Hidden Notes: a fantasy romance mystery with historical family secrets, ghosts, travel, and suspense

by Eva Alton

Los secretos familiares siempre terminan saliendo a la luz… si no en vida, tras la muerte.
En plena Guerra Civil Española , una joven valenciana cruza Europa por amor para exiliarse en la antigua Yugoslavia . Carmen jamás pensó que su secreto, oculto desde los años cuarenta, saldría a la luz en el siglo XXI.

Una herencia setecentista que puede salvar a una mujer sin futuro.
Un fantasma con una deuda que saldar.
Tras recibir una visita del espectro de su difunta madre, Vesna viaja a Eslovenia en busca de una enigmática herencia. Un músico fracasado la acompaña en su búsqueda, durante la cual desenterrarán misterios familiares que quedaron sepultados entre las ruinas de la Europa ocupada de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Una historia contada a tres voces por tres generaciones de una familia; tres mujeres unidas por décadas de secretos, que deberán ser desvelados si desean hallar la paz.

Comentarios de la crítica:

“Inmediatamente te sumerges en el personaje de Vesna y sus fantasmas. Me encanta su carácter e ironía. La relación romántica con Max te mantiene en vilo, mientras la historia de la abuela durante la guerra se va desgranando en capítulos alternos y te obliga a seguir leyendo…” ―G. G.

Una ficción histórica de fantasía romántica a caballo entre el presente, la Guerra Civil Española y la Segunda Guerra Mundial, que cautivará por igual a lectoras de Lucinda Riley, Kate Morton y V. E. Schwab.

Sumérgete en esta novela de suspense romántico en la que las intrigas se entrelazan magistralmente, creando una lectura imposible de dejar de lado que reúne elementos de nuestra herencia cultural con una trama propia de un thriller sobrenatural.

Otros Libros de la Autora:

Bruja Extraviada: Novela ganadora del premio Estaca de Plata 2020
Espejo de Bruja
Mascarada de Brujas
Elementos de Bruja

Genres: Romance, Historical, Paranormal, Ghosts, Magical Realism

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2023

About the author

"Once upon a time, I designed homes for the real world; now I weave magical worlds where reality fades away."

Eva Alton is an award-winning author of paranormal romance, magical realism and paranormal women's fiction novels. She's the author of Stray Witch and The Vampires of Emberbury Series.



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Reviews

[Sunnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC to rate and review. This is my honest opinion/ feedback and my feelings (emotions).

A solid 4.75 stars. The writing was inviting, taunting, and haunting. I was so captivated by the search that started in the beginning and wove its way throughout. In addition to the excitement created by the search there was a great deal of heartache. And, we are reminded of that heartache again and again by a presence from beyond. Would you want the opportunity to express your love or forgiveness to someone you won’t ever see again? Or perhaps both forgiveness and love . . . or your negative thoughts or even hatred? All of the above? Think. How big is your heart, or how scared? Reading Hidden Notes by Eva Alton is very cathartic and will change your life forever because you will never be ambivalent again.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy entretenido, me he metido rapidamente en la aventura, me ha gustado mucho

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much! The author brilliantly weaved the stories of our main character with those of her mother and grandmother, while taking the reader for a trip travelling to unknown countries and languages to learn and discover a mystery that had this reader engaged fully until the end!

The mystery and the discovery was expertly delivered. Add a bit of romance, and some fantastic character development, this book is easily one I would recommend to others.

I look forward to reading more books from this author!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dulce María · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bellísima historia!!!
Recomiendo ampliamente el libro y más para las personas que nos gusta la Ficción histórica. Muy ágil y divertida lectura, devorando las páginas para saber más y más de Vesna, Beatriz, Carmen, personajes protagónicos.
Recorrido desde la Guerra Civil Española, Segunda Guerra Mundial , Eslovenia hasta 2016.

[Beta Lectureta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una novela con muy buena trama y tiene muy buen ritmo.
La historia es muy emocionante, intensa y con su parte romántica. Me ha encantado, te ves envuelta en su historia desde las primeras páginas. Esta contada a tres tiempos: la primera, llevará a Vesna a recorrer Eslovenia. La segunda, un viaje por la Guerra Civil Española y la II Guerra Mundial. La tercera, la infancia de Vesna.

[María · Rating 3 out of 5]

No está mal, entretenido sin más.

