Belladonna

by Sian B. Claven

Meeting Eleanor changes Patrick Knowle's life as he knows it. His only passion has been the ocean right up until meeting the enchanting heiress to a fortune almost as big as his own. Life simply couldn’t get better until Patrick starts seeing the pale woman in the water.Mysteriously, people in their coastal town start to drown in the most bizarre ways. After being attacked himself, Patrick goes on a quest to unearth the mermaids' secret, and ultimately face the consequences of his own ignorant actions.

139 pages, Paperback

Published August 11, 2019

About the author

Born in South Africa, in the heart of Johannesburg, Sian Claven grew up with a vivid imagination. When she wasn't immersing herself in books, she was actively creating her own stories.

At 29 years old, left to her own devices after her sister immigrated, Sian, wrote her first horror book Ensnared and dared to publish it under the guidance of indie authors Toni Cox and Ashleigh Giannaccaro.

Now she has released more than ten books including a thriller and sci-fi fantasy.

In 2019, Sian took up the challenge of publishing 11 books in 11 months.

Sian came second place in the First Annual Indie Awards for Favourite African Author.

Sian's book, Sylvana, the final book in her Butcher series, made the Amazon top 100 best sellers list in several categories across three countries.

In her spare time, Sian is an avid Harry Potter fan, pop collector and Bingo addict. She resides in Johannesburg with her 2 best friends, their daughter, their 6 dogs and 2 cats.

Reviews

[DA · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced read with well written characters and an interesting plot. I love how the author combined the supernatural with mermaid lore. I wouldn't mind more stories like this.

[Anja Henriksen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went blindly into this story and did not expect mermaids.
That was a good thing, because this depiction of mermaids did most certainly not live up to my judgemental perspective on the creature!
This is the true nature of mermaids, the true nature of the dangerous, the deep, the forbidden, the lust, longing, and desire of the dark unknown.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Belladonna | Sian B Claven
Pub date: 15/9/19
Genre: Horror, paranormal mystery

Mermaids?! Where do I sign up? Beware, this is not your typical mythological fairy tale. Claven weaves a dark suspenseful tale which will leave you open mouthed and gasping. It was a creepy and gripping masterpiece which left me wanting to immediately find out more about this author and what else they had written. I was delighted to find out, the answer is alot. Guess thats what I'll be doing the for the next week. And even better they are on Kindle Unlimited, score!

This story follows Patrick, an eccentric bachelor who finds himself drawn into the strange drownings that have been occurring in his home town. Together with his new love interest (yes there are some spicy scenes) they put on their detective hat and try to get to the bottom of this deadly mystery. Who is the pale woman that Patrick keeps seeing and what do they want?

Its a quick (141 pages) and fast paced read that is easy to consume in one sitting. The writing style was exceptional and I felt immersed in events. The ending is hard to comment on without spoilers but suffice to say, I was blown away.

I have to note also the amazingly beautiful (and creepy) cover. It totally sucks you in and makes you want to open this book.

Thank you so Sian B Claven for this excellent gem of a story. I will most definitely be checking out more of her books.

[✰ Charlie ✰ Chisholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was something different I didn't know what to expect when I went in and I was surprised by what it was about.

Good story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what is going on a couple of twists I didn't see coming. Really well written. definitely a page turner. Sian just keeps on surprising me with her stories and I hope she keeps doing so.

[McKenzie Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belladonna definitely isn't The Little Mermaid. This story of mermaids is dark and heartfelt. I wasn't expecting to get a paranormal mystery out of this, but Claven worked it in nicely. And the ending hit me with a melancholy but satisfying conclusion.

[Mya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things unfold very quickly in this short little (horror?) story. It's fairly predictable, although the final "why" was a surprise to me. The pace of things is a little unrealistic (e.g. I think the main characters meet, date, and get engaged within the time of one chapter and two weeks). The storyline is interesting/had potential, however, it didn't really work as a short story.

[Indieterror13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Claven book, and it did not disappoint. I went in blind and was pleasantly surprised by the twists, turns and darkness it gave. I don't want to say to much and spoil it, but just know it is definitely worth the read.

[Kim Friant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claven is a beast!! I swear, now I’m just reading her books to see if she’ll disappoint me! She hasn’t yet, and I’m starting to worry that her streak is coming to an end ... I doubt it, but it would be just my luck! 😂 This book is labeled simply, “a twisted tale”: accurate. My only criticism, is that the ending contradicted my own sense of justice. Ok and the connections throughout the mystery were a little obvious to me and I wondered why the cops didn’t see it. I’m pretty sure none of that spoils anything and hopefully it will intrigue you enough to go read it. In this world of sparkle and color, mermaids and horror are not the most usual combination, but it totally worked. The idea of getting lost at sea and drowning is terrifying enough. Then to add deranged mermaids, you got a great story. It was a fast read and I was done in one sitting. The cover is gorgeous and I had chills pretty much the whole read. At this point, I recommend not only this book, but pretty much everything Claven has written!

[Theresa Ritchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book so much once you start you can't stop you just gotta keep going I'm looking forward to reading more books by sian highly recommend books

[Sentinelle23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

♥️💙☠ a big crush !

Patrick Knowle was a simple man who came from a long line of fishermen and owned his own business.

He loved and lived only for the ocean and fishing.
He had two nephews whom he hoped to inherit.

He owned a beautiful house facing the ocean and was a wanted bachelor...

------------------

If the novel begins banal with an ordinary main character, it is not the case for the totally surprising sequel.

I loved the evolution of the main character and the totally mysterious plot.

A totally captivating paranormal novel and an absolutely stunning unexpected ending...

A must read for fans of the genre.
♥️💙☠

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thrilling read that keeps you gripped.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[JRM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of Twists, and The Ending!
This is the second book of Sian's that I have read, and both of them have been eerie, engaging and very well written. She certainly had a twist to the ending on this one that was unexpected, but it surely put an exclamation point on the book. She paints a picture with her writing and gives her main characters depth. The story revolves around strange, unexplained drownings in a coastal town with a revenge factor in play.
I highly recommend this book.

[Marilyn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a dark storyline that involves mermaids. It has a paranormal story that pulls you into a mystery that really grabs your attend keeps you reading to see where it takes you!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Christinaraven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. It had the mermaid theme going for it as the 2 leads work on what is going on. Action, danger, mystery and a good story. A bit dark but still a good read to enjoy. Easy to read and get sucked into as had to see what they would figure out.

[John Bitsko]

This book had me hooked from the opening pages. Highly recommended along with other books by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[LORRIE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. It had the perfect balance of creepy and mystery

[Kindlelover 1220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short horror story with vengeful mermaid. Patrick is a non believer and doubter of most things that cannot be explained. Until he meets Eleanor, now the cynical Patrick believes in love at first sight. When they attacked by a pale faced woman, he puts aside is cynicism to find out if the stories of mermaids are true. Patrick and Eleanor find a mermaid that is bent on vengeance against their town. A fantastic short story that makes the reader wish is was a longer story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Belladonna was another excellent story by Sian Claven. It starts out as a fishermen story and then you add in vengeful mermaids and that ending was to die for. I would love to see a sequel to see if the curse is lifted or if the drownings ceased.

[Jessica Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good little short story and really liked the ghostly twist of this mermaid based story. Lots of sex and tragic deaths and mystery.
Was a bit slow to start but overall enjoyed the story.

[kymagirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a deliciously dark mermaid tale! Elements and characters are so well woven together with all the twists and turns. I thought I had some idea about what the last pages would bring, but no I didn't. It's been a while since I indulged my interest in horror and this was a great little read!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrick and his sister Penelope run the family fishing business. During one the 'work' parties Patrick sees a pale young girl in the water and thinks she's drowning. He dives in to save her but she is nowhere to be found. During the weeks that follow, a spate of drownings affect the town. Is the pale woman a victim or does she have something to do with them??

This is a paranormal mystery that keeps you hooked. Loved it.

[Tahnia Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrick Knowle loves the sea and everything about it. He loves working on the fishing trawlers, fishing by himself, and especially teaching his nephews what he knows. He meets and falls in love with Eleanor, asking her to marry him. This story has a lot of heartache and horrible deeds, romance, and a bit of steam, ending with even more sorrow. Very highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short read but very intense. The author combines mystery with the paranormal with finesse. I was captivated with the story line and mermaids!!!. I liked the way the story played out but the ending broke my heart. I would highly recommend it. I received a free advance copy of this book from BookSprout and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Mary S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! I don't know when I ever stop being shock by reading this horror, thrilled stories. I definitely had one with this one who would have seen that coming I for sure didn't. I definitely had the thrilled of my life reading Belladonna.

[Karen - Kazza's Books Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sian just never ceases to amaze me. I was so enthralled with this story that when it came to the twist at the end of the story I was gobsmacked. I didn’t see it coming. This author is so full of surprises. I will definitely be seeking out more of her books.

[Oralee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sea story built on the sailing myth of the sirens and their deadly call. This was a fast paced well developed story with good characters. As a descendant of seafarers I really enjoyed this story as it is not a plot often used. Claven has a knack for story telling and it was so refreshing to have a different kind of horror. Well done!
I recieved a copy in booksprout in exchange for an honest review

[David Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Belladonna is a short and quick read, it doesn’t suffer from a shortage of story, action or a few twists that leave the reader in awe/shock. Having read several of Sian’s books/stories I think Belladonna ranks right up at the top of my list of favorites. I received an Advance Reader Copy from the author through Booksprout and chose to provide this review.

[Ronita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving this one a 3.5. Not your typical mermaid story. This story is about mermaid ghosts, revenge and a generational curse. Interesting plot, it was a good story but nothing too exciting.

[Shaleah Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very mysterious, makes you need to know the answer and find out what happened. I love the mermaid aspect. Ms. Claven has done it again.