SHUSHAN PORTAL
Behind the Hollyhock Hedge
by
Gloria Pearson-Vasey
Science Fiction / Thriller
Publisher: Tellwell Talent
Publication Date: June 6, 2024
Page count: 518 pages
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SYNOPSIS:
After her sister dies, Meara Deleaney invites her bereaved nephew, Jackson, to accompany her on a book tour to Canada's Atlantic provinces. Fearful of leaving the security of her apartment, Meara bolsters her courage by recalling the imaginary dragons she and her sister slew as children behind the hollyhock hedge.As they travel in a motorhome from park to park and bookstore to bookstore, Meara and Jackson are unaware of the manipulating forces intent on preventing their return home. They do, however, realize they are being stalked and therefore welcome the company of another touring author, criminology professor Bartholomew Wolfe.A long-standing professional relationship between the authors builds to romance and a persuasive invitation to seek shelter at the professor's lodge. However, to reach the lodge, Meara—now accompanied by her nephew, niece and mother—unsuspectingly travels through a portal which exits in a future dimension near a fortress.From there, the family is escorted under guard through dangerous territory to a lodge where metaphorical dragons lie in wait, and security comes at a price.
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READ AN EXCERPT:
As bedtime neared, Meara was reaching for the television remote when the screen went dark. Simultaneously, the cabin lights dimmed to battery mode, the refrigerator switched from electricity to propane gas, and the microwave blinked off.
Meara and Jackson went outside to see if the power was out in the whole campground. It was an ideal summer night perfected by the sound of rolling surf, a sound they expected to later lull them to sleep in their motorhome haven. A breeze swept the scent of campfire smoke into the ocean-scented air. Small animals could be heard scuttling through nearby shrubbery, rustling twigs and leaves.
When it became apparent there was no generalized power outage, Jackson checked their electric outlet. The motorhome’s electric cord lay unplugged on the ground.
“Pranksters again,” he muttered as he bent to plug it in.
However, at the motorhome steps, Meara and her nephew came to an abrupt halt. On the vehicle’s bottom step lay a long-stemmed rose bearing an attached note.
Someone had stealthily placed it there in the brief time they were outside. Someone had been watching, waiting for the right moment to leave the rose.
No longer did the sound and smell of the ocean seem soothing. No longer did the scent of campfire smoke seem inviting. No longer did the rustling of twig and leaf seem friendly. They looked around nervously and saw no one.
REVIEW:
4 stars!
Absolutely mesmerizing!
Shushan Portal: Behind the Hollyhock Hedges is a new
genre-blending novel by Gloria Pearson-Vasey that made for absolutely mesmerizing
reading. Between its engaging main characters and its riveting plot, I was
immediately caught up in this imaginative tale and completely unable to find suitable
stopping points to put the book down. I had to know what was going to happen!
Told from multiple viewpoints, my favorite was that of young
Jackson Clery, the orphaned nephew of the main female character, Meara Deleany.
Having lost both parents during the preceding months, his father to COVID and,
most recently, his mother to a long battle with cancer, he’s hurting and anxious
about his and his little sister’s futures and life without their parents. He’s a
very sympathetic and relatable 13-year-old on the verge of entering high
school. However, as the story progresses, the reader discovers he’s got hidden
talents that he is only now discovering.
Jackson’s aunt Meara authors bestselling thrillers under the
name of Carmen Blackmoor. Before the death of her sister (Jackson’s mother),
she had committed to a six-week-long book tour through Eastern Canada to
promote her latest release. Upon Kate’s death, Meara becomes the children’s
guardian. She decides to take Jackson on tour with her through the Canadian
backwaters and natural settings to bond and grieve their mutual loss and come
to terms with their new life ahead, leaving seven-year-old Penny back in London,
Ontario, with their grandmother. Meara’s tragic backstory slowly unfolds,
revealing her underlying need for a pseudonym, extra precautions, and secrecy.
The plot is immediately intriguing with its mysterious
references to Meara’s past, and the suspense keeps building with each and every
odd or strange occurrence or sighting on their journey from one book event to
another. Their travels read like a wonderful travelogue, full of the sights,
sounds, and smells of the various spots they visit or where they overnight in
their small RV. Talk about igniting travel fever! However, the two travelers
are under constant surveillance by people from Meara’s past and mysterious ‘others.’
I liked how the ‘others’ viewpoints and unfolding story were interspersed with
the current storyline, highlighted in brilliant blue text. Each little blue
tidbit kept me turning pages to get to the rest of this very imaginative story.
I recommend SHUSHAN PORTAL: BEHIND THE HOLLYHOCK HEDGE to
readers of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, suspense, and thrillers.
Gloria Pearson-Vasey weaves contemporary issues into her novels, and likes a story - be it literary fiction, historical fantasy or science fiction - to be authentic and end on a note of hope.
A member of The Writers' Union of Canada, Pearson-Vasey has also penned non-fiction books on autism and pilgrimage.
The author feels blessed for experiencing the joy and chaos of merging child raising with career, camping, travel and pets.
She lives in a picturesque Ontario town, and enjoys reading, music, country drives and time with family and friends.
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
Gloria Pearson-Vasey is awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
Thank you for the wonderful review, Guatemala Paula, and for hosting ‘Shushan Portal’ today. I am so appreciative.
ReplyDeleteGloria
We appreciate you featuring SHUSHAN PORTAL today - thank you!
ReplyDeleteI wrote way too much and could have written so much more about this story. I need to get friends to read this one so I can talk about it!
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