Ready to discover another great book for this 2022? Take a look…
The Carnelian Tree by Anne Pettigrew
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Ringwood Publishing
Source: Random Things Tours
Rating: 4/5
Amazon, Waterstones, Hive
About The Book
A uniquely amusing and page-turning mystery novel set in January 2003, the eve of the Iraq War.
On sabbatical at Oxford University, Scottish teacher Judith Fraser is horrified to find a professor dead, a student missing and eccentric housemates who are not as they claim.
Whom can she trust? Is she being followed? And what is the relevance of ancient text fragments appearing from Iraq?
Aided by personable DCI Steadman and spirited Rhodes Scholar, Abbie Goldman, Judith unravels mysteries of locked doors, missing computers, cat’s collars and Reuter’s reports. Traumatized to the hilt by the kidnapping of her medical student daughter Sophie, Judith reappraises what’s important in life, learns not to trust first impressions, and finds power, sex and politics have changed little in three millennia.
Throw in the CIA, Saddam Hussein’s ancient king obsession, a glimpse of an Oxford underbelly and a hint of romance, to find a cross-genre novel for lovers of Helen Fielding, Lucy Foley, Agatha Christie and Dan Brown.
My Thoughs
What makes a book; the story or the characters?I am saying this because sometimes, even if the story is really good, what makes you stay reading is not the plot but the connection and chemistry between the characters, their dialogues, acting and intrigues that makes you wonder what will happen next, to keep you turning pages until the end.
That’s what happened to me with “The Carnelian Tree”; I’ll admit that I wanted to read it for the plot; I love a good mystery where a university professor is killed… It makes me wonder how many of the ones I know could end up dead! 😉
You should not be surprised by me saying that I really enjoyed the read, Judith Fraser (the main character) is an approachable, brave and intelligent person, who has a really good circle of people who love her. Even if curiosity is too sharp for her safety and the ones that love her! Because, let’s be honest, someone that is ready to kill once will not stop killing when their secret is ready to be revealed, don’t you think?I love a book that while you are reading it, you can make your own plot and guesses on your mind before everything is revealed, it’s like you are part of the story now and your life could be in danger too!
This is a book that will intrigue you and teach you some interesting historical facts; quite original and super addictive!If you are looking for a book to keep turning pages, believe me “The Carnelian Tree” will surprise you. Ready?
About The Author
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Anne Pettigrew was a family doctor for 31 years and also has a degree in Medical Anthropology from Oxford. She wrote extensively in the national medical and lay press until retirement when she turned to penning novels about women doctors, discrimination, and crime. She was a Bloody Scotland Crime Fiction Festival 2019 Spotlight Author – ‘one to watch.’ Member of several writers’ groups and multiple short story competition winner, she lives in Ayrshire and enjoys good books, good wine, and good company.
Past novels: Apart from containing crime, Not The Life Imagined and Not The Deaths Imagined follow Dr Beth Slater’s career and challenges from the 1960s to the ‘80s. This latest stand-alone novel, The Carnelian Tree, charts the tribulations of Scots teacher Judith Fraser on sabbatical in Oxford at the time of the Iraq War.
Varietats 