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Shadow Flicker
Kate Petersen keeps her panic attacks to herself, until the day she experiences one in front of her boss. With her personal life in ruins, her job is all she’s got. When an important renewable energy assignment in an Eastern Cape surfing village comes up, she is allowed to take over only if she promises to get her anxiety under control. She decides not to tell her boss that he is sending her to the very place where all her troubles began with a tragedy which continues to haunt her.
Determined to put the past behind her, she arrives in St Francis Bay ready to placate environmental opposition to her employer’s planned wind farm. Trouble brews when she begins to fall for Matthew Sykes, the attentive vet and surfer who is still grieving the death of his wife.
Meanwhile, the parochial locals escalate their protests, from peaceful resistance to creepy threats, and Kate is forced to confront her worst fears as well as risk exposing her fragile state of mind to Matthew and her client.
Then the violence intensifies and Matthew turns out to have a few secrets of his own. Kate understands that their growing relationship and her job are at stake, but she doesn’t know that her life is also in danger …
Determined to put the past behind her, she arrives in St Francis Bay ready to placate environmental opposition to her employer’s planned wind farm. Trouble brews when she begins to fall for Matthew Sykes, the attentive vet and surfer who is still grieving the death of his wife.
Meanwhile, the parochial locals escalate their protests, from peaceful resistance to creepy threats, and Kate is forced to confront her worst fears as well as risk exposing her fragile state of mind to Matthew and her client.
Then the violence intensifies and Matthew turns out to have a few secrets of his own. Kate understands that their growing relationship and her job are at stake, but she doesn’t know that her life is also in danger …
312 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2019
3 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 30, 2019
Shadow Flicker by Cape Town-based author, Melissa A Volker is one of a duo of the first books to be published by “The Fifth Mrs Brink”, Karina Szczurek’s publishing house, Karavan Press. The other book, also by Volker, is the South African version of A Fractured Land, which was released in the US last year.
Pioneering the eco-romance-whodunit genre in South Africa, the author tells two engaging and topical stories, beautifully set in and around St Francis Bay (Shadow Flicker) and Graaff-Reinet (A Fractured Land).
Shadow Flicker is about renewable energy expert, Kate Petersen whose company sends her to the surfing village to finalise plans for a wind farm. What Kate’s boss doesn’t know is that overcoming local objections to wind farming isn’t the only challenge facing his employee in St Francis Bay; it’s the site of a tragedy from which Kate hasn’t recovered. But then she meets widower, veterinarian and surfer, Matthew Sykes and things take an unexpected turn. The path to togetherness isn’t, however, smooth. It’s paved with jealousy, obsession and greed as various other characters are upset about both the proposed energy assignment and the budding relationship. And then there’s Matthew’s past commitment.
I read Shadow Flicker during a visit to The Netherlands and, with wind turbines all around, enjoyed learning more about the technology, which is thoroughly researched and concisely explained. In addition to being an accomplished author and a beauty therapist, Volker is a top stand-up paddler and is married to a surfer. As such, her descriptions of the ocean and being in it are vibrant and convincing. The story moves quickly and is written with clarity, focus and humour. Both Shadow Flicker and A Fractured Land (which I read and enjoyed last year) are quintessential, contemporary South African stories with universal themes that provide hours of enjoyable reading.
Pioneering the eco-romance-whodunit genre in South Africa, the author tells two engaging and topical stories, beautifully set in and around St Francis Bay (Shadow Flicker) and Graaff-Reinet (A Fractured Land).
Shadow Flicker is about renewable energy expert, Kate Petersen whose company sends her to the surfing village to finalise plans for a wind farm. What Kate’s boss doesn’t know is that overcoming local objections to wind farming isn’t the only challenge facing his employee in St Francis Bay; it’s the site of a tragedy from which Kate hasn’t recovered. But then she meets widower, veterinarian and surfer, Matthew Sykes and things take an unexpected turn. The path to togetherness isn’t, however, smooth. It’s paved with jealousy, obsession and greed as various other characters are upset about both the proposed energy assignment and the budding relationship. And then there’s Matthew’s past commitment.
