Olive Collins

I love the idea of telling the story in two parts - the first part set in 1800's Jamaica, the second part set in 1900's Ireland. Makes it easier for readers who like to focus their attention on the story without a lot point of view and time period "jumping around". Down side to this approach means that readers itching to dive right in to uncovering the mystery of the skeleton at the start of the book will have to wait. Each half, on its own, is a good story. Each 'reveal' - there is more than one mystery/family secret to come to light - is subtle and easy to miss. The characters are well drawn and I do love the idea of a story that weaves a tale of a family secret/curse over generations. It wasn't until near the end that I clued in to what was happening with Yseult. Collins does a great job providing hints that on their own don't amount to much but when pieced together, unveils the sinister plot occurring.

Overall, a compelling family saga that provides an interesting glimpse into a period of Jamaica's and Ireland's history.… (meer)

I received this e-book as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer (Poolbeg Press). It is set in Jamaica and Ireland and opened up a whole part of the slave trade history I wasn't familiar with. The book is a page-turner as it lays out the history of several families and then shows how they are connected in a great finish. I would recommend the book to lovers of historical fiction or anyone who wants to understand the Irish-Jamaican connection. I'd have appreciated a genealogy chart to help me make sense of the various connections (even if the chart covered only part of the genealogy so as not to spoil the ending).… (meer)