I have met the charming T.A. (Trevor) Williams several times and he’s lovely, so I’m thrilled to be starting the celebrations for his latest novel Chasing Shadows. Chasing Shadows is published by Canelo in e-book today, 16th January 2016, and is available for purchase here.

It was a real privilege to read Chasing Shadows for review as it is a slight departure from Trevor’s usual romances with an historical element too.

Chasing Shadows

Amy had it all – money, brains and beauty. And then the accident happened.

The Present Day: Left blind and without her family, Amy feels she needs to get away. On a trip along the Camino, she is accompanied by the mysterious and troubled Luke. Having been set up to help Amy by a mutual friend, Luke finds he is also running from his past…

1314: A Templar Knight, Luc, is also running. He meets the wife of a former comrade, now blinded in a terrifying attack: Aimee. Taking her under his wing, they must journey together through a dangerous world.

As they travel through the stunning scenery of Northern Spain, this couple, so very like Luke and Amy, emerge from the shadows of time carrying a treasure of inestimable value.

My Review of Chasing Shadows

After a terrible accident, Amy is making the most of her life, but it has surprises even she can’t imagine as echoes from the past link with the present.

I was slightly apprehensive about reading a change in style from T.A. Williams, especially as I’m not overly keen on timeslip stories, but was so relieved to find that his usual flowing narrative presentation still remains. I always find his writing effortless to read as there’s a confidence and elegance behind it that makes it so pleasurable and Chasing Shadows is no different.

As two of the protagonists are blind in this story, the quality of description from their travelling companions serves not only Amy and Aimee, but the reader too, so that I had a real understanding of the route taken because of the vivid writing. I thoroughly enjoyed the appeal to the senses, especially taste, which is so often missing from novels.

The structure of scenes set in both 1314 and 2016 is well constructed, with stories within stories and an exploration of history repeating itself. There was none of the awkwardness I sometimes feel when reading timeslip fiction. Not only did I enjoy a highly entertaining story but I really appreciated the historical research that led me to learning new things as I read. I found the Epilogue fascinating. I felt Chasing Shadows had been thoroughly researched and there was a personal connection from the author to the journey the characters take so it came as no surprise to find T.A. Williams had cycled the same route.

Initially I preferred the modern 2016 story of Luke and Amy and their developing relationship, but I was soon caught up in that of Luc and Aimee too, wanting to know the outcome of the mystery. Reading Chasing Shadows was so satisfying because I had a modern romantic read and an historical mystery that added extra layers of interest. I was impressed by the title Chasing Shadows as there are so many ‘shadows’ in this story. Luke and Amy are chasing a shadowy happiness with shadows of past trauma affecting their present lives. Luc and Aimee are being chased by shadows of enemies and memory and, without spoiling the plot, there is a huge ‘shadow’ to their burden. Luke and Amy are weaving the shadows of a narrative for their historical characters. All these layers added to the quality of the book for me and I thoroughly enjoyed Chasing Shadows.

About T.A. Williams

My name is Trevor Williams. I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book, “Dirty Minds” one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn’t possibly comment. Ask my wife…

My background, before taking up writing full time, was in teaching and I was principal of a big English language school for many years. This involved me in travelling all over the world and my love of foreign parts is easy to find in my books. I speak a few languages and my Italian wife and I still speak Italian together.

I’ve written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I’m enjoying myself hugely writing humour and romance. My most recent books are the What happens… series. What happens in Tuscany reached #1 in the Amazon.uk Romantic Comedy chart and What Happens on the Beach, the last in the series, came out in July. Chasing Shadows is still romance, but with the added spice of a liberal helping of medieval history, one of my pet hobbies. I do a lot of cycling and I rode all the way to Santiago de Compostela on a bike a few years back. This provided both the inspiration and the background research for Chasing Shadows.

I’m originally from Exeter, and I’ve lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away down here in south west England. I love the place.

You can find out more about Trevor on Facebook, Goodreads and Amazon. You can also follow him on Twitter and via his website.

There’s more with these other bloggers too: