Linda Anderson - Jennifer Archer - Judith Arnold
Anderson, Linda - SECRETS OF SADIE MAYNARD, THE
(Pocket - 5/99) (4+)
Sadie Maynard, wife of the sheriff of Yancey, West Virginia,
was murdered sixty years ago and a man named Amos Washington
was convicted of the crime. Sadie's granddaughter, Memphis
Maynard, a globetrotting photojournalist and single mom, returns to her hometown to investigate the case. Jake Bishop, her ex-lover and former journalistic partner, shares her belief that Amos was protecting the real murderer, the now-deceased Macauley Tate; but Memphis is livid that Jake is writing a book about the murder and serializing it on tabloid television. Hostility and suspicion meet these two at every turn in the investigation, as stories surface about appearances of Sadie's ghost...
No one in Yancey is more upset about the renewed interest in this case than Tate's grandson, Cutter, a successful businessman and lawyer. He doesn't want the old suspicions and unspoken accusations raised again. His beloved grandfather had been his mentor as a child and Cutter knows this man couldn't have committed the murder. Amid all the questioning, Memphis and Cutter are often thrown together—and they aren't thrilled when they find themselves attracted to one another!
As time goes on, unexplained occurrences complicate the investigation. Memphis finds herself humming a hymn that she hears in the wind, she begins seeing lights and hearing screams in the woods at night, and she has an unsettling feeling that she's not alone in her darkroom. But ghosts and spirits cannot be responsible for the frightening threats and vicious acts directed towards her. Apparently, someone doesn't want her to discover the truth about her grandmother's death. Cutter, who has developed feelings for Memphis, also knows that the information he's been keeping secret could possibly ruin any chance for a relationship between them.
THE SECRETS OF SADIE MAYNARD is an outstanding romantic suspense novel that will haunt your heart and mind. Linda Anderson has woven paranormal elements and many twists and turns into the intriguing, romantic plot, and the outcome is awesome. The relationship between Memphis and Cutter, grounded in suspicion, moves to love at a reluctant, believable pace. Not only are they on opposing sides, but both have also been hurt by love in the past. The scenery and inhabitants of Yancey, as well as the people living in the surrounding mountains, are so realistically and vividly portrayed that the reader becomes part of the story. Ms. Anderson is a born writer and THE SECRETS OF SADIE MAYNARD will have every reader spellbound by the characters, the bittersweet mix of love lost and love found, and the absorbing murder mystery. ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug on the Web
Archer, Jennifer - BODY AND SOUL (Leisure - 9/99) (4)
Who hasn't, at one time or another, wished they could trade lives with someone else? In this fanciful contemporary tale, the heroine does just that...with results that are rather mind-boggling at times.
Lisa O'Connor feels overworked and unappreciated, and this thirty-something wife and mother has just about had it. She isn't certain her husband likes her anymore, much less loves her, and her feelings about him are just as questionable. When she finds herself trapped in her mini-van with two screaming offspring and a pounding headache, Lisa can only look with envy at the beautiful young woman in the next drive-up lane at the bank. Sitting alone in a bright red car, her perfectly manicured nails tapping out the rhythm to an upbeat tune, that anonymous miss doesn't seem to have a care in the world. When Lisa mutters, "On days like today, I wish I had your life," she is suddenly catapulted into a living nightmare. Or is it?
Finally figuring out that she is now residing in Miss Beautiful's body—bizarre but true—it occurs to Lisa that maybe, just maybe, this is a chance to relive a time when the only needs she'd had to be concerned with were her own. Life is rarely that simple, however, and before things can get back to normal, everyone in this modern fable will learn some valuable lessons about what's really important to them.
There is no doubt that the ability to suspend disbelief is necessary in order to enjoy this rather farfetched contemporary tale, but many readers will be able to identify with the heroine, and those who like to journey into fantasy land will no doubt find Ms. Archer's book to be highly diverting. Although there were times when I was pulled out of the story because I needed to stop and figure out whose mind I was looking into (which "Lisa"), that didn't detract from the flow of the book as a whole. The characters are likable, especially Michael, the bewildered husband, and the plot line is certainly intriguing. Overall, I would say that BODY AND SOUL is a very entertaining read, especially if you're looking for a fun change of pace. ~Connie Ramsdell for Bookbug on the Web
Arnold, Judith - FATHER CHRISTMAS (Harl. Super. 767) (3)
Newly divorced police detective has big child-care problems. He arrives at a day-care center and is attracted to the owner. She is concerned about his toddler and worried that he's about to crack. The characters were solid and the issues were real. I liked this book better than the prequel, FATHER FOUND, because in a neat roll-reversal, it's the hero who must bear the burden and stress of being "superhuman," and it's the heroine who's got her life together. ~Kathy G. (kathy@cs.utexas.edu)
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