Horane Smith

Reviewed by Alexandria Ducksworth, Independent Book Review.

A compelling Caribbean mystery equipped with plenty of secrets and backstabbing

Three young girls are missing in Jamaica’s Parrot Valley, and social activist Carmen Young is doing everything in her power to bring awareness to the situation. But problems escalate when two people die during a protest. And to top it off, Carmen’s fiancé Julian is arrested in America with a murder of his own. What else could even go wrong? 

Meanwhile, Detective Benjamin Rhodes is on the protest murder case. A tip from the town drunk leads him to the town’s dark underbelly and to the truth of both mysteries.

Author Horane Smith has created a thrilling mystery in this lush Caribbean landscape. The Queen That Wears the Crown is like an intoxicating combination of escapism and reality. Everything seems to be happening at once, and it isn’t without its accompanying action. There’s the case of the missing girls, the protest deaths, and Julian’s arrest, but there’s also much more beneath the surface. Smith successfully reveals that even the smallest quaint towns have their dirty laundry. 

There are tons of shady activities and characters lurking around Parrot Valley. Brook Cunningham is the town’s known rich son and definitely one of those characters. Carmen’s engagement to Julian means nothing to Brook; he’s been vying for her hand for years. Brook is no saint despite the town seeing him as one, and he ends up playing a devious role in this plot.

Human trafficking is a major theme in The Queen That Wears the Crown. Carmen’s ambition and resilience are essential attributes to a situation that feels hopeless. Through Carmen’s quest to uncover the truth behind disappearances and murders, the novel explores how corruption seeps into small-town life, making the fight for justice an uphill battle. Carmen’s role highlights the complexities of activism in a community where trust is fragile and those in power may not have the people’s best interests at heart.

Horane Smith paints a vivid picture of Parrot Valley’s social issues. Themes like deportation, economic struggle, and rising crime contribute to the story’s tension, highlighting the town’s fractured state and the challenges its residents face in the wake of tragedy. This backdrop enriches the novel’s themes greatly.

Carmen Young is a smart protagonist with a strong will to fight for people’s rights, but her personal goal is simple: settle down with Julian after he graduates from college in America. While she has a strong head on her shoulders, readers may find her sudden distrust of Julian after his arrest somewhat unbelievable. They’ve been together for 15 years. Sure, the sudden surprise is devastating, but it feels off-base for her to turn her back with so little proof.

The Queen That Wears the Crown is filled with secrets waiting to be unlocked. All I could think of while reading was the British TV show Death in Paradise. Parrot Valley is filled with colorful characters, from the persistent detective to the town gossiper. Every chapter leads readers deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole of the town’s mysteries.

Horane Smith succeeds in crafting this satisfying island thriller. Those who love good tropical locations with their mysteries will relish all the good that The Queen That Wears the Crown has to offer.

BOOKLIFE REVIEW

LIVELY AND APPEALING CHARACTERS, ENTERTAINING TWISTS, AN ENGANING MYSTERY

Carmen Young is the jewel of her family—beautiful, assistant manager of a local bank, and a
social activist driven to build a better world. Her nickname, “Queenie,” speaks to her status in
her hometown of Parrot Valley, Jamaica, where she takes the lead by organizing protests against
the local police department, for their lack of interest in investigating the young girls disappearing
from the area—including her fiancé’s cousin, Janice. While waiting for Julian to return home
from New York to marry her, Carmen takes the girls’ disappearances to heart, until one of her
protests ends in violence, landing her in the middle of a dangerous investigation.
Smith (author of By the Rivers of Babylon) propels Carmen’s focus with her strong sense of right
and wrong, crafting a female lead who remains stalwart in her plans, not just for herself and
Julian, but also for the missing girls she’s determined to help. Even the wealthy Brook
Cunningham, a man Carmen’s known since childhood, can’t distract her from the future she
envisions—despite his constant attempts to woo her. In a delicious twist, Smith casts doubt on
Julian when a female friend from his study group in New York goes missing—and he’s arrested
for her murder. Though he proclaims his innocence, readers can’t help but wonder if the missing
Jamaican girls and murdered student are somehow intertwined.
The setting of this engaging mystery gives the novel depth, as Smith constructs a Jamaica that
tourists rarely get the chance to see: small towns full of hardworking people trying to carve out
futures for their families. The characters are lively and appealing, particularly Carmen, who will
win readers’ hearts as her world is turned upside down and she fights to reveal who she can trust.
The twists and turns are entertaining, and Smith handles challenging material—sex trafficking,
addiction, and murder—with a graceful touch.
Takeaway: Twisty, consuming mystery of young girls disappearing in Jamaica.
Comparable Titles: Lisa Jewell’s Then She Was Gone, Michael Connelly’s 9 Dragons.

