About Ermisenda Alvarez:
Now she’s working on a joint project with coauthor Eliabeth Hawthorne. Ermisenda has written Leocardo’s perspective of Blind Sight #1, the first book in an urban fantasy series that changes depending on whose perspective you’re reading. So the question is, “whose eyes will you read through?”
Description:
Bloody mistakes, ugly scars, and beautiful lies. A tale of corruption.
Helen Gardener is murdered on a trans-Atlantic cruise. The Diamond Royale sails from Southampton to New York with her murderer aboard. Set in the 1950s, Poisoned Waters follows the stories of seven unfortunate characters and how they are affected by her death. Was it merely an accident? Mr Phillips, the owner of the ship, and sponsor of the cruise, rules with an iron fist, in search of something or someone.
Lies spiral out of control as the suspects try to survive the final days on board. Conflicted by their sense of morals, greed, and lust, they realise what kind of people they really are. Who will rise? Who will fall? Who was Helen’s murderer?
My View:
It is not doubt that Ermisenda Alvarez is a passionate writer – the lush descriptions in her work Poisoned Waters attest to this fact. The premise of a murder on board a cruise ship, locked down, isolated…the killer among them, provides a great story line however I did not feel that the required level of tension was achieved to fully realise the potential of this narrative. I think this novel admirably reflects the attitudes towards women at the time – women as possessions, as adornments, with no rights, the receivers of silent, unnoticed domestic abuse… totally dependent on men to meet their needs.
I think that Ms Alvarez shows her potential as an upcoming writer in this book, however this book was a little too busy and the characters hostile and unpleasant for my liking and thus I did not really connect with or care for any of the characters. Some beautifully written passages, elements of visual excellence and a plot that has all the elements for a great mystery. This is a writer who will blossom with expert guidance.
Reading, Writing and Riesling 
Great to see an honest review on a blog tour – I’m afraid I often avoid reading them because often the reviews seem to be influenced by the process. Which I understand – and might well find happened to my own reviews too, which is why I don’t participate in them. Well done for avoiding that! 😀
Thank you – I try to an make honest assessment of whatever i am reviewing but admit it is more difficult in the situation where you have been asked to review by the author…I am not keen to go down this path again as it is very difficult not to be influenced by those who have reviewed before you.
Thanks for your honesty. 🙂 I will take your points into consideration. It can be hard to know what ‘expert opinion’ would consist of. Not sure if you have any suggestions. The characters are meant to be flawed so that they represent different types of corruption but I definitely didn’t want people turned off by them. All the best with the blog! 🙂
– Ermisenda