Kirsty Whitlock
- Aug 6, 2022
- 6 min read

'Somewhere Beyond The Sea' by A.K James

Updated: Aug 7, 2022

Book Blurb

If a marriage is based on secrets and lies - can love survive?

Doctor Tristan Ainsworth has returned to his beloved Cornwall with his family. The past has taught him some hard lessons, some of which he's keeping to himself, but he's hoping to put it all behind him and make a fresh start with his wife Karen. He longs to see her happy, as she's been struggling with her mental health.

However, Karen Ainsworth isn't telling Tristan the whole story, because she has a past that she'd rather leave behind her too. Apart from her family, Karen's big passion is singing and a chance to use her extraordinary voice would mean the world to her, so why shouldn't she take it? Surely her past can't hurt her now?

As a tide of blackmail and betrayal threatens the foundations of their marriage, Karen and Tristan face a hard question. Is their love strong enough to face the truth when the truth might cost them everything.

Author Bio

Amanda James has written since she was a child, and as an eight-year-old, she asked her parents for a typewriter for Christmas. She never imagined her words would ever be published however. Then in 2010, after many twists and turns, the dream of becoming a writer came true when she had her first short story published for a Born Free anthology. She left teaching in 2013 to pursue her dream full-time.

Originally from Sheffield, Amanda now lives in Cornwall and is inspired every day by the wild and beautiful coastline near her home. Amanda writes more suspenseful novels also set in Cornwall, under the name A.K. James, but her last few books have been uplifting in nature with a twist of magic. She loves writing feel-good reads, as she thinks the world needs more joy in it right now. Amanda can usually be found playing on the beach with her family, or walking the cliff paths planning her next book.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Somewhere Beyond The Sea' by A.K James.

Read and reviewed for ZooLoos Book Tours and A.K James.

Publication date 1st August 2022.

This is the first book I have read by this author. I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Spellbound Publishers. I have yet to read a book published by Spellbound publishers that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 36 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Cornwall, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have visited and holidayed in Cornwall on many occasions so am looking forward to see if I recognise anywhere. I am also going on holiday there again in March so I may even find some extra ideas for places to visit (or avoid lol 😂).

This book is written in a mix of third and first person perspective and the protagonists are Tristan, Karen and an Anonymous narrator (until the end). The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. To have the benefit of both first and third person perspective ensures you don't miss out on anything.

'Somewhere Beyond The Sea' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Amanda discusses suicide and drugs.

This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really set the scene for the reader. I felt I was being told their story while sitting in the room with them and feeling everything each was going through or feeling themselves. I could also feel the wind in my hair and sand on my toes while I got completely lost in the storyline. The cover and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.

The storyline was intriguing, multi-layered and enjoyable. I became completely invested in the storyline. I mucts admit it wasn't quite what I was expecting, especially the ending. However this didn't make the book any less enjoyable. I probably wouldn't class it as a psychological thriller, more domestic family suspense. I loved the anonymous narrator which built the tension up as it leaves the reader wondering who it is and what they are leading too. The way Amanda has written this book is perfect and you can just slice the tension filled atmosphere he creates with a knife. I must also admit that although the ending was definitely not what I expected and I was waiting for something else to happen it was actually perfect and even left me with a tear in the eye which just goes to show sometimes the best things aren't what we expect. The storyline is slow paced to begin with but then picks up at quite a speed after certain events and then puts you on a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns. One of the things that I really enjoyed was that even though it was mainly a serious storyline there were several parts that made me laugh out loud and got me a few funny looks. It's always nice when reading a "darker" book that the author can make you laugh now and again to lighten the mood at times. The atmosphere is absolutely stunning and it makes me look forward to my two holidays in Cornwall next year even more!!

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

The characters were all realistic, strong and well defined each with their own unique personalities. I was completely invested in Karen and Tim's story along with the anonymous narrator. The majority of characters had really likeable personalities. I really liked both Karen and Tim but strangely the ones that seemed to impact me the most were Jenny, Barbara, Bob and Maureen. Although I wanted to hate Linda and I didn't like her for a while I actually did feel sorry on her. I thought Harold was going to be friendly when I met him but I wasn't a fan. There was only one character I couldn't abide and I'm pleased about that storyline, Karma is a b&-ch and all. However we can't love every character as it would be boring and each played their part perfectly.

Congratulations Amanda on a fantastic book and I am definitely looking forward to reading more of them!!

Overall an intriguing, multi-layered domestic suspense which will keep you turning the pages.

Genres covered in this book include Psychological Fiction, Crime Thriller, Suspense Thrillers, Psychological Thriller, Mystery and Crime Fiction amongst others.

293 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 4 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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