“Lover’s Leap”
By Horane Smith

Two young slaves have eyes for each other, while their master’s daughter has similar
intentions. A 1700ft. Cliff overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea is their
secret hideout – a hideout with deadly consequences. As the drama unfolds, the three
players are faced with choices……Come and discuss the book with the author.

SATURDAY, March 25, 2023
7:30pm – 9:00pm DST

Please Join Us Via Zoom at

Meeting ID: 880 7644 2306
Pass Code: 368145

One of the most prolific Caribbean-Canadian novelists of his generation, Horane Smith comes to Palaver 2016 with12 published titles; a growing reputation as a writer; and tributes and accolades from many who are themselves established.

The 2016 Palaver International Literary Festival takes place in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, August 6 and 7, 2016.
Horane Smith’s first success, Lover’s Leap: [ISBN: 0 75410 589] was published in the United Kingdom in 1999. Over the next 15 years, Horane was to complete 11 other books, including:

• Underground to Freedom (2000)
• Port Royal (2001)
• The Lynching Stream (2003)
• Reggae Silver (2004)
• Dawn at Lover’s Leap (the sequel) (2006)
• Seven Days in Jamaica. (2008)
• Marooned in Nova Scotia – A Story of the Jamaican Maroons in Canada (2010)
• When A Marriage Goes Blue (2014)
• The Will To Live (2015)
• Shortcut to Hell (2015)

This list of titles, published in such a relatively short period, is indeed impressive. However, comments about his writing have been equally impressive.
Lover’s Leap attracted attention on both sides of the Atlantic. A tragic love story which survived European enslavement of Africans in the Caribbean, Smith’s Lover’s Leap gave new life to this haunting, romantic Jamaican folk tale. It was selected as one of two novels to be used in a case study into mixed-fixed relations at the 10th International Conference on the Social Sciences and the Humanities, in Montreal, Canada, in 2012.

“Their secret meeting place was a stunningly beautiful 1700-foot cliff overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. Could their love remain a secret forever? A choice had to be made…between wealth or poverty, slavery or freedom, true love or lust.”

British best-selling British author, the late John Prebble recognized Smith’s talent when he commented on Lover’s Leap: “…read it with great admiration. …One of our best emerging writers.” And Priscilla Cotterall, British book reviewer described it as“propelling…vividly defined”. “Enough suspense to keep you turning the pages,” wrote Colin Rickards, Canadian book reviewer; while the Ottawa Citizen commented: “Horane Smith is no ordinary novelist.” And in Jamaica, the setting for the centuries-old tale, Barbara Ellington of the Daily Gleaner stated: “Once you have started you will want to finish it.”

Lover’s Leap was quickly followed by Underground to Freedom, a novel about the relentless pursuit of freedom from slavery in the ‘Deep South’ of the United States to the ‘promised land’ of Canada. This book was described by a high school teacher in Kentucky as “…a compelling, touching chronicle of a thirst for freedom.”

Horane Smith was born in a country rich with history. Indeed, its notorious city of Port Royal, at one time the haunt of some of the most vicious pirates that ever sailed the high seas came to be regarded as the wickedest city in the Western Hemisphere. Smith’s Port Royal, published in 2001, brought him a fair measure of respect from literary critics. Phillip Mascoll, then at the Toronto Star newspaper complimented: “If only historical textbooks were as well written.” Colin Rickards felt: “Horane Smith has grown from strength to strength and isn’t afraid to take on a big canvas. Read it!”

Lynching Stream, published in 2003, brought forth more positive comments. Denise Burnett (CIUT-FM89.5) said: Wow! A very good read. I’m recommending it for my book club.” Bryan Rigg, author/reviewer (Covered and Bound, CHRY-105.5-FM.) was unequivocal:“A wonderful story, I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

In Marooned in Nova Scotia, Horane Smith tells the story of a fearless Maroon warrior who, in 1796, along with his compatriots became the first settlers from the Caribbean to settle in Canada.
His 13th novel Morant Bay: Based on the Jamaican Rebellion is set for publishing later this year or early next year. The novel is set in 1865 Jamaica, when the struggle for better working and living conditions for former slaves, erupted in a major rebellion from which emerged two of the nation’s national heroes.

Horane Smith comes to the Palaver International Literary Festival with an impressive body of work and decades of experience and talent to share. He is the first recipient of the BURLA Award for outstanding contribution to African-Canadian and Caribbean Literature. He has also been recognized by the Jamaican Diaspora Foundation Canada for outstanding contribution to Jamaican literature.

Horane appears at the festival’s Books and Authors event at Wasaga Beach Area 4 on Sunday August 7, where the day begins with a magnificent themed Caribbean Brunch Buffet presented by the award-winning Chef Selwyn Richards.
www.horanesmith.com

Now, you can purchase most of my printed books in e-books  on AmazonKindle, Barnesandnoble’s Nook;  Kobo, Itunes and Smashwords.com