Hidden Treasure by Melissa Tilley Cole

  Page-Turner, Amusing, Intriguing

Genre: Mystery/Paranormal Romance

'Hidden Treasure' by Melissa Tilley Hall

As she lay in the wreckage, she hoped to God that she survived this, and preferably alone, she longed for freedom, to make her own choices, to be able to make a life. After an unsettling dream and waking up in her own home, she assumes that her wish has been granted, and sets about making the most of her newly found liberty.

However, she has a curious encounter with a man looking very much like a figure, infamous to the area in which she has lived for twenty-five years. He assists her to come to terms with her tumultuous past, put the present to rest and reveals and helps her to realise her future and in doing so, his prolonged misfortunes are reversed.

From the cover of this book, I did think that this story was going to be set centuries ago, and although there is an element of the past running through the narrative, it is mainly set in the modern day. Either would have worked for me....but, just incase you are picky about your time periods, I though it worth mentioning. This Author's books always have a twist as you would expect. However this one has several, not that this in anyway makes it difficult to follow. I felt that there were, at times, situations that maybe weren't fully explained in one part of the novel, but anticipating the readers fussiness on the finer details, as every good Author should, Melissa manages to address my dubiousness in another part of the plot. It is both, a heart-warming narrative, that Mallory has met this mysterious man who wants to put her back together, unpack and make sense of her figurative baggage, both emotional and that which is tangible and left behind by someone who she is glad is now in her past, but at the same time is also terribly tragic that she has not found that previously, and has ended up having no choice but to sacrifice her connection to the one person who played an important role in her life, and whom she would have dearly loved to have had the chance to share a fuller future with.

The character who Mallory befriends, for me, was a very Comical figure, very 'Jack Sparrow' but maybe a bit more well-spoken, which whilst it may be odd for a man of his background, I was thinking of him initially being brought up in Britain. The constant inner turmoil he had with his feelings is endearing, but also quite amusing. I was surprised that Mallory was quickly tempted by his charms, but I can also understand her craving the security that she has never had. Jacob and his evil recreational and business dealings were such a shocking discovery. Edward provided unwavering support, and was instrumental in getting to the bottom of the reasons for the stash in Mallory's home. He is definitely up there as one of my male Fictional infatuations.....until the next one anyway.

Alongside the main protagonists, the Author provides the reader, with strong secondary characters who are all very relevant, with only a couple making 'guest' appearances.

This novel in itself is 'Hidden Treasure' as you may get something from it, that, like me, you weren't at all expecting, but then the same should be true of every 'story book'. I continue to await Melissa's next Literary loot.