Charleston Resident Alana Sommers Scores Well with Debut Release
By: Jeff Walker, Book Review
Charlotte native and current Charleston resident Alana Sommers scores literary success with her debut novel ‘If You Don’t Tell’. The brief summary on the back cover ideally outlines the narrative in Sommers’ book. ‘When you live in a small island town, you learn to keep secrets because the past never leaves you. But just because it’s a small town doesn’t mean its secrets are small’.
Sarah and Mary Ellen have known each other for decades, with younger Beth quickly becoming part of their inner circle on Sullivans Island. Together the trio have become thick as thieves, lying on the beach and regularly meeting at Ray’s for drinks, to discuss work, family life, and more consistently relationship problems.
However, just how deep and dark would a secret need to be to keep it from each other, let alone their better halves. 34-year-old Beth and her boyfriend Bobby have been dating almost a year, but after a Google search is he keeping a 25-year-old family mystery from her. In Sarah’s case, how far will a parent go to protect their teenage child, and has scatter-brained Mary Ellen been reduced to just a sounding board for Beth and Sarah.
How hard is it to keep secrets on an island town of just a couple thousand residents? Even more puzzling, how often do every day occurrences impact the ones closest to us? ‘If You Don’t Tell’ is a well depicted suspense novel ripe with mystery and regret that will keep readers guessing throughout all 230 pages. Sommers does a nice job of defining each character and giving them depth.
Do horrific memories from years gone by slowly fade away with time? Do more current traumatic incidents fail to exist if they’re never discussed? Perhaps some secrets are meant to be kept secret, and in the case of Sommers’ book ‘If You Don’t Tell’, maybe they never really happened. If Alana Sommers’ introductory novel is any indication of her writing prowess, she’ll have a bright literary future.
For more on Alana Sommers visit her website at https://www.alanasommers.com/
