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After a tragic car accident, Samantha is left widowed and bereft.  Her husband Adam was everything to her. But at least the home they shared together in Cornwall provides her with some security. Or does it?

Upon returning from a school reunion in Sheffield, where Sam met her old friend, Penny, and an old flame from her school days, Dan, she discovers that Adam had invested money unwisely and she is now penniless.

When Penny and Dan, who are now married, arrive in Cornwall to visit Sam, Dan comes up with a way in which Sam can keep the house. He suggests she turns it into a writing retreat. And he is willing to invest.

Despite his wife’s reservations, Dan gets his way but at what price?

Why is Dan so keen to help? Has Sam put herself in harm’s way?

Some relationships are built to last. Others are deadly.

When I read The Calico Cat by Amanda James earlier this year and absolutely loved it! So when the chance of reading The Cornish Retribution for an upcoming blog tour came up, I grabbed it. Though The Calico Cat was a fun chick-lit, I knew I had to read Amanda’s suspense novels and I’m glad I started it with The Cornish Retribution.

The book is subtle. It’s not the edge-of-your-seat book. But, oh it’s so creepy and spine-chilling. A couple of chapters in, our protagonist, Sam knows that she is in trouble but what she doesn’t know is that she’s going to be in a far deadly trouble. Throughout the book, I wanted to scream at her and tell her to open her eyes – to see that she’s at the edge of the cliff. This book made me worry about her so much. It feels so strange that sometimes people be so blind to situations even when they have past experiences which can help them out. This book made me realise how aware I should be of what happening in my life. This book is an atmospheric read. What I mean by that is you must lounge back and dive into this book because that is exactly how this book makes you feel. The writing is like painting – bringing the lovely Cornish waters come to life through words while, simultaneously, presenting the drastic opposite nature of the protagonist’s heart and mind. Amanda’s writing is what I fell in love with, and it continues in this book too. The plot, too, kept me engaged till the end, making me complete the book in one day. Speaking of the end, this book gave me the most satisfying of ends in this genre – every character got what they deserved and were served well. Though I felt a tiny bit sense of surprise missing, the book was an enjoyable read.

The Cornish Retribution by Amanda James gets 4 out of 5 stars from me.

Amanda has written since she was a child, but never imagined that her words would be published, given that she left school with no real qualifications of note apart from an A* in how to be a nuisance in class. Nevertheless, she returned to education when her daughter was five and eventually became a history teacher. Then in 2010, after many twists and turns, the dream of becoming a writer came true when her first short story was published. Amanda has written many short stories and has six novels currently published.

Amanda grew up in Sheffield but now has realised her lifelong dream of living in Cornwall and her writing is inspired every day by the dramatic coastline near her home. She has sketched out many stories in her head while walking the cliff paths. Four of her mystery/suspense novels are set there, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, Summer in Tintagel, Behind the Lie and Rip Current. The Cornish Retribution is also set in Cornwall and will be published by Bloodhound Books in October 2018.

Amanda, known to many as Mandy, spends far more time than is good for her on social media and has turned procrastination to a fine art. She can also usually be found playing on the beach with her family, or walking the cliff paths planning her next book.

Thank you to Bloodhound Books for providing me with the e-book.

Don’t forget to check out the other blogs who are taking part in this blog tour!