Sandcastles

Honor Sullivan’s life isn’t what anyone could call conventional. She is a painter and her husband a sculptor and photographer. John Sullivan travels the world creating sculptures from nature and then photographs them before nature takes it back. Honor’s life and the lives of their three daughters is shattered when on location in Ireland John is arrested for murder and is sentenced to prison.

Now years later, John is released and wishes to return to his family, in time for his eldest daughter’s wedding. Can he heal the damage between himself and his family?

The settings in SANDCASTLES are beautiful and detailed so that the reader feels he or she there with Honor. The characters are well penned, as one would expect from Luanne Rice. The oldest daughter, Regis did strike a cord with this reader. She is a young woman forced to grow up too fast and therefore struggles to keep control of her own life, even if it means jumping into things without thinking clearly. However, SANDCASTLES is a below par offer for this author. This reviewer struggled to keep focused and attentive throughout the story.

SANDCASTLES delves into the emotional trauma that can either destroy a family or keep it together. The basis of the book is a good one. But the storyline is a bit confusing, and quite frankly the book was a bit of a disappointment in that it held little surprises, could almost be called predictable. Will there be a sequel? That is about the only intrigue that this reader found in SANDCASTLES. And she rather hopes that there isn’t.

This fan of Ms Rice knows this author will be back with a winner and looks forward to the release of her newest book, What Matters Most.

September 2007