Off Season by Anne River Siddons

A family enclave on the coast of Maine where clam chowder and blueberry muffins are as much a part of the tradition as sailing, tennis and reading by the firelight. This is where Off Season begins.

Lilly is the heroine of this story and her journey begins as an eleven year old spending the summer in the family cottage. She experiences the profound joy of first love, not realizing its’ strength and resilience. A tragedy befalls her and she appears to cope quite well on the surface. There is much more going on beneath her calm façade and it does erupt later on in the story.

I love this author’s writing. I feel as if I am sitting in her living room and she is sharing a story with me. It’s as if I am conversing with a friend.

Ladybookbug!

It Only Takes a Moment by Mary Jane Clark

A 9-year old girl is abducted by her nanny from a day camp. Her mother is an anchor person for a local t.v. network. Her dad passed away several years before. And so the hunt begins.

A phsycic, pedophile, assorted reporters, local police and the FBI enter the picture.
A ransom note is presented and the plot thickens.

The story takes the reader down several different paths and one may wonder which path will lead to the recovery of the child but this is a good mechanism because we want to read to find the answer.

I like Mary Jane Clark’s stories. I’ve read all her books and have never been disappointed. They are suspenseful but not too intense.

Try this. You might like it.

Ladybookbug!

One of those Malibu Nights by Elizabeth Adler

On one of those Malibu nights a scream is heard and Private Detective Mack high-tails it out across the sandy beach in search of the originator. He discovers a beautiful redhead in a slinky negligee with a gun in her hand with which she proceeds to shoot him.

This is a light-hearted foray into the disappearance of a well-heeled businessman with shady dealings and a beautiful actress whose latest movie endeavor left a lot to be desired.

This author is very descriptive in her writing and for the most part I appreciate it. However, one complaint is her usage of name brands. One would assume it is so that the “average” reader can understand the socio-economic class of her characters. None-the-less this reader could do without it.

If you are into reading Elizabeth Adler and have read Sailing to Capri , Meet Me In Venice, or The House in Amalfi then you won’t want to miss this one.

Lady Bookbug!