Grady HarpTop Contributor: Children's Books
HALL OF FAME TOP 100 REVIEWER
5.0 out of 5 stars ‘This fog reminds me of when my mind broke. I felt I was fogbound.’
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2021
Florida author Linda Heavner Gerald has retired from her medical background and lives and writes along the Gulf of Mexico. She has already established a solid reputation as a writer of twenty mystery thrillers, winning awards both in this country and abroad and awarded the Florida Authors and Publishers Association award for Fiction. In her books, Linda's keen eye for evil is matched by her conviction that ‘regardless of our actions, God is always ready to welcome us back with forgiveness.' So, rather than simply titillating her readers with superbly terrifying stories and psychological dramas, she offers a bit of a rainbow at the end - a sense of hope or encouragement for the characters of her books.
In this new novel, CASTLES IN THE FOG: ALLADALE, a followup to her previous novel CASTLES IN THE SNOW, Linda continues her story on history: ecologist Paul Lister who founded Alladale as a wilderness reserve in the Scottish Highlands. After a moving Foreword in which she addresses mental illness, Linda opens this story as follows: “Slowly, the crackled brown doors of Alladale screeched closed behind them. Outside, the day was sunny and bright but still cool. It radiated endless possibilities. The handsome couple walked away with their heads bowed. They gently clutched hands. The brown-haired woman looked at the chocolate-eyed man who walked beside her and smiled. She turned for a last look at the mansion that held such a long and illustrious history. The man with dark eyes and red hair patted her arm as they strolled away. He did not turn for a second look because he was relieved they were leaving.
The plot is summarized for us on the book’s back cover: ‘This second book in the Alladale series features Malcolm Dargie and his new bride, Molly. The couple earlier survived the brutal scheme of two greedy men. Unfortunately, their best friend, Thomas Reid, wasn’t so fortunate. His wife, Caroline, rushed back to their previous home in Charleston, SC. Now, her best friends work to fulfill the dreams of Caroline and her murdered husband. Quickly, Malcolm and Molly discover more about the evil plot of the greedy men who almost murdered them. Working to uncover the details, Malcolm learns a devastating fact about his new bride. Molly suffers from a severe form of mental illness. Can he survive the villagers’ nasty games to protect the killers, or will the burden he must bear from Molly’s strange symptoms prove too much?’
With this novel, Linda Heavner Gerard expands the impact of her Alladale series, not only with the mystery thriller aspect but now adding a sensitive exploration of mental illness, further underlining her growing importance as an author of significance. Very highly recommended. Grady Harp, July 21
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
