Fallen Butterfly by Anna Nicholas
Eccentric, headstrong and engaging, Isabel Flores Montserrat is a cross between a highly charged Precious Ramotswe (The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency) & Phyrne Fisher (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries).
With political tensions running high due to a controversial new motorway scheme, the chilling and ritualistic murder of a high-flying local government minister sends shockwaves through the island. When her home is ransacked and another brutal killing occurs, Isabel Flores Montserrat, unorthodox former detective, joins up once again with Mallorca’s police chief, Tolo Cabot, in a perilous race for answers.
Meanwhile, fear and distrust grow in Isabel’s village as fake signs and cairn markers send disorientated hikers plunging off cliffs. Is this mountain mischief the work of environmentalists or is something far more sinister afoot?
About the author
ANNA NICHOLAS is of Celtic origin & has lived for 20 years in rural Mallorca. An inveterate traveller & experienced freelance journalist, she regularly participates in humanitarian aid expeditions overseas with British explorer Colonel John Blashford-Snell, CBE & is a Fellow of the RGS. She ran her own PR company in Mayfair, London, for 20 years, was a Guinness Book of Records adjudicator alongside the book’s founder, Norris McWhirter, CBE, and as a rookie press officer at charity Help the Aged, handled events for Princess Diana. She runs an international marathon annually for her favourite causes. Anna & friend, Alison, are currently scaling all of Mallorca’s 54 peaks over 1,000m. They hope to be the first women to have climbed them all by the end of 2023.
Review
‘Fallen Butterfly’ is a brilliant addition to one of my favourite series! I found this to be a dazzling and accomplished novel that wasn't afraid to touch on dark and traumatizing issues. The darkness is counterbalanced with light and joy though as these novels have an essence of delight and playfulness at it's heart.
Isabel has become one of my favourite characters. I wish I was as cool and intelligent as Isabel is, sigh! She really is a brilliant character - friendly, loyal, intelligent, strong, quirky and just darn right cool. Plus she has a pet ferret called Furo, how can you not fall in love with her? I also feel as if there is a lot of the author in Isabel. After reading the last book in Anna's travel series ‘Peacocks in Paradise’ I am beginning to see the similarities between them and that is not a bad thing! I also always come away from these books very hungry for some reason! I googled far too much when it came to the food and now I feel as if I need to visit Mallorca and eat it all!
We have two threads to this book. The first was the death of a local politician and the second was the issue of hikers being directed incorrectly up in the hills. I enjoyed both of them, with there being great reveals as we came towards the end of the book! Plus, we had one of those great scenes ala Poirot telling everyone who the baddies were. A great nod to golden age crime.
I had a real pinch me moment when I received a copy of the book as I realised that I had been quoted on the back cover!! The first time this has happened to me - world domination is coming! Thank you so much Anna you have made this blogger very happy.
Let me know if you pick this one! And you should do as this series deserves all the success.
