Isle of Shadows by Tracy L. Higley

Book Trailer:

Enslaved in a World of Money and Power, Tessa Dares to be Free. Raised as courtesan to wealthy and powerful men, Tessa of Delos serves at the whim of her current patron, the politician Glaucus. After ten years with him, Tessa has abandoned all desire for freedom or love, choosing instead to lock her heart away.

But when Glaucus meets a violent death in his own home, Tessa grasps at a fragile hope. Only she knows of his death. If she can keep it a secret long enough, she can escape.

Tessa throws herself on the mercy of the Greek god Helios, but finds instead unlikely allies in Nikos, a Greek slave, and Simeon, Glaucus’s Jewish head servant. As Simeon introduces her to a God unlike any she has ever known and Nikos begins to stir feelings she had thought long dead, Tessa fights to keep her heart protected.

As an assassination plot comes to light, Tessa must battle for her own freedom—and for those to whom she has begun to open her heart—as forces collide that shatter the island’s peace.

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I've always loved historical fiction, and Tracy L. Higley did a fine job of setting the reader right in the middle of Ancient Greece during the period between the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. And while it is marketed as Christian fiction, it didn't come over that way for me. The main character is a courtesan and she tries to hide the death of her current lover. Because of the crossover elements, it has potential to reach a much broader audience.

Tessa is both strong and, to me, fragile. She was raised to be in the profession she was in, and her beauty made it easy to accept it. Isle of Shadows had action from the beginning all the way to the end and the fight between two brothers; one who loved her and one who would do anything to completely possess her.

The imagery of the time period was great and the way Higley interwoven suspense with historical light romance was satisfying. It was fast paced and I look forward to more of her work.

Book Info:

• Isle of Shadows by Tracy L. Higley 
• Thomas Nelson; 2012
• ISBN: 9781401687441
• Paperback and ebook formats

Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher and any opinions are my own.