Saturday 31 May 2014

The Girl in the Empty Dress by Lise McClendon



Review
The Bennett sisters go on a walking trip to rural France. Like the legendary Bennet sisters (Pride and Prejudice) they are five in number and love walking, unlike the original sisters they are not that young or looking for eligible single men, they are Lawyer Girls ranging from early thirties to middle fifties. Their walking trip takes an interesting turn with their unwanted sixth spoke in the wheel, Gillian, the girl in the empty dress, finds an injured dog and takes it along with them in the Truffle country inviting unwanted attention and misadventure.

This is the second book in the Bennett sisters series. I didn't read the first one Blackbird Fly. I didn't feel lost or anything. It works as a standalone. Only couldn't help wondering why Merle's last year burning flame Pascal keeps calling her Blackbird. An explanation would have been nice. While there are five sisters and you get one line description of each one's character and disposition, the story is mostly about Merle, the middle sister, the tent pole and you get to know a little bit about Francine the Fourth one. All the other sisters are just names. Maybe the future stories or the previous one feature them in more depth.

Part of the story is told in blog entries by one of the sisters. The writer is not revealed in the beginning providing a little bit of intrigue, you wonder who the writer is. I found the blog entries an interesting touch. Overall it is a light cozy read.

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[Romantic Suspense]
Release date: May 2, 2014
at Thalia Press
257 pages
Author’s website | Goodreads

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SYNOPSIS

It is the sequel to Blackbird Fly, but can be read as a stand-alone.

Merle Bennett and her sisters go on a walking tour on the backroads of the Dordogne. When they come across an injured dog their idyllic summer tour takes a dark turn. Who is this dog that everyone wants so badly? And who is this friend one sister brought along, the one without a history? Truffles, romance, wine, and intrigue in the French countryside. [provided by the author]

PRAISE FOR BLACKBIRD FLY

In her first stand-alone suspense novel, Lise McClendon reaches deep into the past to find a France untouched by the outside world of tourism and fashion. Writing in a “lyrical, often humorous style,” she brings both the pain and rewards of rebirth and the rich French countryside to life.


The descriptions of the French village and house make them a character. Blackbird Fly has love and intrigue, and proof that family bonds are strong enough to reach beyond the grave. —LuxuryReading.com“This book brought me back to wanting to keep reading until the very end. Pour yourself a nice Merlot and keep turning the pages.” [on the author's website]

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Lise McClendon is the author of ten novels written as Lise McClendon and thrillers as Rory Tate.
Her suspense novel Blackbird Fly was released in 2009 and was an Amazon bestseller.
She lives in Montana when not walking the back-roads of France.

Visit her website.

Follow her on Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


Disclaimer: I received an ebook from the France Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.