Review: Monarch (& giveaway)

Nick’s life as a CIA spy should be fulfilling, but it has only given him unhappiness—a wife who committed suicide, and two daughters who resent everything he has become. Now, stuck in the Amazon on the last mission of his career, he must track down Matheus Ferreira, a drug lord and terrorist the U.S. has tried to bring down for years. If he succeeds, he’ll have the chance to start his life over again.

Just when Nick is on the brink of catching Ferreira, he’s framed for a murder that turns his world upside down. His only chance of survival lies in West Virginia where Lilian Love, a woman from his past, owns the secluded Monarch Inn. He’s safe, but not for long…

(Giveaway now closed).

Thrillers are another genre that I don’t read often, but after reading Cinders (read my review here) I just had to find out what MichelleDavidson Argyle had to offer next.  When I heard that it was a thriller I have to admit that I was a little cautious, but after reading it I can safely say there was nothing I didn’t love about this story.

Monarch, to me, isn’t just a thriller – it’s a romance, a mystery, an adventure story with plenty of family issues all cohesively winding together to create a thrilling story.  I wanted to know more about every single character and I have to admit that I often found myself thinking and wondering about them (and sometimes forgetting that they aren’t real people I know!) when I wasn’t reading.

Michelle has seriously upped her game with Monarch – I was constantly trying to work out what was going to happen (and no, I didn’t manage to guess most of the twists and turns) and when I wasn’t reading it, I wanted to be reading it.  She also weaves the imagery of monarchs (a type of butterfly) throughout, giving this thiller a unique undercurrent of threat and hope. 

This is a gripping tale that I highly recommend to anyone wanting to escape reality for a while (it will also put your problems in perspective), in fact, it’s so good that I’ve put it back on my ‘to-read’ list as I miss all the characters (that’s a big deal for me as I very rarely re-read anything) and I just know I’ll be able to delve deeper the next time.

So therefore I say you should definitely read this book.  And I’m even giving away 2 copies of Monarch in my very first blog giveaway!  To enter just tell me about a book you’ve read and enjoyed (it can be something you’ve read recently or something you remember reading in the past) in the comments.  The winner will be picked at random next Saturday (17^th September) at midday (GMT).  For an extra chance to win, tell someone about this competition – it can be on twitter, facebook, your blog, or even your mum – and let me know (again, in the comments).  If you are in the USA you will be entered to win a print copy and if you are anywhere else in the world you will be entered to win an ebook - please let me know in your comment where you are.

If I haven't managed to convince you to read this book, you can read the first two chapters on Michelle's website.

This post is part of the Monarch Blog Tour - check out the other blogs involved for more reviews, interviews and giveaways.

[Disclaimer: I received a paperback ARC in return for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.  The giveaway is being run by me but the prize (a copy of Monarch by Michelle Davidson Argyle) is provided by Rhemalda Publishing.]