A Christmas Escape by Anne Perry

Latterly is feeling lost and has no passion for anything since his wife died.  He started to feel that way before her death and her dying didn't make things better.  He decides to take his Christmas holiday on an island.  He rented a room, had plenty of places to walk and the food was good.  There's a volcano near but it's been there forever.  There's a greater storm inside the house...

Ballantine Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 10th, so you can grab a copy then.

He chats with a young woman who is fun to be around and has a quick wit.  He finds she's there with her guardian. There's a successful author, a married couple, a retired military man as well as the owner of the house.  The author and the married man snarl at each other a lot.  There's enough tension in the group to make their meals uncomfortable.  Latterly tries to smooth things down.

When the volcano comes to life, the visitors are sent to the cellar for safety.  One of them is missing so a few of the men go to find him.  They find him under a beam in a shed, but that's not what killed him.

This story moves well, has a good plot and keeps you guessing.  The volcano manages to mete out justice.  Latterly finds himself put in a position that gives him a reason to live.  Their Christmas celebration might be a bit more somber than expected but they still have reason to celebrate.  Life goes on.