serious trouble, his instinct leading him even deeper still.
This was a book which has a message which the world should know. Personally I found the masculinity of the characterisation difficult to read at times, but then I'm a bit old fashioned and have never been one to enjoy reading either graphic sex scenes or overt morbid violence, but nevertheless the storyline kept me interested ~ gripped in the hope that Trevor would finally do the right thing.
The overriding theme though is tolerance, an abhorrence of discrimination of any sort and for us all to learn from the mistakes of history. I'm a supported of all these values and so very glad I've read this book.
January 31, 2020
Trevor has taken himself off on a three month retreat to Fuetuventura. He is in the process of moving house after a fairly acrimonious divorce and being a writer, albeit mostly a ghost writer, wants some solitude to finally write something where his own name will be on the cover. Seeking inspiration and fitness he explores different parts of the island. Nearby is a windmill next door to which is an old hostel- which he discovers used to be a prison for incarcerated gay men under General Franco’s regime. On one of his trips he finds a rucksack and what is in it leads him to yet more adventures. The part about the prison is factual and up until now nothing has been written in English about it. It was a concentration camp- men lost half their body weight and were made to break stones in the glaring heat for years on end. (worth looking up) . A literary work with a mystery and more than one discovery. I liked Trevor and his good intentions albeit naive in many ways. An entertaining read.
March 13, 2020
This is the first book I have read by this author, unfortunately i found it difficult to read, and kept loosing m focus on I didn’t find anything spectacular about this book.
Trevor the main character has decided to have a break from it all, he is a ghostwriter and while on his break to Furtavtura, he finds a rucksack in a cave and soon hears that a body has washed ashore, no points in guessing if the body and rucksack are related. He is constantly on the run from drug dealers and gangsters, he even considers keeping the rucksack after he finds the dead mans next of kin.
I don’t know if books 1 and 2 are a part of this story or if they are separate? Maybe reading them would help me to understand and enjoy this book more?
Isobel Blackthorn has put together a complex mystery which combines a man's search for his own personal identity, a historical revelation of a concentration camp for homosexual men, and the brutal treatment meted out to them, and a search for the truth behind the cash in the rucksack. Somehow, with great skill and consummate ease, she pulls it all together
April 2, 2020
2.5 stars rounded up to three. I'm not sure what I was expecting upon purchasing this - perhaps an enjoyable afternoon episode of "Death in Paradise" kind-of read? This had very high GR star ratings also.
Anyhoo ... the landscape, environment, flora & fauna descriptions of the island is top notch - evocative, really summoning up the 'feel of the land'. I'm not all that keen on MC Trevor ... his sad and cynical outlook grated from the start, and I'm not all that sure he's that reliable a narrator. His interactions with the many locals of the island is not all that engaging and as Trevor's sense of danger and paranoia increases throughout the book, I struggled to find empathy with his choices, decisions and revelations.
There is a story within a story, insofar that Trevor uncovers and translates a handwritten manuscript that throws significant light on the tragic history of Trevor's immediate holiday surrounds ... all that golden sunshine does hide the dark acts perpetrated on innocents in another time. In doing so, I guess Trevor begins to understand his own deep unhappiness, perhaps unlocking his own 'prison' to which he has locked himself in.
The mystery aspects is not all that 'mysterious' .... there is a body of a young man washed up on the beach nearby, a discovered rucksack full of contraband cash, a menacing drug cartel, strangers showing kindness who might not be entirely trustworthy ... Trevor makes sufficient links to realize he's in deeper than he should. Throw into the mix lots of gymnasium exercising scenes, food prep, ponderings on the break-up of his marriage ... I ended up feeling a lot at sea as to where this was all going. Then an ending that completely threw me!
This will not be a re-read for me, even if to flesh out just what the heck had been going on all along.
