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Chic Charlie #2
Alone with a Tasman Tiger
In the Tasmanian wilderness six contestants battle it out to win $250,000. Only five finish.
In Bass Strait the Blue Gazelle yacht tackles fierce winds, huge waves and a phantom vessel, in its race to win the Tattersall Cup.
In London a fashion designer learns about a Belarussian scientist, possibly involved with a deadly technology.
In Hobart a search party is launched for a missing sailor.
At the centre of investigations are two feisty sleuths, Galina Ivanov and Charlotte Harmon, who are looking for clues which could save their partners and stop the spread of a devastating weapon.
Can they find them before all hope is lost?
A high stakes race. A missing friend and a search for the impossible.
In Bass Strait the Blue Gazelle yacht tackles fierce winds, huge waves and a phantom vessel, in its race to win the Tattersall Cup.
In London a fashion designer learns about a Belarussian scientist, possibly involved with a deadly technology.
In Hobart a search party is launched for a missing sailor.
At the centre of investigations are two feisty sleuths, Galina Ivanov and Charlotte Harmon, who are looking for clues which could save their partners and stop the spread of a devastating weapon.
Can they find them before all hope is lost?
A high stakes race. A missing friend and a search for the impossible.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2024
1 person is currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Jane Ellyson
10 books18 followersI’ve a deep connection to the far north coast of New South Wales in Australia where my novel Over Byron Bay is set. My great grandparents owned a farm a little way out of Byron Bay and grandparents a farm at nearby Mullumbimby.
I started writing Over Byron Bay in my last year at university in Lismore which is also located in the beautiful Northern Rivers area of New South Wales. For all the wannabe writers out there, let me report that it’s never too late to tell your story. It took 30 years for me to get Over Byron Bay written and published and I’m thrilled with my heart wrenching story of loss and love.
I’ve travelled extensively and lived in some lovely locations around the world including London, Paris and Nice. Nice, in the south of France was home for over a decade so it’s perhaps not surprising that the Cote d’Azur as it is more commonly known, takes centre stage in my second novel Substitute Child.
My heroine Charlotte Wyatt, visits London, Paris, Antibes, Cannes, Îles de Lérins and Monte Carlo on her journey to collect a bottle with a message inside. Her parents had thrown the bottle into the ocean off Byron Bay 20 years previously. It’s a thriller romance. It’s the story of a student on a journey to discover who she is and what she wants from life. It has fairy tale elements and lots of fun.
It’s also a wonderful travel story. The south of France where a fair chunk of the story is set is beautiful. I love the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea, the craggy rocky outcrops along the coastline and the orange, yellow and pink painted houses.
I’ve recently written the backstory to Over Byron Bay. You can pick up a copy for free by joining my mailing list at www.janeellyson.com
I currently live at Possum Creek just out of Bangalow in northern New South Wales in Australia, well I would if I could, rather than being the pen name of someone who’d prefer to remain anonymous.
I started writing Over Byron Bay in my last year at university in Lismore which is also located in the beautiful Northern Rivers area of New South Wales. For all the wannabe writers out there, let me report that it’s never too late to tell your story. It took 30 years for me to get Over Byron Bay written and published and I’m thrilled with my heart wrenching story of loss and love.
I’ve travelled extensively and lived in some lovely locations around the world including London, Paris and Nice. Nice, in the south of France was home for over a decade so it’s perhaps not surprising that the Cote d’Azur as it is more commonly known, takes centre stage in my second novel Substitute Child.
My heroine Charlotte Wyatt, visits London, Paris, Antibes, Cannes, Îles de Lérins and Monte Carlo on her journey to collect a bottle with a message inside. Her parents had thrown the bottle into the ocean off Byron Bay 20 years previously. It’s a thriller romance. It’s the story of a student on a journey to discover who she is and what she wants from life. It has fairy tale elements and lots of fun.
It’s also a wonderful travel story. The south of France where a fair chunk of the story is set is beautiful. I love the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea, the craggy rocky outcrops along the coastline and the orange, yellow and pink painted houses.
