New review of 'A Secret Treasure'

Another good review of my romantic suspense story A Secret Treasure, this time from Snapdragon at The Long and the Short of It, who gave it a 'four book' write-up:

"Suspenseful from its opening lines, Townsend’s A Secret Treasure takes us on a journey through historic Italy and into a story that charms with its joys, terrifies with its suspense, and more than intrigues with very unusual and interesting setting.
Young Eve, a transplanted English girl, is desperate to discover the whereabouts of her brother – desperate enough to seek help from the authorities.

The Blackshirts run the charming Greek Island of Rhodes, during the thirties, but of course, but resistance is common. Many hate the fascists – and Eve is among them. To Eve’s horror, the one kind, sympathetic man who claims to be interested in helping her, is one of Them! In some ways, Julio Falcone, a carabiniero might not be considered one of them, but since he is introduced by corrupt Luigi Grasso, it doesn’t look good. Pretty and petite Eve seems to have caught his eye – but does she even want his interest?

Eve is far from sweet and timid. She is the child of scholars, with an interest in archeology, and can be both clever and confrontational. The reader will find themselves admiring her. Surprisingly, Falcone seems more forthcoming than expected… and intrigue builds around his efforts to unearth clues about Eve’s brother David’s disappearance. One worry becomes quite another, as unexpected twists develop. Poor Eve may yet regret involving the authorities!

The wonderful flavor of old Italy or, more correctly, Greece permeates this work, from cobblestone streets to the overhanging balconies. The jetty out over the sea seems fitting, and then we contemplate a simple dinner of fresh vegetables and fish. The time and place are well-established, descriptions delightful.

Local politics, gain and greed, and abuse of authority also are rife; perhaps revealing more about humanity than love stories usually attempt, and adding a great sense of depth (and contributing to the sense of foreboding). In all, the background details and sub-stories are immensely well-done and add quite an unexpected dimension to A Secret Treasure.

A few predictable occurrences hold this back from absolutely top notch, although it’s a more than worthwhile read as is. Especially wonderful, the main characters dilemmas – large and small – will keep you reading."

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