About the Book
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.
Format: Paperback (316 pages) Publisher:
Publication date: 6th June 2018 Genre: Historical Fiction
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Purchase link
Amazon UK
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My Review
Chasing Ghosts is book six in the Dudley Sisters saga but is the sequel to book three, China Blue. (You can read my review of China Blue here.) Chasing Ghosts has since been republished by Storm Publishing under the title Reckoning and with a new cover design, as have the other books in the series.
Although there are references to events in China Blue, I felt these acted as useful recaps for readers of the previous book and as background information for new readers meaning Chasing Ghosts can easily be read as a standalone. The focus of the story is once again Claire Dudley, along with her husband, Mitch.
The legacy of the Second World War is very much a theme of the book. Most obviously the shell shock suffered by Mitch as a result of his experiences as a prisoner of war but also the desire to bring to justice those who perpetrated war crimes. Whereas the storyline of China Blue had a strong element of romance (a little too much for me, as it happened), Chasing Ghosts has an intriguing mystery at its heart, one which I really enjoyed and kept me engaged throughout. There are some clever twists and moments of drama too, especially in the closing chapters of the book.
If you’re read my review of China Blue, you’ll know I had some reservations about the way Claire was portrayed. True, in Chasing Ghosts, there are times where she appears overly emotional but towards the end of the book she definitely displays the sort of courage and resourcefulness you’d expect from someone who went through the rigorous selection process for the Special Operations Executive and who undertook dangerous missions with the Resistance in occupied France.
In three words: Intriguing, dramatic, engaging
About the Author
Madalyn Morgan was 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 East 15 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. (Photo: Twitter profile)
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