Hi everyone!
Today I have a super exciting review for you! It is also my first time on a blog tour organised by the wonderful Emma at Damppebbles! Thank you, Emma!
The book in question is The Golden Orphans by Gary Raymond, a tale of mystery, history, and deception…
Blurb
Within the dark heart of an abandoned city, on an island once torn by betrayal and war, lies a terrible secret…
Francis Benthem is a successful artist; he’s created a new life on an island in the sun. He works all night, painting the dreams of his mysterious Russian benefactor, Illy Prostakov. He writes letters to old friends and students back in cold, far away London. But now Francis Benthem is found dead. The funeral is planned and his old friend from art school arrives to finish what Benthem had started. The painting of dreams on a faraway island. But you can also paint nightmares and Illy has secrets of his own that are not ready for the light. Of promises made and broken, betrayal and murder…
The Golden Orphans offers a new twist on the literary thriller.
Official blurb for The Golden Orphans
Review
As always, there will be no spoilers for this review!
Do not be fooled at the size of this book, although slim, this story is packed full of secrets and tension. In a nutshell, The Golden Orphans is a mysterious novel, leaving the reader unnerved, yet eager to read on.
Set by the cultural backdrop of Cyprus, the narrator, along with his personal demons, try to solve the mystery surrounding his life, more so than he first thought. The characters are well-thought out and bring structure to the narrative, adding pieces of information relevant to the plot.
The dialogue was intriguing; some books I find write dialogue for the sake of it, which generally annoys me. However, instead of a ‘scripted conversation’, the dialogue flows wonderfully with the story, and gets the reader thinking like the characters, as if they are a part of the novel.
I did feel a bit as if I was Alice and had fallen down the rabbit hole (in a good way!)– I found myself lost in a world much different to my own, yet somewhat familiar. I did feel as if there were hints of Agatha Christie popping up through the wood-work, with stock character personalities, money, and a foreign land. However, I don’t think even Christie could have pulled off such an ambitious story with the level of sophistication Raymond has!
Recommendation
This fast-paced little book is the perfect accompaniment to your travels -be it on a bus, train, plane, or boat even, this novel will sweep away your winter blues and throw you into an exotic world where no one can be trusted! As it is quite slim, it is perfectly pocket-sized, and easy to read in an afternoon! So much action in a book on the small side it to be admired!
How to get your hands on a copy:
I want to say a huge thank you to Emma for organising this tour, it has been a pleasure working with you!
Check out the rest of the tour below!
All images courtesy of Emma Welton, Damppebbles Blog Tours
Happy reading! Lx
booksbeyondthestory 