Review No 11: Ember Island by Kimberley Freeman

Bestselling novelist Nina Jones has always felt like a fraud and now it seems she has psyched herself out from writing anything worthwhile. Suffering from a severe case of writer's block she welcomes a distraction from her looming deadline when a storm damages her home on Ember Island, near Brisbane. Needing to go over and oversee the repairs she is happy to spend some time there and is hoping the space and isolation will re-boot her creativity.

The discovery of some old diary pages within the walls of her home are yet another distraction that prove to become an obsession as Nina becomes absorbed in a century old mystery involving young English woman Tilly Kirkland and her charge Nell. Tilly spent time in the very same house as a governess after escaping an unhappy marriage in England. Her intriguing story unravels slowly parallel with Nina's own.

As is her style Kimberley Freeman seamlessly weaves the historic and modern elements of the story in such a way to keep the reader in a constant state of curiosity. I was absorbed in both Nina and Tilly's stories, eager to read ahead and find the next bit but then similarly captivated when the chapters switched to the other character.

Ember Island is beautifully written with a delicious underlying state of suspense throughout. The pace is moderate and I loved the location. Both characters are wonderfully drawn and the historical elements are accurate while easily blending the fictitious location to make the story work so well. A great read.