Chill out on the beach with one of these great reads and transport yourself around the world – from the comfort of your lounger!
Here is a selection of books by Travel By Book members Jennifer S. Alderson, Ronesa Aveela, Anne Allen, Pamela Allegretto, Daniella Bernett, Vanessa Couchman, Jane Dunning, Elizabeth Gates, Lynn McMahon Anstead, Marjory McGinn, and Eva Pasco.
If you enjoy reading or writing books strong in setting, consider joining us on Facebook!
Marked for Revenge: An Art Heist Thriller by Jennifer S. Alderson
An adrenaline-fueled adventure set in the Netherlands, Croatia, Italy, and Turkey about stolen art, the mafia, and a father’s vengeance.
When researcher Zelda Richardson begins working at a local museum, she doesn’t expect to get entangled with an art theft, knocked unconscious by a forger, threatened by the mob, or stalked by drug dealers.
To make matters worse, a Croatian gangster is convinced Zelda knows where a cache of recently pilfered paintings is. She must track down an international gang of art thieves and recover the stolen artwork in order to save those she loves most.
The trouble is, Zelda doesn’t know where to look. Teaming up with art detective Vincent de Graaf may be her only hope at salvation.
The trail of clues leads Zelda and Vincent on a pulse-pounding race across Europe to a dramatic showdown in Turkey that may cost them their lives…
The Inheritance by Anne Allen
How close were Victor Hugo and his copyist?
1862 Young widow Eugénie is left bereft when her husband dies suddenly and faces an uncertain future in Guernsey. A further tragedy brings her to the attention of Monsieur Victor Hugo, living in exile on the island in his opulent house only yards away from Eugénie’s home. Their meeting changes her life and she becomes his copyist, forming a strong friendship with both Hugo and his mistress, Juliette Drouet.
2012 Doctor Tess Le Prevost, Guernsey born though now living in Exeter, is shocked to inherit her Great-Aunt’s house on the island. As a child she was entranced by Doris’s tales of their ancestor, Eugénie, whose house this once was, and who, according to family myth, was particularly close to Hugo. Was he the real father of her child? Tess is keen to find out and returning to the island presents her with the ideal opportunity.
Will she discover the truth about Eugénie and Hugo? A surprise find may hold the answer as Tess embraces new challenges which test her strength – and her heart.
Bridge of Sighs and Dreams by Pamela Allegretto
Nazi-occupied Rome sets the stage for Bridge of Sighs and Dreams, where the lives of two women collide in an arena of deception, greed, and sacrifice.
Following an allied attack, Angelina Rosini flees to Rome from her bombed-out village and a ruthless Nazi officer bent on revenge. In Rome, the spirited portrait artist channels her creativity into the art of survival for herself and her young daughter. Unwilling to merely endure, and armed with ingenuity, wit, and unyielding optimism, she enters the shadow world of the Resistance where she zigzags through a labyrinth of compassionate allies and cunning spies.
Meanwhile, Lidia Corsini, Angelina’s sister-in-law, quenches her lust for power and wealth by turning in Jews to the ruthless Nazi Police attaché with whom she has formed an alliance. Her spiral into immorality accelerates as swiftly as the Jewish population dwindles, and soon neither her husband nor her son is immune to her madness.
Once Angelina discovers the consequences of Lidia’s greed, she conspires to put an end to the treacheries; but in doing so, she becomes the target of Lidia’s most sinister plot.
A Checkered Past by Daniella Bernett
A looted Nazi painting…A former IRA commander…The tie that
binds is murder
Emmeline Kirby is back in London determined to make a success
of her new job as editorial director of investigative features at The Clarion.
Three months have passed since her trip to Torquay and the devastating
revelations that surfaced about her fiancé Gregory Longdon. The whole interlude
has left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she is keeping him at arm’s length.
But a suave and dashing jewel thief like Gregory is not easily daunted. After
all, faint heart never won fair lady. It doesn’t hurt that Emmeline’s
grandmother and her best friend, Maggie, are on his side. Only his shadowy past
could ruin his chances.
All of these relationships are threatened as Emmeline
stubbornly pursues a story about looted Nazi art and an IRA collaborator. When
a stolen Constable painting belonging to Maggie’s family turns up in the
collection of Max Sanborn, the chairman of the company that owns The Clarion,
her personal crusade brings danger close to home. To find the truth, Emmeline
and Gregory must untangle a web of deception, betrayal, and dark deeds. But
will they learn too late that justice can be cold comfort if you’re dead?
Overture by Vanessa Couchman
What if you had a unique talent, but everything conspired against your dreams?
France, 1897. Born to a modest farming family, Marie-Thérèse has a remarkable singing voice and wants to become a professional singer. But too many obstacles, including her parents’ opposition, stand in her way. And, through no fault of her own, she makes a dangerous enemy of the local landlord.
When the family circumstances change suddenly, Marie-Thérèse and her mother must move to Paris to work in her aunt’s restaurant. Her ambitions rekindle, but the road to success is paved with setbacks until a chance meeting gives her a precious opportunity.