I read Shadow Flicker during a visit to The Netherlands and, with wind turbines all around, enjoyed learning more about the technology, which is thoroughly researched and concisely explained. In addition to being an accomplished author and a beauty therapist, Volker is a top stand-up paddler and is married to a surfer. As such, her descriptions of the ocean and being in it are vibrant and convincing. The story moves quickly and is written with clarity, focus and humour. Both Shadow Flicker and A Fractured Land (which I read and enjoyed last year) are quintessential, contemporary South African stories with universal themes that provide hours of enjoyable reading.
July 30, 2019
Review of Shadow Flicker by Melissa Volker
5 Stars
An Eco-Romance to keep you on the edge of your seat.
I didn’t plan to read Shadow Flicker in one sitting. I thought I’d read a chapter before I went to bed. At midnight, I turned the last page and breathed out!
Melissa Volker took me on an unexpected roller coaster ride. Her protagonist the vulnerable Kate Petersen, has a secret and she means to keep it. On a renewable energy assignment in an Eastern Cape surfing village, Kate’s resolve is challenged and she has to dig deep in order to hold everything together. She takes a risk and does not tell her boss that he is sending her into the very spot where the tragedy which has shaped her life, actually happened.
Kate arrives in St Francis Bay, ready to tackle the inevitable opposition to her company’s planned wind farm. The widowed Matthew Sykes, local vet and surfer proves to be a distraction and she tries to ignore him at first…
Local residents begin their protest peacefully. But soon this develops into something more sinister, as other agendas surface. Kate is forced to face her worst fears and her secret is about to be exposed to the one person she’s come to care about. Her unexpected strength lifts this novel into a heroine’s journey.
As the drama develops, it becomes clear that other people have secrets too. The stakes are high for Kate. Both her job and her new relationship are under threat. What she doesn’t realise is that her life is in danger too…
Volker is a trail blazer in the Eco-Romance genre. Her gentle voice is unexpectedly powerful. Thorough research, well rounded characters and a nail biting plot, nudge the readers to sit up and take note.
I for one, will be on the lookout for her next offering.
5 Stars
An Eco-Romance to keep you on the edge of your seat.
I didn’t plan to read Shadow Flicker in one sitting. I thought I’d read a chapter before I went to bed. At midnight, I turned the last page and breathed out!
Melissa Volker took me on an unexpected roller coaster ride. Her protagonist the vulnerable Kate Petersen, has a secret and she means to keep it. On a renewable energy assignment in an Eastern Cape surfing village, Kate’s resolve is challenged and she has to dig deep in order to hold everything together. She takes a risk and does not tell her boss that he is sending her into the very spot where the tragedy which has shaped her life, actually happened.
Kate arrives in St Francis Bay, ready to tackle the inevitable opposition to her company’s planned wind farm. The widowed Matthew Sykes, local vet and surfer proves to be a distraction and she tries to ignore him at first…
Local residents begin their protest peacefully. But soon this develops into something more sinister, as other agendas surface. Kate is forced to face her worst fears and her secret is about to be exposed to the one person she’s come to care about. Her unexpected strength lifts this novel into a heroine’s journey.
As the drama develops, it becomes clear that other people have secrets too. The stakes are high for Kate. Both her job and her new relationship are under threat. What she doesn’t realise is that her life is in danger too…
Volker is a trail blazer in the Eco-Romance genre. Her gentle voice is unexpectedly powerful. Thorough research, well rounded characters and a nail biting plot, nudge the readers to sit up and take note.
I for one, will be on the lookout for her next offering.
September 24, 2019
Drawn in from the start, Shadow Flicker weaves an entrancing cocoon around the reader, educating them on the hotbed issue of wind farms, and illustrating how communities and individuals respond to life changes, and how it impacts on both sides of the issue. The joining of fiction and environmental issues with a twinge of romance and mystery, is certainly a genre that is becoming a worthwhile read, and this book is no exception.
It is such a pleasure to read a work that smacks of home, with local dialect and slang sparsely interspersed in an encapsulating story set on our sunny, yet windy South African coastline. The author’s familiarity with the area allows for such a thoroughly descriptive rendition of it, that we are left feeling as if we had just consumed an article from a local travel mag. This story had me sitting with my phone’s map app open, looking up the places and wanting to bucket list them!
