#Review: Chasing Ghosts by Madalyn Morgan @ActScribblerDJ @rararesources #blogtour #win

Having read – and thoroughly enjoyed – Madalyn Morgan’s first book, Foxden Acres, I was really delighted to see that Rachel’s Random Resources was organising a tour for her latest, Chasing Ghosts. I’d already been enticed by that gorgeous cover, and it’s a real pleasure to share my review today: my thanks to Rachel and the author for my reading e-copy. To find out more about Madalyn and her books, you might like to catch up on my June feature – you’ll find it here, together with my review of Foxden Acres.

So let’s take a closer look at Chasing Ghosts…

In 1949 after receiving treatment for shell shock in Canada, Claire’s husband disappears.

Has Mitch left her for the woman he talks about in his sleep? Or is he on the run from accusations of wartime treachery?

Claire goes to France in search of the truth, aided by old friends from the Resistance.

I must admit that I do rather wish I’d taken the time to read this book’s prequel, China Blue. And that’s not because Chasing Ghosts isn’t perfectly fine as a standalone – it most definitely is – but I would have really enjoyed that first hand experience of the Resistance experiences and wartime lives of Claire and Mitch (China Blue and Chasing Ghosts are available for 99p each on kindle for the duration of the tour – why not treat yourself?). Chasing Ghosts is the story of what follows – with Claire, Mitch and daughter Aimee travelling to Canada so that he can receive treatment for his shellshock and recurring nightmares featuring the mysterious Simone.

The beginning may just be a little slow for some tastes – not for mine though, because I rather liked the character establishment, the exploration of their relationship, the scene-setting, the contemporary domestic detail. But when Mitch fails to appear for the flight home, the pace changes significantly and the book turns into a dramatic post war thriller, the action moving to France and revisiting places of great significance to Mitch’s wartime experience. There was so much here that I really enjoyed – the false accusations, a deserted prison vividly described along with Claire’s emotional response, the slow uncovering of deception and treachery (quite a story!), the supporting characters (especially the ex-Resistance colleague) and the well developed relationships. The book’s climactic scene is wonderfully done – great build up of tension, the outcome uncertain throughout, with a real threat to characters that I’d become particularly invested in.

Madalyn Morgan is an excellent story teller, her style easy to read, her background well researched – and the whole story was refreshingly different, and a really good read. I really rather enjoyed this one.

Giveaway

I’m delighted – with thanks to Madalyn and tour organiser Rachel’s Random Resources – to offer the opportunity for one lucky reader to win signed copies of China Blue and Chasing Ghosts (UK only).

Here’s the rafflecopter for entry:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions: UK entries welcome. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by 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, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

About the author

Madalyn Morgan has been an actress for more than thirty years working in Repertory theatre, the West End, film and television. She is a radio presenter and journalist, writing articles for newspapers and magazines.

Madalyn was brought up in Lutterworth, at the Fox Inn. The pub was a great place for an aspiring actress and writer to live, as there were so many different characters to study and accents to learn. At twenty-four Madalyn gave up a successful hairdressing salon and wig-hire business for a place at E15 Drama College, and a career as an actress.

In 2000, with fewer parts available for older actresses, Madalyn taught herself to touch type, completed a two-year correspondence course with The Writer’s Bureau, and started writing. After living in London for thirty-six years, she has returned to her home town of Lutterworth, swapping two window boxes and a mortgage, for a garden and the freedom to write.

Happy to be an Indie Author, Madalyn has successfully published six novels. Foxden Acres, Applause, China Blue and The 9:45 To Bletchley are set before and during WW2 and tell the wartime stories of Bess, Margot, Claire, and Ena Dudley. Foxden Hotel and Chasing Ghosts are both post war. Chasing Ghosts is a sequel to China Blue.

Madalyn’s books are available on Amazon – in paperback and all formats of eBook.

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