Official Review: Letter from Galapagos by Rolf Richardson

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Official Review: Letter from Galapagos by Rolf Richardson

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Letter from Galapagos" by Rolf Richardson.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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On Floreana Island in the Galapagos, a quaint custom has existed since 1792. Sailors, far from home, would place a letter into a wooden box, and other sailors would search through and deliver anything close to where they lived. Not unexpectedly, the postal journey might take years and could hardly be reliable.

A modern-day traveler, Tom Wells, looked in the wooden box and retrieved a letter with an address five minutes from where he lived in Swanwick, England. Tom indulged in a daydream that if he contacted the addressee, Debbi Fingest, he might find a soulmate. Is it just a daydream?

Thus, Rolf Richardson begins a humorous, easy-to-read thriller - Letter from Galapagos – with light-hearted romance and travel to the exciting Galapagos archipelago, Tahiti, and the Marquesas of French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. Tom was trying to solve the mystery of Debbi's missing husband, Harry, and his best friend, Gerald (the Ginger Gnome). Debbi believed Gerald to have led Harry astray into selling a Fingest-owned yacht, Clouded Yellow, to a vulture thief. Gerald ultimately falls foul of Monique Otathi, a member of an anti-establishment family who has been crewing on Clouded Yellow. What will happen to Harry if Gerald is not around? Why is Monique Otathi on the yacht?

Tom is the narrator of the story and makes lots of humorous quips. We can easily identify with all the characters, even the minor ones, because Rolf Richardson provides all we require to know about them. Debbi calls herself: "a li'l ol' barmaid from Antigua," who became the wily owner of Fingest Yachts.

The plot has Tom searching for the whereabouts of Harry and Gerry, as Debbi would like to get back the shares they sold to Makins Holdings. There is much discussion about company investing, company plans, and contingency planning against a take-over by Makins Holdings. The plot includes another romantic affair for Tom with Phyl, a reporter on the Tahiti Monde, as she supports him in the search for the missing sailors. Although the plot involves complicated travel and investigating, it is effortless to keep up with each scenario of place and characters. I liked the presentation of the book and the cover. I would have loved seeing some maps and some historical research references.

The history of French Polynesia is fascinating; it was under the influence of Charles DeGaulle, who became the President of the Fifth Republic of France in 1958. The capital city of French Polynesia, Papeete, served as the headquarters of France's nuclear industry in the 1960s. Underground testing took place at Mururoa, and it took much international/Polynesian/French protest to stop it and the ensuing fall-out of radiation.

I rate Letter from Galapagos 4 out of 4 stars; it was easy to read, funny and full of surprises, I could not wait to turn the pages. I do not rate it 3 out of 4 stars because it is an original and creative plot with lots of historical and travel research. I found nothing to dislike. I detected no errors and believe it to be professionally edited. I enjoyed the humor and light touch. The omission of maps and research references was a missed opportunity for this historical and travel laden read, in my opinion.

I recommend it to people who like humor, travel, originality, boats, and history. Not for people who prefer dark, scary mysteries.

******
Letter from Galapagos
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Post by That Reviewer »

This sounds like a travel and romance thrillers with some doses of humor. It should be worth reading.
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Post by Abacus »

That Reviewer wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 06:06 This sounds like a travel and romance thrillers with some doses of humor. It should be worth reading.
Hope you enjoy it.
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Post by NetMassimo »

This seems a fascinanting and funny story where traveling is used to talk about history and more. Thank your for your review!
Ciao :)
Massimo
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NetMassimo wrote: 28 Feb 2020, 09:19 This seems a fascinanting and funny story where traveling is used to talk about history and more. Thank your for your review!
Yes, it is and very readable.
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Post by Twylla »

What an excellent review. I will plan on reading this book. I am planning to travel to the Galapagos Islands so this book is a good choice. Thanks!
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Post by Nisha Ward »

Travel and history in one? Novels like these tend to be fun and informative, and the plot with the yacht looks to be quite the thriller.
"...while a book has got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the reader it's got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the writer as well." - Terry Pratchett on The Last Continent and his writing.
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Twylla wrote: 01 Mar 2020, 15:22 What an excellent review. I will plan on reading this book. I am planning to travel to the Galapagos Islands so this book is a good choice. Thanks!
I envy you - a really interesting place. I hope you post a letter in the box.
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Post by Abacus »

Nisha Ward wrote: 08 Mar 2020, 01:58 Travel and history in one? Novels like these tend to be fun and informative, and the plot with the yacht looks to be quite the thriller.
I find travel and history a good combination, too.
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