Valentine's Crooked Cat E-book sale

BLOOD OF THE DRAGON TREES 

Published by Crooked Cat, who are running a special Valentine’s e-book sale that begins today on Amazon!

 

This is very appropriate, as talks are taking place in London today about eradicating Illegal Wildlife Trade – see here – and China steps up its pressure on those criminals involved – see here - considering that my romantic thriller Blood of the Dragon Trees is about this very subject, as can be gleaned from these 7 ladies' review extracts from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com 

 

[Thank you, all!]

Nancy Jardine (Scotland)
This is an excellently written, fast paced thriller set in … a beautifully descriptive geographical background. Danger lurks round many corners. Laura Reid finds her job as tutor to the Chavez children isn’t the simple task she thought she has flown to Tenerife for. The men she meets stir different romantic feelings - first Felipe, the brother of her employer, and then Andrew Kirby. They confuse her even more when doubt lurks about whether one or both are involved in the illegal island trade in endangered species products, and equally criminal and heinous people trafficking. Nik Morton provides an extensive cast of characters some of whom are deliciously nasty, and all well portrayed as the plot unfolds. Laura’s life becomes one of encountering and surviving one potentially lethal incident after another.

Jan Warburton (Yorkshire, England)

I really enjoyed this fascinating novel. Action packed with many twists and turns, it's a compelling read, heavily concerning two atrocious crimes that have only recently been uncovered here in the UK... Nik Morton has woven a masterfully written fictional story based on these appalling facts - a thriller and romance rolled into one that draws you in with plenty of suspense and fast paced action. Each chapter ends with a hook leading you eagerly on to the next. The characters and all the location settings on the island are colourfully realised.

The author, who clearly knows Tenerife well, gets it absolutely right. Not once did I feel that all the research that must have gone into writing such an emotive and gripping thriller becomes too obvious. I congratulate Nik Morton on this gripping page turner, which culminates in a very exciting and satisfying ending. Highly recommended.

jlbwye

A dramatic opening in the style of a bloody thriller set in Tenerife where the ivory trade, and illegal immigrants are a problem. We are introduced to some colourful characters as the flavour and nature of the island is revealed, and the hint of romance hangs in the air…
There is also something deliciously sensuous about the description of Senora Pineda, the cook, vigorously slicing open a fresh wholemeal roll, her pendulous chest and upper arms wobbling with the cutting motion. And when she lops off thin slivers of cucumber and places them on top of the cheese and tomato, why do I think of knives, and blood, and sliced flesh? This is vigorous, dramatic writing, and sends shivers down my spine. Another scene where Laura takes a bath is blissfully described. These gems give pause while the story races on, scene giving way to action-packed scene, where neither the characters nor the reader knows exactly what is happening or why.

Lots of shooting and plenty of sexual innuendo hasten to a dramatic climax, not without touches of humour, and a dig or two at Health & Safety laws. Despite the danger, with surprisingly little bloodshed, the Dragon Tree wins out, and the cleverly crafted story comes full circle, drawing to a surprising but credible close. This is a breathless read - totally satisfying.

Mrs A Abraham (Théhillac, France)

I enjoyed this read. It is a traditional adventure thriller with badder-than-bad baddies and a clean-cut hero fighting for a cause that is right up to the minute - the trade in endangered species. The setting is different too and it's very refreshing to find an author writing about a place he obviously knows like the back of his hand rather than from what he could Google. I could easily see this novel becoming an action-movie and would go to the cinema to see it… a good novel with a cracking pace and a lot of twists, not only in the tail.

Gill James (Southampton, Hants United Kingdom)
What a fantastic fast-paced read this is! The plot twists and turns and keeps us guessing. Just as everything seems to be going well again for Laura Reid something else comes along to put her in danger. Oh, there's plenty of violence and blood comes from other places as well as the from the Dragon Tree. Yet it's not all blood and guts. There is plenty of human interest too.
Nik Morton has cleverly illuminated this text with his knowledge of Tenerife and of Spanish. Yet he does not overwhelm the reader with these details. They just allow the story to seem more real. I actually read the book whilst staying on Tenerife. That probably enhanced my enjoyment of the novel - many of the places mentioned I knew from this visit and a previous one or I was able to look up on our map and see where they were in relation to better-known landmarks.
It certainly made this an excellent holiday read...

Flamenca, Spain

When Laura Reid, a linguist, comes to work for the Chavez family in Tenerife, she cannot imagine the terrifying twists and turns her life will take. Nik Morton's novel quickly pulls the reader into an underworld where people trafficking and the smuggling of body parts of endangered species are among the crimes committed by the well-drawn characters on this seemingly peaceful and beautiful island. Lots of pace, a really good yarn and a skilfully painted picture of Tenerife made it an excellent read. Highly recommended.

Kay Lesley Reeves, Spain
A great read. An exciting story with lots of good background detail about the setting in Tenerife. A good choice for a Kindle book.

 

Also available in this sale, Spanish Eye - Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com...

 

 

Also available in the sale, Spanish Eye - Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com...