The First Lie

  The  First Lie (Selkie Moon Mystery #1) by Virginia King
http://www.selkiemoon.com/


I won The First Lie in an online book scavenger hunt a few months back. That was a lot of fun and even more fun to win 3rd place with a prize of books. Being a book addict/collector, I just got to The First Lie a couple of weeks ago. I like it a lot.

Here is the description:

"When Selkie Moon flees Sydney to start over in Hawaii, it’s to live life on her own terms. But Life has other plans.
Though she tries to dismiss the warning as just another nightmare, it soon becomes apparent that someone, or something, is stalking her. Attacked by frightening visions and mysterious compulsions, she must piece together the fragmented clues before time runs out.
Virginia King effortlessly blends funky creativity and deep spirituality – with a dash of Celtic folklore – to craft a story of one woman’s fight for truth, and her discovery that the lies we tell ourselves are the most dangerous of all." 

One of my favorite movies that my children watched was The Secret of Roan Inish. It was about  the Irish legend of the selkies - seals that can shed their skin to become human. I think I watched the movie more than my kids did. That made me even more interested in this story.

This story combines that myth with a modern mystery. Selkie Moon is the main character. She has left her abusive husband in Sydney and moved to Hawaii to get far away from him and start a business giving motivational seminars. She has several quirky friends including her roommate Wanda who makes art out of dried fish, Derek her assistant, Nigel Derek's partner (they are Selkie's guardians), Coral, a woman who lives on the street but has some ability to see what others cannot and Davina, who is a dress maker but so much more. Selkie has also left her father, stepmother and sister in Sydney and is somewhat estranged from them.

The story begins when Selkie sees a woman in a mirror that belongs to Wanda. The woman is looking right at her and appears to be real. Selkie hears words in her head as if the woman is giving her a message that someone is trying to kill her. When Selkie turns around, the woman is not there. (I always like a little supernatural thing going on). We follow Selkie as she tries to find out who the woman is, get her business going, not fall for another abusive man, not get killed and finally find out what was the first lie.

I loved the writing. It is a good thriller but also has some wonderfully written descriptions of Selkie's experiences? dreams? visions? The story also brings in some the legends and myths in Hawaii. There are many layers to this story. What part does Selkie's childhood play in all that is happening to her? Are these things real, magical, psychological?

The story ends with you wanting to know more. Luckily, book #2, The Second Path, looks like it picks up right where The First Lie, leaves off.

Here is little bit about the author:  "Before Selkie Moon invaded her life, Virginia had been a teacher, an unemployed ex-teacher, the author of over 50 children’s books, an audio-book producer, a workshop presenter and a prize-winning publisher. These days she lives in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney with her husband, where she disappears each day into Selkie Moon’s latest mystery. Bliss"

Bonus: Here is a link to get a free download of the 24 page prequel to the Selkie Moon mysteries: Laying Ghosts.

http://www.selkiemoon.com/#popup

Another great author from Australia/New Zealand part of the world.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8186550.Virginia_King

Addendum: I read the prequel, Laying Ghosts. Really quick, short story really. I love how the author plays between reality and supernatural? Serendipity? Luck? Really good and I look forward to reading the next in the series.


I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.