THE CONTEST
ISBN-978-0-473-39917-7​
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Martin Fallaway is dying. With no family to whom he can leave his surplus fortune, he holds a contest on his tropical island, where ten families compete to be the last team left in order to claim the prize of thirty million dollars.
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Arriving on the island, the contestants’ need for shelter is paramount, but the warm, sunny days, powder-white sand and crystal clear waters cloak their perspectives. When a storm hits, causing the first departure, the remaining contestants realize their time on the island might not be as idyllic as they first thought.
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As the days tick slowly by, hidden dangers begin to manifest themselves; insecurities creep in, personalities change, inquisitive minds take over and secrets become lies. Reckless decisions made change their lives forever and when the unthinkable happens and their very existence is threatened, the island becomes their darkest nightmare.
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With time running out and the remaining contestants’ trust in one another challenged, can they bury their consciences and risk everything, or will the emotional sacrifice be too great?
As a proofreader and editor, I have worked on many different styles and genres of books, some fun; some instructional; some simply a ripping good read. Carne Maxwell's The Contest falls into the last category. Indeed, there were many occasions while working on the book when I quite forgot that I had a job to do and found myself racing ahead to see what happened next. There are many memorable moments between the deceptively calm beginning and the didn't-see-THAT-coming ending: Ms Maxwell has a most fertile imagination and her second book can't come quickly enough for me.
Lel Scott, Hawkeye Proofreading Services
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"I can’t believe you killed off ...! I’m going to need counselling now.
Honest opinion- it’s great!! To me the real stand-out aspect of the writing is the ‘pace’ that it all moves at. Which I think is largely due to the great dialogue throughout- it conveys the plot and the characters without needing a whole lot of wordy explanation. It’s really good writing and a genuinely exciting plot. I was interested right from page 1 to the end."
Jonathan Ward at Elements Physiotherapy