[Jen Farias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hidden Notes is a delightful light mystery, romance and historical fiction novel. We meet Beatrice , Vesna and Carmen, three generations of women going through the hardest times of their lives. The story spans many historical events of Europe starting from the 1940s to the 2010s. The events of the story do sometimes rely on the events of the world but you do not have to be a historian to understand how the characters are feeling and struggling with the events. Reading Carmen's side of the mystery, we feel the heartbreak and tribulation of the ongoing war. With Beatrice, her story has less to do with world events and more with her own personal hardships. Vesna tied then all together in a whirlwind ride across the country with her newly made companion, Max.
There were only two major plot points that I felt were a bit convenient. I couldn't pick up on any foreshadowing on either of them, even on my second read through. One of them almost seemed like it was added just for creating drama for Vesna and Max, and not for any other reason.
I enjoyed the different perspectives and I felt that each read like three different women of their time. There was maybe one or two lines where I couldn't tell if the perspective got skewed and sent feedback for clarification. Overall, the book was a very good romance with history and mystery and I recommend it if you like generational historical fiction. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kathryn E Hagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare for one of the strangest treasure hunts you've ever read about. Vesna is searching for an inheritance from her father who died when she was four years old. Her mother has just committed suicide a few days ago-- on Vesna's birthday. Now Mom has returned as a ghost and is sparingly doling out clues to Vesna about where she should go next in the hunt.

Vesna's married boss has just announced that his wife is having a baby and the office busybody has just disseminated a compromising photograph of Vesna and said boss. This makes it easy for Vesna to decide to take some time away from her job.

" Hidden Notes" is told by three generations of a family of women: a daughter, Vesna; her mother, Beatriz (a ghost for most of the story); and her grandmother, Carmen (via her diary, found among Beatriz's things). Carmen's timeline begins in 1936 and Vesna's, in 2016.

The story takes place in Madrid, where Vesna has gone to live, and Slovenia, the home of many of her ancestors. Vesna can't imagine that her inheritance would be anything substantial, but what if it is? It's not as if she has a great life in Madrid; why not go for it?

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my opinion of this book as an ARC reader. It started of a bit depressing and I wasn't sure if I would like it. But the more I read and got into the story, got to know the characters, the more I was drawn in to the Three stories - it starts with Beartrix, who, as a ghost, comes to her daughter, Vesna to tell her about her life, her husband and an inheritance she must find, that will of benefit to her. Vesna only has money in mind - or something she can sell. While on her journey, Beatrix leads Vesna to her grandmother's diary. It sounds a bit convoluted but I did become fascinated by the stories of the two older, dead women and the changes in Vesna's character during her journey of discovery. There's some genealogy along the way too. The end was perfect - I liked it a lot

[Carol P - H · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Hidden Notes” is an intriguing mystery quest. It’s the first book I’ve read by Eva Alton. It’s a bit like being on a wide-ranging scavenger hunt without knowing the rules where clues come from the most unexpected places—including conversations with the recently departed, a grandmother’s diary and seemingly ordinary people. The characters are all flawed personalities raised in dysfunctional families and haunted by past mistakes. I thank the author for an advance review copy and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat down to read this book and told myself "just a few chapters before bed". 6 hours later I had devoured every page and was absolutely blown away by the story. The plot was solid, the backdrop of Madrid and Slovenia was refreshing, and as an amateur genealogist I enjoyed the scavenger hunt of Vesna finding the missing pieces of her family, and also herself along the way.

I would definitely recommend this book to others.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Eva Alton]

Ghosts. Travel. Family. Secrets.



"Beatriz Exposito decided to die that morning.
Sadly, she was completely unaware that it wouldn’t prevent her past from knocking on her door to collect her debts..."

~ December 5, 2023

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the normal type of book I would read, but found it interesting. The life of a family from during the war to 2018. There are many twists, murder, betrayal, romances good and bad but a happy ever after ending. Don’t be put off by the first few chapters persevere and it gets better.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Flor Villamar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es una historia que me ha gustado bastante, el cómo la cuentan, el trasfondo y algunos detalles, el cómo cambiamos de mayores a más jóvenes. El diario de Carmen, y los pequeños detalles de aquella España ( aunque me habría gustado que explicaran algo más sobre eso). La trama de Martin... también me ha llamado mucho la atención.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. This has a great plot and great characters. I also found this to be a fast read and I will be looking for more books by this author. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Eva Alton]

"Los secretos familiares siempre terminan saliendo a la luz..."



📚Valencia, 1937. En plena Guerra Civil Española, una joven valenciana cruza Europa por amor para exiliarse en la antigua Yugoslavia. Carmen jamás pensó que su secreto, oculto desde los años cuarenta, saldría a la luz en el siglo XXI.

Una herencia setecentista que puede salvar a una mujer sin futuro...
Un fantasma con una deuda que saldar...

📚Madrid, 2016. Tras recibir una visita del espectro de su difunta madre, Vesna viaja a Eslovenia en busca de una enigmática herencia. Un músico fracasado la acompaña en su búsqueda, durante la cual desenterrarán misterios familiares que quedaron sepultados entre las ruinas de la Europa ocupada de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Una historia contada a tres voces por tres generaciones de una familia; tres mujeres unidas por décadas de secretos, que deberán ser desvelados si desean hallar la paz.

[Roberto Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bella, emocionante y conmovedora.

Esta es una novela distinta a las anteriores de la autora, pero lograda con la misma gracia, ingenio, y talento de siempre. Siendo una novela histórica, contada en dos tiempos, cae felizmente en uno de mis géneros preferidos, a la vez que integra familiares elementos sobrenaturales. Aquí se abre una nueva avenida para Eva Alton, que seguro será todo un éxito. Voy a seguir esta serie, y esa es la mejor recomendación que puedo dar.

