Eloise De Sousa – Lit World Interviews

#BOOK REVIEW BY @COLLEENCHESEBRO OF “The Iron Pendulum,” BY AUTHOR @MELLO_ELO

Title: The Iron Pendulum
Author: Eloise De Sousa
File Size:
Print Length: 156 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN:
Publisher: Lulu.com
Publication Date: June 26, 2016
Sold by Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1326689983
ISBN-13: 9781326689988
ASIN: B01HYFLBII
Formats: Paperback and Kindle
Goodreads
Genres: Mystery, Suspense, Murder Mystery

In the Author’s Words:

“Julia Webster and Hugo del Fuego are missing from their third-floor apartment in Bagley. The grisly display discovered in their home leaves Detectives Perkins and Jones with little evidence to follow and, as more remains turn up, the pressure mounts to find the killer. Time is the key element in solving a case riddled with dead ends and a strange family hiding its true evil behind the façade of money and power. Can they unravel the secrets hidden behind the closed doors and will it be enough to solve the case and rescue the couple in time?”

My Recommendation:

*The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review which follows*

Answering a missing person call, Detective Inspectors, Bob Jones and James Perkins enter a flat in Bagley and are greeted by a grisly sight. Large silver hooks are suspended above their heads fastened to the ceiling; the kind used for hanging freshly slaughtered livestock. Pieces of flesh, still dripping blood, are attached to the hooks. By the looks of the flesh, it could be animal or human… However, all they find inside the flat is an orange and green parrot screaming and screeching inside a cupboard.

If you aren’t creeped out yet, hang on! The occupants of the flat are missing. Julia Webster and Hugo Del Fuego, both in their early twenties have disappeared into thin air. The couple has rented the flat for the past three years and always were seen as dependable. Where could they be?

With little evidence to go on the detectives are thrown head first into one of the most bizarre missing person cases I have ever read. Author, Eloise De Sousa adeptly strings the reader along revealing more grisly discoveries along the way. There is an extraordinary family history intertwined within the story that propels you forward to the shocking conclusion.

For me, the story was all about the detectives. Both were interesting characters, deeply haunted by the inexplicable events. True to British murder mysteries, the author wove the detective’s own stories into the sequence of events, giving the story a realistic quality. I loved these detectives! They played off of one another’s strengths and weakness perfectly.

If you love a good murder mystery and don’t get squeamish reading about blood and murder, then this book is for you. I did get pretty creeped out, I won’t deny that. No matter. I could not put this book down! I had to find out the truth of what happened. There is quite the shock factor when you reach the end… Remember, I warned you!

My Rating:

Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 5
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 5 out of 5 stars

Author, Eloise De Sousa

About Eloise De Sousa:

For many years Eloise has been writing stories to entertain children and adults alike.
Her new book, The Iron Pendulum, is a fictional thriller with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the very end and her romance thriller, Deception, has the passion and drive to transport you back to Zimbabwe, where her book is based.

Not satisfied with just writing adult fiction, she has recently released a new book in the Spoilt Miranda series, this time tackling the terrible trio, Cecil, Bertha and Thomas in her book Cecil The Bully. Lots of slapstick comedy and of course, some serious lessons can be learned through Eloise’s children’s books which deal with everyday bullying in schools.

For more information on her work and weekly updates, follow her blog at www.eloisedesousa.wordpress.com and at www.facebook.com/eloisebookcorner.

A full list of Eloise De Sousa’s books and ebooks can be found at www.eloiseds.com.

You can find Eloise on Twitter @mello_elo.

Book Review by @ColleenChesebro of silverthreading.com

#BOOK #REVIEW BY @ColleenChesebro OF “Deception” @mello_elo

(Image Credit: Amazon)

Title: Deception
Author: Eloise De Sousa
ISBN-10: 1291547955
ISBN-13: 978-1291547955
http://eloisedesousa.wordpress.com/
Pages: 234
Genre: Adult Romance, Crime, Suspense

Note: Ms. De Sousa provided me with this book for an honest review and that’s what you will receive here following.

I immediately liked and felt a kinship with Amanda Glenson, and her five year old son, Zachary at the very start of the book. They live in London where she is a legal assistant at a prestigious law firm. Amanda has a chance encounter with the sexy Alex Edwards, a consulting attorney, at work on Monday morning that left me wanting to see more of where their relationship was headed. Without warning on that fated day, Amanda is forced to confront the past she ran away from years before.