I’ve recently written the backstory to Over Byron Bay. You can pick up a copy for free by joining my mailing list at www.janeellyson.com
I currently live at Possum Creek just out of Bangalow in northern New South Wales in Australia, well I would if I could, rather than being the pen name of someone who’d prefer to remain anonymous.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 9, 2024
Dollycas’s Thoughts
A contest in the Tasmanian wilderness pits contestants against the elements each on their own. A yacht race has its contestants battling each other and the elements too. A fashion designer finds herself in the middle of an investigation that could have deadly consequences. Hang on tight . . .
I have not read the first book in this series where a few of the characters were introduced but that did not hinder my understanding or enjoyment of this story. The author provides a list of the main characters at the beginning of the mystery. Sebastian Ward (Seb) had some time to kill before participating in a yacht race so he signed up to be a contestant on a reality show, held in the Western Tasmanian wilderness. The object is to survive the longest before giving up or being taken out of the game for medical reasons.
The show is called Alone. It started with 20 contenders but was quickly cut to 6 contestants who were each delivered to their own plot of land where they must wear a tracker, film for at least 5 hours a day, not kill any bandicoots, Tasmanian devils, platypuses or eastern quolls, and try not to kill any snakes even if they are poisonous. They also can’t travel away from their plot of land or try to communicate with other contestants. They could only have clothes, a first aid kit, and 10 items selected from the things the show has provided like a blanket and cooking pot.
The first half of the book follows the contestants day-by-day in their quest. Part 2 takes readers along on a yacht race adventure where dangerous things happen. Part 3 takes readers to London where clues come together to explain what happened earlier and also takes us back to the wilderness. Some days overlap and I didn’t catch that at first but quickly caught on.
Ms. Ellyson has written a very compelling fast-paced story. I liked that it was told continually without jumping back and forth between times and places. I completely immersed myself in the day-to-day adventure in the wilderness. The pages just flew as I was not only entertained but learned things about animals, fishing, setting traps, making camp with accommodations to sleep, and storing food. Each contestant had different strengths and weaknesses. That could have been a book on its own.
Then readers are on the yacht observing everything it and the sailors encounter to reach the end, hopefully, to win a prize. The pages were still flying.
Then Part 3 brings everything together. People work together to find a missing person and find answers. Again the pages flew. Because of the length of this book, I allotted 3 days for it. but I stayed up late and read the whole thing in one night. Yes, I had a book hangover the next morning but I couldn’t put it down. It would make a great movie.
Alone with a Tasman Tiger was a very entertaining read with interesting characters in unique settings that grabbed me from page 1. This being the first book I have read by this author I am looking forward to more of her work, maybe the next book in her Chic Charlie Series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
A contest in the Tasmanian wilderness pits contestants against the elements each on their own. A yacht race has its contestants battling each other and the elements too. A fashion designer finds herself in the middle of an investigation that could have deadly consequences. Hang on tight . . .
I have not read the first book in this series where a few of the characters were introduced but that did not hinder my understanding or enjoyment of this story. The author provides a list of the main characters at the beginning of the mystery. Sebastian Ward (Seb) had some time to kill before participating in a yacht race so he signed up to be a contestant on a reality show, held in the Western Tasmanian wilderness. The object is to survive the longest before giving up or being taken out of the game for medical reasons.
The show is called Alone. It started with 20 contenders but was quickly cut to 6 contestants who were each delivered to their own plot of land where they must wear a tracker, film for at least 5 hours a day, not kill any bandicoots, Tasmanian devils, platypuses or eastern quolls, and try not to kill any snakes even if they are poisonous. They also can’t travel away from their plot of land or try to communicate with other contestants. They could only have clothes, a first aid kit, and 10 items selected from the things the show has provided like a blanket and cooking pot.
The first half of the book follows the contestants day-by-day in their quest. Part 2 takes readers along on a yacht race adventure where dangerous things happen. Part 3 takes readers to London where clues come together to explain what happened earlier and also takes us back to the wilderness. Some days overlap and I didn’t catch that at first but quickly caught on.
