Children of the Plantation: A "Diana Rivers" Mystery

Diana Rivers #2

by Faith Mortimer

Mystery-suspense-thriller writer, Faith Mortimer warmly invites you to book two, “Children of The Plantation”, in the best-selling Diana Rivers mystery thriller series. It’s disturbing, thrilling and is described as an “Exotic Agatha Christie -Style Mystery”.

Book Description:

After discovering the truth surrounding the bloody murders in, “The Assassins’ Village”, our sexy, feisty sleuth and heroine, Diana Rivers and her partner Steve, decide they deserve a holiday. When trying to relax at their luxurious palm fringed plantation hotel in lush, tropical Malaysia; things don’t quite work out as they imagined.

Diana is approached by the hotel owner, the enigmatic Miss Chalcot, well-bred, imperious and secretive, to take a look through some old family documents. Miss Chalcot possesses a burning ambition to put right a dreadful wrong that occurred over forty years ago – and Diana is given free rein to pursue the mysterious past of the family and discover what lies behind the dark stories.

Diana enters into a world of the 1950’s and 1960’s, where lies, deceit, illicit love, jealousies and perhaps murder all feature.

What really happened all those years ago? Who were Paul, Hermione and the beautiful but selfish Eleanor? Who was responsible for events that shocked the whole family and plunged it into despair? And what is the real story behind the façade? Will Diana triumph against all odds yet again? Faith challenges you to guess before the final curtain.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction

227 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 11, 2011

About the author

Faith Mortimer was born in Manchester and educated in Singapore, Malaya and Hampshire, England. A Registered nurse,then changed careers to oversee a number of travel and sport related companies. Faith is happily married and has two children. She lives in the south of England and so far, has written three series of books which are also, all standalone novels.

ALL BOOKS ARE PUBLISHED IN PAPERBACK & EBOOK FORM:

NEW! PARADISE PRISON published 7th Jan 2017 #4th book in The Dark Minds Psychological Thriller Series http://amzn.to/2gD2u8G

A VERY DISTANT AFFAIR #5 book in the Very Affair series (all standalone). Set in England and Australia. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Very-Distant...

THE GREEN ROOM #3rd book in The Dark Mind Psychological Thriller Series. Is NOW published!! Set in England http://amzn.to/1N1t7rO

THE ASSASSINS' VILLAGE,#1 Diana Rivers Series Murder mystery set in Cyprus. This novel was chosen by Harper Collins/Authonomy to be the Number 1 book. ttp://amzn.to/1DJ0s8r

CHILDREN OF THE PLANTATION,#2 Diana Rivers Series, murder mystery, set in Malaysia during the 1950s & the present. http://amzn.to/1AX0NVA

THE SURGEON'S BLADE,#3 Diana Rivers Series A tense psychological thriller set in England. http://amzn.to/1IAgrX8

THE BAMBOO MIRROR. An eclectic collection of short stories, covering ghosts, murder, mystery, romance and greed. http://amzn.to/1xOEeB1

THE SEEDS OF TIME BOOK 1 THE CROSSING. Set in Europe. Romance/Drama/Action. http://amzn.to/1AFLC43

HARVEST BOOK 2 THE CROSSING. Set in Europe. Romance/Drama/Action http://amzn.to/1shmqhs

CAMERA ACTION...MURDER! #4 Diana Rivers Series Mystery/suspense. Set in England. http://amzn.to/1tVdq2y

A VERY FRENCH AFFAIR,Edgy romantic drama.Set on the south coast of France. http://amzn.to/17taQH1

CHILDHUNT #5 Diana Rivers Series. Psychological Suspense Thriller, set in Cyprus. http://amzn.to/1AX02Mg

ON DEVIL'S BRAE #1 in the Dark Minds Series, set in Scotland: Psychological Suspense Thriller http://amzn.to/14FJqMY

ON CHRISTMAS HILL A Seasonal Romance in The Very Affair Series, set in England. http://amzn.to/1y2LJn0

A DEADLY LEARNING,The 6th #Diana Rivers Mystery suspense, set in Portugal. http://amzn.to/1y0q6GU

A VERY ENGLISH AFFAIR - Edgy romantic drama, set in England. http://amzn.to/14FJfRQ

BEHIND A TWISTED SMILE - #2 Dark Minds Psychological Thriller, set in England. http://amzn.to/1AWYEcy

NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS - Edgy romantic drama in The Very Affair Series, set in England. http://amzn.to/1y2Lpog

THE GREEN ROOM #3rd book in The Dark Minds Psychological Thriller Series. Set in England http://amzn.to/1N1t7rO

A VERY DISTANT AFFAIR Taut romantic drama, set in England and Australia. http://amzn.to/2hqySYN

NEW! PARADISE PRISON published 7th Jan 2017 #4th book in The Dark Minds Psychological Thriller Series http://amzn.to/2gD2u8G

I'm always glad to talk to readers & answer questions...contact me:

Please follow on Facebook on page, www.facebook.com/FaithMortimer.Author

Twitter @FaithMortimer

Website,
http://www.faithmortimerauthor.com

Happy reading and thanks for dropping by!x

Reviews

[Elizabeth Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appear to be reading the Diana Rivers Mysteries in the wrong order since I started with number two and have just read number six but that doesn’t matter at all as each book is complete in itself with the mystery solved by novelist “Diana Rivers”.

