The Turkish Affair

Anne Pierson has abandoned life in the West; choosing instead a quiet, secluded life in the tiny town of Gükale in Turkey. Conforming to the rigid social standards set for women in her new country, Anne is content to act as translator for visiting tourists - until the day she meets Renaud Townsend. The brusque but handsome man now serves as the supervisor in charge of the local archaeological dig, a site to which Anne seems drawn. But what fate has befallen Mike, the supervisor Renaud is replacing? As danger encroaches on the life inside which Anne once found safety, will she be able to trust Renaud when he offers a helping hand?

The reader is whisked away to exotic Turkey in this whirlwind romance/mystery, affording one a rare peek at the country’s customs, locales and cuisine in many chapters. Although the pacing for the romance skews off-kilter with Anne and Renaud behaving as a much more seasoned couple at the launch of their relationship, the cultural references and descriptions of artifacts offer depth to the narrative. The text relies too heavily on flat, lackluster verbs in places, which should be replaced to match the luster of the poetic descriptions of scenery and artifacts sprinkled throughout. A tightening up of the language, along with a rework of the character’s reactions to one another—irrational anger coupled with a "now I trust you; now I don’t mentality" —will create a romantic adventure any reader would be hard-pressed to lay aside.

Claudette Melanson