Shivering Sands
Author: Victoria Holt
Reviewer: Una
Rating: DNF
What I’m Talking About:
I was surprised to find that this novel, Shivering Sands is not a new book but a republished one. That being said, this is not the type of historical novel I read. I enjoy historical mysteries and suspense along with historical romances. My problem with Shivering Sands is the narration. I find the main character too focused on the trivial while not conveying items or snippets of importance. I feel as is Caro is giving us a stream of consciousness account of a past experience. In many ways I feel this novel to attempt to be like Rebecca and falls flat. When I read, I like to find myself immersed in storytelling. The sights, sounds, emotions conveyed in such a way I experience it along with the characters. In Shivering Sands, I feel like I’m being instructed by a teacher who is easily distracted by the minutia. By the half way point, even though it was finally getting interesting (plot-wise) I cannot take the style of writing any longer. I hope to one day pick it up and finish it (I would like to know what happened to Roma) but I just cannot force myself to do it right now.
DNF – Did Not Finish
About the Book:
Caroline knows something is wrong. Her sister Roma has gone missing, and no one can tell her why. The only option is to go where Roma was last seen—an estate with a deadly history…
The Stacy family has lived off the Dover coast for generations, carefully navigating the treacherous quicksands nearby. But the sands aren’t Caroline’s biggest threat. Everyone here has a secret, especially enigmatic young heir Napier Stacy. No matter where Caroline turns, the ground she walks is dangerous. And the closer she comes to unraveling the truth, the closer she comes to sharing her sister’s fate…
Release Date: September 3, 2013 (original release 1971)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: #978-1402277498
Genre: Historical Romance
Format(s): Paperback (336 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher/NetGalley
Purchase Info:
The Shivering Sands
