Book Review: Elsewhere

If you’re looking for a mystery thriller that isn’t scary and has a little bit of romance, then Elsewhere by Antonella M. Rivalta might be for you.

The novel takes place in a private community in Tennessee called Long Lakes. Valentina lives in a place on one of the lakes there, working from home running her wine importing business, while her daughter is away at college and her ex-husband is back in Italy. Valentina is from Italy, but when her husband wanted to try a new adventure, she moved with him to the US only to have him leave her a month later to return to the woman he had apparently been having an affair with for years. Making the most of her life, she enjoys her quiet life on the lake. Her quiet, predictable life gets interrupted when a Jack Erikson comes to town and rents an apartment in the community. Valentina is not the most welcoming to him at first because people aren’t supposed to be renting in the community. After initially giving him a hard time, Jack finally wears her down and gets her to agree to show him around on the premise that he’s considering buying a place. What she doesn’t know is that Jack is actually an undercover FBI agent who is investigating a fraud case in the community.

Valentina and Jack form a relationship, but will his cover be blown? Is there more than fraud going on in Long Lakes? Will they both be in danger?

I really enjoyed this novel. The beginning definitely hooked me in right away. I liked watching the friendship and relationship between Valentina and Jack grow. They really understood each others’ vulnerabilities having both been divorced and wanting to find happiness with someone who understood them. The mystery of what was going on in Long Lakes was believable and there weren’t any twists, but one or two red herrings, which kept things interesting.

I like mysteries, but not scary ones because I don’t like scary stories so this thriller was perfect for me.