However in “Children of the Plantation” Diana takes a back seat for most of the storyline, reading about a murder, which took place many years before, through the diaries of two members of a family. This novel is set in a hotel near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia where Diana and her husband have gone for a relaxing holiday. Originally the hotel was a house belonging to Sir Winston Chalcot who ran a rubber plantation and his daughter still lives there. Miss Chalcot gives Diana the diary of Sir Winston’s wife Eleanor and that of their child Alex, asking her to put them together into an accurate family history which would, “put things straight.”

Lady Eleanor’s diary introduce her as a dreamy, unhappy woman in the early 1950s travelling back to England on her own, leaving her two daughters, without telling her husband that she is pregnant. During the voyage she meets forthright, independent Hermione, who is to become a major part of Eleanor’s life.

Diana moves on to the diary of Alex in the 1960s when he, his mother and Aunt Hermione are back in Malaya with Sir Winston and his two daughters Emma and Felicity. Alex has an awkward relationship with siblings Emma and Felicity but regularly goes out riding with them. Sir Winston trusts the running of the rubber estate to a young local man, Paul Tan, whom Emma and Felicity find attractive despite his being outside their social circle. Alex spies on everyone including Paul and his sisters but as Paul trains him to run the estate they become close.

The diaries are written as narrative which seems strange but allows the reader to become fully involved. As Diana Rivers is pregnant she does not take an active part in investigating the disaster which occurred in the Chalcot household but realising that she is, “waking a sleeping dragon,” she figures out something of what has happened. I was just beginning to guess the twist at the end as I reached it, but it was a successful surprise, as all the clues were subtle.

I very much enjoyed this step back into mid-20th century history and the atmosphere Faith has created is reminiscent of L.P. Hartley’s “The Go-Between”. Her description of the tropical environment reminded me of travelling through Malaya to visit Fraser’s Hill when I was a child in the 1960s. This peaceful setting contrasts well with the undercurrent of fear and danger both in local politics and the story’s plot.

[Ciclochick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read Faith's The Assassins' Village which I thoroughly enjoyed, I was very keen to acquaint myself with another work by her. This did not disappoint.

Diana (a prominent author and newly pregnant) and Steve go on holiday to Malaysia where Diana spent time as a child. The owner (Miss Chalcot) of the hotel in which they are staying, is an admirer of Diana's work and asks her if she would kindly sift through some diaries and papers to gather information on some particular family events that occurred in the 50s and 60s, in this very hotel, to write a book with a view to 'putting right' some questionable details. Diana however, has some innate sleuthing skills and uncovers more than Miss Chalcot expected.

The story is told mostly via the diaries. I do not know if Faith herself actually spent time in Malaysia – but her knowledge and/or research into this country's history of the last 60 or 70 years ago is impeccable and provides a well-informed backdrop to the story. The story is perfectly conceived and you are never ahead of Diana as she unfolds the mysteries of the wealthy Chalcot family. All the characters are well portrayed and very credible; there are teenagers with new and raw emotions, parents who are mismatched and distant, charismatic local members of the family's staff and Diana and Steve are an amiable, likeable couple whose affection for each other is evident without being 'schmaltzy'.

Faith is certainly making her mark as a 'mystery' writer and I see Diana becoming the next 'Miss Marple', with her congenial husband Steve as her sidekick!

Diana and Steve are two characters featured in The Assassins' Village - reading it is not a prerequisite; Children is not a sequel. It stands alone perfectly and is just as enjoyable.

Well done, Faith, you have delighted your readers once again.

