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Picking up directly where Tale of the Tarot ended, Map of Orbis Terrarum continues the extraordinary Melanie Simpson Mystery. So, before I dive into the review, I think a small recap is needed.
It’s 1967, and a year after her father died, and Melanie Simpson has found out he was hiding an astonishing secret; he witnessed the death of an alien at Roswell, and was in possession of the crash debris and another object – known only as the Orb. Now, Melanie is being pursued by federal agents and spies, all of them desperate to get their hands on the debris. Somehow, she must keep the debris safe for the legacy of her father; even if it puts her own life at risk. After an ominous tarot card reading, Melanie finds out that there’s going to be more danger ahead, and so, in an attempt to make sure her loved ones are safe, she distances herself from all but her mother, Gloria, and her best friend, Katch. Her boyfriend, Frankie, hurt by the distance Melanie has put between them, breaks up with her and heads away on a family vacation.
As the book comes to an end, Gloria drives to the local liquor store, but as she arrives, she’s accosted by the nefarious Major Bingham; a man determined to get his hands on the debris for his own benefit. He makes various threats, and terrified, Gloria races home in her car. She’s driving erratically, at a high speed – and crashes into a ravine. Melanie and Katch hear the sirens and following the tarot card reading, Melanie just knows it’s her mother…
This is where Map of Orbis Terrarum begins.
At the crash site, Melanie faints after recognising her mothers’ car. She wakes up in hospital to find out that her mother is barely clinging to life, and that surgery is needed imminently. She gives her permission, but knows that, ultimately, her mother will die. While she’s grieving the death of both of her parents, Captain Thornton, the local police captain, informs her he’s found her maternal grandmother, a woman named Emilee Harris who lives in the Isle of Wight, just off the south coast of England near to the ports of South Hampton and Portsmouth. And that she’ll be arriving in Lake Oswega, Oregon, within the next couple of weeks.
So, that’s the quick re-cap. Now for the review.
I have to say, that I fell in love with Tale of the Tarot; the characters came alive and were believable. It also helped that Lake Oswega is a real place, and I could soon imagine the kids riding their bikes around the town, sunbathing on the easement and walking the streets. Everything was described in vivid detail. The same withMap of Orbis Terrarum; even when Melanie ends up in Seattle, I found myself running through the market with her – and was just as out of breath as she tried to escape the various men chasing her. Using real-world cities always catches my imagination in novels, and somehow makes them more believable to me. I love to zoom in on Google Maps and follow the routs that characters take – it might just be me, but I really do love it.
Map of Orbis Terrarum is a lot more developed that Tale of the Tarot. The characters become stronger, more complex – nothing is simple and straightforward. The story twists and turns and throws curveballs that even the most ardent mystery reader wouldn’t expect. As Katch puts it:
“I think we all need to understand one thing; we are simply three passengers riding along on the meteoric tail of a comet called Melanie.”
Although some of the language in the book appears to be outdated, it is mostly told from the first-person perspective of a girl in 1967. There is a character of colour, who refers to herself as a ‘Negro’ – which is true to the period of the book. Through this character, we get a taste of the rife racism that was still affecting the United States, despite the Civil Rights Movement. She wants to adopt Melanie after the death of Gloria, but recognises that doing so would more than likely be prohibited due to the colour of her skin. It’s a sad commentary on the prejudices of Americans, some of which are still around today.
To say I’m looking forward to the next instalment of Melanie’s adventures would be an understatement. Because, I get the feeling, her story isn’t over yet.
S. A.
The Map of Orbis Terrarum: Melanie Simpson Mystery: Book 2 is due for release on September 30th, available on Kindle. It will also be available in paperback
I received this book as an ARC direct from D J Schneider in return for an honest review.