Why a Booktrail?
2000s: A disturbing account with a mysterious fortune teller and a secret tucked away in deepest darkest Devon.. Second in the Marcombe series, this is also a standalone
The Soft Whisper of Dreams
What you need to know before your trail
Imagine not knowing you’re adopted until your parents die at the age of 27 and your whole world comes crumbling down. No wonder Maddie feels the need to escape her London existence and head to Devon for a chance to recover a little.
But it’s whilst in Devon that she meets a certain Alex Marcombe who has just been released from prison after serving time for drug smuggling. He is also rebuilding his life and trying to start over. But whether he will be good for Maddie is another thing.
And then Maddie attends a gypsy fortune teller and everything changes…
Travel Guide
Dartmouth in Devon
Can we just point out that despite having looked for a Marcombe and a Marcombe Hall, both are figments of the author’s imagination sadly as is Alex Marcombe but there is the rather grand Dartmouth Castle which offers a glimpse into the grand past life of Dartmouth, Interestingly Marcombe hall could have been inspired by a home in the region which was passed down from one family member to another –
Greenway, the holiday home of Agatha Christie no less. So there are the remains of what could have inspired the grand Marcombe Hall of this novel.
But we digress – Maddie heads off to Dartmouth to recover –
The little town of Dartmouth was very picturesque. Maddie had been there before, and therefore the steep hills which surrounded the town came as no surprise, but she was struck again by the pleasant atmosphere.
the perfect place to forget your past – if it will let you that is. And the perfect place to enjoy a spot of fishing or sailing with a local man who you rather like the look of –
How does a spot of swimming in the cove sound?
With this level of heat in the Dartmouth air, there’s going to be nice moments spent exploring the area and its beauty. Certainly down by the marina where Maddie stops to enjoy an icecream and where she pops into a local church to discover more mystery..
London
Perhaps the biggest mystery of all is the visit to the local fair, a common and welcoming sight after the hubbub of London stress. (Maddie returns here to see the will being read and to visit the V and Albert museum with someone, she also has a flat in Fulham)
But then Kayla gets a message from a gypsy fortune teller – friend Wes has the gypsy ancestor Jago who we meet in book one –
You’ve had a difficult time and it will be a while yet before your troubles are over..
Booktrailer Review
Clare: @thebooktrailer
Not having read the first book in the Marcombe series, I don’ think this matters much as I didn’t even realise it was a second book until I’d finished. A standalone with mystery and romance in Devon and at just over 225 pages, a nice short read which took me to London and Devon in the search for Maddie’s past and of course, her future.
Dartmouth is supposed to be a place for rest and relaxation and having been here to see if I could experience the life of Maddie and Alex, it is very picturesque but why Devon is clever as a location is that it contains historical intrigue and vestiges of a very mysterious past.
The gypsy connection at the local fair was a nice touch and Maddie’s dream from the past which comes back to haunt her was an intriguing mystery.
I remember that a certain Mr Darcy is mentioned in the book and I can see Alex now in a very similar light….coupled with a chocolate ice cream from that shop Maddie visits, this could be a nice way of spending a very happy reading experience.
Christina Courtenay has a way with describing settings you want to visit for real!
Where Next?