Anyhoo ... the landscape, environment, flora & fauna descriptions of the island is top notch - evocative, really summoning up the 'feel of the land'. I'm not all that keen on MC Trevor ... his sad and cynical outlook grated from the start, and I'm not all that sure he's that reliable a narrator. His interactions with the many locals of the island is not all that engaging and as Trevor's sense of danger and paranoia increases throughout the book, I struggled to find empathy with his choices, decisions and revelations.
There is a story within a story, insofar that Trevor uncovers and translates a handwritten manuscript that throws significant light on the tragic history of Trevor's immediate holiday surrounds ... all that golden sunshine does hide the dark acts perpetrated on innocents in another time. In doing so, I guess Trevor begins to understand his own deep unhappiness, perhaps unlocking his own 'prison' to which he has locked himself in.
The mystery aspects is not all that 'mysterious' .... there is a body of a young man washed up on the beach nearby, a discovered rucksack full of contraband cash, a menacing drug cartel, strangers showing kindness who might not be entirely trustworthy ... Trevor makes sufficient links to realize he's in deeper than he should. Throw into the mix lots of gymnasium exercising scenes, food prep, ponderings on the break-up of his marriage ... I ended up feeling a lot at sea as to where this was all going. Then an ending that completely threw me!
This will not be a re-read for me, even if to flesh out just what the heck had been going on all along.
March 25, 2020
https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...
I was really intrigued by the blurb after I read it and knew that this was a book I wanted to read.
Now I have finished I can honestly say that I thought that this was a great story that was well developed and as it is based on facts and what would have happened it makes for an emotional read in places, it is a great work for historical fiction.
I loved the pace of the story and I found that it was very well written and the author clearly did her research on the topic and that comes through in the book. The plot was well developed and there was plenty happening throughout the story too.
Overall I loved the plot and thought that it was well developed – it is 5 stars from me for this one – very highly recommended and it is a book that will stay with you
I was really intrigued by the blurb after I read it and knew that this was a book I wanted to read.
Now I have finished I can honestly say that I thought that this was a great story that was well developed and as it is based on facts and what would have happened it makes for an emotional read in places, it is a great work for historical fiction.
I loved the pace of the story and I found that it was very well written and the author clearly did her research on the topic and that comes through in the book. The plot was well developed and there was plenty happening throughout the story too.
Overall I loved the plot and thought that it was well developed – it is 5 stars from me for this one – very highly recommended and it is a book that will stay with you
March 3, 2020
Please note: I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
What a fascinating read this was. Fuerteventura is my favourite place of all, yet I never knew of the dark secrets of Tefia. I'm so glad that the author has been able to share them through her writing, as it's clearly not common knowledge! The book gripped me from the very first page and I loved the main character - his struggles as a writer are very relatable and I naturally felt intrigued to follow his personal journal. I also loved how different this was to other LGBT books I've read as it is a mystery - the two focuses worked really well together. Definitely a recommendation from me!
You can read my full review here:
https://pagesplacesandplates.com/2020...
What a fascinating read this was. Fuerteventura is my favourite place of all, yet I never knew of the dark secrets of Tefia. I'm so glad that the author has been able to share them through her writing, as it's clearly not common knowledge! The book gripped me from the very first page and I loved the main character - his struggles as a writer are very relatable and I naturally felt intrigued to follow his personal journal. I also loved how different this was to other LGBT books I've read as it is a mystery - the two focuses worked really well together. Definitely a recommendation from me!
You can read my full review here:
https://pagesplacesandplates.com/2020...
April 11, 2020
A Prison in the Sun is what you would classify as a literary mystery. There is a mystery inside of a mystery as Trevor, a ghost writer, tries to find inspiration to write his own novel and gets drawn into a murder mystery on holiday. I did not find Trevor an engaging narrator and was unable to relate to him at all. He was too self-pitying for me and I found that I couldn't really enjoy this side of the story. The mystery inside, the story of the island's mysterious building and the people who used to live there was far more engaging.
