The Assassin's Village

The Assassin's Village
Author Faith Mortimer

Review by R. Murry

Ms. Mortimer’s novel starts you off with a zinger that holds your attention until the last ‘t’ is crossed and the last ‘i’ is dotted in the final chapter.  And even then, you’re not certain as to if the mystery is solved.  Agatha Christie novels kept me on the edge, as this well written “Who done it?” tale.  A little Macbeth is appropriately used as the “Lead in” on each chapter.  Who could ask for anything more?   Well, this mystery makes you think – Is it him?  Or, is it her?

Our sleuth, named Diana, is a foreigner living in a small village on the island of Cyprus where everyone knows everyone.  The reality is that the villagers don’t have a clue as to what their neighbors’ rumored backgrounds are.  They only surmise as to what is real or not. One relocated Englishman is murdered and everyone is suspect except the ones who were at the restaurant with Diana and her husband Steven – of course.

Diana, a writer, lists all that could have committed the crime.   Its Ms. Mortimer’s prose that paints a vivid character picture of these would be murders.  This is all portrayed in the colorful scenery of a beautiful island. It would seem that any of her finely developed characters on the list could have done the deed, because Leslie, the victim, has negatively commingled with many of them.

What is the instrument of the murder?  This is what the reader my pick up on, but I do not think that will happen until the end of this book. It’s when Diana learns the truth about one of the characters.  This is my kind of mystery – you think you know who did it, but you don’t until the end.

If you’re like me, this gem of a book will grab you and you will want to read another of Faith Mortimer’s novels.  See all links at end of her interview below:

Where can people go to read your work?

Amazon US http://amzn.to/1IuMOMV

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/qe90Lf
The book depository (paperbacks) http://bit.ly/oCON7U
Snippets and chapters are often found on my website www.faithmortimerauthor.com

Where can people find you on the internet?
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/FaithMortimer.Author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FaithMortimer

My website www.faithmortimerauthor.com   

   

Faith Mortimer

   

Interview of Faith Mortimer
Author of The Assassins' Village

Questions by R. Murry


Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Good morning Roy. May I take this opportunity to thank you for having me as your guest author this week.

Briefly, I live in an old stone-house in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains on Cyprus. It’s a beautiful Mediterranean island and known as Aphrodite’s own. I originally come from England. I began writing seriously around 2000, when I had completed a degree in Biology. The degree studying ensured I had the dedication, stamina and confidence to finally finish my first novel. Before then I had qualified as a Registered nurse (in my twenties) and latterly run my own business from home. I am a qualified Yachtmaster and before we settled in Cyprus, my husband and I explored the seas from as far north as New York down the east coast of the USA to the Caribbean and Venezuela and then back across the Atlantic into the Mediterranean where we finished our travels in Turkey – a fantastic eight years living on our sailing yacht – just the right place to write books!

Do you remember the first story you wrote?
I’ve always written stories ever since I can remember. The most serious was when I was about fourteen. It was a romance set in Borneo!

Were you inspired by someone or something?
I just liked playing around with words. I’ve already read masses of books and I wanted to write my own stories

What do you like about writing a story?
Oh that’s easy. It’s MY world. My people, my places, my feelings. I love drawing the characters from people/friends and then taking a bit from one person and adding another – a real mix and great fun.

Can you tell us about your book?
I’ve now written six books. Three are mystery suspense with a fourth lodged with my editor. The titles include, The Assassins’ Village, Children of the Plantation, The Surgeon’s Blade and COMING SOON, Camera, Action…Murder!
My others are romantic suspense/historical fiction/family drama; these are The Seeds of Time and Harvest. They are 2 in a series. I’m currently writing another romantic suspense set in France, ‘A Very French Affair.’ Lastly I have a short story collection entitled, The Bamboo Mirror.

How did you come up with the story?
Almost all my stories feature either something I’ve experienced, or they are set somewhere where I’ve lived. If I like an idea I’ll go with it and set it down as soon as I can find time.

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

Yes – never give up. It is often a lonely occupation and only you can write your story. Don’t let others put you off, or tell you what you’re doing and how you’re doing it is wrong…it is how you feel and think and more often than not you will be right. Stick to your plans!

Which authors inspire you?

MM Kaye. Tolkien. Dickens.  I can read a great novel and I then go around thinking about it for days – the author may have a style that I admire and it gives me the impetus to get down and begin to write a new book. No one writer or person inspires me though.

Where can people go to read your work?
Amazon US  http://amzn.to/oLQt8c
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/qe90Lf
The book depository (paperbacks) http://bit.ly/oCON7U
Snippets and chapters are often found on my website www.faithmortimerauthor.com

Where can people find you on the internet?
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/FaithMortimer.Author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FaithMortimer
My website www.faithmortimerauthor.com

Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers?
Be yourself. Don’t judge others too harshly and always be there to give a helping hand – it could be you wanting that help some day. As I’ve already said it can be a hard slog. When you’re ready to publish make sure that the product you’re going to offer is as good as a paperback. Take time to edit and reedit, over and over. Be patient – it will take time to make any real progress. Be friendly and polite to everyone within the same market – you never know when you might need them and good manners never hurt. You can also learn lots from others as well.

Thank you so much for having me on here today!
                                               

Apart From Love

Apart From Love

By Uvi Poznansky

Reviewed by R. Murry

The family dynamic has been written about since the beginning of time: the Biblical story of Joseph, Macbeth, and in the 1930s, William Faulkner’s The Sound and The Fury.  Like Faulkner, Ms. Poznansky uses more than one person to tell the story of “Apart From Love.”  Faulkner used four.  Ms. Poznansky uses two: Ben and Anita.  Their voices are orchestrated close to perfection in a loving way.

Each chapter is told by one or the other, explaining their understanding of the events which leads to conflict within the family circle: Ben’s father and Anita’s twice her age husband, Lenny; Lenny’s first wife and Ben’s mother, Natasha; Anita’s mom; and three aunts round out the family Kaminsky.

Interwoven into the main characters' discourses are the normal family emotions: greed, sex, hatred, control, loneliness, procreation, legacy, and everything you may think of  “Apart From Love.”  No one ever uses the love word as in the phrase “I love you.” 

Anita and Ben are young and are thinking about each other.  Lenny is old and is thinking about Natasha and what could have been had she not gone into a vegetable state.  Lenny is recording his fictional novel as to what he believes is happening between his son and second wife.  The novel turns out to be his memoir.

There are family mishaps, joyous times, secrets, and torments.  Each narrator fullfills their duty by translating their opinion of the events based on their background: Ben, a worldly educated one and Anita with her street smarts’ schooling.  They each speak a different language, although are of the same generation.  The reader will enjoy their terminologies.

Ms. Poznansky pulls off a well written story of dependency.  Every one of the characters are dependent on one another and are looking for support right up to the end of this skillfully developed novel.   A very good read if you’re looking for something “Apart From Love."

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1IuRToq