[Faith Mortimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

After discovering the truth surrounding the bloody murders in, “The Assassins’ Village”, our sexy, feisty sleuth and heroine, Diana Rivers and her partner Steve, decide they deserve a holiday. Trying to relax at their luxurious palm fringed plantation hotel in lush, tropical Malaysia; things don’t quite work out as they imagined.
Diana is approached by the hotel owner, the enigmatic Miss Chalcot, well-bred, imperious and secretive, to take a look through some old family documents. Miss Chalcot possesses a burning ambition to put right a dreadful wrong that occurred over forty years ago – and Diana is given free rein to pursue the mysterious past of the family and discover what lies behind the dark stories.
Diana enters into a world of the 1950’s and 1960’s, where lies, deceit, illicit love, jealousies and perhaps murder all feature.
What really happened all those years ago? Who were Paul, Hermione and the beautiful but selfish Eleanor? Who was responsible for events that shocked the whole family and plunged it into despair? And what is the real story behind the façade?
Will Diana triumph against all odds yet again?
I challenge you to guess before the final curtain.

[Aunty Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, far more than the previous in the series - 'The Assassins' Village'. I found the plot to be much 'tighter' and there appeared to be far fewer characters. (I may be wrong, I haven't counted). I was gripped by the story, but had guessed the surprise (I don't want to spoil the story for others), but had forgotten it again by the end! The last 10% of the book is a repeat of the beginning of 'The Assassins' Village. You don't need to have read it to enjoy this book, which is the second in the series. I'm now intrigued enough to want to read the next in the series - 'The surgeons blade'.

[Maureen Vincent-Northam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holidaying with her husband in a Malaysian hotel, author and sleuth Diane Rivers is asked to read some diaries belonging to the owner, Miss Chalcot with the view to putting right a wrong that happened many years earlier. Through these diaries, we meet Miss Chalcot’s parents, siblings, and others that helped shape the family’s mysterious past.

The descriptions of Malaysia set the scene well – the author undoubtedly knows a great deal about the location – making the Children of the Plantation a skilfully told and winning story.

[Joey Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

CHILDREN OF THE PLANTATION is the second in the Diana Rivers series and the story is once again filled with mystery and intrigue. Accosted on holiday to write the story of a family and put right a wrong once done in the past, Diana is left with diaries telling the tale of a forty year old murder. The book is well written and kept me guessing until the very end, at which point I was delighted with the way it had ended. Another excellent book from Faith Mortimer and will continue to read and enjoy this fantastic author!

[Jackie Roche · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the second in the Diane Rivers' series.

The picture she painted of Malaya made me want to jump on a plane and go there immediately.

The ending was an OMG moment. Never in a million years would I have worked it out!

I'm definitely going to download "The Surgeon's Blade", the next Diane Rivers adventure.

For those of you who love a good mystery this is certainly a book for you.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book

I enjoyed reading this story of a changing time where some couldn't let go of the ways of the past. There were a few things I didn't care for, that is why 4 stars instead of 5. I had it figured out about 75 percent through, but had to read about how it unfolded. Thank you

[Janice Fahrney-rudeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

FAMILY SECRETS

FAMILY SECRETS

Interesting format and a complex family tragedy. I believe this is the next series for me---light and entertaining with wonderful lead character.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diana Rivers is exploring a mystery from the past involving a dysfunctional family in Malaysia.

[Elaine]

read after "The Assassin's Village"

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. I think I may have liked it better than the first one. Liked the fact that you didn't have to read The Assasins' Village first, even though I did.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great read from the second book in the series. fans of this series will not be disappointed.

[Malissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put down

Interesting characters. Not your typical who done it. The story was told through a series of diaries from the point of view of several characters.

[Matt Kelland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy the previous Diana Rivers books, but this one was okay. I liked the story - murder in the expat colony of 1960s Malaya. However, I didn't like the way the story was told.

It's told in flashback, using the device of a novelist who is given some diaries and asked if she can make a novel out of them. I've never liked the idea of using a writer as a character: it always feels like the author is trying to make themselves part of the story instead of letting it stand on its own. What I really didn't like though, was that the flashbacks didn't feel like diaries for two reasons. Firstly, they weren't the sort of thing that you write in a diary: who, when writing about traumatic events, remembers to write about what clothes they changed into, the shower they took, the texture of the carpet and other mundane details? And secondly, they didn't feel like they were written by the children whose diaries they claimed to me: the language was too adult, and the viewpoints were too mature. As a result, it felt jarring, and the flips back to the present day felt intrusive and unnecessary. I would have enjoyed it much more if it simply been told as a straightforward story, without the flashbacks and diaries.

The end was a real let-down. I guessed whodunnit fairly soon after the actual crime took place (in fact, I'd guessed who it was going to be and what they were going to do before then), and I'd started to suspect the big twist fairly early. I don't mind that - it makes me feel smart - but the big reveal at the end was something of an anti-climax.

So, good story, good setting, good characters, but it would have been better without the Diana Rivers framing.

[Doreena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definately not what I thought it was going to be. This one is slower to establish the story line than the first book.

[Leila I. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book was well written, but not my type of book. I did not find any suspense in this book. I really
only enjoy lots of suspense along with the central mystery.