[Lulu Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro 75/2025
Este libro tiene muy buen ritmo y la lectura es muy amena. La narrativa entrelaza la historia de tres generaciones de mujeres con sus secretos y sus motivaciones.
Me gustó que los personajes principales no son mujeres perfectas, pero sus vidas y sus experiencias las han llevado a tener carácteres similares y tomar decisiones de vida parecidas.

[Nennete · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta autora es increible, sus libros enganchan. Desgraciadamente para este libro, yo leí primero la serie de la bruja que me súper fascinó y pues este, aunque es bueno, no me gustó tanto.

[Abby Schneider · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hidden Notes by Eva Alton is a really intriguing mystery about three generations of women and their experiences during and after the Spanish Civil War. This is not a topic that I am particularly well versed in, so I was excited to be able to read this book and learn a bit more. Unlike some historical based books I have read recently, a background knowledge in this era is not needed to truly enjoy this book. I learned a lot about the era while also getting to enjoy this mystery.

This story follows female protagonist, Vesna, as she travels back to the site where her grandmother lived during the Spanish Civil War in an attempt to gain her inheritance. While attempting this task, she is helped by the ghost of her recently deceased mother and the diary that her grandmother, Carmen, kept during the war. While I found Beatriz (Vesna’s mother) to be a bit unhelpful, I really loved the characters of Carmen and Vesna. I found them to be strong female characters who worked to go after what they wanted. Vesna also comes into acquaintance with a violinist named Max, who helps her through her journey to find her inheritance. The relationship between Vesna and Max is really interesting. I liked their banter and while I wouldn’t consider this novel a romance, I did love their romantic relationship.

This book was a bit slow paced for me. I often found myself zoning out while reading because I struggled in scenes where it felt nothing was happening. The writing style is lovely and easy to follow and beautifully described scenery and characters. I just struggled with the pacing of the story a little. It did pick up quite a bit towards the end and I enjoyed the pacing of the second half. The transition from prose to the diary entries that Carmen left did keep me intrigued though and I loved that little change of scenery every once in a while. There were also some really fun twists throughout the story. Overall, I would recommend this story to any history nerds out there, or people who love stories about generations coming together. It is a great story about family and how people come together in times of trouble.

Trigger warnings for this book include mentions and the act of a suicide, non-graphic sex, marital affairs, and death. Many of these things are mentioned, but none of them are described in graphic detail or too extensively. The suicide of Vesna’s mother, Beatriz, does take place from her point of view, which may be triggering to some.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hidden Notes is a light mystery novel that involves three generations of women and their experiences during and after the Spanish Civil War. Vesna, with the aid of her mother's ghost and her grandmother's diary, goes off on a scavenger hunt to find a lost family inheritance. Vesna has much to learn about her family history along the way.

I was very intrigued from the beginning. The Spanish Civil War is a topic that I know very little about, and I have never read a novel set during that time. That's why my favorite part of the plot was when the reader was exposed to Carmen's diary pages. Her experiences as a nurse during the Civil War and then again during the Second World War were very compelling, and I was excited to read through them. Another highlight of the story is the amount of traveling Vesna does to uncover each hint towards her inheritance. The majority of her travel occurs in Slovenia and close to the Italian border. The atmosphere the author creates in these locations was really fun to experience. It was another setting that I had little experience with.

Unfortunately that's all I really enjoyed about this novel, and a big part of that was due to how unlikeable a character Vesna is. She's incredibly selfish, judgemental, and extremely hypocritical, especially towards her mother's past mistakes. All Vesna cared about was getting the money for her inheritance, and she learned absolutely nothing from the experiences of her mother and grandmother. I honestly don't know what the point of this story was, besides the author giving a voice to an experience of the Spanish Civil War. The diaries themselves would have made for a better novel. The plot twists were rushed and underdeveloped, and the romance felt forced. The concept was definitely fun, but ultimately not for me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The description after the title a fantasy romance mystery with historical family secrets, ghosts, travel, and suspense sums up the essence of this book. The use of a ghost and a dairy is a brilliant way to unveil Vesna's family secrets and this is the part of I enjoyed the most. I didn't particularly care for the main character Vesna (she is judgmental and self-centered). Usually I cheer on a female character's development of self-discovery but in this case I felt she didn't deserve the outcome she received. I also thought it absurd that she blindly (or listened to a ghost) put her faith in the stranger Max that she just happened to cross paths with. It is well-written and I absolutely loved the historical aspects and the setting of Madrid and Slovenia. An interesting story that I recommend if you're looking for a unique read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[H.E. Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

With ghostly precision Beatriz guides her daughter, Vesna, towards understanding the past. In the twists and turns that take Vesna from Spain to Slovenia she discovers herself as well as a new life.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.