The NanBec Blog is Back!!!

So much has been happening that we're dusting off our NanBec blog. For years, we've been posting pictures of life events on Facebook, but blogs have more substance. For one thing, they are easier to revisit. If I like a post on Facebook, and want to reread it, it's hard to find, buried under an avalanche of more recent posts. 

Nancy and I have been caught in a whirlwind of book publishing activity. We set up our own imprint, NanBec Books, under which we publish our new books and reprints of books that have gone out of print from the original publishers. I invite you to check out our array at our NanBec Website.

This past week saw a flurry of activity here at Carefree in North Fort Myers FL, where Nancy and I moved in 2018. I'll talk more about Carefree in later posts, but now I want to mention that we held a publication party for my latest novel, The Santorini Setup, in the open-air Kamala Courtyard. Forty women attended and enjoyed Greek appetizers and wine from Santorini. Even cheese from Lesbos thanks to The Artisan Cheese Shop in Sarasota. Here are a few pictures:

Here is a recent review of The Santorini Setup. 

After the death of an artist with connections in Criminal Investigative Services, Senior Foreign Service Officer Susan Marcello is recruited to keep an eye on the Akrotiri dig taking place on the Aegean island Santorini. She reaches out to Britt Evans, a professor of Classical Studies, who’s visiting the island and excavation site. But before Britt even has the opportunity to get to Santorini, she and her friend Nicki are already facing danger in Athens. She quickly notices that things don’t seem quite right on the island–items in dig inventory are mysteriously disappearing and reappearing, there’s something off about deliveries of grapes to a winery on the island, and a dangerous accident at the docks seems like a prelude to disaster.

The Santorini Setup is a romantic suspense story that reimagines Bohan’s earlier Sinister Paradise. Britt, who has faced recent struggles with romance and voices a determination to stay single, experiences immediate sparks with excavation contractor Cassie Burkhardt, a development that could put them both in danger as Britt puts together the clues that get her closer to the truth. The narrative balances the intrigue and the romance, though the novel’s short length serves to make the suspense element feel underdeveloped, and the romance escalates quickly. Readers tuned into details will catch the clear opportunity for a future book digging deeper into some elements, especially with Nicki and her godfather Mikos Zerakis.

The setting of Santorini is atmospheric and enjoyable, and Bohan has clearly done extensive research to make the archeological and classical literature references accurate. Despite readers learning of several characters involved in suspicious island activities relatively early in the story, Bohan provides a red herring and a nice, unexpected twist that helps generate interest. The combination of passion, thrills, and a surprise ending make this a satisfying adventure.

Takeaway: Mystery, danger, and romance abound for a professor searching for a life change in Santorini.