Beneath a Burning Sky

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What to expect

'Exotic and mysterious - I was gripped' Dinah Jefferies
'Beautifully described . . . A moving love story' Tracy Rees
'Emotional, evocative and enthralling.' Kate Furnivall

Beneath a Burning Sky is a beautiful and gripping story of love, betrayal and mystery, set against the heat and intrigue of colonial Alexandria. Perfect for fans of Victoria Hislop, Lucinda Riley and Kate Furnivall.

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The shores of Alexandria, 1891

Olivia Sheldon has travelled across the world to marry a man she does not love. Reluctant to leave England but coerced into the marriage, Olivia's reward is being reunited with her estranged sister, Clara. Her punishment is falling impossibly and illicitly in love with the enigmatic Captain Edward Bertram.

Then one scorching day Clara is abducted from Alexandria's busiest street. Desperate to find her sister - and the truth about her disappearance - Olivia becomes embroiled in Egypt's shadowy underworld, risking both her life and future with Edward. Because, determined as Olivia is to find Clara, there are others who will stop at nothing to conceal what's become of her . . .


Praise for Jenny Ashcroft:

'Evocative, absorbing, fascinating . . . A rich and satisfying read' Gill Paul
'A summer must-read' Red
'Completely entrancing . . . Perfect escapism, beautifully written.' Emma Rous
'It's impossible to put this book down.' Kate Riordan
'Brilliant; everything romantic historical fiction should be' Nicola Cornick
'The writing is beautiful and the setting absolutely glorious . . . lovely, lush and poignant' Nikola Scott
'Absolutely brilliant' Kerry Fisher
'First-class writing, brilliant characters, fascinating locations and gripping plots' Tracy Buchanan
'Exquisitely written . . . unputdownable and unforgettable' Iona Grey
'A wonderful novel, full of mystery that kept me gripped until the end' Rachel Burton

Critics Review

From the exciting beginning to a nail-biting conclusion, with the scent of market stalls and the salt from the sea running through it, I was gripped by this complex tale. Exotic. Mysterious. Beneath a Burning Sky is an absorbing, satisfying read.
Dinah Jefferies
Well written, beautifully described and terribly exciting. I loved this page-turning adventure with a moving love story at its heart
Tracy Rees
A disturbing and utterly fascinating tale in the vivid setting of Singapore, where emotions are raw and characters are pushed to the edge. I was swept away by the deeply moving love story and by the dark twisting shivering secrets behind it. The stifling sense of threat and heat gripped me and didn't let go. Beautifully written and impressively researched, Island in the East is a stunner. Emotional, evocative and enthralling.
on Island in the East
An evocative, absorbing story about a fascinating period of history. The dual narrative is perfectly balanced, making it a rich and satisfying read.
on Island in the East
Jenny Ashcroft's Island in the East is that rare thing: a dual narrative novel in which both strands of the story are as engaging and compelling as each other. The Singapore of the two different eras is a character in itself, and so deftly drawn that the heat and humidity seem to rise from every page. As the twin threats of invasion and social exclusion close in on Harriet, Mae and Ivy, it becomes impossible to put this book down.
on Island in the East
The writing is beautiful and the setting absolutely glorious . . . A rich, sweeping family saga that is lovely, lush and poignant.
on Island in the East
Brilliant; everything romantic historical fiction should be, heartfelt and heart-breaking, utterly compulsive and completely immersive . . . will stay with readers for a very long time and deservedly so. I haven't read a historical novel this good in a long time.
on Island in the East
Completely entrancing - the humidity and social tensions of a bygone Singapore rise from every page. Perfect escapism, beautifully written
on Island in the East
Set in the sultry heat of colonial Alexandria, Beneath a Burning Sky is an exquisitely written story that combines tense, fast-paced mystery with heart-wrenching romance. Unputdownable and unforgettable
Iona Grey
This lushly detailed debut is a summer-must read
Red
There's so much packed into this novel, from the sensuous evocation of Egypt, to the gripping mystery at its heart, and through it all a beautiful love story - what a love story! I loved Olivia and her gorgeous feistiness, and Edward is possibly the most charming romantic hero I've come across in fiction. Whether or not historical fiction is your thing, this story of twists and turns transcends era and genre. Absolutely brilliant.
Kerry Fisher
Jenny Ashcroft is a true talent, a writer who sweeps you away to distant shores and into the minds of vivid characters with her beautiful writing. Beneath a Burning Sky had me gripped from start to finish, I just couldn't put it down. Olivia and Clara were such wonderfully-drawn characters, and the romance between Olivia and Edward heart-stopping! This book is a must for fans of first-class writing, brilliant characters, fascinating locations and gripping plots
Tracy Buchanan
Beneath a Burning Sky is a triumph. It carries you away to a different time and place completely. Evocative, emotional, and thoroughly absorbing
Amanda Jennings
A complex, layered novel which captures the place and time with exceptional vividness. The deft plotting balances glorious romance and beautiful settings with shocking squalor and brutality, making this much more than a period piece
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