The characters are supremely believable, they are our everyday heroes, just going through the motions of life, and trying to make sense of the burdens they carry individually. The plot twist in bringing the two main characters together and the ensuing drama reads like the ebb and flow of the tide.
I find myself wanting to go back into their world, and see how they are doing; always wondering what would be next in their lives as they move forward.
Truly an enjoyable and engrossing read, neither heavy nor too light, and certainly one that I have enjoyed and learnt from!
It is such a pleasure to read a work that smacks of home, with local dialect and slang sparsely interspersed in an encapsulating story set on our sunny, yet windy South African coastline. The author’s familiarity with the area allows for such a thoroughly descriptive rendition of it, that we are left feeling as if we had just consumed an article from a local travel mag. This story had me sitting with my phone’s map app open, looking up the places and wanting to bucket list them!
The characters are supremely believable, they are our everyday heroes, just going through the motions of life, and trying to make sense of the burdens they carry individually. The plot twist in bringing the two main characters together and the ensuing drama reads like the ebb and flow of the tide.
I find myself wanting to go back into their world, and see how they are doing; always wondering what would be next in their lives as they move forward.
Truly an enjoyable and engrossing read, neither heavy nor too light, and certainly one that I have enjoyed and learnt from!
December 30, 2019
Kate is determined to put her past behind her when she starts a renewable energy assignment in an Eastern Cape surfing village, St Francis Bay. Here Kate is faced with fears from her past, and locals protesting her project.
Between trying to prove that she was the right choice for the assignment and her panic attacks from her traumatised past; Kate meets Matthew, a handsome vet and surfer who is still grieving the death of his wife.
Shadow Flicker is a beautiful love story - one so well written that I didn't want to book to end. Where I usually can't wait to find out what will happen next, with this book, I paced myself because I wasn't ready to let go of the characters. I don't want to give anything away, trust me and read it.
All the characters in this book are well written and feel like people you know. You get lost between the characters and forget that you aren't really in St Francis bay - living among the lives of these characters.
What I love most about Melissa's writing, and it was the same in A Fractured land, her ability to describe the environment. She transports you to where she wants you to be. You can feel the sea breeze - smell the old farm house.
I loved Melissa's writing when I read A Fractured land - but now I honestly think I am her biggest fan!
Between trying to prove that she was the right choice for the assignment and her panic attacks from her traumatised past; Kate meets Matthew, a handsome vet and surfer who is still grieving the death of his wife.
Shadow Flicker is a beautiful love story - one so well written that I didn't want to book to end. Where I usually can't wait to find out what will happen next, with this book, I paced myself because I wasn't ready to let go of the characters. I don't want to give anything away, trust me and read it.
All the characters in this book are well written and feel like people you know. You get lost between the characters and forget that you aren't really in St Francis bay - living among the lives of these characters.
What I love most about Melissa's writing, and it was the same in A Fractured land, her ability to describe the environment. She transports you to where she wants you to be. You can feel the sea breeze - smell the old farm house.
I loved Melissa's writing when I read A Fractured land - but now I honestly think I am her biggest fan!
January 20, 2020
Excellent read. Very well written. I loved the story line and the way the author developed the story. I'm often nervous of reading South African fiction, but I must say this did not dissapoint. So if you want a feel good story with depth coupled with romance to give it that extra touch, this is your book
January 20, 2020
My favourite South African author. Can't wait for more brilliant reads
January 31, 2020
I should declare an interest. I have a special fondness for the part of South Africa where this novel is set: in and around St Francis Bay on the Indian Ocean side, down the road from J Bay, boasting some of the best waves in the world. And like everyone else I have an interest in trying to save the planet. So I am naturally drawn to a novel that pulls together a beautiful and moody coastline, a handful of lonely, messed-up characters, and a plan to build a wind farm. But, I’ve got to say, Shadow Flicker beguiled me way more than I could have expected. It’s a love story with a noirish edge. The South African landscape – and waterscape – provide a kind of quantum collider in which all these random particles are flung together and dramatic explosions occur. All the characters are totally believable and at the same time full of surprises. And it’s suspenseful: you never quite know if the surfing vet and the eco-spokeswoman with anxiety attacks are going to ride the wave or tumble to their doom. Heart-warming and a real page-turner.
