Teach Yourself Treachery with Burke's intriguing novel of romantic suspense
Teach Yourself Treachery
by John Burke
Endeavour Press
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 10 March 2017
Review
Teach Yourself Treachery is an old school novel of romantic suspense. These were very common from the 40s through the 60s. Rachel Petersen and her grandmother both became widows at the same time. A few months later, a man shows up professing to be her husband, Erik Petersen. Although similar in build and appearance, he is definitely not her husband. He disappears not long after she discovers him rifling through her grandfather’s office. Stunned and confused, Rachel sets off to find the imposter and discover why he came and what he was looking for. Meanwhile he isn’t the only one looking for something her grandfather may have hidden.
I liked Teach Yourself Treachery. It was a nice escapist thriller with just a touch of danger and romance. The story doesn’t have a lot of depth, and the characters are a bit stereotypical, but that isn’t unexpected considering when the novel was originally released.
4 / 5
I received a copy of Teach Yourself Treachery from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
Description
A lesson in treachery…
Rachel Petersen and her grandma, Mrs. Watson became widows at the same time.
For years now, Rachel has been her grandfather’s secretary, the infamous archaeologist Hammond Watson. Hammond Watson’s love of Viking history was only matched by his glee at tearing into other archaeologists’ long-held theories. It never helped that he was always proven right in the end. And he had loved Rachel too, nurturing in her the same curiosity for new discoveries and suspicion of the pompous and sycophantic academia.
She travelled around with him, dismissing the rumours that her grandfather led to the death of a disgraced Danish archaeologist, one Hans Ascomann. Ascomann allegedly died of a broken heart, after Hammond revealed that a piece of evidence Ascomann used to prove his pet theory, was actually a forgery.
While staying in Copenhagen, she meets Erik Petersen and the two embark on a whirlwind romance. Three weeks later, and the pair are married.
But before the honeymoon even begins, gone is the passionate, romantic Erik she fell in love with. He treats her coldly and cruelly, and is only interested in working with her grandfather, who offered Erik work on his latest dig in Holland.
Rachel is stuck in a loveless marriage, sure that her now husband only wanted to gain access to the capricious Hammond Watson. Instead of being with her, he takes to rifling through her grandfather’s belongings – clearly looking for something.
And then an accident happens and both Hammond Watson and Erik Petersen are tragically killed.
Then just a few hours after the memorial, a man shows up at her grandfather’s house. Her father's last assistant, Adrian Brent swears it’s her husband.
But Rachel doesn’t recognise him – in fact, he’s definitely not Erik, the man she married. He doesn’t even act like Erik. Yet everything from his passport to his papers, say he is Erik Flemming Petersen. How is that possible? Who is this stranger? And more importantly, if this stranger is right, then who really was her husband?
Rachel isn’t going to let this mystery go unsolved, and the journey ahead is a much darker, bloodier trail then she could’ve ever anticipated…
Teach Yourself Treachery is a chilling and suspenseful thriller, filled with memorable characters and intelligent twists.
