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A Scottish Lighthouse Escape by Julie Shackman # #ScottishEscapesBook9 #PublicationDay

  Welcome to Book 9 in the Scottish Escapes series by Julie Shackman. A Scottish Lighthouse Escape  is published today on July 31st by One More Chapter . You can read my reviews of others in the Scottish Escapes series here   A Secret Scottish Escape . |  A Scottish Highland Surprise    |   The Cottage in the Highlands |   A Scottish Country Escape   |  The Bookshop by the Loch A Scottish Highland Hideaway   |   A Scottish Island Summer   Get ready to fall in love with the brand new romance in the Scottish Escapes series from bestselling author, Julie Shackman.   When romance author Rosie Winters’s own fairytale romance ends with a bang, she’s determined to get away from everything. Packing up her belongings she sets off for the furthest place she can think of: Scotland. Rosie spent her summers at her late grandmother’s coastal cottage in the Highlands and knows it’ll be the perfect place to wallow f...

The Guests by Agnes Ravatn #Review #Giveaway

 

If you enjoy writing which has a deceptively simple plot covering a web of complicated character dynamics and a growing sense of unease, you  will love, The Guests by Agnes Ravatn which is published by Orenda on January18th. I also have a great giveaway for you with the chance to win a print copy! Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.


It started with a lie…

 

Married couple Karin and Kai are looking for a pleasant escape from their busy lives, and reluctantly accept an offer to stay in a luxurious holiday home in the Norwegian fjords.
 
Instead of finding a relaxing retreat, however, their trip becomes a reminder of everything lacking in their own lives, and in a less-than-friendly meeting with their new neighbours, Karin tells a little white lie…
 
Against the backdrop of the glistening water and within the claustrophobic walls of the ultra-modern house, Karin’s insecurities blossom, and her lie grows ever bigger, entangling her and her husband in a nightmare spiral of deceits with absolutely no means of escape…
 
Simmering with suspense and dark humour, 
The Guests is a gripping psychological drama about envy and aspiration … and something more menacing, hiding just below that glittering surface…

My Thoughts

As one lie leads to another, you read this novel with a gathering sense of unease and suspense. It is difficult to put your finger on what is so unsettling about the situation but as Karin’s doubts grow, so do yours. The setting is remote but with a flavour of entitlement and luxury. It seems to be the sort of place where you can take on a new identity and step outside your actual life. There is a feeling of danger in doing this, as if it may be difficult to step back once the holiday is over. 

    Iris is a character whose presence is always there in the background, as she is in Karin’s mind. There is a sense of threat about her. I enjoyed the dark humour which runs through the story, giving this comedy of manners a specific tone. With a limited number of characters and a static feel to the setting, you come to sense that they are caught in a web of deceit and artifice. This is intriguing writing which observes behaviour and lays bare how a glittering surface can conceal some harsh truths. This leads you to question everything you see in the story. 

In short: psychological manoeuvres, lies and suspense

 

About the Author


Agnes Ravatn
(b. 1983) is a Norwegian author and columnist. She made her literary  début  with  the  novel  Week  53  (Veke  53)  in  2007.  Since  then  she  has written three critically acclaimed and award-winning essay collections: Standing  still  (Stillstand),  2011,  Popular  Reading  (Folkelesnad),  2011,  and  Operation  self-discipline  (Operasjon  sjøldisiplin),  2014.  In  these  works,  Ravatn  revealed  a  unique,  witty  voice  and  sharp  eye  for  human  fallibility.  Her second novel, The Bird Tribunal (Fugletribuanlet), was an international bestseller translated into fifteen languages, winning an English PEN Award, shortlisting for the Dublin Literary Award, a WHSmith Fresh Talent pick and a BBC Book at Bedtime. It was also made into a successful play, which premiered in Oslo in 2015. Agnes lives with her family in the Norwegian countryside.

Book link: Amazon UK

Thanks to Agnes Ravatn, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

Check out these great bloggers!


 

Giveaway (UK only)


To win a print copy of The Guests just Follow and Retweet the pinned tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!
 
Closing date is January 16th 2024 and there is one winner.    
 
*Terms and Conditions – UK only.  The winner will be selected at random via a random retweet selector such as,Tweetdraw from all valid entries and will be notified by X (Twitter) and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

 

 

 

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