Review: Luna Tango by Alli Sinclair

Luna Tango is the first novel I have read to be set almost entirely in Argentina and I loved author Alli Sinclair's depiction of Argentina and, more importantly, the famous Argentinian/Uruguayan dance, the tango. The novel opens with Dani, an Australian journalist, based in New York but sent to Argentina to do a piece researching the history of the tango. Dani's personal life is a bit of a mess--her fiance has just ditched her for his ex-wife and her connection with Argentina is unpleasant in a very personal way--when she was a small child, Dani's mother abandoned her and moved to Argentina where she became an exceptionally famous dancer. Add to the mix the fact that Dani's grandmother (who raised her) is staunchly refusing to speak to Dani until she leaves Argentina and that her interview subject, Carlos is quite an eccentric man who refuses to answer any of Dani's questions until she learns some dance steps and we have quite a colourful story. As the story progresses, we learn of a murder that happened many years ago in Argentina and that Dani may have a very personal connection to it all ...

This one was a fun, entertaining and often page turning read that kept me up well into the evening as I tried to sort through Dani's family life and its possible connections to Argentina. Carlos made for an interesting love interest. The flashbacks and family secrets kept me engrossed as did the real sense of history and culture that moves through the narrative. My only real complaint is that the ending felt a little too abrupt, though it is fitting given the possible/probable fates of two very important and likeable characters. 

Luna Tango is the first book in the Dance Card series, with two more books to follow--Flamenco Fire and Turning Pointe in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Recommended.

Finally, a big shout out to Harlequin and The Reading Room for my free copy. 

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