Ms. Ellyson has written a very compelling fast-paced story. I liked that it was told continually without jumping back and forth between times and places. I completely immersed myself in the day-to-day adventure in the wilderness. The pages just flew as I was not only entertained but learned things about animals, fishing, setting traps, making camp with accommodations to sleep, and storing food. Each contestant had different strengths and weaknesses. That could have been a book on its own.
Then readers are on the yacht observing everything it and the sailors encounter to reach the end, hopefully, to win a prize. The pages were still flying.
Then Part 3 brings everything together. People work together to find a missing person and find answers. Again the pages flew. Because of the length of this book, I allotted 3 days for it. but I stayed up late and read the whole thing in one night. Yes, I had a book hangover the next morning but I couldn’t put it down. It would make a great movie.
Alone with a Tasman Tiger was a very entertaining read with interesting characters in unique settings that grabbed me from page 1. This being the first book I have read by this author I am looking forward to more of her work, maybe the next book in her Chic Charlie Series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
November 7, 2024
Unique settings and intriguing double storylines make for a great two-for-one story.
Alone With a Tasman Tiger is the second book in author Jane Ellyson’s Chic Charlie series and focuses heavily on Scott and Charlotte Harmon’s friend, Sebastian. Readers new to the series should be able to easily slip into the current story without having read the previous novel; there’s enough backstory mentioned for readers to catch up comfortably. With its intriguing premises, unique settings, and engaging characters, I didn’t want to put the book down.
The plot is well-paced and compelling, beginning with the characters who are participating in the Australian survival competition television show Alone. I greatly enjoyed the day-to-day of the contestants and the insider view of this type of TV entertainment. Having heard that almost everything in Australia can kill you, I was on pins and needles the entire time that the contestants were in the bush, just waiting for something dire to happen. Part II switches to the yacht race from Sydney to Hobart and the Blue Gazelle that Scott is captaining. The author has the timelines of these two separate parts overlapping, and I liked how it worked out: there was no bouncing back and forth between the two major storylines. The day headings made keeping this straight simple and easy. The race is suspenseful, and danger comes quickly in the form of a terrible storm at sea, as well as the appearance of a mysterious and unidentified black yacht that is not part of the race.
The resolution to the story comes as quite a surprise and I liked how Charlotte/Charlie and Galina/Betty worked together to find the inexplicably missing Sebastian. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I’m now looking forward to reading book one in the series as well.
I recommend ALONE WITH A TASMAN TIGER to mystery readers, especially those who enjoy television survival shows and boat races.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.
Alone With a Tasman Tiger is the second book in author Jane Ellyson’s Chic Charlie series and focuses heavily on Scott and Charlotte Harmon’s friend, Sebastian. Readers new to the series should be able to easily slip into the current story without having read the previous novel; there’s enough backstory mentioned for readers to catch up comfortably. With its intriguing premises, unique settings, and engaging characters, I didn’t want to put the book down.
The plot is well-paced and compelling, beginning with the characters who are participating in the Australian survival competition television show Alone. I greatly enjoyed the day-to-day of the contestants and the insider view of this type of TV entertainment. Having heard that almost everything in Australia can kill you, I was on pins and needles the entire time that the contestants were in the bush, just waiting for something dire to happen. Part II switches to the yacht race from Sydney to Hobart and the Blue Gazelle that Scott is captaining. The author has the timelines of these two separate parts overlapping, and I liked how it worked out: there was no bouncing back and forth between the two major storylines. The day headings made keeping this straight simple and easy. The race is suspenseful, and danger comes quickly in the form of a terrible storm at sea, as well as the appearance of a mysterious and unidentified black yacht that is not part of the race.
The resolution to the story comes as quite a surprise and I liked how Charlotte/Charlie and Galina/Betty worked together to find the inexplicably missing Sebastian. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I’m now looking forward to reading book one in the series as well.
I recommend ALONE WITH A TASMAN TIGER to mystery readers, especially those who enjoy television survival shows and boat races.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.
