Isle of Misfortune

My women's book club enjoyed this novel. I agree with author Jan Reid: "Geoffrey Leavenworth has transformed a nightmarish personal ordeal into a novel that is sensual, harrowing, and wise."

I bought Isle of Misfortune on a recent visit to the US and stayed up much later than I should have last night reading it as I simply couldn't put it down. Great suspense, wonderful, lyrical writing, deft observations of the human condition -- this is a beautifully-told story of a family that survives an unthinkable nightmare and comes out stronger for it. The setting is captured perfectly -- I lived in Galveston for 5 years and reading this book made me almost tearfully nostalgic. If you like intelligent writing, evocative setting and characters that are human and real rather than the usual Hollywood cardboard cut-outs, I recommend this book.

A psychological thriller about a smart, loving family in peril. As the novel opens the parents are discussing their day over a glass of wine as peppers and garlic sizzle on the stove in the kitchen of their restored gingerbread house (it survived the great hurricane). Mom goes to a meeting, the two boys play in the bath and Gordo is shot through the chest when he answers the door. Their charmed existence is shattered and paranoia, an uneasy relationship with suspicious police officers, and a desparate search for a safe haven become the order of the day.Leavenworth creates rich descriptions of two of Texas' most vibrant cities, Galveston and Austin. He expertly juxtaposes the never ending summer, beach umbrellas and gingerbread houses of Galveston with the shadows the lie behind its shutters and under its seashells. When the family flees to Austin, we smell the heady, seductive aroma of the hill country and wait to see if they have been followed.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. I have been to Galveston many times and one of the most striking aspects of this book is the portrayal of the island -- from its glory to its corruption. The characters are not idealized as is often the case in similar books, but rather Mr. Leavenworth writes about real people struggling with real issues. The fact that this is based on a true story only adds chill to an already suspenseful read. I would recommend this book to anyone -- especially those planning a trip to Galveston. On second thought, maybe you should read it after you get back from Galveston!

Geoff is a gifted writer. He knows how to weave a tale that kept me entranced from the moment I opened the book. What makes this novel even more fascinating, is it is partially based on personal experience. Suspense, romance, reality and a bit of Galveston history makes for the perfect summer read. Now Geoff, what are you going to write next?