Overall, A Prison in the Sun is beautifully written, but was too slow paced (if you want to know a lot about a workout regime it may be of interest) and I could not relate to the narrator so it wasn't for me.
Overall, A Prison in the Sun is beautifully written, but was too slow paced (if you want to know a lot about a workout regime it may be of interest) and I could not relate to the narrator so it wasn't for me.
January 27, 2020
Powerful
Blackthorn pens a remarkable story in A Prison in the Sun. I really liked the premise of the story, and how it unravels. The characters were interesting and very unique. The author's writing style is fits with this story. This author brings the story to life. This book deserves a second read! (and maybe more). A very well-written story, and I enjoyed it. It is always a joy to read this author's stories. This author is not just a writer but a great storyteller. Magnificent story, kept this reader turning the pages. A definite attention grabber. I look forward to reading more by this author. This read is definitely recommended by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
Blackthorn pens a remarkable story in A Prison in the Sun. I really liked the premise of the story, and how it unravels. The characters were interesting and very unique. The author's writing style is fits with this story. This author brings the story to life. This book deserves a second read! (and maybe more). A very well-written story, and I enjoyed it. It is always a joy to read this author's stories. This author is not just a writer but a great storyteller. Magnificent story, kept this reader turning the pages. A definite attention grabber. I look forward to reading more by this author. This read is definitely recommended by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
May 17, 2021
I picked it up because I wanted to know more about the little-known concentration camp that incarcerated gay men in the 1950s and 60s. Little did I know that I would be exposed to the constant whining of an inconceivably off-putting main character (and sole narrator) who carries misogynistic and homophobic undertones that are not even fully resolved within the story.
July 8, 2023
This is was the first time that I had heard of the camp etc so that was really interesting and I learned a lot but I found the book slow to follow. It took me a while to engage with Trevor so perhaps that was it. However the descriptions were brilliant. The narration worked well
It is not putting me off listening to more.
It is not putting me off listening to more.
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November 21, 2020Please see blog for [K]'s review:
https://thepturnersbookblog.wordpress...
https://thepturnersbookblog.wordpress...
March 22, 2020
Reading for blog tour, review on blog 24th March 2020
April 10, 2020
Having dealt with some blows, ghost-writer Trevor Moore escapes to Fuerteventura for some respite and inspiration. However, this idyllic retreat ends up being the complete opposite.
Isobel Blackthorn's writing really brings Trevor to life. The extended introduction to the protagonist really gives you the chance to get under the skin of Trevor. He does a fantastic impression of the clueless Brit on holiday, walking around in the midday sun and getting a sunburn on the first day of his holiday, but he is likeable and relateable. I think these in-depth descriptions help you to understand Trevor's hestiance at first to tell the story he has uncovered about the gay men incarcerated on the Island. But with the help of his friend, he realises that he can and should tell these men's story.
Trevor's character development throughout the story makes him an interesting character. He deals with a lot of personal things in a very short amount of time, whether he wants to or not. I liked Blackthorn's depiciton of Trevor and his life, he is the right balance of realistic and fictional and by the end of the story I was fully invested in him - I completely supported his decision about the money and I'm desperate to know what happens next.
Isobel Blackthorn's writing really brings Trevor to life. The extended introduction to the protagonist really gives you the chance to get under the skin of Trevor. He does a fantastic impression of the clueless Brit on holiday, walking around in the midday sun and getting a sunburn on the first day of his holiday, but he is likeable and relateable. I think these in-depth descriptions help you to understand Trevor's hestiance at first to tell the story he has uncovered about the gay men incarcerated on the Island. But with the help of his friend, he realises that he can and should tell these men's story.
Trevor's character development throughout the story makes him an interesting character. He deals with a lot of personal things in a very short amount of time, whether he wants to or not. I liked Blackthorn's depiciton of Trevor and his life, he is the right balance of realistic and fictional and by the end of the story I was fully invested in him - I completely supported his decision about the money and I'm desperate to know what happens next.
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