"I love the Aussie setting in this page-turning psychological thriller. My emotions were high as the fate of an innocent child was at stake." - Renee Conoulty at HeySaidRenee.
"I think this novel really speaks of what love really mean and just how powerful love can make a person." - Katrina Hart at Writing, Inspiration and Muses.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
Samantha Wood was born in Victoria, Australia, in 1971. Her first book, the memoir, Culua: My Other Life in Mexico, was published in 2003. The Bay of Shadows is her first novel. Samantha graduated from Monash University with a Master's degree in Translation Studies (Spanish) focusing on the translations of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's little-known children's stories. She works for Ai-Media, a world-leading captioning service that provides accessibility services for the Deaf and hard of hearing. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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It's so refreshing to read a good Australian drama, and an amazing effort for a first novel. The characters were superbly drawn and I was with them every step of the way. Sometimes I felt like yelling at Elena to go to the police, but then I remembered what happened to Rosie Batty and couldn't blame her for not having confidence that they would be able to help.
This would have to be one of the most frustrating plots of all time. Dear author, you can't just turn to the supernatural at the last minute when you've got yourself in a jam. And the heroine's decision making is just loopy for no good reason. Yet the writer does have a flair for description- such a waste.
I didn't enjoy this book. I found it quite slow. I didn't find it very suspenseful either. I did enjoy the descriptions of the native Australian landscapes. But that was all.
One of the things I love about this thriller/drama is its way of bringing out light and dark, this "contrast" that is cleverly shaped by its characters and their unique stories, allowing the reader to easily visualise a world that exists both in dream and reality. You can't help but emotionally connect with the determination of the characters, either fueled by love or fear.
A lovely story of the fight for a child. Ranged from a very thought provoking story to nail biting drama. A happy tale tale tinged with sadness for things that had to move on in life
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 December 2019
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Love, hate, the eternal struggle. With a maniacal father, Daniel is placed in the care of foster mum Elana. But his birth father starts a campaign of hate against her. After much heart ache, terrible dreams and the help of new friend Tommy all ends up happily.
The story is well thought out with impressive research done to "Get it right". It's a compelling story that keeps you riveted and wanting to know what's going to happen next. Kudos to Samantha Wood on her first published novel. Well done and best of luck on future endeavours.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 September 2017
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Really liked this book. Could not put the book down till finished. Would recommend this book to other readers. Would love to read another book by Samantha.