Murder in Fuerteventura

 Review by Ronica Wahi

The Ghost of Villa Winter

By Isobel Blackthorn

First published: December 20, 2020, Gumshoe – A Next Chapter Imprint.

Kindle Edition Pages: 269. 

ASIN: B08R3KDZ9R  

Canary Islands Mysteries Book 4 this is. The island of Fuerteventura does not offer a pleasure journey, but a frightful mystery as revealed by the title and the cover. No cause for hesitation if the first three books in the series are yet unread, for this is also a standalone piece of work.

The positives first. The description of the ride to Villa Winter, the site where the crux of the tale is revealed when a body is discovered by the protagonist Clarissa Wilkinson and the once-successful-and-now-struggling crime fiction writer Richard Parry, is so vivid that the reader is as if taken along on the journey. The landscape, the scenery, the Villa Winter and other spaces are so deftly sketched that the reader can visualize the spaces. Much later in the book, as a trek on a difficult terrain is undertaken, those with such travel experiences can immediately recall the challenges and the apprehensions of treading narrow, unsmooth paths.

Isobel Blackthorn, therefore, manages to create the means for a getaway for readers who love travels, whether in the real world or in the book world. She sets the mood well – the tour vehicle raising doubts in Clarissa’s mind, the planetary alignment that Clarissa knew to not be all favourable, the calima or dust storm, the energy Clarissa felt was not what should be where the tour group was serve as premonitions of something untoward happening. This style of leading to something dark happening is oft-employed, but is effective still.

Villa Winter, a secret Nazi base, has given rise to many speculations and conspiracy theories. Its structural features and pervading darkness – reminiscent of so many Gothic tales - also make it a good site for the macabre. Overall though, the book is a reminder that evil can lurk anywhere – in ordinary folk, in beautiful holiday destinations. A point to note, if relevant, is that although in a very small portion of the book, there are graphic details of gore, details that might cause discomfort or distress to some.

The Ghost of Villa Winter is nicely crafted. Of course it is; it comes from someone who has been appreciated, nominated, awarded for her creations. As the body is discovered and the clues to why the murder was committed are gathered by Clarissa and Richard, the reader gets hooked onto learning what would be revealed next and shares the fears of the two as they traverse the path of resolving the murder mystery while seeking to keep themselves safe from a danger they do not know the source of.

In Chapter 13, Richard tells Clarissa, “…You’ve no idea how critical crime fiction readers can be. Means, motive, opportunity, they all have to be plausible, logical, with as few wild leaps and happy coincidences as possible.” This aspect of writing good crime fiction is maintained by Blackthorn.

However, considering the kind of plot Blackthorn came up with for The Ghost of Villa Winter and the gift of fine craft that she has at her disposal, this book has fallen short of meeting its true potential. To begin with, the book takes a long while to actually get into the main plot. Some angles that deserved more space than they got include the Nazi angle and the cult connections. It would have rendered the tale much more interesting had Blackthorn made good use of the psychic powers that she accords to Clarissa.

Clarissa Wilkinson is a brave woman, for sure. She is smart too. Unfortunately, she annoys for she is too judgmental; she judges people for what their physical appearance is, what they wear, how they eat, and how they behave. For one particular reason – revealing which here will not be a good decision – the reader would dislike, possibly detest, her. So, while the reader does go on the ride in a visual way, the reader might not feel too attached to the main character, more so after learning the particular reason not revealed here.

Though the book certainly held the potential to be much superior, it is a decent read. Because Blackthorn’s narrative and narrative manner are engaging, despite the considerable scope for a better produce, The Ghost of Villa Winter is worthy enough.

Check out The Ghost of Villa Winter here:

Amazon India link for The Ghost of Villa Winter (Hardcover, Import): https://amzn.to/3AsYtb8

Amazon India link for The Ghost of Villa Winter (Paperback, Import): https://amzn.to/3iPz9G3

Amazon India link for The Ghost of Villa Winter (Kindle): https://amzn.to/3Dq4pDy

 

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