Poinciana Road by Margaret Way

Published: Zebra
Date: October 25th 2016
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 320
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
               

A successful child psychologist, Mallory has no wish to return to the tropical hideaway where she experienced so much pain. But her Uncle Robert is ailing and it’s only right that she be there for the man who came to her rescue when she was a lost, lonely child. At least he is not alone—his protégé, and Mallory’s rival for his affections, is also at his side. Blaine Forrester hasn’t lost his knack for getting under Mallory’s skin, taking her breath away and leaving her unsettled at the same time.

While Robert recuperates, Mallory is shocked to learn that Jason Cartwright is on the payroll of his estate—the very man whose humiliating betrayal led her to leave North Queensland on the eve of her wedding. Confronting him—along with his wife and his manipulative twin sister—is a trial, though she can’t help forming a bond with little Ivy, Jason’s sickly daughter. But as tragedy strikes Moonglade, Mallory and Blaine will discover a darkness hidden within this deceptively beautiful world and their enigmatic circle—one that will either unite them at last, or tear apart the promise of paradise…

Poinciana Road was an enjoyable read, it is set in Queensland and is full of the flora and fauna of that part of the country, which just sounds so beautiful.  Poinciana Road leads up to the property that Mallory returns to when her uncle is ill. It is lined with Poinciana trees, so not knowing what they looked like I googled them. They are a beautiful tree with red flowers, together they look like a huge umbrella on the tree. Very striking, and are found in sub tropical and tropical areas.

This was a story that was filled with a variety of characters and moved along at a good pace. I kept reading because I wanted to know what happened next. And... I wanted to peek at the back, which to me means I am hooked. So... I kept reading.

Mallory has had a difficult past and overcoming it is now helping children like she once was as a child psychologist.  However she takes an extended break from it when her loved Uncle Robert is taken ill. When she returns home she meets up with an ex fiance, his twin sister, plus the woman he married and their child, and another man she has known from childhood and felt a strong attraction for. She can also at times see auras and senses at times those who have passed.

It is quite a mix and Margaret Way helps the reader infer what is going on with the twins, who have problems big time and a dark side. Ivy, the little one belonging to Kathy and Jason the male twin,  is thin and sickly. One of the questions throughout the book is why?  

So in short - a beautiful setting, some mysterious and sometimes sinister happenings and a little romance adds up to an engaging read.