Amanda and Zachary travel to exotic Zimbabwe, the home of her birth, all the while clinging to the hope that the ghosts of her past will finally be laid to rest. Unaware of Amanda’s history, Alex accompanies them as they are both tasked in assisting with the land sale of a prominent client for the law firm. I could see right away that Amanda and Alex were drawn to one another, while the mystery behind her previous life unraveled before my eyes.

I was impressed with the delightful descriptions of Zimbabwe that De Sousa liberally scattered throughout her writing. I was visiting a far off land through her eyes. It was as if I could smell the heady fragrance of the Jacaranda blossoms she describes in great detail. Those same details gave me a sense of being part of the story because of the empathy I felt for the characters. Amanda’s family was a nightmare, and to see her battle through to the bitter end was enlightening to me.

Just when I thought I had the story figured out, De Sousa would drag me back into the suspense by introducing more twists to the plot. The title, “Deception,” skillfully blends all of those twists and turns into a story that reveals much about learning to accept love and learning how to trust again. I was genuinely sorry when the story ended. I wanted more.

I enjoyed the portrayal of the characters, which like in many families, had numerous faults to deal with. It was the realization that the deepest deceptions are sometimes caused by family that really hit a sensitive nerve in my heart. Trust is a hard thing to regain after past transgressions and De Sousa handles this message splendidly.

I enjoyed this book and the characters greatly. I am looking forward to a sequel of “Deception” which would recreate the lives of Alex and Amanda in another setting. It would be nice to revisit their relationship under different circumstances.

“Deception” is exciting from the start to the finish. If you enjoy adult romance, mystery, and suspense this book will tug at your heart while reminding you how special true love really is.

Author: Eloise De Sousa

Ratings
Realistic Characterization: 4/5
Made Me Think: 3/5
Overall enjoyment: 4/5
Readability: 5/5
Recommended: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4.0

Buy it at: Amazon
Format & Pricing
Paperback: $8.15 USD
Kindle: $.99 USD
Alternate Purchasing: : Amazon U.K., Lulu.com

Compare to the Ronovan Writes’ review of the book if you like here.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address:

She was never going back. #Book #Review of Deception by Eloise De Sousa @mello_elo

Title: Deception
Author: Eloise De Sousa
ISBN-10: 1291547955
ISBN-13: 978-1291547955
http://eloisedesousa.wordpress.com/
Pages: 234
Genre: Adult Crime-Romance

What’s it about?

Deception is a story about facing your past and learning to trust.

Amanda Glenson has a nice life working in a law firm in London while raising her 5 year old son Zachary. Unfortunately for her, a past that sent her fleeing from her home, her country on another continent, has finally caught up with her. There is no way around facing it; she must return home to Zimbabwe.

Enter Alex Edwards a lawyer brought in specifically to handle a situation in Zimbabwe for the law firm Amanda works for. Sparks fly between the two, only for Alex to discover he will be taken along for the ride into Amanda’s past, a coincidence that fate brings about. Two people with tainted pasts join together in a quest to find truth.

Highlights of the Book

236 pages of every kind of emotion keeps you reading. The suspense makes you want to read it in one sitting. Who did what? How are Amanda and Alex connected? What is the Deception? And how does little Zachary play a role in the story?

De Sousa brings a realistic feel to the story and her imagery is perfect. She writes what she knows–London and Africa. Authentic in her knowledge of her environment, she carries you along on a tour of her image memories. This in part is what makes it a good, easy flowing read.

The deception title is all through the book in so many ways you have to keep guessing what is the deception. You won’t guess but you can try.

Romance, desire, heat, and all done well with taste and great imagery that gives you just enough to let you become part of the story, but not so much to drive you away from it. Very well done, classy.

Challenges of the Book

There are several interesting characters that could have greater depths in personality and add to the story. There were some opportunities for the male protagonist, Alex, to have done more on several levels. That being said some of the emotional aspects of the character were perfect.

What do you get from it?

Trust is a hard thing to do.

What would I change if anything?

I would have used Alex a little more and turned up either a bit more of the action or perhaps liked to have seen a little more intense dialogue exchanges to increase the tension that made the insides twist wanting more.

Who would I recommend this book to?

The book is classified as a Adult Crime Romance, but to me, it could also be classified as Suspense Drama. There are Romance elements in the book but are not driving points of the story. When Romance is part of the story, it is done very well.

Ratings:
Realistic Characterization: 5/5
Made Me Think: 3/5
Overall enjoyment: 3/5
Readability: 4/5
Recommended: 4/5
Ovearall Rating: 3.8