October 7, 2020
Great read, struggled to put it down once I got hooked.
January 26, 2023
Shadow Flicker
Melissa A Volker
Karavan Press
Review: Karen Watkins
This engaging topical novel combines renewable energy and love in the beautiful setting.
Volker has taken a handful of lonely, messed-up characters and a plan to build a wind farm, thrown in a dash of intrigue and a jug of some of the best waves in the world resulting in a heart-warming, enjoyable, easy read.
The story begins with eco-spokeswoman, Kate Petersen suffering an anxiety attack. The gradual reveal is a trauma in her past. Her very unsympathetic boss does not care and sends her on a renewable energy assignment in the surfing village of St Francis Bay. Here Kate is faced with fears as the pressure builds for her to deliver or lose her job. She is determined to put her past behind her despite the locals protesting the project.
Kate meets Matthew Sykes who she initially tries to ignore. This handsome vet and surfer is still grieving the death of his wife while caring for his adorable daughter. Other well cast characters include a shady farmer, a troublesome man grabber and supportive in-laws. Local residents begin their protest peacefully but soon this develops into something more sinister as other agendas surface. Kate is forced to face her worst fears and her secret is about to be exposed to the one person she’s come to care about. Her unexpected strength lifts this novel into a heroine’s journey.
Shadow flicker is the effect of the sun shining through the rotating blades of a wind turbine, casting a “flicker” moving shadow.
With a slow build-up of suspense it’s an engaging, well written page-turner that had me racing through to the end. Volker is a pioneer in the eco-romance genre. Thorough research, well rounded characters and a nail biting plot, the readers is nudged into sitting up and taking note as they are taken on an unexpected roller coaster ride. Volker also has the impressive ability to describe the environment, transporting the reader to where she wants you to be. You can feel the sea breeze - smell the old farm house.
Melissa A Volker
Karavan Press
Review: Karen Watkins
This engaging topical novel combines renewable energy and love in the beautiful setting.
Volker has taken a handful of lonely, messed-up characters and a plan to build a wind farm, thrown in a dash of intrigue and a jug of some of the best waves in the world resulting in a heart-warming, enjoyable, easy read.
The story begins with eco-spokeswoman, Kate Petersen suffering an anxiety attack. The gradual reveal is a trauma in her past. Her very unsympathetic boss does not care and sends her on a renewable energy assignment in the surfing village of St Francis Bay. Here Kate is faced with fears as the pressure builds for her to deliver or lose her job. She is determined to put her past behind her despite the locals protesting the project.
Kate meets Matthew Sykes who she initially tries to ignore. This handsome vet and surfer is still grieving the death of his wife while caring for his adorable daughter. Other well cast characters include a shady farmer, a troublesome man grabber and supportive in-laws. Local residents begin their protest peacefully but soon this develops into something more sinister as other agendas surface. Kate is forced to face her worst fears and her secret is about to be exposed to the one person she’s come to care about. Her unexpected strength lifts this novel into a heroine’s journey.
Shadow flicker is the effect of the sun shining through the rotating blades of a wind turbine, casting a “flicker” moving shadow.
With a slow build-up of suspense it’s an engaging, well written page-turner that had me racing through to the end. Volker is a pioneer in the eco-romance genre. Thorough research, well rounded characters and a nail biting plot, the readers is nudged into sitting up and taking note as they are taken on an unexpected roller coaster ride. Volker also has the impressive ability to describe the environment, transporting the reader to where she wants you to be. You can feel the sea breeze - smell the old farm house.
September 13, 2021
This was an engaging and thoroughly enjoyable read, with a slow build-up of suspense which had me racing through to the end. The gradual reveal of the trauma in Kate's past , the pressure she feels to deliver results to her very unsympathetic boss, and the VERY sexy vet character, Matthew - all these made this book a really lovely read.
December 1, 2021
I was gifted this book from the author Melissa. A Volker. It was such a lovely lovely read. I haven't had the time to read books over the last year, and once I picked this up, I couldn't put it down. I finished it in 3 days and was left wanting more and more. A brilliant writer and a brilliant read!
January 19, 2021
I loved this book. It's an easy read and I enjoyed the storyline.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews