キャミー・タング著「戌年」連載小説 プロのドッグトレーナーであるマリ・ムトウは、厄年を迎えている。 犬小屋と訓練所の改築をしながら、いつも不服そうにしている家族と同居することになった。母と姉に言わせれば、犬の毛とよだれかけにまみれる仕事は、家族にとって恥ずべきものだという。彼女は元カレを説得し、数ヶ月間犬を預かってもらうことにした。しかし、彼の兄は、数週間前に彼女が誤って車に追突した、怒り狂ったセキュリティ専門家であることが判明する。 アシュウィン・ケイトウは十分な問題を抱えている。叔母が玄関先に現れ、同居を希望している。彼は彼女にすべてを借りているので、断ることができません。母親が家を出て行った後、ネルおばさんはアシュウィンと弟を引き取り、愛のあるキリスト教の家庭で育てた。しかも、弟のダスティもアパートを追い出され、居場所を求めている。しかし、彼は犬を飼っている。そして、その犬の飼い主は誰だと思いますか? しかし、旧友でオアフ島のノースショアでデイスパを経営する私立探偵のエディサ・ゲレロから依頼を受ける。マリの施設で奇妙な破壊行為があり、3年前に失踪したエディサの妹の財布を発見する。エディサはマリが危険な目に遭っているのではと心配する。警備の専門家であるアシュウィンがすでにマリを知っていることを知ったエディサは、忙しい若い女性を密かに監視することを彼に依頼する。 アシュウィンは、活発でのんびりとしたドッグトレーナーに不本意ながら惹かれていく。彼女は、幸せそうな母親を思い出させる。その母親の裏切りによって、彼は人と距離を置くようになったのだ。マリは、アシュウィンの冷たい外見を見抜き、彼が家族に忠実な男であることを認める。彼は、彼女のキャリア選択を批判するだけの母親や姉とは違う。 マリのバラバラな家庭とアシュウィンのバラバラな家庭の中で、過去を隠そうとする人たちから、彼らの周りに危険が迫ってくるようになる。彼らは、影で動く秘密に光を当てることができるのか? 過去に発表されたパートへのリンクはこちら。 *** 第8章 - 恐ろしくも真っ白な不動産書類 『みんな仲良くできないのかな?』 マリは無用に力を込めて箱に本を投げ入れた。最近、なぜ彼女は人生の中で全員と言い争いをしているのだろう?もしかすると、これは本当に悪いアイデア
Violet Dawn (Kanner Lake series, book 1) by Brandilyn Collins
From the back cover:
Something sinuous in the water brushed against Paige’s knee. She jerked her leg away. What was that? She rose to a sitting position, groped around with her left hand.
Fine wisps wound themselves around her fingers.
Hair?
She yanked backward, but the tendrils clung. Something solid bumped her wrist. Paige gasped. With one frantic motion she shook her arm free, grabbed the side of the hot tub, and heaved herself out.
Paige Williams slips into her hot tub in the blackness of night—and finds herself face to face with death.
Alone, terrified, fleeing a dark past, Paige must make an unthinkable choice.
In Violet Dawn, hurtling events and richly drawn characters collide in a breathless story of murder, the need to belong, and faith’s first glimmer. One woman’s secrets unleash an entire town’s pursuit, and the truth proves as elusive as the killer in their midst.
Camy here:
This is a strong suspense novel with the kind of nail-biting chapters the author is known for, yet it has a uniquely different feel and tone from her Hidden Faces series. This is not just a rehash of her previous series but a very distinctive new one, yet just as entertaining.
The characters in this series seem even richer and fuller than the Hidden Faces series. The town of Kanner Lake is a mass of strong personalities and interesting quirks, and each person adds to the storyline in some way. Because it’s the first book in the series, the author spends some page time introducing the town, and the minor characters each have their own emotional arc through the book.
The narrative and description sucked me in so thoroughly that I could feel, taste, and smell everything Paige did. Every scene is vivid and emotional. It makes for a very engrossing read—once I started, I couldn’t put it down.
The faith element is done very well. It rises organically from the characters and never seems stuck into the story. Whether the characters are not Christian or are struggling Christians, their relationships with God are authentic and relatable.
The story didn’t seem as fast-paced or as graphic as the Hidden Faces series, but the nature of the crime and the non-law-enforcement nature of most of the characters’ occupations adds a fresh flavor to this new series. These are everyday people shoved into extraordinary circumstances.
This is very entertaining fiction. Since the protagonist of this book is younger than the Hidden Faces protagonist—Paige is in her 20’s—I think that readers as young as high school teenagers would enjoy this book. It might be a little intense for some junior high readers. Certainly, suspense readers in their 30’s and up will find this a highly enjoyable read.
You can also check out Brandilyn’s blog, Forensics and Faith, and the Scenes and Beans Kanner Lake blog.
From the back cover:
Something sinuous in the water brushed against Paige’s knee. She jerked her leg away. What was that? She rose to a sitting position, groped around with her left hand.
Fine wisps wound themselves around her fingers.
Hair?
She yanked backward, but the tendrils clung. Something solid bumped her wrist. Paige gasped. With one frantic motion she shook her arm free, grabbed the side of the hot tub, and heaved herself out.
Paige Williams slips into her hot tub in the blackness of night—and finds herself face to face with death.
Alone, terrified, fleeing a dark past, Paige must make an unthinkable choice.
In Violet Dawn, hurtling events and richly drawn characters collide in a breathless story of murder, the need to belong, and faith’s first glimmer. One woman’s secrets unleash an entire town’s pursuit, and the truth proves as elusive as the killer in their midst.
Camy here:
This is a strong suspense novel with the kind of nail-biting chapters the author is known for, yet it has a uniquely different feel and tone from her Hidden Faces series. This is not just a rehash of her previous series but a very distinctive new one, yet just as entertaining.
The characters in this series seem even richer and fuller than the Hidden Faces series. The town of Kanner Lake is a mass of strong personalities and interesting quirks, and each person adds to the storyline in some way. Because it’s the first book in the series, the author spends some page time introducing the town, and the minor characters each have their own emotional arc through the book.
The narrative and description sucked me in so thoroughly that I could feel, taste, and smell everything Paige did. Every scene is vivid and emotional. It makes for a very engrossing read—once I started, I couldn’t put it down.
The faith element is done very well. It rises organically from the characters and never seems stuck into the story. Whether the characters are not Christian or are struggling Christians, their relationships with God are authentic and relatable.
The story didn’t seem as fast-paced or as graphic as the Hidden Faces series, but the nature of the crime and the non-law-enforcement nature of most of the characters’ occupations adds a fresh flavor to this new series. These are everyday people shoved into extraordinary circumstances.
This is very entertaining fiction. Since the protagonist of this book is younger than the Hidden Faces protagonist—Paige is in her 20’s—I think that readers as young as high school teenagers would enjoy this book. It might be a little intense for some junior high readers. Certainly, suspense readers in their 30’s and up will find this a highly enjoyable read.
You can also check out Brandilyn’s blog, Forensics and Faith, and the Scenes and Beans Kanner Lake blog.
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