I found out about this Lavender Tide Series from my blogging friend Susanne from over here.
She was right! I loved this first novel in the series!
STORY SUMMARY
Shauna is a widow whose husband Jack died in a hiking accident a year ago. They have a 5 year old little boy named Alex. Alex and Shauna are still connected to Marilyn, Jack's mom as they all live in the same town. Marilyn and Shauna have always been friends as well as mother/daughter-in-law.
Jack's best friend, who also happens to be friends with Shauna, is Zach. Shauna wants nothing to do with Zach, the risk-taker, because she blames him for Jack's sudden death.
Shauna believes that the only things she has to live for is her little boy, and her helicopter charter business. But she's struggling to make ends meet....Jack didn't really keep his life insurance policy up to date so she is facing the loss of their home, and possibly of her helicopter.
And then one summer day, her business partner, Clarence, is murdered. The very same night, so is his estranged wife, Lucy. Clarence and Lucy were like 2nd parents to Shauna. In fact, because Shauna's mom died in a horrible earthquake when Shauna was just 8 years old, Lucy and Marilyn have been the women that Shauna turns to as an adult. Shauna's dad, Lewis, is an alcoholic. They do not have a close relationship yet Shauna does check on him from time to time in the cabin that he calls home out in the wilderness near Mt Jupiter.
Shauna is the last person to see Clarence alive, and his last words to her, make her wonder if her own life...and that of her son's...is in jeopardy as well! Who can she trust? She realizes that the only person she really can trust and turn to is Zach Bannister. Will she ever be able to forgive him for taking Jack on such a risky climb?
Zach is happy to help. As they begin to renew their friendship, Zach and Shauna begin to discover some long buried secrets going as far back as Shauna's childhood. Are her little brother and little sister still alive??
There are several clues that seem to involve Lewis and the necklace that Shauna's mother was wearing the die she died in the earthquake. And now...someone else wants that necklace when it is discovered that it was not buried with Shauna's mom.
Who wants that necklace so badly and why?? and will they kill to get it?
MY THOUGHTS
This is a pretty good Christian mystery, with some suspense and romance thrown in. Yes, the romance part is a bit sappy as many of these books are, but the mystery and the suspense override that!
The characters are very well developed and the setting/description is just wonderful.
The characters are very believable too which I enjoy, but again, the ending and relationship of Shauna and Zach is a bit predictable.
This is Book One in a series called Lavender Tides. Sadly, there is a 2nd book that I cannot find anywhere.....it's called Leaving Lavender Tides and is the book between this one and the one that is known as Book 2: The House at Saltwater Point. I already have a request for it at my towne library! Hopefully they will have all the books in the series.
This book touches on widowhood, death of loved ones, adultery, alcoholism, kidnapping, murder, gun use, forgiveness. It falls under the genre "Christian fiction" but there isn't much about the saving grace of Jesus.....it would appeal to anyone of any faith with a bit of God's love thrown in but nothing preachy to turn the unbeliever off.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 9.
1 comment:
I think Leaving Lavender Tides is a novella. I haven't read it but did read the rest of them and really liked them.
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