The Empty Hammock

The Empty Hammock by Brenda Barrett

Published by Jamaica Treasures

ISBN  978-9769528734

I am not a fan of e-books, but this one came as a gift and I am very glad that it did - it was a pleasure to read.  Set in Jamaica, it is a tale of time travel between 2007 and the 1490s, with our heroine Ana as the central figure.

Ana takes a much needed holiday from work to visit her family home and while catching up on some rest, in a hammock in the garden, strange dreams overtake her - but are they dreams?  The people and events that she encounters in her dreams / travels seem so real that when she is awoken from them, she rushes back to sleep to continue her adventure.

Ana travels back to the time when European countries were trying to discover a passage to the Indies, but found the Americas instead.  The way of life of the inhabitants of the Caribbean was about to be changed forever as the adventurers sought for treasure to take back to their monarchs, without a thought or care as to the effect it would have on the people of those islands. 

The story moves between the two time scales very well, bringing the history alive.  The discovery of a treasure chest in the present day unravels a chain of events which only become clear as the story closes, and what a clever ending that becomes.

Super book, very well written and researched - highly recommended.

The Romanian Connection

The Romanian Connection by Richard Roche

Published by Southern Georgia Freedom Press

ISBN  978-0615456430

This spy thriller about Romania in the 1990s was exciting from start to finish.  Our hero, Jack, is forced back into the ‘spy’ business when his wife, and one of his daughters, are killed because of a book his wife had been writing about Romanian politics.  He swears vengeance on their killer and heads to Romania to find him.

Jack has previously lived and worked in Romania and his contacts are willing to help him in his quest, but there are many others who are trying to stop him.  He teams up with a Russian spy called Ludvia, who has an agenda of her own which is unclear, but they work together and have many adventures along the way.

Reading this book at a time when the current president of Romania has just seen off a motion to impeach him, it looks like the changes that came about with the fall of the Ceausescu regime were not all for the good, and that the politics of the country are still fragile.

Jack and Ludvia are in search of nuclear warheads left over from the Ceausescu era, but they are not the only ones interested in them, and they clash with many adversaries.  Romania is still very much a state-run country - the iron fist is still alive and well in Eastern Europe.

A terrific insight into modern day Romania, well written and very entertaining.