Midnight Cactus

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Description

"To the south lies Mexico. To the north you can see the flat plains and snow tipped peaks of the Patagonia Mountains... And in between is a strange and wild landscape representing a freedom so great that for a long moment, I find it hard to breathe."On the run from her claustrophobic marriage in London, Alice Coleman moves her two small children to the Arizona desert with the intention of renovating an abandoned mining town on the Mexican Border - and there finds an escape and solitude she hadn't thought possible. But in the dusty, alien atmosphere, where it seems that everyone - from Benjmin, the town's Mexican caretaker to the laconic cowboy, Duval - has something to hide, Alice is uncertain whom to trust. As winter moves to scorching summer, what seemed idyllic turns deadly as Alice is drawn deeper into an obsessive quest for revenge, until finally she must decide how far she is willing to go to cling on to her freedom and what exactly she will have to sacrifice. Fierce and compelling, Midnight Cactus explores the territory between unrealised dreams and the pull of family. In a blistering climax, Alice discovers it is only by risking everything that you learn what is really worth living for.

Reviews

"A delightful and rewarding novel, with moments of startling beauty ... Pollen is entirely in control of her material, perfectly pacing the book to tantalizingly unravel secrets. The setting is as enigmatic as the eccentric characters.... Successfully marries literary and commercial fiction ... compelling ... intelligent and provocative." -- Kim Aikman
"A sensitive tale of decamping to Arizona, getting caught up in an illegal immigrant run and needing to face reality. Highly recommended."
"A wittily written story ... As author Bella Pollen adds unforeseen twists and turns, Alice is forced to the very edge of reason. You can be assured of a sophisticated yet gripping page-turner."
"Effortlessly readable, this is an engrossing novel about love, alienation, and political intrigue.... Pollen perfectly captures the emotional turbulence of her heroine and the unforgiving beauty of this arid territory." -- Simon Humphreys
"Gripping and a good story ... Has all the best things about cowboy books. [Pollen] has a way with words--specifically children's words, which is really rare."
"Unexpectedly warm and witty while depicting the tough life of illegal immigrants and the ruthlessness of those out to expose them." -- Sarah Broadhurst

Author Bio

Bella Pollen was brought up in the USA before moving to England. Formerly a fashion designer, she now writes full time and lives in London with her husband and four children.