She is close to achieving all her dreams, but the ghosts of the past come back to haunt her and threaten Marie-Thérèse’s life as well as her career.
Overture is the first in a trilogy set in France, starting in 1897 and finishing at the end of World War II.
Mystical Emona: Soul’s Journey by Ronesa Aveela
Past, present & future come together in this explosive modern tale of love and revenge.
Travel to the world of the Balkans with Mystical Emona: Soul’s Journey and discover the secret lives of samodivi (Veelas). You’ve met these wondrous, mysterious creatures in different books. Now let Mystical Emona introduce you to samodivi as legend portrays them.
Carina, the most enchanting maiden in all of Thrace, is ravished on her wedding day her ring cursed. It will bring happiness to none but her. The curse will be broken only when the ring guides her true love back to her. Every spring she goes to “the other side of the moon” to await the return of her soul mate. After centuries, the ring flashes like a beacon to guide a handsome man named Stefan to Emona.
Take the journey to Mystical Emona and find out if the lovers reunite. The book is sure to enchant you with its perfect blend of history, legends, rituals, and romance.
Stolen Summer by Jane Dunning
You’re invited to spend summer on the French Riviera with Richard, Helen and the Ferguson family. The sequel to Thirty-five minutes from St Tropez is a blend of fear and fun, love and disappointments, country life and glamorous Monaco, Provence and Italy…
Family visits, a classic car rally and wedding plans take place against the constant threat of the intruder returning, increased security measures at the vineyard, and the appointment of a private detective. As summer draws to a close, a terrifying event takes place at the vineyard that shakes the family to the core, and leaves Richard feeling heart-broken at his part in the attack.
By the time the grape harvest is in full swing, the family is worn down by the summer’s events but their spirits are lifted by a wedding and everyone spending time together once again, this time in Juan-les-Pins.
The Wolf of Dalriada by Elizabeth Gates
It is 1793… As Europe watches the French Revolution’s
bloody progress, uneasy Scottish landowners struggle to secure their wealth and
power. And, in Dalriada – the ancient Kingdom of Scotland – fractured truths,
torn loyalties and bloody atrocities are rife. Can anyone ride the maelstrom of
these dangerous times? Only, it seems, Malcolm Craig Lowrie – the legendary
Wolf of Dalriada.
In remote Argyll, people cry out to the young laird for
protection against the evil of the Clearances. And there is also a beautiful
Frenchwoman – staked as a child on the turn of a card – now living in thrall to
her debauched captor, Sir William Robinson. But can the Wolf of Dalriada
safeguard his people? Can the Wolf defeat enemies who, like the spirit of
Argyll’s Corryvrecken Whirlpool, threaten to engulf them all?
Enter Purring by Lynn McMahon Anstead
While honeymooning on a Baltic cruise, Duncan and Carly meet the mysterious Kateryna who appeals to them for help. Disembarking the ship to tour Scotland with the rest of the family, they don’t expect to see her again. When Carly finds her dying on the banks of Loch Ness, they realise that Kateryna was not whom she pretended to be.
A Saint For The Summer by Marjory McGinn
A powerful contemporary tale from the author of the memoir, Things Can Only Get Feta.
Journalist Bronte McKnight is summoned to a hillside village in the wild and beautiful Mani region of Greece by her expat father Angus. She must help him solve a family mystery from the Second World War when his father disappeared in Greece during the disastrous Battle of Kalamata, known as ‘the Greek Dunkirk’.
With the country gripped by economic crisis, and the clock ticking against them, their near-impossible quest takes them from Kalamata to a remote mountain village where its inhabitants are bound by old traditions and secrecy. As tensions rise, the pair are helped in their search by a cast of unforgettable characters, especially charismatic doctor Leonidas Papachristou. He has a pivotal role, not least in challenging Bronte’s assumption that she hasn’t the time or the courage to fall in love in Greece.
The secrets unearthed by Angus and Bronte will be painful and astonishing and the heart-warming conclusion is one you’ll never forget.
An Enlightening Quiche by Eva Pasco
An heirloom quiche recipe and baking rivalry turn up the heat in a New England mill town rife with secrets and scandals. A tragedy precipitated by misdeeds wreaks havoc on those caught in the crossfire.
Amidst the plot twists and turns, rub elbows with plain-spoken and unpretentious French-Canadians who call themselves “Canucks.”
The Lover’s Portrait: An Art Mystery by Jennifer S. Alderson
A portrait holds the key to recovering a cache of looted artwork, secreted away during World War II, in this captivating historical art thriller set in the 1940s and present-day Amsterdam.
When a Dutch art dealer hides the stock from his gallery – rather than turn it over to his Nazi blackmailer – he pays with his life, leaving a treasure trove of modern masterpieces buried somewhere in Amsterdam, presumably lost forever. That is, until American art history student Zelda Richardson sticks her nose in…
