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Secret of the Sands [Paperback]

Sara Sheridan (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 3 Feb 2011

She was a slave. He was her master. Both of them long to be free…

1833 – The British Navy are conducting a survey of the Arabian Peninsula where slavery is as rife as ever despite being abolition. Zena, a headstrong and determined young Abyssinian beauty has been torn from her remote village, subjected to a tortuous journey and is now being offered for sale in the market of Muscat.
Lieutenant James Wellstead is determined that his time aboard HMS Palinurus will be the conduit to fame and fortune. However, all his plans are thrown into disarray when two of his fellow officers go missing while gathering intelligence in the desert.
By an unexpected twist of fate – Zena finds herself the property of Wellstead, now on a daring rescue mission into forbidding territory. Master and slave are drawn ever closer, but as danger faces them at every turn, they must endure heartache and uncertainty – neither of them knowing what fortune awaits them as they make their hazardous way through the shifting sands.
A rich and epic novel that will appeal to fans of The Pirate's Daughter and East of the Sun.

Frequently Bought Together

Secret of the Sands + The White Pearl + The Sandalwood Tree
Price For All Three: £15.84

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  • The White Pearl by Kate Furnivall Paperback £3.86
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Product details

  • Paperback: 448 pages
  • Publisher: Avon (3 Feb 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1847561993
  • ISBN-13: 978-1847561992
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 40,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Sara Sheridan Page
Sara Sheridan
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Product Description

Review

Praise for Secrets of the Sands:

‘This well-paced story brings the perfumes and landscape of Arabia shimmeringly to life.’ -- The Daily Mail

‘A thoroughly enjoyable read. Recommended.’ -- bookbag.co.uk

'Secret of the Sands is distinguished from other genre offerings by the care paid to historical detail.' -- Financial Times

Sheridan's last novel, the Secret Mandarin, was our top historical romance of 2009. Meticulously researched and rich in period details, Secret of the Sands is on course to be the favourite of 2011. -- Daily Record

Praise for The Secret Mandarin:

‘A truly sumptuous, action-packed Oriental adventure that might just be our favourite historical romance of the year.’ -- Daily Record

‘An enchanting story that draws you in… perfect for whiling away the hours on a rainy day.’ -- Closer

‘If you like mystery, history, love and adventure then this book is for you!’ -- Scottish Home & Country

‘A very enjoyable voyage to the Far East.’ -- Weekly News


About the Author

Sara Sheridan is an historical novelist who writes two different kinds of books. One is a series of cosy crime noir mysteries set in Brighton in the 1950s – Brighton Belle – and the other is a set of novels based on the real-life stories of late Georgian and early Victorian explorers and adventurers (1820 – 1845) – The Secret Mandarin and Secret of the Sands. Tipped in Company and GQ magazines, she has been nominated for a Young Achiever Award. She received a Scottish Library Award for Truth or Dare, her first novel, and was shortlisted for the Saltire Book Prize. An occasional journalist and blogger, Sara appears on BBC Radio 4's From Our Own Correspondent and blogs for the Guardian and the London Review of Books. She is a twitter evangelist and a self-confessed swot. Sara sits on the Committee of the Society of Authors in Scotland where she lives and also on the board of the UK-wide writers' collective '26' and took part in the acclaimed 26 Treasures project in 2010 at the V&A, in 2011 at National
Museum of Scotland and in 2012 at the Children's Museum, Bethnal Green.
She is a member of the Historical Writers Association and the Crime Writers
Association. Sara also mentors for the Scottish Book Trust.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
18 reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Spellbinding stuff! 30 April 2011
By Bibliophile
Format:Paperback
One of my favouite books of the year by miles. Beautifully paced and utterly captivating, you are quickly drawn into the heady and intoxicating atmosphere of the 19th century Arabian desert for an adventure of epic proportions. Sara Sheridan is a magnificent storyteller - as in The Secret Mandarin, this novel weaves painstakingly researched historical detail with sympathetic characterisation and an uncanny ability to bring far-off places and times to life on the page. I was totally engrossed in Wellsted and Zena's story, and particularly liked the feisty Farida, with her quick wit and penchant for incognito excursions into the the Muscat souks. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this book snapped up for a movie or TV screenplay - it's certainly got the perfect ingredients for it.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb storytelling and adventure 8 Mar 2011
By Kathryn Eastman VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
It is 1833. William Wilberforce has brought about the abolition of slavery within the British Empire, but elsewhere others are less fortunate. Zena, a beautiful and headstrong young Abyssinian girl, is captured by slave traders and brought from her home village to Muscat, where she becomes the property of Lieutenant James Wellstead, an ambitious British naval officer, who is there surveying the Arabian Peninsula. When he embarks on a mission to rescue two fellow officers, Zena is in the party which travels with him into the desert. It is a journey that will change both their lives.

Hearing that three letters, written by James Wellstead and held in the John Murray archive at the National Library of Scotland, inspired Sara Sheridan to write Secret of the Sands, piqued my interest in this book. I wanted to see how the author handled a novel which was centred around a real person and what she knew about him from his letters and journals but which was also a fictional imagining.

After reading a few pages, it became clear that James Wellstead was in extremely capable hands. Sara Sheridan is a consummate storyteller, moving from Abyssinia to London to Bombay to Muscat and into the desert or along the Arabian coast with ease. She conjures each place with its accompanying sights, sounds and smells, so that you feel as if you are right there, and then peoples it with a diverse range of characters. I admired the central characters of Wellstead and Zena, who may come from totally different backgrounds but who both find the strength to adapt to their environment and devise ways of coping with whatever trials and hardships they have to face. I practically cheered every attempt of Wellstead's to understand and learn about the country, its people and customs, which was in stark contrast to the attitude shown by his fellow British officers. I smiled and urged Zena on in her subtle shows of defiance. I also grew fond of the captive Doctor Jessop, as well as the Arabian Mr Fix-It, Mickey and his wife, Farida.

Secret of the Sands is wonderful storytelling and was such a captivating read that I felt as if someone were sitting beside me, whispering the story to me, while watching it unfold in front of us.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! 5 Mar 2011
By lizlochness
Format:Paperback
Neither history nor romance are my normal choice but this historical romance novel based on slavery and the British Empire has the right balance of history and tugging of heart strings. I just had to keep turning the pages and am now so hooked that I'm looking forward to reading The Secret Mandarin and learning all about Tea and China too....
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read
This is a very well written book full of atmosphere and you can by the excellent descriptive passages feel you are in the desert
with the people in the book.
Published 1 month ago by Juliet Rose
4.0 out of 5 stars Sands
I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its strong sense of history and very plausible story line. Have recommended it to others.
Published 1 month ago by Mary Spetses
3.0 out of 5 stars Nice story
A little big of escape, nice story, and they all lived happily ever after . . . . . .
Published 2 months ago by debs4g
5.0 out of 5 stars great book
received on time in good condition
a really good story that kept me interested all the way through
having been to the area about 30 years ago i could relate to what was... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Kenneth Leck
4.0 out of 5 stars good story
the book was in good condition fat delivery a good tale full of mystery surprise ending could not put it down
Published 3 months ago by N. H. Mcleay
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting insight into a particular region and historical period
This book is engaging and an easy read yet provides an interesting insight into the nomadic life in Arabia during the period following the abolition of slavery in Britain and many... Read more
Published 4 months ago by D London
5.0 out of 5 stars Secret of the Sands - excellent
This was an excellent read from the beginning. A lot of unexpected twists and turns - the ending was a bit open ended - you had to deduce what might have happened for he main... Read more
Published 5 months ago by MWright
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Book!!
Secret Of The Sands is a really good book, but at first it took a bit of time to get into it, but I stuck with it, and found it was well worth it. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Heather Hesketh
5.0 out of 5 stars The new Jack Aubrey is born!
This is an excellent book. If you have read and enjoyed the Patrick O'Brien Series you will certainly appreciate this novel. Read more
Published 8 months ago by ebooker
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as I expected
I brought this book because of the other reviews and I was disappointed. It took me almost a third of the book to get into the story, which was ok, but not stunning. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Vee
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