October 20, 2024
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
When I noticed this book in the list of available ARCs I was attracted by 2 things.
The first was the cover, the second was the teaser on that cover. So I decided to apply for the book.
In terms of writing I had no idea what to expect. I mean, how the story would be presented.
I was happy with the numbering of the days, for that gave me an idea, a feeling for the passing of time. And in the second half of the story the referral to the numbered days returned, placing the plot in that part firmly in sync with the first.
The first half of the book didn't really show characters that were developing, growing. To be honest, I can't remember why these 6 were chosen to take part in the program, IF that was mentioned at all in the beginning.
I think the outcome of the program/the winner of the game was well done.
The transition to part 2 was rather abrupt. Going from reading about survival in the bush to sailing an ocean race means adjusting scenery cards. And for me it took a while to do so. When a fashion show/presentation of the winner is added in the mix, I had difficulty placing the characters in the proper setting every now and then.
The same thing as in part one: I missed background information on the apparent ongoing investigation into the vessel, its owner(s) and their actions that interfered with the race.
All in all it was a nice read, but not solid, due to the things I listed above. That I liked it anyway, was because of the unusual setting, the unusual combination of settings and likeable characters.
When I noticed this book in the list of available ARCs I was attracted by 2 things.
The first was the cover, the second was the teaser on that cover. So I decided to apply for the book.
In terms of writing I had no idea what to expect. I mean, how the story would be presented.
I was happy with the numbering of the days, for that gave me an idea, a feeling for the passing of time. And in the second half of the story the referral to the numbered days returned, placing the plot in that part firmly in sync with the first.
The first half of the book didn't really show characters that were developing, growing. To be honest, I can't remember why these 6 were chosen to take part in the program, IF that was mentioned at all in the beginning.
I think the outcome of the program/the winner of the game was well done.
The transition to part 2 was rather abrupt. Going from reading about survival in the bush to sailing an ocean race means adjusting scenery cards. And for me it took a while to do so. When a fashion show/presentation of the winner is added in the mix, I had difficulty placing the characters in the proper setting every now and then.
The same thing as in part one: I missed background information on the apparent ongoing investigation into the vessel, its owner(s) and their actions that interfered with the race.
All in all it was a nice read, but not solid, due to the things I listed above. That I liked it anyway, was because of the unusual setting, the unusual combination of settings and likeable characters.
September 29, 2024
2.5 stars
This book was almost 2 stories squished together. The first half focused on the characters in a reality show - so many chapters were just about one contestant surviving in the wild. The second half was a convoluted spy mystery with lots of additional characters throw in. I didn't read the first book in the series, so maybe this one would have flowed better for me if I knew and liked the characters from the first book. The ending seemed to wrap up very quickly. The third book is now set up with the addition of one of the show contestants from this book.
I really like the cover art, and the postscript was fun.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was almost 2 stories squished together. The first half focused on the characters in a reality show - so many chapters were just about one contestant surviving in the wild. The second half was a convoluted spy mystery with lots of additional characters throw in. I didn't read the first book in the series, so maybe this one would have flowed better for me if I knew and liked the characters from the first book. The ending seemed to wrap up very quickly. The third book is now set up with the addition of one of the show contestants from this book.
I really like the cover art, and the postscript was fun.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 18, 2025
This is an adventure thriller unlike any other, in that very little happens in the first half. It's very entertaining, but there's not a lot of action as six contestants take their chances on surviving in the Australian bush for a TV show. Suddenly, there's an absolutely shocking event at the midpoint. The pace ramps up, and other plot threads are introduced. While you have to suspend your disbelief (would a superyacht really be crewed by only three people?), it's a very enjoyable read.
September 30, 2024
A race is taking place for someone to win a quarter of a million. Six start the race but only five may reach the end of the race. They will try to find the answers about the missing person. It will not be very easy but how will they get on? Will they find the answers? Where are those answers? See who will win the race
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review
August 27, 2025
This is one real sleeper of a read. Took some amazing turn that kept me guessing. A great book and I truly enjoyed it to no end.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews