Midnight Cactus

Midnight Cactus

by Bella Pollen (Author)

Synopsis

"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 a ghost town in the Arizona desert - and there, finds an escape she hadn't thought possible. But the mythic southwest has room for more than one fugitive. In the dusty, alien atmosphere, it seems that everyone - from Benjamin, the town's loyal caretaker, to the laconic and mysterious Duval - has something to hide. And as winter moves to scorching summer, what seemed idyllic turns deadly as Alice is drawn deeper into an obsessive quest for revenge. Vivid and compelling, "Midnight Cactus" explores the tensions between unrealized dreams and the pull of family, until finally, in a blistering climax, Alice is forced to decide just what she is willing to sacrifice to hold on to her freedom.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 448
Edition: First Edition
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 19 May 2006

ISBN 10: 1405005742
ISBN 13: 9781405005746

Media Reviews
A sensitive tale of decamping to Arizona, getting caught up in an illegal immigrant run and needing to face reality. Highly recommended.
Unexpectedly warm and witty while depicting the tough life of illegal immigrants and the ruthlessness of those out to expose them. -- Sarah Broadhurst
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.
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
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
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.